Bus spotters try new routes, improve existing ones

As many as 70 new bus routes were launched in Singapore over the past four years and a group of Singaporeans has made it a point to try all the new services, reported The Straits Times. 

Called the Singapore Bus Spotters Association, the group is made up of 25 members who are passionate about spotting every make and model of bus on the roads. Usually among the first riders on these routes, they will study the services' frequencies, areas served and passenger loads. When they see things that can be improved, they send feedback to the Land Transport Authority (LTA), and bus operators SBS Transit and SMRT.

President of the association, Ms. Liu Ying Jun, a materials engineering undergraduate, said, "We will just write in as the public and say that we are concerned about these routes and give suggestions."

Members also go out of their way to try the new routes. Mr. Teo Boon Kiat, a full-time national serviceman, said he will make a trip to the Central Business District just to test the City Direct services between the city and heartland, run by private operators.

Next month, members will display memorabilia, such as old bus tickets, model buses and destination plates, at an LTA roving bus carnival celebrating the history and future of Singapore's bus industry. The event, open to the public, will kick off at Ngee Ann City Civic Plaza from March 11^th to 13^th.