New Bus Services Announced by LTA/PTOs (Part 3)
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While waiting for 974, got one Tower Transit staff pass me a flyer promoting 974. The flyer contents are as follows,
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[Front]
(Tower Transit logo)
Our new bus service 974 is ready for action so why not join us for a ride as we push even more boundaries in the West! Operating between Bukit Panjang Station and Joo Koon Interchange via Choa Chu Kang and Jurong West, our bus will cover more ground by connecting to existing services with access to NTU and the Jurong Industrial Estate.
Engineered for inter-town connectivity, Bus Service 974 also links Bukit Panjang station on the Downtown Line and Choa Chu Kang station on the North South Line with Boon Lay, Pioneer and Joo Koon stations on the East West Line, via KJE and PIE.
(Bus service guide)
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[Back]
Service 974 - Discovery Journey
Pang Sua Pond
Did You Know? Pang Sua Pond now features the second-largest man-made floating wetland in Singapore!
Hai Xian Zhu Zhou (Ke Kou Mian)
Serving delicious bowls of noodles, this unassuming coffee shop stall on Gangsa Road has slowly been making its name amongst foodies. Open from 4am to 2pm daily, it is the perfect pit-stop for night owls or early birds!
Kranji Expressway (KJE)
Did You Know? The KJE is the shortest expressway in Singapore!
Jurong Central Park
Relive the good ol’ days at Jurong Central Park! Whether it’s playing snakes and ladders with life-sized pieces or exploring the park’s grounds, unleash your inner child and enjoy a lovely day in one of our favourite locales.
Playground Coffee
Looking for a new place to lepak during the weekend? Serving hearty breakfasts and delectable coffee, Playground Coffee is the perfect place to relax on a casual Saturday or Sunday.
Army Museum of Singapore (ARMS)
The Army Museum Singapore is the perfect pitstop for all you history buffs! Providing a deeper look into Singapore’s military history and showcasing decommissioned military vehicles, it is one of our city’s most underrated museums.
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I thought MCE the shortest expressly?
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Comment: It is a waste that 974 never go to the school cluster at Choa Chu Kang Drive. It would be good if 974 can be rerouted to serve the school cluster at Choa Chu Kang Drive, while retain the connection to Choa Chu Kang MRT / Lot One Shoppers’ Mall and Bukit Panjang MRT.
The question is, how?
The obvious answer is to have 974 meander into Choa Chu Kang Drive when the bus is at Choa Chu Kang Way / Choa Chu Kang Road, via Choa Chu Kang Avenue 1 and Teck Whye Avenue. Like that write may be confusing, but if you look at the map, it would be clear.
To the LTA, please consider rerouting 974 to the school cluster at Choa Chu Kang Drive. Not only would the school students benefit. The NSF at Stagmont Camp would also benefit, and this would make 974 really popular.
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Hi,
I took 974 (Bukit Panjang bound) this morning from Jalan Bahar to Lot 1 Shopper’s Mall to collect the ‘limited edition brochure’. Subsequently, I took the LRT to Bukit Panjang to take a full trip of 974, Joo Koon bound.
I was at the first stop (44029 along Upper Bukit Timah Road) and even though it is the first bus stop, there are already three passengers onboard (one of them was actually from the previous trip, since I took the same bus for Bukit Panjang Bound and Joo Koon Bound, the other two probably board the bus at some stop after I alighted). This starts to make me think that this bus service could possibly be a loop service. This also makes me wonder whether the bus parks at the Bukit Panjang Temporary Bus Park.
During the Joo Koon bound trip, the driver was telling a passenger that the bus starts from Joo Koon. Why didn’t the driver say the bus start at Bukit Panjang? I did not have the chance to clarify with the bus driver.
When I am looking at the route map of 974 (as in the promotional poster), it also gives me the impression that this is a loop service, although this service is clearly promoted as a bi-directional service. Remember that when 258 was introduced it loops at Boon Lay Interchange, but it was introduced as a loop service.
As for the parking lots in Joo Koon, there are two possibilities: there is either no lots reserved for TTS (since there is apparently no TTS office in JKBI, the bus will probably stop at any parking lots available) or the first lot (the one closest to the exit) is ‘reserved’ for TTS. Lot 2 was parked with an SBS bus when the TTS bus stops at lot 1. Lot 1 was also observed to park E500 from the Joo Koon-Gul Circle MRT Replacement Service a few months back, so this lot could potentially be reserved for ‘special uses’, in this case will be the presence of TTS buses in Joo Koon Interchange.
