Bendy Bus debate
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I not sure if SMRT is really banned from purchasing bendies & I hope its not true.
Its singapore culture tat buses from 2 different coy had its own treadmark, double decker for SBS & bendy buses for SMRT.
Personally I find that the O530G citaro is a gd bus. I really SMRT (SMRT nv reply me despite the feedback =C) do consider purchasing some bendies version of the bus, despite being blacklisted in London =X.
i wonder does the bendy bus incident in london will affect LTA decision on here? personally i favorite bendy bus over double decker due to tis efficiently (can move faster n less bulky tat double decker
Yes bendy bus do take up more rd space but it can ferry more passenger compare to a double decker. I est a bendy bus can ferry the passenger capacity of a double decker & single deck 12m bus combine. of cos tat pros n cons for both double decker n bendies as well. we should preserve the tradition for each individual bus coys choices. Isnt it nice to see bendies and double deckers at singapore rds together? (imagine you r at the city area, orchard rd, marina ctr or chinatown where frequent bendies n double deckers plies)
Guys, its really a nice view to c double decker n bendies on the rd, jus like London
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Totally agreed with you in the Bendy bus part :), really hope that they can bring in Citaro G.
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Since its already long, upsize another 2 meters to CapaCity, better!
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This topic is just waiting for someone to come in and spark a heated discussion...
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If i am not wrong... there were complaints regarding road hogging by bendy buses... be it bus bays or when they are switching lanes....
So LTA restricts the number of bendy buses on the road... and i tink the present amount of bendy buses is the max....
if the rumour is true, you really gotta wait till 2013 when the box bendies start to retire before we can see new bendies on the road... -
There are many rumors that the bendy bus is already banned. Even from a friend who knew people in LTA and SMRT. Well, I'm afraid it is likely to be true. Even not, someone here have stated earlier that it will be limited to a certain quota, so we will see lesser of bendy buses in future.
I don't agree with you on the different trademark models for different bus company that they should be forced upon to be used and this shouldn't be the norm of Singapore culture. If a type of bus model is proved to be more cost and operative effective to operate, why not all bus companies use the same type of buses to improve bus operations instead??? Why SMRT can't buy double deckers where SBST can use them and proved to be more suitable for our road conditions, in this congested and crowded city??? I saw discussions in some earlier threads here, well, if SBST can buy double deckers, why can't SMRT buy and have to forced to use bendy buses which gives them many problems, especially parking spaces???
Just like what it is in Hong Kong, regardless of KMB, CityBus, etc, they all use double deckers, highly efficient for heavy workloads, do not cause jams and long bus queues and yet being more flexible than the MTR.
I still prefer double deckers over bendies in our heavy utilised and narrow roads, just like the road conditions in Hong Kong. The main reasons that LTA bans bendy buses is that they take up too much road space on our roads and bus bays, especially those small bus stops. LTA is not in favor in long bus queues, which apparently was a big problem for bus operations in the 1970s. Not only it causes long bus queues but also longer waiting times for other commuters who wanted to take the bus that may be long behind the queue. And it is really time exsperating for them, especially if they see a long long empty bus/buses waiting in the queue, while jamming the bus behind that they want to take.
Moreover they can jam up roads and cause inconvenience to other road users, especially small slip roads, which they can block the whole pedestrain crossing for pedestrain, or to other drivers like blocking lanes of road when trying to make a right turn or overtake, etc, causing jams behind. Imagine you are driving and a long almost empty bendy bus block your way, it can be very frustrating.
Secondly they are very accident and fire prone in Singapore. They have the highest accident/fire rates, followed by single deckers, and surprisingly lastly are double deckers. Accidents includes those minor ones that are not published in the press. Even in London, they are very fire prone. Just look at our weather and our stressed operative conditions, I think the Citaro Gs are going to have a very hard time surviving here. Either it is frequent breakdowns, or burnt Citaro Gs every month, won't it be a big waste to see these buses burnt where instead they can survive longer in other temperate countries. Look at the burnt buses rate for the past few years, really heart breaking to see them burnt up just like that. And look at the bus company operating point of view, if the certain bus model is prone to fire, why does it want to buy it and disrupt its operations now and then and have to spend extra money to fix them up or buy replacements???
