SINGAPORE: Selected bus services will begin plying Singapore's roads during off-peak hours as part of a six-month operational trial beginning in December, said the Land Transport Authority (LTA) on Monday (Aug 27).
In the lead-up to the trial, LTA said it will work closely with the contractors, bus operators and the community in the trial areas to familiarise residents and commuters.
AdvertisementDuring the trial hours, LTA will also continue to run selected low-demand bus services with similar connections at lower frequencies, so that commuters who prefer the regular buses still have access to fixed route bus services.
More details of the trial, such as locations and operating hours, will be announced closer to the implementation date.
In its statement on Monday, LTA also announced that it awarded the second phase of its on-demand public buses trial (ODPB) to two companies – Ministry of Movement (SWAT) and Via Transportation – for S$2.26 million.
AdvertisementAdvertisementBoth companies were awarded contracts in February 2018 to conduct the first phase of the project.
LTA called the tender last August to develop bus services based on commuters' demand via a mobile application in real time.
In the first phase of the project, LTA said SWAT and Via successfully developed a dynamic routing and matching algorithm.
“This algorithm has thus far demonstrated that ODPB can optimise limited resources while offering more seamless and convenient bus journeys for commuters in areas or during timings with low or unpredictable ridership.
"For example, commuters will be able to request for pick-ups and drop-offs at any bus stop within the defined geofence area through a mobile app,” LTA added.
The second phase involves the development of hardware and software solutions for the ODPB system.
These solutions comprise mobile apps for commuters and bus captains, back-end tools required to monitor services during the trial, as well as operational and maintenance support for the system.
“Both contractors will train bus captains and support staff to operate the system. Additional simulations will also be conducted to fine-tune the operating parameters and geofence areas of the system,” said LTA.
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