Regards,
Jonathan Leong CK
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Originally posted by JonathanLeongCK:
Hi,
I took 974 (Bukit Panjang bound) this morning from Jalan Bahar to Lot 1 Shopper’s Mall to collect the ‘limited edition brochure’. Subsequently, I took the LRT to Bukit Panjang to take a full trip of 974, Joo Koon bound.
I was at the first stop (44029 along Upper Bukit Timah Road) and even though it is the first bus stop, there are already three passengers onboard (one of them was actually from the previous trip, since I took the same bus for Bukit Panjang Bound and Joo Koon Bound, the other two probably board the bus at some stop after I alighted). This starts to make me think that this bus service could possibly be a loop service. This also makes me wonder whether the bus parks at the Bukit Panjang Temporary Bus Park.
During the Joo Koon bound trip, the driver was telling a passenger that the bus starts from Joo Koon. Why didn’t the driver say the bus start at Bukit Panjang? I did not have the chance to clarify with the bus driver.
When I am looking at the route map of 974 (as in the promotional poster), it also gives me the impression that this is a loop service, although this service is clearly promoted as a bi-directional service. Remember that when 258 was introduced it loops at Boon Lay Interchange, but it was introduced as a loop service.
As for the parking lots in Joo Koon, there are two possibilities: there is either no lots reserved for TTS (since there is apparently no TTS office in JKBI, the bus will probably stop at any parking lots available) or the first lot (the one closest to the exit) is ‘reserved’ for TTS. Lot 2 was parked with an SBS bus when the TTS bus stops at lot 1. Lot 1 was also observed to park E500 from the Joo Koon-Gul Circle MRT Replacement Service a few months back, so this lot could potentially be reserved for ‘special uses’, in this case will be the presence of TTS buses in Joo Koon Interchange.
Regards,
Jonathan Leong CK
974 has 2 slots reserved for them at Joo Koon Bus Interchange. The interchange itself has the capacity of 18-20 parking lots.
On the passengers, first day performance is not reflective of the actual performance of the service. Like all business, people will give a new product / service a try, before deciding whether to subscribe to it long-term. We have to collect data for about 3 months to deduce whether there’s sustainable support for 974.
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Originally posted by SG1131L:
974 has 2 slots reserved for them at Joo Koon Bus Interchange. The interchange itself has the capacity of 18-20 parking lots.
On the passengers, first day performance is not reflective of the actual performance of the service. Like all business, people will give a new product / service a try, before deciding whether to subscribe to it long-term. We have to collect data for about 3 months to deduce whether there’s sustainable support for 974.
They allocated only 1 parking lot for TT at Joo Koon Int.. The other buses will park behind the lots instead..
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Originally posted by JonathanLeongCK:
Hi,
I took 974 (Bukit Panjang bound) this morning from Jalan Bahar to Lot 1 Shopper’s Mall to collect the ‘limited edition brochure’. Subsequently, I took the LRT to Bukit Panjang to take a full trip of 974, Joo Koon bound.
I was at the first stop (44029 along Upper Bukit Timah Road) and even though it is the first bus stop, there are already three passengers onboard (one of them was actually from the previous trip, since I took the same bus for Bukit Panjang Bound and Joo Koon Bound, the other two probably board the bus at some stop after I alighted). This starts to make me think that this bus service could possibly be a loop service. This also makes me wonder whether the bus parks at the Bukit Panjang Temporary Bus Park.
During the Joo Koon bound trip, the driver was telling a passenger that the bus starts from Joo Koon. Why didn’t the driver say the bus start at Bukit Panjang? I did not have the chance to clarify with the bus driver.
When I am looking at the route map of 974 (as in the promotional poster), it also gives me the impression that this is a loop service, although this service is clearly promoted as a bi-directional service. Remember that when 258 was introduced it loops at Boon Lay Interchange, but it was introduced as a loop service.