Lastly, Singapore public transport is moving towards a hub and spoke concept. Thus we may see more shorter haul new services and moving towards higher frequncies for bus services. Well, I do hope they will keep all those long haul services, but definately they are going to improve the frequncies in future, based on the lastest QOS standards. If this is so, why still have to buy more bendy buses to load in more people, (and it is not favoring for Singapore roads and operations), where double deckers can do the same job, without taking up more road space and take up more area in a bus interchange and depot??? Moreover, the bendy bus only takes in around 10 more people than an aircon double decker, but takes up almost twice more the road space as the latter. Looking into providing better frequencies, the passenger load up rate will be much lesser than what it is now, so wouldn't it be a waste for the bus operations and road space if the passenger load up rate is not going to fill up the bendy bus all the time???
Do also keep in mind that the size of the bus depots of SMRT are limited, so having too much bendy buses is a big headache for them now. Right now, they are waiting for the west DTL to be finished asap, so that they can withdraw and integrate some bus services in the Northwest, and free up some buses to improve on other services and at the same time resolve the space crunch in the 3 depots all these years. That is also the time that most of the bendy buses have reached their lifespan and withdraw from operations.
Looking into these factors, won't getting a double decker bus being more cost and operative effective??? Do take note that the new and upcoming bus interchanges are getting smaller in area, why does bus companies still want to buy long bendy buses to jam up the place even further??? And looking into another factor, given more MRT lines in future, even current bus routes are left untouched, there is a high possibility that there will be no or very few new bus services in future, especially when LTA takes over the central planning. What is more worrying is that we might even see lesser double deckers in future, which I am strongly against.
However if LTA is only limiting the numbers, well, hope SBST can buy a few bendy buses for some short haul services for our lazy and pampered Singaporeans. I missed the Volvo B10MA bendy bus in the late 1990s. And I also missed that era that SBS had the widest range of buses, from midi-buses like the Darts, to single deckers, to double deckers, air con and non air con, to 14.5m superlong bus, to 19m bendy buses. Won't it be nice if SBST have a small fleet of, say 100, Citaro Gs or B9LAs again???
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I dun mind if they reduce the number of bendys in favour of the new Citaro Gs.Let's say scrap 2 MK1 bendy for a Citaro G.From 350 to 320.
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how about a double-decker bendy bus
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Technically speaking, it should be a cap and not a ban. And there was an agreement between LTA and TIBS then (now SMRT Buses) on this.
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Originally posted by Zweiz:
how about a double-decker bendy bus
There will be lots of people who will die at the pedestrain crossings....
London has banned single deck bendy buses... no more new bendies.. and they should be out of the roads soon...
"Bendy buses" are known as "killer buses" because London's streets are too narrow... and the bendy buses actually turn, swipe and hit pedestrains waiting at the pedestrain crossings.... -
if Singapore going to buy double-decker bendy bus, more inconvenience and lots of accident going to happen. I yesterday took service963 bendy, the china bc was like driving a ferrari raising car. 60km/h - 80km/h. I sitting with a few passenger at the last row. The behind keep bouncing up and down. Imagine double-decker bendy bus at this speed, the bus might either break into half or overturn.
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What I can say is to upgrade the infrastructure like parking and bus stop by lengthening them
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Originally posted by smrt3099:
What I can say is to upgrade the infrastructure like parking and bus stop by lengthening them
No use. The roads arent wide enough.. and Singapore isnt big enough.
More road hogging... -
Please banned bendies. They are hogging the roads.
And please get double deckers soon. The demand for SMRT106 is bursting into seams. I hate to see single deck buses plying on SMRT106.
Prior SMRT taking over 106, SBSTransit never, ever put a single deck bus on service 106.
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bendy buses are good for short haul services with high demand...cos the loading is faster, and usually when a DD is put on a short haul service, people are usually lazy the move to the upper deck as the distance they are travelling is little, so while the top may be empty, the bottom may be packed
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Originally posted by iamgoondu:
Please banned bendies. They are hogging the roads.
And please get double deckers soon. The demand for SMRT106 is bursting into seams. I hate to see single deck buses plying on SMRT106.
Prior SMRT taking over 106, SBSTransit never, ever put a single deck bus on service 106.
iirc last time SBS 106 used to have Single deck buses too... but mostly as wat u mention.. Double Decker buses on SBS 106.. likewise for SBS 190 -
Well if SMRT gonna have DD.. GG sia... i find bendy buses more nicer but they roars...
er is there a CNG bendy in reallife? lol? maybe SMRT can consider tat
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Originally posted by bus555:
iirc last time SBS 106 used to have Single deck buses too... but mostly as wat u mention.. Double Decker buses on SBS 106.. likewise for SBS 190
not tat many, same goes for 61 & 190 in particular.tat said, mentioned bef abt spacing at integrated public tpt hub and space efficiency, not going to mention again.
