Bus-only roads likely in the future

Roads accessible only to public buses could make an appearance here in future as part of efforts to improve bus speeds, in line with the Land Transport Master Plan 2040.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) said yesterday it intends to progressively introduce transit priority corridors - areas where public transport is emphasised - across the island, beginning in the 2020s.

The LTA said it is now studying existing and future roads - including in areas such as Robinson Road and Loyang, as well as Woodlands North Coast, Tengah and Jurong Lake District - where initiatives such as giving buses priority at junctions with traffic signals and bus-only lanes can be introduced.

National University of Singapore Transport Analyst Lee Der-Horng said that the development of bus-only roads may encourage more people to take the bus, but he also raised a concern. "Given the limited road space, do we have this kind of luxury to have bus-only roads? This will require very careful planning," he said.

The LTA said it is working with industry experts to deploy smart solutions to help buses move more quickly, including smarter traffic light control systems that can detect the presence of vehicles and pedestrians. The authority added that data from navigation satellite systems and artificial intelligence-based predictive analytics could also be used to optimise traffic light timings. Only one corridor prioritising buses currently exists - in Bencoolen Street.

When completed in 2026, the 21.5km North-South Corridor - which will stretch from Woodlands to the city centre - will be the longest such corridor with dedicated bus lanes.

The LTA said the dedicated lanes will allow bus commuters to shave up to 15 minutes off their journeys.

To improve first-and last-mile connectivity, the Republic will have more than 1,000km of cycling paths islandwide by 2040.

The authority also intends to add to the nine existing integrated transport hubs, where bus interchanges are integrated with malls. Three such hubs - at Bidadari, Buangkok and Punggol North - are under construction.

There are also plans to build other integrated hubs at locations such as Beauty World, Bedok South, Hougang, Jurong East, Marina South, Pasir Ris, Tampines North and Tengah.