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.

新加坡新巴士与地铁车资 － 160与170号巴士

新加坡新的《以车程计算车资系统》刚刚在拜六实施。刚刚看了新传媒的8频道6：30pm新闻看了乘客的投诉。投诉指的是160和170号巴士从新山到新加坡克兰芝地铁站的车资从9角／1元2角提高到1元2角半／1元4角（前者为新山市区，后者为拉庆终站）。

其实那些在新加坡三所大学或者是在裕廊工作的大马人，反而省下1新币的车费！

本人拿一个比例。从新山市区到南洋理工大学(NTU) North Spine。

以前：（从拉庆）$1.21 (170车程）＋ $1.53 （地铁车程至文礼）＋ $0.91 （179号巴士前往南大）－ $1 （转车回扣）: $2.65.

新的计算方式：$1.41 （170车程）＋ $0.43 （地铁车程至文礼）＋ $0.04（179号巴士前往南大）: $1.88。省下7角7分！　（回程是$1.91)。

如果是从新山市区将是从原本的$2.35降低至$1.84。回程是$1.89。省下5角1分！

简单的说，现在如果我乘搭170巴士5公里，转搭地铁10公里，车资是以地铁15公里的行程计算。

计算新的车资的网址：http://www.publictransport.sg/publish/ptp/en/distancefare.html。

反观现在乘搭黄巴CW1付现钱不划算。RM1.40（新币5角7分） （车票）＋ $1.53 (地铁车程至文礼）＋　$0.17 (179号巴士前往南大）: $2.30车资！回程更不用说。

但是那些乘搭170直达兀兰路或转搭925号巴士前往工作地点的乘客将得多支付3角至4角的车资。

希望现在那些在新加坡就读或者是做工的大马人应该会了解了吧。

兴建新的新马大桥及降低过路费？大马人误解的情况。

最近在报章上读到许多有关兴建新的新柔长堤以及降低大士第二通道过路费的新闻和在大马媒体的评论，本人其实感到困扰。因为大马人忘了两国的国情以及事件处理方式都不一样。

先谈降低大士第二通道过路费30％的事件。新加坡政府当年是以自投自保养维修的情况下与大马政府兴建的。这有别于大马把大道维修保养的责任“外包”给南北大道的子公司。所以在决定降低过路费时，有自主的决定。反而大马政府可能得要赔偿大道公司。

另一方面，本人感觉到用意是鼓励卡车使用大士关卡以舒缓兀兰路被大马卡车严重堵塞的情况（车龙可以长达5公里！）。这严重的影响新加坡公共巴士在下午繁忙时段的运作，也害得在兀兰路乘搭巴士的乘客被迫在卡车和右边车道“夹住”的情况下的等巴士。

这也让我意识到为何大马政府无法快速的建造地铁　－　路税太便宜了！新加坡政府有能力资负兴建地铁线，新的大道及维修道路，新的冷气巴士转换站是因为有的实施昂贵的拥车证，路税以及每公升新币30分的汽油税。

新的新柔长堤对我而言是没有什么好期待的，因为新的新山关卡太狭窄了（连从兀兰前往新山方向没有设立专利的巴士专用道）。

第二，实际上柔佛海峡太狭窄了！新一代的大型轮船是没有办法使用柔佛海峡。也可别忘了在新加坡西部是实弹演习场，船只是不能进入。

在提升大马柔佛海港的竞争力时，大马人忘了连最近台湾长荣集团在新加坡设立船东公司。新加坡政府的策略是吸引国际船务公司不止用新加坡的货柜港，也鼓励该公司将船队登记使用新加坡籍旗，在新加坡设立区域总部，使用新加坡的运输，货舱，金融等等的相关服务。这是俗称的Approved International Scheme. 相关资料：http://www.mpa.gov.sg/sites/business_and_enterprise/expanding_your_business_operations/growing_your_business_through_approved_schemes/approved_interational_shipping_enterprise(ais)_scheme.page

意图是要把新加坡建立成国际船运中心。大马还没做到。

想起当年的港口之争，今天新加坡港还成为世界第一货柜吞口量的港。连当年给予长荣航空在吉隆坡机场的优惠都保不了将被削减航班的厄运。

长荣航空将在今年八月起，削减从每星期6班台北飞往吉隆坡的服务削减成每星期3班。反而来往台北以及新加坡的服务将从每星期5班增加到每天一班。连将提升使用波音B-777客机 （可以说是首创　－　第一个在欧美及日本航班以外以完全使用定型B-777型客机的长荣航线）。

始终长堤两岸的国情还是不一样。

'by right', 'by left'

Hate it to say this about young Singaporeans these days - trying to squeeze their way through the system.

It's something I would not mention openly in a blog but they hate the 'by right' rule.

I think many people simply refuse to listen or refuse to believe - if there's 1000x of the same character people trying to do 'by left', wouldn't people like the government be very busy to entertain all these?

