The billion-dollar Bus Service Enhancement Programme (BSEP) has made inroads into stepping up service delivery, despite being only halfway through, reported The Straits Times.

Of the 1,000 buses slated to be added to the fleet by 2017, more than half, or 510, are already on the roads, said Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew yesterday. 33 new bus services have also been added so far under the Government's programme, which was started in 2012 in response to soaring ridership.

"With the BSEP, waiting times for commuters have been shortened by three to seven minutes on the more popular services. We were also able to reduce the number of bus services that were persistently crowded during peak hours by 60 percent," said Mr. Lui.

Mr. Lui was speaking at the opening of the new Bedok Integrated Transport Hub - Singapore's largest bus interchange and the seventh such hub alongside those in Toa Payoh, Sengkang, Ang Mo Kio, Boon Lay, Serangoon and Clementi.

Another three integrated transport hubs are under construction in Joo Koon, Bukit Panjang and Yishun, and are scheduled to be completed next year, in 2016 and 2018 respectively. Mr. Lui said that such hubs and the BSEP both aim to improve the travel experience for commuters.