Bukit Panjang Integrated Transport Hub to open in 2017
The new site of the upcoming Bukit Panjang Integrated Transport Hub. Graphic: LTA
SINGAPORE — The Bukit Panjang Integrated Transport Hub (ITH), originally slated to open in 2015, will now open in 2017, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) announced today (Jun 27).
LTA first announced plans for a new ITH in Bukit Panjang in 2012. At the time, LTA said the ITH would be ready come 2015.
The new ITH will be integrated with the existing Bukit Panjang LRT station, upcoming Bukit Panjang MRT station, as well as retail, F&B and residential developments at the same site, LTA said.
IMPROVEMENTS IN BUS SERVICES
LTA also highlighted improvements in bus services under the Bus Service Enhancement Programme (BSEP), where 68 buses were added to the 17 services that serve Bukit Panjang.
It cited the example of Service 972, which was introduced on Nov 17, 2013, to connect Bukit Panjang residents to the city, as well as Dhoby Ghaut, Somerset and Orchard MRT stations. After an initial fleet of 12 buses, seven buses were progressively added to cater to an increase in demand, said LTA.
Service 972 was also extended on Jun 14 this year to Senja Road. Five more buses were added to the fleet at the same time, improving peak headway to six minutes, from 11 minutes when the service was first launched, LTA added.
Since July 2014, LTA has also worked with SMRT Buses to convert 43 single deck buses to double deck buses on eight popular services that ply through Bukit Panjang, it said.
IMPROVEMENT IN WAIT TIMES
LTA also said two bus services that ply Bukit Panjang, 176 and 184, saw improved regularity and reduced instances of bus bunching under the Bus Services Reliability Framework (NSRF) trial. In the first assessment period, Service 176 showed a 0.2 minute improvement in its Excess Wait Time (EWT) while Service 184 showed a 0.3 minute improvement, according to LTA.
Twenty-three services will be added to the trial in June and December 2015. Four of these – services 171, 180, 187 and 975 – serve the Bukit Panjang area, LTA said. CHANNEL NEWSASIA
