Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Minister for Transport (a) whether bus shelter address plates can display the bus stop code, instead of the LTA alpha-numeric code, to assist bus passengers in identifying bus stops in advance of arriving at a particular bus stop; and (b) what measures has LTA taken to make navigation easier for bus passengers, including people with disabilities and the less technology-savvy.
The Senior Minister of State for Transport (Mr Chee Hong Tat) (for the Minister for Transport): Sir, the bus stop name, alphanumeric code and five-digit code are displayed at the bus stops.
Since 2018, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) has fitted all new public buses with the Passenger Information Display System (PIDS), which displays and announces the name of the upcoming bus stop, including references to nearby landmarks or the road.
Other measures to make navigation easier include the installation of tactile ground surface indicators, Braille signages for the visually impaired and murals to assist commuters with dementia. New bus interchanges also have enhanced signages with bigger fonts and brighter lighting for improved readability and better wayfinding.
Besides infrastructure enhancements, the Caring SG Commuters Committee has been promoting a more inclusive and caring commuting culture, to encourage commuters to assist fellow passengers who may require help with navigation.
Mr Deputy Speaker: Mr Gerald Giam.
Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song (Aljunied): Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. And I thank that Senior Minister of State for the answer. I understand that the bus stop codes and names are displayed at the bus stop pole and the bus stop information board. However, the font that is used is relatively small and it is not easily visible to passengers as they are approaching the bus stop. So, it would not give them enough time to be able to press the button to indicate to the bus captain to stop the bus. In fact, the most prominent signage at the bus stop is actually the bus shelter address plate, which is on the top of the bus shelter because the font can be seen from quite a distance away, about 40 metres away at least, in my estimation. So this will give the commuters a bit more time to prepare to stop, to press the bell to stop the bus.
So, my question to the Senior Minister of State is, can the bus stop name and code be placed on the bus stop bus shelter address plates, instead of what is right now on the bus shelter address plates which is actually not very meaningful to the commuters themselves.
Mr Chee Hong Tat: Mr Deputy Speaker, I thank Mr Giam for his suggestion. Certainly, I think we will look at different ways to improve the visibility and how the information is being displayed. I just want to clarify that today, as he acknowledged, the information – the name, the alphanumeric code and the five-digit code – they are all displayed at the bus stops.
And depending on, from your perspective as a commuter, different people would require the information in different ways and use it differently to help with their navigation. One analogy that I could give is this: it is a little bit like our postal code. If we refer to a particular block, let us say in my area Block 130A Lorong 1 Toa Payoh. It is part of Toa Payoh Crest but it also has a six-digit postal code which is 311130. So, I think both sets of information are useful and they are used for different purposes.
Ministry of Transport
8 May 2023
https://sprs.parl.gov.sg/search/#/sprs3topic?reportid=oral-answer-3220
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