"Aren't firms subsidised for fare concessions?" TODAY 11/05
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On Page 46 of TODAY 11/05/06
Letter from reader Damon Tan
If so, they should deploy aircon buses on long routes popular with students
I refer to the May 8 reply from Transitlink, "Fare concession rests on other factors too". Ms Kathryn Lau said that teritary students do enjoy concession privileges through monthly concession passes.
However, I would like to point out that these concession may not be fully enjoyed by some students.
It is common to see students squeezed into sardine - packed non - airconditioned buses plying between housing estates and teritary insitutions. Take service 151 from Hougang to the National University of Singapore via Ngee Ann Polytechnic. The journey takes more than an hour. Imagine being trapped in a furnance for that long.
Yet we see mostly airconditioned buses being used to ply feeder service routes, in which most of the commuters spend less than 15 minutes on the buses.
One possible reason for this disparity that I can think of is, as Ms Lau has said, that the public bus and train service are provided on a commerical basis. Hence it makes more sense for the transport companies to have airconditioned buses plying feeder service routes for which most commuters pay the full fare.
It is not difficult to see that it does not make much economic sense for air - conditioned buses to ply the so - called 'teritary insitution' routes, as the majority of the commuters are students who pay $52 for the monthly bus concession pass that allows unlimited travel on basic fare bus services.
In this case, if the subsidy is granted to the transport companies was based on the concessions that are granted to students travelling on airconditioned buses, are the students then fully enjoying the concessions supposedly granted to them?
Perhaps the relavant body could shed some light on how the transport companies are subsidised for the concessions granted to students - TODAY -
I think I have mentioned bef, feeder svs even 238, should never be given priority for FAC svs.
Only when trunk svs all are aircon deployed, the excess buses can be deployed to the feeder services
I have seen 151, at times abt 15 - 20 passengers can't board the arriving bus at Crown Ctr in the morning, of course SBS will just deny of this...
Another thing is, for using NAC buses, aren't they making profits on svs like 74, 90, 94, 151, 182, 193 when passengers are forced to buy aircon stamps?
This issue has been long overdued, needless to say this teritary bus fare issue
, in fact the that page 46, today is all on the teritary fare concession issue -
good letter. at this point in time, i'm on his side. but we'll see what sbs transit has to say.
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Must be the same like the prev complain at ST, the non aircon buses will be retired once new buses comes in and 90% of the fleet in SBS is airconditioned busesOriginally posted by ^tamago^:good letter. at this point in time, i'm on his side. but we'll see what sbs transit has to say.
.. Macham Fax machine like that -
stupid 151 has more non aircon than air con. SO UNBEARABLE
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it will be better of 151 NAC is the doublr decker VO2x, at least spacious, more legroom, cooler, brighter etc, good for long journeys
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The worse ting i experience would be MK2 WA NAC on Sv151 during PM Peak towards HG, i would rather take other alternatives.
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Take svc 74...Originally posted by SBS9889U:The worse ting i experience would be MK2 WA NAC on Sv151 during PM Peak towards HG, i would rather take other alternatives. -
No choice if your're from NUSOriginally posted by brotherchen1982:Take svc 74...
151, the only sv to go beyond serving up to the nearest MRT Stn like 95 and 96 -
Walk to Kent Ridge Ter then you have more choices.Originally posted by sbst275:No choice if your're from NUS
151, the only sv to go beyond serving up to the nearest MRT Stn like 95 and 96 -
But still to Central and Bt Timah, there's still only 151Originally posted by SBS9889U:Walk to Kent Ridge Ter then you have more choices.
10 or 33 still mainly serves the East corridor -
no.... first, vo2x cannot climb kent ridge (dun think so la), then vo2x is stuffy at the lower saloon...Originally posted by 105090:it will be better of 151 NAC is the doublr decker VO2x, at least spacious, more legroom, cooler, brighter etc, good for long journeys -
Sit at upper deckOriginally posted by ^tamago^:no.... first, vo2x cannot climb kent ridge (dun think so la), then vo2x is stuffy at the lower saloon...
