A new bus service aimed at getting commuters to their destinations faster was launched today. Called Fast Forward 97e, the new offering by SBS Transit will call only at stops where there are high passenger boarding and alighting activities.
Fast Forward 97e plys the same route as its existing parent Service 97 but stops only at 17 out of the 34 bus stops that the parent service stops at during peak periods. With the additional traffic management measures put in place together with the Land Transport Authority (LTA), commuters travelling on Fast Forward 97e can save up to 20% in travel time. For example, if a commuter takes the parent Service 97, it will take up to 66 mins to travel between Jurong East Interchange and Fullerton Road. With Fast Forward 97e, it only takes about 53 mins.
To further improve on travel time, new “Give Way to Buses Exiting” signs will be put up at bus stops along the Fast Forward 97e route to encourage other road users to make it easier for buses to exit from bus bays. These bus stops are located at:-
a) outside NOL Building, Alexandra Road;
b) opposite NOL Building, Alexandra Road;
c) opposite Normanton Park, AYE;
d) outside ITE Dover, AYE;
e) outside Jurong Regional Library, Jurong Town Hall Road;
f) outside HarbourFront Centre, Telok Blangah Road and
g) opposite HarbourFront Centre, Telok Blangah Road.
To make it even easier for other road users to identify a bus that is pulling out of a bus bay, three additional LED signal lights have been installed on the off-side and back of the new Fast Forward 97e and existing Service 97 buses.
Bus lanes have also been drawn along the southbound of Alexandra Road between Depot Road and Telok Blangah Road to facilitate a smoother travelling flow for our buses.
During the morning peak hours between 7.30am and 8.30am, Fast Forward 97e will depart from Jurong East Interchange and call at limited bus stops along Jurong Town Hall Road, AYE, Alexandra Road, Telok Blangah Road, Keppel Road, Anson Road, Robinson Road and Fullerton Road. In the evening peak hours between 6.00pm and 7.00pm, it will pick up passengers from Collyer Quay and call at limited bus stops along Raffles Quay, Shenton Way, Keppel Road, Telok Blangah Road, Alexandra Road, AYE, Jurong Town Road and Jurong East Central towards Jurong East Interchange (see attached route information).
Details of the stops and estimated arrival times can be found at all the bus stops called by the service. Commuters can also log on to the Fast Forward dedicated website at www.ffw.com.sg for more information. Promotional brochures are also placed at major office buildings in the vicinity of these bus stops.
Mr Ong Kian Min, Chairman of Government Parliamentary Committee for Transport joined commuters for a trip this morning. “I applaud SBS Transit for their efforts in offering this new brand of Fast Forward services to cater to changing commuters’ needs. With the introduction of more of such Fast Forward services, commuters will be able to get to their destinations faster and enjoy greater time savings,” said Mr Ong.
SBS Transit Service Ambassadors wearing blue vests were on-board all trips and at bus stops to promote Fast Forward 97e to the commuters.
To encourage more passengers to try out this new Fast Forward service, SBS Transit will charge a promotional normal adult fare for the month of January 2005. After January 2005, commuters will pay fares of $1.53 to $2.28 if they pay by ez-link card or $1.60 to $2.35 if they pay by cash. This fare is the same fare as the existing Express services. Similarly, transfer rebates will be given but concessionary travel is not applicable - SBST Press Release
Seems that LTA supports this service