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Anyway bendy buses do not have hight restrictions & it can travel more faster that a double decker (i am not against double decker). bendy buses allow faster exit for passengers & move ard in the bus where as double decker is slow as the staircase is narrower.. I think bendies shldnt be banned. if our rd don alllow bendies i don think tibs will purchase it in the 1st place...
The only problem i had seen is those bendies having lack of parking space at SBS interchange.. eg amk, tampines, but tat no problem in all SMRT interchange..
talking about jam.. i think its the traffic & passenger condition that delay the freq of the buses.. bendies take more rd space? i agree but bendies can win a traffic jam due to is lenght.. jus go observe how a bendies move ard at the traffic jam.. bendies can jus cut through 5 lanes to make a right turn.. COOL
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Originally posted by TIB1010Y:
Anyway bendy buses do not have hight restrictions & it can travel more faster that a double decker (i am not against double decker). bendy buses allow faster exit for passengers & move ard in the bus where as double decker is slow as the staircase is narrower.. I think bendies shldnt be banned. if our rd don alllow bendies i don think tibs will purchase it in the 1st place...
The only problem i had seen is those bendies having lack of parking space at SBS interchange.. eg amk, tampines, but tat no problem in all SMRT interchange..
talking about jam.. i think its the traffic & passenger condition that delay the freq of the buses.. bendies take more rd space? i agree but bendies can win a traffic jam due to is lenght.. jus go observe how a bendies move ard at the traffic jam.. bendies can jus cut through 5 lanes to make a right turn.. COOL
law of inertia will still get w/ speed of bendies. Seriously how fast buses can go in Singapore? every 400m 1 bus stop, else traffic lights. Chiong? end up spend more on fuel.
The integrated public tpt hubs will soon touch Yishun, only matter of time. Actually all our bus int was not even designed for bendies, just they try to modify if SMRT operates in tat area. It's kinda make do situation.
Tat said, Bt Batok can't park bendies for nuts.
Faster exit dun mean faster overall turnaround time. Mentioned bef how they're making do w/ pax boarding 193 & 242 in the AM peak w/ 179A. It's only possible because it's a double deck.
seems you dun drive. When e vehicle is longer, it's even more difficult to filter lanes because you've to consider your length esp in a jam. It's as good as driving a trailer.
Talking abt jam, it's to live with it and not playing w/ bus schedules. What can u do to pax condition? so ban boarding at MRT - bus stops? lol
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I do drive.. n sometimes i nv give way to buses. hehe.. anyway we r not talkikng abt whether how bendies gonna change lane or something here...
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Originally posted by sbst275:
Talking abt jam, it's to live with it and not playing w/ bus schedules. What can u do to pax condition? so ban boarding at MRT - bus stops? lol
Make people walk, since they are so lazy these days. 1 stop also want to take bus. -
Originally posted by TIB1010Y:
I do drive.. n sometimes i nv give way to buses. hehe.. anyway we r not talkikng abt whether how bendies gonna change lane or something here...
you're making it as if they're better in clearing jams.it's simply not true.
I think more it's because the way how SMRTB SL goes abt driving hazards. Still remembered at CCK Int, 1 SL drove right to the face of 2 gers standing on e bus alighting bay.
Yes they should not be standing there, neither should SL go scare ppl. End up ppl scare off fall down or what how?
somemore alighting bay isn't tat only spot. wat's defensive driving for?
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Originally posted by TIB 781 L:
Make people walk, since they are so lazy these days. 1 stop also want to take bus.
go take a survey and find out just how many ppl really takes for 1 bus stop.OK.. like your theory, at Clementi withdraw 184.. ask ppl to walk back to Sunset Way. Withdraw 189, ask ppl to walk to Clementi Ave 6 to work. Withdraw 189 also, cos there's alrdy 77 to Bt Batok Ind Est.
somemore if you're carrying groceries, I ask u to walk can?
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Originally posted by sbst275:
somemore if you're carrying groceries, I ask u to walk can?
If it's just a few hundred meters it doesn't kill right?