Better traffic conditions improve bus flow at new Bedok interchange

Bedok's $23 million transport hub was unveiled last Sunday, but drew complaints almost as soon as it was open, reported The Straits Times. A total of 29 bus services call at the hub, which is linked to Bedok Mall and Bedok MRT station.

Initially, commuters had to wait some 30 to 40 minutes for their buses just to enter the terminus. They cited the high volume of traffic lights for the roads around the interchange and the reduced number of disembarking bays compared with the old terminus as causes of the delays.

But traffic flow at the new 1.6 hectare hub is slowly improving. The delays are now down to 15 minutes, after the Land Transport Authority (LTA) made adjustments to the traffic signal timings and bus operations.

When The Straits Times visited yesterday evening, a long line of buses were waiting for a traffic light along Bedok North Drive to turn green before they could proceed some 100 metres to turn right into the interchange. Between 6:00pm and 6:15pm, there were at least 20 buses along that stretch of road and Bedok North Avenue 1. A handful of marshals from SBS Transit were on hand to guide the buses into the terminus.