SINGAPORE
— A decision to axe bus route 167 after an increase in ridership on the recently extended Thomson-East Cost Line (TEL) has caused an outcry among some commuters.
They argued that the public transport alternatives are less convenient and would mean that they have to get on and off different buses during their trips.
In response to TODAY's queries on Tuesday (Nov 21), the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said that it is reviewing the feedback from commuters.
On Friday, it announced that bus service 167, which plies the route from Sembawang to Bukit Merah via the Thomson and Orchard Road areas, will cease from Dec 10.
It pointed to an increase in passengers using the TEL as a factor in the decision, after the third stage of the MRT line opened on Nov 13 last year, replicating some parts of the bus 167 route.
The authority also announced changes to the routes of other bus services such as 162 and 162M as well as 75. Ridership on these routes is down 30 to 40 per cent, it said.
With the opening of the third stage of the TEL, the average weekday ridership on the line has almost tripled from 60,000 last October to 177,000 last month.
To “reduce duplication of bus services with TEL” and to “reallocate finite resources to better serve residents from new estates within our towns”, LTA is thus discontinuing service 167 while shortening or combining the other services.
'SO DISAPPOINTED'
The news has drawn strong reactions to LTA’s Facebook post, which has received 153 comments and 77 shares since it was posted on Nov 17.
Some people expressed their dismay at the change, with Facebook user Jia Hao Ng commenting: “I’m so disappointed by this move”.
Others said that while the aim is for commuters to use the TEL, doing so often involves many bus changes that might be more inconvenient.
Mr Adrian Yap, 44, said that the TEL is “not so convenient” for those living around Sembawang MRT Station and those along the Chong Pang area, Sembawang Shopping Centre and the Mandai area because these areas are quite far from the MRT line.
The data analyst uses bus service 167 for grocery shopping at nearby Chong Pang or Sembawang Shopping Centre. He also uses the service when he goes trekking at MacRitchie Reservoir.
He said that his nearest TEL station is Springleaf, which is served by 167. Without it, he would need to walk further to take bus service 980 to reach the TEL.
“It requires us to change transport more than once to reach our destinations, unlike bus 167, which serves the route from Sembawang to the downtown area,” Mr Yap added.
These sentiments were shared by other commuters interviewed by TODAY who said that the move will make it more difficult for them to reach their workplace and carry out their daily activities.
In its response to TODAY, LTA said: "Bus services that duplicate sections of the TEL were monitored and considered for adjustments."
It also said that it had analysed the change in ridership after the opening of the MRT line and took account of available alternatives to these bus services.
"For commuters intending to travel to the areas affected by the route amendments, we have ensured that there are available alternatives such as the MRT or other bus services."
A LONGER, LESS COMFORTABLE COMMUTE
A number of commuters, such as Mr Mohd Shahid Mohd Sharif, prefer bus service 167 because it offers them a chance to sit down and not jostle with the MRT crowd.
“I'm working the night shift as a security officer around Raffles Place. Usually, other people will take the train, but I prefer to chill and relax by taking 167,” said Mr Shahid, who takes bus 167 from Sembawang Road.
He uses the 75-minute journey to listen to music or watch YouTube videos.
He added: “The removal of this bus really affects my travel plans to work. My travel alternative is to take two buses to work after bus 167 is removed.”
The same goes for Mr Christopher Lim, 35, who travels from Sembawang Hills Food Centre to Raffles Place using bus service 167 daily for work.
The removal of bus 167 will “greatly inconvenience” Mr Lim because he needs to take a bus to an MRT station and then another bus to his workplace, “but I guess we do not have a choice”, the growth director said.
“(Bus service 167) is a very useful service that goes all the way to Novena, Orchard and Raffles,” Mr Lim added.
Mr Chin Guo Qiang, 34, who works in info-technology services, said: "Without 167, there will be one less direct bus route to the Orchard Road area, which can be very useful at times."
Mr Chin was "pretty upset" at this news because the bus terminates at Bukit Merah Interchange, which has "lesser crowds", especially during peak periods. He lives around Tanjong Pagar and relies on bus 167 to travel to Bukit Merah for work.
"Bus 167 also allows me to avoid potential bottlenecks at Khatib, Yishun and Sembawang MRT stations," he added.
"The removal of 167 means that more commuters have to piggyback on the other bus route, which is 196, and contend for standing and seating spaces, as the bus has a much longer route to Clementi instead."
Mr Chin also said that there are already very few bus routes that reach the area where he lives, "so removing 167 has its degree of impact".
BUSES OVER TRAINS
Even though the decision to remove bus service 167 and shorten other routes is to encourage commuters to use the TEL, some commuters prefer buses over trains.
“Not everyone likes taking the train,” Mr Shahid said. “It's crowded and you have to stand most of the time, and the seats are not comfortable.”
Agreeing, Mr Asrulnizam, 39, said that without bus service 167, he would have to rely on the train, which is “usually crowded like sardines in a tin” and he would still have to walk “a good distance" to reach his destination.
“I don't mind going out early to take the bus, and there is always a seat,” the facilities manager added.
Ms Peggy Chen, who is in her 50s and lives in the Upper Thomson area, said that bus service 167 is especially useful since it is right at her doorstep, compared to Lentor MRT Station, which is a 10-minute walk away.
The IT manager added that this makes travelling to and from her home to the Orchard Road area extremely convenient.
“With the train, it takes at least eight minutes of walking,” Ms Chen of using the TEL.
She also said that the TEL is “very deep” underground, which can also be inconvenient for elders who use wheelchairs.
“When I change from Caldecott station to Upper Thomson, I'd rather take the bus than use the TEL.”
PAST CHANGES TO BUS ROUTES
This is not the first time that the removal of bus routes has caused an outcry. In 2020, when LTA
removed bus services 700 and 700A and made changes to other bus routes in Bukit Panjang.
The suspension of the NightRider NR1 bus services that used to loop from Yishun to Marina Centre drew a similar reaction.
These services were suspended at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in April 2020 and further suspended until further notice. The NightRider services were formally withdrawn on June 30 last year.
In its response on Tuesday, LTA said that bus 859's route would be amended to ply along Canberra Link and Sembawang Road from Dec 10 with the withdrawal of bus service 167.
Bus service 859 now serves Sembawang Bus Interchange and Yishun Bus Interchange, passing through Admiralty Link, Sembawang Crescent, Sembawang Road and Yishun Avenue 5.
The frequency of bus service 980, which serves a similar sector as 167 between Sembawang and Thomson Road, will also be increased, LTA added.