Simply they would ban all the 'by left' things though no doubt there are special occasions flexibility has to be exercised like the recent case on the newspaper over a mum breastfeeding her kid onboard the MRT train (It's better than the baby crying and disturbing other passengers onboard the same MRT train right?).

In any case not that I wish to criticise, sometimes the more people insist on the 'by left' things, the more trouble they end up into - serious.

Cross Border Bus Svs - PSV license

I'm referrring to the S$25 PSV license Malaysian (and a small number of Thai registered coaches) coaches has to pay in order to be allowed to enter Singapore.

This includes the Malaysian Yellow public bus that plies in particularly between Kranji & JB (CW1) and Queen St & JB (CW2).

They're competing with SBS and SJE respectively (not to mention the subsidised diesel and so on) yet they SBS & SJE are made to pay $1100 PSV road tax a year instead.

I received an reply from MOT saying that it cannot be compared as the Malaysian buses are only allowed to stop at 'designated' locations in Singapore.

Yeah, that means our SJE in particular should be paying S$25 road tax instead as well since the CW2's 'designated' location is the same as SJE.

I think SJE should consider relocating the business to register at JB instead since there's this loophole. Everything is still lower cost in Malaysia.

Our Singapore government has well forgotten how humiliated they were when Maersk & Evergreen left PSA thanks to it's stubborn stance over shipping rates (rates was only lowered when other lines threatened to follow suit). Needless to mention the head of PSA then was an ex - defence minister back in the 1990s who said "We do not compete with prices.".

I think they deserve to taste it one more time to realise their policy need to evolve around Singaporeans and not expecting Singaporeans evolve around it. It's not as if there's loopholes around.

Instead of collecting less, people relocate elsewhere and forget about collecting taxes and Singaporeans being employed.

Needless to mention they still believe the cramped New Boon Lay Bus Int is mindful of commuters needs. So who takes public transport daily? Those scholars who rarely take public transportation or the thousands of ordinary Singaporeans and bus drivers whose breaks are forfeited who have to face this?

YOG special lane

The hyperlink shown below is for those who still do not know what is going on about the special YOG vehicular lane that would be implemented on most of the expressways and some designated main roads:

http://motoring.asiaone.com/Motoring/News/Story/A1Story20100618-222837.html

My 2 cents thought of this issue:
1) How are the YOG buses going to be moving on the 2nd most left lane or rather the middle lane of most of the expressways when the legal speed limit for buses is 60km/hr? Isn't it going to be road hogging impeding smooth expressway flow instead?

2) So if the car did not look out for the YOG official cars, would the cars end up filter out to the right lane? In any case would they travel beyond the speed limit and/ or be above the actual traffic flow (raining, accidents, events en-route e.g. fallen tree)?

3) Can't they leave the venues i.e. hotels or NTU YOG village earlier?

4) Can't other arrangement be made instead? I.e. adjust school hours, SGX trading hours, govt office operational hours? This also has implications onto our public buses and MRT peak hour scheduling as well.

Is the scholars inside the civil service expect everyone to evolve around the YOG? Or is it because they now realised it would greatly the smooth ops of the finanicial & banking sector?

I'm waiting for road traffic accidents to occur as vehicles filter out to the right or left lane out of desperation to avoid getting the fine. Probably a 10 - 20 car piling accident would occur when one of the cars is unable to brake in time to let the filtering car in. By then the YOG games would be affected thanks to the massive jam. Soon Singapore would become a joke of the world again after the Orchard Road flash flood on Wednesday 16/06/2010.

Near accident onboard buses - thanks to car drivers!

Actually I didn't want to pen down my thoughts on this matter.

But I'd ever encountered two near accidents, 1) at congested PIE when the SBS bus I was on was attempting to filter to the middle lane), 2) at CJC along Whitley Rd when the SBS buses are trying to filter to the bus stop as the left lane is clogged by parents queueing to drop off their kids inside the school compound.

In this 2 scenario, I could have tripped and fall thanks to heartless parents/ car drivers. Not only that,

In the PIE incident the car driver just immediately sped up noticing the bus was filtering. I could have tripped and hit a grab pole all thanks to him. Yet he thinks he's right by making a rude gesture to the bus driver. For trying to fight to be first (the ego), we commuters (especially the standing ones) suffer.

In the CJC incident, no one wants to give way to the buses. It's as if other than their precious gems, everyone else does not need to get to school, to work on time. No one bothered to give way to the buses to enter and exit the bus stop bay at CJC even though the left lane they're on being congested (the buses could still filter to the right to proceed to PIE).

In any case I think MOE should ban parents from dropping off their kids inside the school compound. It does nothing but to only delay bus service operations. The buses are already very packed thanks to the 'good' initiative to start school later at 8am, clashing with people heading to work.

Yet at the same time, the same government is trying to encourage Singaporeans to take public transport.

In any case, I'm a driver myself just happened to commute to work and play more via public transport.