A train trip starting at Simei and ending at Bishan would take 46 minutes today. But soon, it will take you only about half an hour for the same trip.
From April 17, the second phase of the Circle Line (CCL) from Bartley to Dhoby Ghaut will open to commuters. With the opening of the CCL, commuters can expect to save more time travelling.
According to figures released by the Land Transport Authority, the amount of time saved can go up to 52 per cent (for a bus journey from Serangoon to Paya Lebar).
The 11-kilometre CCL stretch comprises of 11 stations - Tai Seng, MacPherson, Paya Lebar, Dakota, Mountbatten, Stadium, Nicoll Highway, Promenade, Esplanade, Bras Basah and Dhoby Ghaut.
Various entertainment and recreational facilities will also be made more accessible with the opening of the CCL. For example, arts lovers would be able to alight at Bras Basah Station to visit the Singapore Art Museum
The new stations will start operations almost a year after the five CCL stations from Marymount to Bartley opened to the public last May.
An LTA spokesman said that about 200,000 people are expected to use the 16 stations everyday, from Dhoby Ghaut to Marymount.
The new MRT line is also expected to bring more crowds to the businesses in the surrounding areas.

The Circle route start from Dhoby Ghaunt Interchange
> Bras Basah
>Esplanade
>Millenium Tower
> Nicholl Highway
>Stadium
> Mountbatten
> Dakota
>Paya Lebar Interchange ( to EW line )
> Macpherson
>Tai Seng
>Bartley
>Serangoon Interchange ( NE Line )
> Lor Chuan
> Bishan Interchange
>Marymount
>Thomson
>Bt Brown
>Adam
> Farrer
>Holland
> Buona Vista Interchange
>One North
> NUH
>West Coast
> Pasir Panjang
>Alexandra
> Telok Blangah
> Harbourfront Interchange
Guys , i don't know , what's the fear ?
No threat la this Circle Line .
Even if got threat , also very minimum .
U go and analyse those areas ...... with or without circle , still not effective to me .
I am serious .
Sorry to day shift , this is from a night shift's persceptive . We analyse point by point here
Starting from Dhoby Ghaunt ?
With MRT , Plaza Singapura also long Q for taxis , a threat ? No .
Then Marina area ? No matter what rocket they put there , Suntec area will always need taxis .
Nicholl Highway , Stadium ? Got pax we also no hill , $3 CBD more important .
Mountbatten and Dakhota , i seldom got paxes there , usually CBD for me !
Paya Lebar / Macpherson and Tai Seng ? Got pax , usually on call , street also got , but go tai ko places , Sengkang , Hougang , Serangoon etc tai ko . I don't need , strategy is CBD still !
Then Serangoon , Lor Chuan , Bishan , Marymount , thomson , bt brown , adam , farrer , all not effective for cabbies la . Positive .
The only threat is at Holland ! We shall see on these . And NUH .
ComfortDelgro taxis will be hurt at Pasir Panjang and West Coast and Alexandra area , due to the massive booking rate available there .
For non-comfort , Pasir Panjang , West Coast and Alexandra not really our play ground . CBD still .
Harbourfront ? No threat la , whatever black magic and curse they put , taxi still No 1 for us that area .
Come to think of it , it's good we divert those dirty trips to MRT .
Those Hougangs , those Punggols , those Sengkang to MRT and Circle Lines , these paxes only can caused more worries for us .
Many paxes no use one , what we want is not quantity , it's quality of those trips .
Long trip to Woodlands and Sengkang or Punggol for fuck ? Ket kor must kang chia come into town . I would rather stick inside near CBD .
Right ?
i summarised : Circle line good for some commuters .
Not a serious threat to taxi drivers .
Maybe for transistion period a bit slow , eventually , they will know what's good and what's no good .
Let me share something ....
During 2005 ? I think 2005 .
NEL from Harbourfront > Punggol start running .
Many of my senior counterpart , worried about taxi biz .
I was shocked .
Cos i see this line no up .
I asked them : " U love taking pax to Punggol ? " Or Sengkang at night ? "
Then u go ahead , i will take someone else .
I told him we have to thank god LTA created this line , so that we can avoid paxes going to Punggol and Sengkang .
For night shifts , from Hougang > Sengkang > Punggol , this is dead end !
Sure kang chia come down town .
Til now .... most drivers still got paxes on call go to Sengkang , Hougang , Punggol .
Got MRT , why still on call ?
Got MRT , why still got so many Sengkang paxes take taxis ?
U go and find out the reasons .
And i hate going to Hougang Sengkang and Punggol .
NEL a threat ?
Nope , taxi is a threat to NEL .
I am serious .
Any potential taxi pax lost to a new Circle line Train will affect the no of empty cabs plying, hence less pie for all to share, more competition. When the Circle line opens, it is not a question whether it will affect taxi business but how great the effect will be.
It's the fare structure i worry more than any MRT lines .
They can make all sort of MRT station , just one overhaul of taxi fare structures on 2007 , change everything !
