Buses are useless!

Today I had such a bad experience with SBS Transit feeder service number 228. Usually buses take around 15 minutes to arrive during peak hours but this evening it took more than half an hour before a bus finally drove into the pick-up point.

I have been tolerating this shoddy service for a long time and I suspect many Singaporeans are also feeling the same way as me. Yet most of them just don't report the matter to SBS nor the LTA. Hence I penned, or rather typed, 2 emails. One to SBS and the other went to LTA. I was so upset at seeing other commuters being able to get their buses arrive on time that my temper simply boils whenever I think about it.

*sighs*

I think it's only a matter of time before I go crazy from all those lengthy bus waits. Why can't SBS treat the commuters better? It is very disheartening to see service number 225 come around 4 or 5 times just to fetch commuters to Bedok North. Then there's service no. 17 which came 3 times. Still no sight of that elusive service 228. Hmmm...

So I shall now post what I had written to both SBS and LTA. Hmmm...

Here's the email which I sent to SBS:

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I had to wait 35 minutes for feeder bus service 228 in order to get home. This is becoming a trademark for SBS Transit buses. What makes matters worse is that I observed how other bus services like 225 had arrived frequently for the commuters to Bedok North area, or that bus service 17 had arrived 3 times to pick up commuters, or that bus service 229 had arrived at least twice to pick up commuters. So does that mean that commuters heading towards Bedok Reservoir area don't matter to SBS Transit at all? Must we waste 35 minutes EVERY single time that we wait for the FEEDER bus? It makes no sense at all, wasting commuters' precious time. Are we being treated as outcast just because we are living in the Bedok Reservoir area? It is always frustrating to wait for SBS buses no matter what the circumstances are. I have given hope on SBS. Yet because of the monopoly hold over most parts of the eastern public transport, I have no other choices other than SBS to get me to my destination. Stop mistreating the residents of Bedok Reservoir area. Please wake up to our pleas!
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And here's the letter to LTA:

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Dear Sir/Madam,

On 22.05.08 at 7.25pm, I waited for SBS Transit feeder bus service 228 at Bedok bus interchange to go home. However, the bus, license no. SBS 0070 Z, only came at 7.57pm.

Is this supposed to be within the waiting time limit of 15 minutes? With the movement for bus operators to improve the waiting time during peak hours to 10 minutes, it seems like the bus operator is unable to keep up with the new proposed waiting time intervals. Furthermore, it is a feeder service bus and therefore should have a shorter bus route than the usual trunk service. Hence, the bus should be able to arrive on time. Yet several commuters had to wait for more than half an hour in order for the bus to arrive at the pick-up point.

Is this going the way of future advancement for Singapore's bus transportation? If that's the case, it makes much more sense to own a car than to take public transport as time is of the utmost importance to working individuals. Commuters should not be made the victim for the failure of compliance by the bus operators.

With all the increase in bus fares, the least we expect from the bus operators is to ensure that the buses arrive at a reasonable time. However a 35 minutes waiting time for a feeder bus service is simply too much, not to mention that it happened during peak hours for dinnertime. In any case, let's hope that our bus transportation will improve, otherwise I will have to invest in a car.

How will the government ensure that commuters' interests will be protected against errant bus operators? On top of that, the buses are always packed full to the brim, with hardly any standing space left. Is the 95% full bus load a mandatory condition for the bus operators to comply? Commuters are often at a loss when they encounter such incidents. Either they board the bus and squeeze like sardines or else they will have to wait for the next bus, which means they will be late for their appointments. Again this would bring the issue of bus frequency back into the picture. It is a very delicate situation which every citizen hopes that it will be settled once and for all.

Thank you for your time to attend to this feedback. Have a nice day.
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So, how's my letter writing. Need improvement right. kekeke....