Distance fare glitches - The problematic ones

It's been 2 weeks since the distance fare has been implemented. Yet the teething problems are yet to be resolved. I'll list all the problems related to the online calculator and the scheme itself.

1) Detour/ flyover/ road diversion distance: It seems the distances tabulated for the respective bus services are based on every inch of distance they travel.

Hence whenever the buses use the flyover (the long turning distance is tabulated instead of the straight right turn), diverted due to MRT works (Bt Timah), detour (Whereby buses has no choice but to do a detour i.e. Sv 154 from Macpherson Rd to Jln Toa Payoh/ PIE towards Boon Lay), commuters are peanlised for the additional distance compared to the fare stage era.

2) Special detour (Sv 155, 961C): These 2 services makes a detour inside Macpherson Estate & Marina Centre (on weekends). In the past, the bus company does not tabulate any net distance travelled so as not to penalise commuters for the detour. The distance fare penalises such commuters for the detour.

3) Sv 160/ 170/ 170X: Right now commuters can't switch between 170X & 170. This block of services was the exempted case whereby commuter could take back the same service all these while between Kranji & JB.

The reason is simple, as the passenger flow is counted by hundreds at any time, any segregation of commuters by the original bus they took i.e. Sv 160, 170, 170X is going to create havoc at Woodlands CIQ. The priority is to clear the passengers as soon as possible (not as slow as possible) to prevent bottlenecks.

To talk abt our Singapore government being highly efficient.

4) Bt Panjang Int/ LRT stop: For some reason, commuters taking Svs like 75 to Bt Panjang Int are penalised for alighting at the actual alighting bay instead of LRT stop (0.1km difference). How could distance be tabulated inside the bus interchange is beyond me.

5) Missing bus stops: It seems Sv 60, 73, 98, 124, 125, 155, 182, 315, 317 has got only one time display of the double calling bus stops in the distance fare calculator.

The bus stops affected are Bedok Reservoir Rd, Jurong Port Rd, Jln Tepong, Fishery Port Rd, Jln Buroh, Jln Bahagia, Merpati Rd, Circuit Rd, Pipit Rd, Mattar Rd, Serangoon Gardens Circus & Tuas Checkpoint.

Seems that this fatal mistake occured as it's confused being a loop service and calling these bus stop twice. I think the programmers are thinking the bus company's info is wrong (They're the ones wrong instead!). Sv 155 indeed calls Macpherson Estate say ITE Macpherson twice en-routre Siglap Rd & Toa Payoh!

There's also an handful of bus services which has omitted bus stops i.e. Sv 43 at Buangkok MRT Station.

6) Bus stop information board display (Same as pointer 5): Transitlink did not provide separated service information for the different directions and expect commuters to deduct the distance themselves.

E.g. Sv 73 from S'goon Gardens Circus to Ang Mo Kio Ave 3, commuters need to deduct their final bus stop from the second S'goon Garden Circus call listed.

I wonder how are commuters going to know there's 2 directions to look out for (so much for the note telling people there's 2 directions. Only 1 direction info so where direction 2?). Last bus information not provided as well.

Worst being Transitlink's feedback reply tell me it's SBST's problem. They've no idea the mistake they made.

Here we go again where problems are thrown here and there!

7) Changi Airport/ Townlink services: This is very funny. Commuters now cannot tabulate their distance beyond Airport PTB 2 or central stop for Townlink services in the online calculator. I fear Sv 24, 34, 36, 291, 293, 358, 359, 911, 912, 913 commuters are charged maximum fare thanks to this glitch!

8) MRT feedering Services: Many commuters are caught unaware of this. Now those trunk services that were ex - feeder services are now charged trunk fares within the new town.

The bus company used to withdraw the duplicating feeder service to optimise resources. So now LTA wants to create wastage by introducing duplicating feeder bus service?

9) Wrongful deduction: Once an aircon bus fare was deducted from me though I was onboard a non aircon bus.

10) Parks Services: It's quite confusing that distance fare is applicable for RWS Svs 188R & 963R yet it's not offering any transfer discount for commuters taking the MRT and x-fer Sv 408/ 409 to Labordor Park/ Mt Faber respectively.

Funny thing being SBS used to offer the same transfer rebate for Parks 408 & 409 as per basic/ express services. I can understand the cease for Premium & Chinatown Direct services as they're already routed to serve the neighbourhood.

11) General distance tabulation: There's pockets of cases where commuters could likely be wrongly charged. 1 example is taking Sv 30 from Boon Lay Way/ Opp Jurong Fire Stn to Boon Lay Int. The distance is 1.1km.

Yet taking Sv 79 or 246 from Opp Chartered Industries of Singapore (CIS) along Jln Boon Lay to Boon Lay Int is taken as 2km in distance. But the reality is this bus stop is nearer than the Opp Jurong Fire Stn to Boon Lay Int!

The first problem is more damaging. How could commuters be penalised just because LTA has to divert a stretch of road for MRT works and charge additional distance due to the new road scheme?

The buses simply just follow the diverted route else how it's going to serve the mass?

But I guess it's the first time the government is tabulating the distance, as it's the task of the respective bus companies in the past.