During 2005 , when NEL started , many of my counterpart worry , i said : " Fuck la , my income same knn . "
So many years after NEL started , knn still got people from town go Sengkang ! Even if Little India MRT station is just walking distance from them .
If u wanna a Punggol trip , u just go Serangoon Plaza , throw any stone , will kena a pax heading to Hougang , Sengkang or Punggol .
Got NE Line , why still like that ?
Dun worry la ..... transistion period yes , a bit afffected , but as time goes ... fuck la , no threat la .
As long as flag down is $3 , no problem .
I started driving a cab when flag down $2.40 .
Then $2.60 ....
Then $2.80 ....
Then $3 for Sonata .
Then CBD surcharge $3 .
All raise with those MRT on for 10 years liao ....
Yo , CBD inside all MRT yo ....... Raffles Place , Tanjong Pagar , City Hall , Orchard , Plaza Singapura , but thses places needs the most taxis .
Why like that ?
Again , the reason i drove night shift , was MRT never really really kill me .
But honestly , i think day shift will be more affected .
Anyway , taxi is more or less about "taxi fare can claim" , , taxi is about " receipt pls uncle " .......
From Corporate Cards , to taking receipts , to E-Card etc payment mode , u'll see more or less people on our shift took taxis if the the fare can be reimburse .
From time to time ..... ur work patterns change according to different batch of commuters .
Do expose yourself to a wider scope of commuters , rather than places restricted to only local shoppers .
Do explore places with more tourists , more expats , more office employees .
It's all about the strategies u going to adopt .
Why Shenton Ways from 9pm ..... every taxi stand long Q of pax ? MRT nearby ma ?
Must On Call somemore ?
Why Orchard MRT just dowstair , Wisman Atria u'll still get ON CALL ???
So good Ion Orchards simply no chance !!!
Why DhoBy Ghaunt MRT just there and yet Plaza Singapura long long Q and people fighting for a taxi ?
Dhoby Ghaunt Interchange for NE Line / EW Line , do you know ?
i agree with u pool,those pax who take taxis will still take taxi no matter wat mrt line surfaced..
those who don't take taxi even if u want them to change 3 bus svc & walk up the hill they will still do it...die die won't take
i never say huat , i merely say MRT don't really affect me .
How to huat when i switch off engine at 12am ?
How to huat $180 liao going base liao ?
If i work everyday like Friday nights , u think i still at CCK ? KNN Coronation Road West liao , hahahahahah .
And anyway , new Circle now runs only from Harbourfront > til Thomson , not until later , then Farrer road side .
Those MRT station i posted , knn for me also no people take taxis one .
I also kang chia go CBD .
next time you on call mah......must sar-port abit lei.......hahahaaa
Originally posted by Reliefdriver4u:Hi bro pool, you say until like not worry…
circle line is located in rich man’s zone, eg lor chuan, adam, farrer, adam, etc
if i am waiting at republic plaza taxi stand, see long q no taxi coming, i juz hop into mrt and send me directly home …
its not the money, its the time …That sunday while shopping in bugis area wanted to take taxi home, waited so long no taxi, many ppl give up and take bus when bus arrive, me also …
so the mentality is , which one faster, take which one …
sunday no surcharge so no taxi wanna go into town area.
on weekdays cbd area easy to get a cab
but u r right,sometime it is faster to travel by bus/mrt,esp with all the jams all over the expressway
Originally posted by Reliefdriver4u:Hi bro pool, you say until like not worry…
circle line is located in rich man’s zone, eg lor chuan, adam, farrer, adam, etc
if i am waiting at republic plaza taxi stand, see long q no taxi coming, i juz hop into mrt and send me directly home …
its not the money, its the time …That sunday while shopping in bugis area wanted to take taxi home, waited so long no taxi, many ppl give up and take bus when bus arrive, me also …
so the mentality is , which one faster, take which one …
Aiyo , relief ar ..... knn i've seen quite some interesting episode in taxi history , knn this is small case , sup sup water .
Trust me , dun worry .
Do you know , besides fare hike , what i fear most ?
I'd kena SARS that whole period , i tell you this , SARS cannot happen in Singapore again , can really killed off the whole economy of Singapore .
SARS was so bad , taxi companies has to off-set some portion of rental for cabbies to help them curb thru the transistion period .
Everyone , lent me your ears .....
I mean all cabbies only ....
U see , u have only one taximeter , whatever massive crowd u have in Singapore , u can only take one .
And not all stay around those Circle Line area .
There'll be people who stay Coronation Road West eg , u expect them to walk into Coronation Road West from Farrer Road MRT ?
There'll be people who stay inside Serangoon Garden , u expect them to walk into Serangoon Gdn from Lor Chuan MRT station ?
If i can claim my taxi fare , why should i walk ?
if i can claim my taxi fare , why should i save for my company and suffer myself ?
Go think about it .
Again , for day shift , they will kena affected big time .
Cos Company dun pay you to take a taxi to work .
But in Singapore Office Culture , it's quite normal for staff to claim for taxi fare after working overtime , esp after 8pm .
Coincidently , the peak hour just finished .