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SINGAPORE : A new peak-hour basic bus service was rolled out on Monday to help ease the train passenger load along the southbound section of the North-South-East-West MRT line.
It is the first service in 18 years to mirror the route of an MRT line.
It was a quiet start to the day for SBS Bus Service 128.
After the first two scheduled buses arrived and left at 12-minute intervals, Channel NewsAsia's news team boarded the 7.42am bus. There were only a handful of passengers on the bus when it departed from Yio Chu Kang Station. And it stayed that way for the next six stops.
Things started picking up closer to the city. While most passengers on the bus were office workers headed to Shenton Way, some were just in it for the ride.
Ho Kok Pern, a polytechnic student, said: "If I'm not rushing for time, I will take the bus. Since the train along the North-South line is usually packed, I would prefer to take the bus, as it promises me a seat.
"Currently because it's the first day, I think this service is not greatly publicised and that's why the demand right now is quite low."
Bus Service 128 is touted as an alternative to the peak-hour train rush. With 31 stops each way, it covers 13 MRT stations from Yio Chu Kang to Tanjong Pagar.
There will be four trips each during the morning and evening peak hours, for the duration of the six-month trial.
A full end-to-end journey costs the same as an MRT ride - S$1.39 - for those using the ez-link contactless smartcard.
However, it takes about an hour fifteen minutes each way, compared to 26 minutes on the MRT.
Sophia Liberta, an account manager, said, "(I would take) the MRT, definitely... (because) no matter how crowded it is, it's faster."
The Land Transport Authority said the initiative will give commuters more choices, and if needed, may also be implemented along other passenger-heavy sections of the MRT lines.
More information on Bus Service 128 is available at the SBS Transit website. - CNA/ms
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