Tampines bus commuters face less predictable, longer wait times since Go-Ahead Singapore's takeover: Baey Yam Keng

Since Go-Ahead Singapore took over bus services in Tampines in July , some residents have complained of longer wait times and less reliable services, Baey Yam Keng shared in a Facebook post on Sunday (Sept 13).

"Many Tampines residents have told me that their daily bus journeys have become less predictable, with longer waiting times and buses arriving together since Go-Ahead Singapore (GAS) took over the services in July," Tampines GRC MP Baey said.

"I understand their frustration."

In comments, many users shared their perspective on the change of bus service provider, agreeing with Baey.

"There has been a significant decline in service standards since the SBS Transit era," said one, referring to the previous bus operator for the region.

"Perhaps it is time for the Government to look into re-tendering the package to another operator, especially given that GAS was the highest bidder, and yet such low quality of standards has been provided."

Another comment also highlighted how a user previously had spare time for breakfast when travelling with SBS Transit, which was "consistently on time".

Under GAS, the first bus usually turns up about eight minutes late, and delays can set him back as much as 15 minutes, he said, adding that the evening peak presents a challenge for parents who need to pick up children and get dinner.

"Buses are sometimes not arriving at the interchange as expected, and being told that the displayed arrival times are only a guide makes the bus app and interchange LCD timings less useful," the user also said.

"The situation seems to have worsened after the second phase of the handover."

New routes, new depot, new bus captains

Baey said he has since met with GAS management together with some grassroots leaders to convey the residents' concerns.

He shared that GAS has acknowledged the transition issues they are facing and explained the challenges that they are facing.

Around 40 per cent of bus captains with GAS are new and need time to familiarise themselves with the route, Baey said.

GAS is also using a new depot in East Coast, which means that their bus captains are still adapting to working from a new depot after leaving the SBS Transit depot they were familiar with.

This could affect the captains' work attendance or performance which indirectly affects services, explained Baey.

GAS has since told Baey and grassroots leaders that most issues have been resolved, adding that it is strengthening training and support for its bus captains.

"What matters now is that commuters see real improvements. We proposed targeted monitoring at key bus stops to establish actual waiting times, identify recurring delays and bus bunching, and guide the necessary corrective actions," Baey said.

He also thanked residents for sharing their experiences, stating that they will follow up closely with LTA and GAS to track the affected services.

He emphasised: "Residents should be able to enjoy more reliable and consistent bus journeys."

khooyihang@asiaone.com

Baey Yam Keng 于周日（9 月 13 日）在 Facebook 上发帖称，自 Go-Ahead Singapore 于 7 月接管淡滨尼的巴士服务以来，一些居民抱怨等待时间更长，服务也更不可靠。

“许多淡滨尼居民告诉我，自从 Go-Ahead Singapore (GAS) 于 7 月接管服务以来，他们的日常公交出行变得更加难以预测，等待时间更长，公交车也经常同时到达，”淡滨尼集选区议员 Baey 说。

我理解他们的沮丧。

在评论中，许多用户分享了他们对更换公交服务提供商的看法，并赞同 Baey 的观点。

“自新捷运时代以来，服务标准显著下降，”一位人士说道，他指的是该地区之前的巴士运营商。

“或许政府应该考虑将该项目重新招标给其他运营商，特别是考虑到 GAS 是出价最高的竞标者，但提供的服务质量却如此低下。”

另一条评论还强调，一位用户之前乘坐 SBS Transit 时有空余时间享用早餐，因为 SBS Transit “一直都很准时”。

他说，根据 GAS 的规定，首班车通常会晚点约 8 分钟，延误可能会让他耽误多达 15 分钟，他还补充说，晚高峰对需要接孩子和准备晚餐的家长来说是一个挑战。

“公交车有时不会按预期到达换乘站，而且被告知显示的到达时间只是参考，这使得公交应用程序和换乘站液晶显示屏上的时刻表变得不那么有用，”该用户还表示。

“第二阶段交接结束后，情况似乎恶化了。”

新路线、新车库、新公交车司机

贝伊表示，他随后与GAS管理层以及一些基层领导人会面，传达了居民们的担忧。

他表示，GAS已经意识到他们面临的转型问题，并解释了他们面临的挑战。

贝伊表示，GAS 的公交车司机中约有 40% 是新来的，需要时间来熟悉路线。

GAS 还在东海岸启用了一个新的车库，这意味着他们的巴士司机在离开熟悉的 SBS Transit 车库后，仍在适应在新车库的工作。

贝伊解释说，这可能会影响队长们的出勤率或工作表现，从而间接影响服务。

GAS 随后告诉 Baey 和基层领导人，大多数问题已经解决，并补充说，公司正在加强对公交车司机的培训和支持。

“现在最重要的是通勤者能看到实际的改善。我们提议在重点公交车站进行有针对性的监测，以确定实际的等待时间，找出反复出现的延误和公交车扎堆现象，并指导采取必要的纠正措施，”贝伊说。

他还感谢居民们分享他们的经历，并表示他们将与陆路交通管理局和政府事务局密切跟进，以追踪受影响的服务。

他强调：“居民应该能够享受到更可靠、更稳定的公交出行服务。”

khooyihang@asiaone.com