As for the parking lots in Joo Koon, there are two possibilities: there is either no lots reserved for TTS (since there is apparently no TTS office in JKBI, the bus will probably stop at any parking lots available) or the first lot (the one closest to the exit) is ‘reserved’ for TTS. Lot 2 was parked with an SBS bus when the TTS bus stops at lot 1. Lot 1 was also observed to park E500 from the Joo Koon-Gul Circle MRT Replacement Service a few months back, so this lot could potentially be reserved for ‘special uses’, in this case will be the presence of TTS buses in Joo Koon Interchange.
Regards,
Jonathan Leong CK
Seen 974 along Woodlands Road going towards BP Temp Int and also towards BP 1st stop... so should be 2-directional...
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Originally posted by SMB42P:
Seen 974 along Woodlands Road going towards BP Temp Int and also towards BP 1st stop... so should be 2-directional...
I am curious how people can get onto the bus before the first stop
By right there should be no passengers in BP Temp Bus Park
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Originally posted by JonathanLeongCK:
I am curious how people can get onto the bus before the first stop
By right there should be no passengers in BP Temp Bus Park
BC friend -
Originally posted by SMB315C:
They allocated only 1 parking lot for TT at Joo Koon Int.. The other buses will park behind the lots instead..
Yes only 1 lot for TTS since they have only short break at JK,All meal breaks at BPJ temp park.They’re considered as orphan on both sides.
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And just wait for many TTS SDs to breakdown and can’t recover on time only then they will lease some buses.
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From the looks of it, 974 is 100% Mercedes-Benz Citaro buses. Hopefully got MAN A22 buses running on 974 occasionally.
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Seems like today got 13 buses for svc 974 compared to yesterday 11.
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Originally posted by SG1131L:
From the looks of it, 974 is 100% Mercedes-Benz Citaro buses. Hopefully got MAN A22 buses running on 974 occasionally.
I’m sure will get peak hours DDs..If only they would lease the last two A95.
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Originally posted by SG1131L:
From the looks of it, 974 is 100% Mercedes-Benz Citaro buses. Hopefully got MAN A22 buses running on 974 occasionally.
Looking at 137, 68 and 974 deployment, feels like finally LTA has realised that it is better to start with full SD and upgrade to DD once the demand increases. 46 DDs still wasted on 99% of its trips.
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Originally posted by BusAnalayzer:
Looking at 137, 68 and 974 deployment, feels like finally LTA has realised that it is better to start with full SD and upgrade to DD once the demand increases. 46 DDs still wasted on 99% of its trips.
Another reasons is no more storage DDs to spare.Waiting for the Euro6.
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Originally posted by SG1131L:
From the looks of it, 974 is 100% Mercedes-Benz Citaro buses. Hopefully got MAN A22 buses running on 974 occasionally.
If I didnt see wrongly, there is a MAN A22 cameo on 974 today...
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Service 118A and 118B will have extended Operating Hours from 23 April 2018. Have to wait for the Press Release.
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The man A22 is a cross over from Bb service 173. Sshift
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Citaro has no blind spot mirror so the poor 974 bc has to stretch out his head to check at the KJE and PIE intersection to exit Jalan Bahar and the cars and motocycles doesn't want to give way to buses
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Wonder if 974 will get cannibalised by JRL in future.
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Originally posted by iveco:
Wonder if 974 will get cannibalised by JRL in future.
For now i think maybe not. 974 still serve joo koon and bp that JRL does not serve, which otherwise will mean pax still have to make 2-3 transfers by taking the MRT. There will still be ppl who prefers take a direct bus albeit onger travelling time. But do expect loading drop (SD sufficient)
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Previously, I did a loading observation of 974 in the direction towards Bukit Panjang, which I have posted on page 64 of the bus loading thread.
Most of the passengers board the bus at Joo Koon Interchange and Upper Jurong Road, and they sit all the way to Choa Chu Kang and Bukit Panjang. About 40% of the passengers alighted at the bus stop opposite Choa Chu Kang MRT, presumably to transfer to other bus services. Whereas the rest alighted along the way at Jurong West, Choa Chu Kang and Bukit Panjang.
974 connects Joo Koon Bus Interchange and Upper Jurong Road to Choa Chu Kang and Bukit Panjang, which Jurong Region Line does not provide.
Furthermore, 974 does not actually duplicate Jurong Region Line in any way, besides also providing that Choa Chu Kang to Boon Lay connection.
With the two reasons stated above, I do not think 974 would be affected when Jurong Region Line opens.