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Solution to Bukit TimahOriginally posted by sbst275:But still to Central and Bt Timah, there's still only 151
10 or 33 still mainly serves the East corridor
Service 95 -> Service 48 (Most AC but long frequency though)
Service 96 -> Service 52/154/156(Most AC)
Hopefully the MK2 WA NACs faster get scrapped so that AC buses can come in -
Sv 52 cannot get to Bt Timah lehOriginally posted by SBS9889U:Solution to Bukit Timah
Service 95 -> Service 48 (Most AC but long frequency though)
Service 96 -> Service 52/154/156(Most AC)
Hopefully the MK2 WA NACs faster get scrapped so that AC buses can come in -
or better still, the Mk2 NACs should deploy on JIS services like 246 and 249, since these 2 JIS service have full NAC DD fleets.Originally posted by SBS9889U:Hopefully the MK2 WA NACs faster get scrapped so that AC buses can come in -
i dunno if it can tahan peak hour crowd....Originally posted by Apex-LW'21:or better still, the Mk2 NACs should deploy on JIS services like 246 and 249, since these 2 JIS service have full NAC DD fleets. -
Ind Svs last time all used LO2x when it was aroundOriginally posted by Apex-LW'21:or better still, the Mk2 NACs should deploy on JIS services like 246 and 249, since these 2 JIS service have full NAC DD fleets.
Simply because the peak hr demand is too high at some time length -
why not?Originally posted by ^tamago^:i dunno if it can tahan peak hour crowd....
at most , those ppl all heated loh inside the bus
bring a towel before taking the NAC Buses -
It stinks like crazy having taking a overloaded NAC SDOriginally posted by Volvo Olympian:why not?
at most , those ppl all heated loh inside the bus
bring a towel before taking the NAC Buses 
Worst, some buses have a very strong smoke smell, making you sleepy -
Upp Bt Timah RdOriginally posted by sbst275:Sv 52 cannot get to Bt Timah leh -
then maybe deploy them at night loh....at least coolOriginally posted by sbst275:It stinks like crazy having taking a overloaded NAC SD
Worst, some buses have a very strong smoke smell, making you sleepy
or maybe 65M or 174M -
Well, at least SMRT's 902 which serves Republic Polytechnic is FAC... But then again, it only has 3 buses in its fleet, serving only 7.30am - 8.30am...
Heard this rumour but no one has formally confirmed this statement... When I was working in SBS Transit, my boss told me that Svc 151 was given a fully NAC fleet because students keep bringing food and drinks onto the buses and usually, these food and drinks either gets spilled (attracting ants, making the bus dirty and full of pests) or wrappers and containers of these food and drinks, becomes litters in the bus. Smells from food and drinks also makes the bus stink. That's what my boss told me.
However, this is my personal account. I've once seen banana skins at the last seat of a bus serving service 151 when I was on duty at HGDEP, which makes me believe what my boss said.
I guess putting a fully NAC fleet on 151 is not fair to students who aren't bringing food and drinks on board the buses, but I believe SBS Transit have their reasons for putting NAC buses on 151 as well. Perhaps the school can remind students not to bring food and drinks on board buses and have reminder signboard at the bus stops to remind students. If the condition improves, perhaps SBS Transit can put AC buses on 151? Or maybe give BCs the authority to refuse entry to students who hold food and drinks in their hands. -
Students not moving in to the rear also.. Sometimes makes me "HOT"! Especially on sv69.
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Care to see Sv 151, it's packed until there can be 35 standee. If not SBS should remove the ADDs on Sv 69, if ppl onboard 151 can at least move in until the rear, why can't Sv 69? In fact Sv 69 should be NAC sv, from TP to TAM Int is just a short dist compared to from Potong Pasir/ Toa Payoh/ Bt Timah to NUSOriginally posted by SBS 233 X:Students not moving in to the rear also.. Sometimes makes me "HOT"! Especially on sv69.
As for clean buses or not, some FAC svs buses are vandalised. Clearly there's biasness over some svs, they just give you 101 reasons... If the reason is really true, then aircon cameos shouldn't be appearing on weekends...