<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR>Premium services info at bus stops soon
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><!-- Author --><TR><TD class="padlrt8 georgia11 darkgrey bold" colSpan=2>By Yeo Ghim Lay
</TD></TR><!-- show image if available --></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->ROUTE information of premium bus services will soon go up at bus stops, saving commuters the hassle of looking for it online.
Private bus companies, which had previously lamented that they were not allowed to publicise their services at bus stops, have applauded the news.
The Land Transport Authority (LTA), in response to queries from The Straits Times, said it has 'facilitated an arrangement' with TransitLink for all premium bus operators to display their route information.
This service, however, does not come free. Bus operators will have to pay an annual rate of $12 for each bus and a one-off $11 production fee for the route information to be displayed at each bus stop.
From last Thursday, the routes of two private premium bus services went up for the first time at bus stops in Yio Chu Kang and Seletar.
Previously, TransitLink had allowed the private operators to display only their service numbers at bus stops.
Back then, private operators could have their service numbers displayed at bus stop poles at an annual fee of $12 per bus service per pole.
But these operators said that merely displaying a service number reveals nothing about the bus' route and so commuters would not know such a route existed.
To find out route information for premium buses, commuters had to log on to the LTA's public transport portal.
Private bus operator V. Anilan, whose two premium services' routes went up at bus stops on Thursday, said this was great for him and his customers.
'It is affordable for us to put up the route information, and it will help draw more commuters. This was one major hurdle in the past and I'm glad we've crossed it,' he said.
There are at least six private operators which run premium bus services. Such services, with fewer stops and guaranteed seats, offer commuters a quicker and more comfortable ride from the heartlands to the city, but at a higher fare.
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><!-- Author --><TR><TD class="padlrt8 georgia11 darkgrey bold" colSpan=2>By Yeo Ghim Lay
</TD></TR><!-- show image if available --></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->ROUTE information of premium bus services will soon go up at bus stops, saving commuters the hassle of looking for it online.
Private bus companies, which had previously lamented that they were not allowed to publicise their services at bus stops, have applauded the news.
The Land Transport Authority (LTA), in response to queries from The Straits Times, said it has 'facilitated an arrangement' with TransitLink for all premium bus operators to display their route information.
This service, however, does not come free. Bus operators will have to pay an annual rate of $12 for each bus and a one-off $11 production fee for the route information to be displayed at each bus stop.
From last Thursday, the routes of two private premium bus services went up for the first time at bus stops in Yio Chu Kang and Seletar.
Previously, TransitLink had allowed the private operators to display only their service numbers at bus stops.
Back then, private operators could have their service numbers displayed at bus stop poles at an annual fee of $12 per bus service per pole.
But these operators said that merely displaying a service number reveals nothing about the bus' route and so commuters would not know such a route existed.
To find out route information for premium buses, commuters had to log on to the LTA's public transport portal.
Private bus operator V. Anilan, whose two premium services' routes went up at bus stops on Thursday, said this was great for him and his customers.
'It is affordable for us to put up the route information, and it will help draw more commuters. This was one major hurdle in the past and I'm glad we've crossed it,' he said.
There are at least six private operators which run premium bus services. Such services, with fewer stops and guaranteed seats, offer commuters a quicker and more comfortable ride from the heartlands to the city, but at a higher fare.
