<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR>Public buses still horrible, except for seats
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<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->WITH the increase in bus fares, commuters are promised a smoother and more enjoyable ride by the bus operators, but this remains to be seen.
There is no doubt the buses are newer, but do they really bring more comfort to passengers?
Except for the seats, much improvement is needed. My family uses buses as our main means of transport. The rides are anything but smooth. The jerkiness forces passengers to hold on to virtually anything or everything. More often than not, the bus drivers drive as if they're harbouring ambitions of becoming Formula One aces.
The unreliable schedule and lack of sufficient buses are two other reasons that riding a public bus can be a frustrating experience.
Imagine waiting for more than 30 minutes for the bus only to see a packed single-decker arriving - which then moves off without taking anyone on board because it is full. That is what happened when I waited for service 70 along Guillemard Road one day. I was at the bus stop just before 8.40am. The bus schedule stated an interval of between six and 15 minutes between 8.31am and 4.59pm.
How can the authorities encourage us to take public transport when doing so leads to us turning up late for work?
My family and I don't know how long we can put off switching to getting a car. Tan Juay Sun (Ms)
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<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->WITH the increase in bus fares, commuters are promised a smoother and more enjoyable ride by the bus operators, but this remains to be seen.
There is no doubt the buses are newer, but do they really bring more comfort to passengers?
Except for the seats, much improvement is needed. My family uses buses as our main means of transport. The rides are anything but smooth. The jerkiness forces passengers to hold on to virtually anything or everything. More often than not, the bus drivers drive as if they're harbouring ambitions of becoming Formula One aces.
The unreliable schedule and lack of sufficient buses are two other reasons that riding a public bus can be a frustrating experience.
Imagine waiting for more than 30 minutes for the bus only to see a packed single-decker arriving - which then moves off without taking anyone on board because it is full. That is what happened when I waited for service 70 along Guillemard Road one day. I was at the bus stop just before 8.40am. The bus schedule stated an interval of between six and 15 minutes between 8.31am and 4.59pm.
How can the authorities encourage us to take public transport when doing so leads to us turning up late for work?
My family and I don't know how long we can put off switching to getting a car. Tan Juay Sun (Ms)
