Yishun Integrated Transport Hub’s Massive Bus Jam Fixed Within A Day
On Monday morning (9 Sep), loud garish beeps of buses resounded through a part of Yishun.
The opening of the new Yishun Integrated Transport Hub at Northpoint City shopping mall had inadvertently caused a massive traffic jam of buses.
The problem it seems, is that there is only one turning lane into the bus interchange. This acted like a bottleneck, with the buses piling up one after another, waiting for their turn to enter.
Some passengers were reportedly so frustrated waiting on the crawling buses that they alighted before the interchange and walked over themselves.
According to the same report, buses were apparently trying to switch lanes to turn into the interchange. But that only created more trouble.
A photo uploaded to STOMP shows a better view of the mess that evolved on Monday. Hopefully, the poor cars caught between buses managed to find their way out of that maze.
Nee Soon GRC MP Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim told The Straits Times that he had received alerts about the jam on Monday.
He guessed that one of the reasons for the jam could be that the bus drivers are still “familiarising themselves with the new layout.”
Problem fixed within a day
On Tuesday morning (10 Sep), however, the jams disappeared. The roads leading into the transport hub were clear as can be.
According to what SMRT staff told The Straits Times, they had worked with LTA to change the traffic light timing at the junction, allowing for easier flow.
There were also traffic marshals at the entrances of the interchange helping to direct the buses.
Yishun Integrated Transport Hub fully air-conditioned
The integrated hub had opened on Sunday (8 Sep). The bus interchange is now fully air-conditioned and commuters can more easily walk over to Northpoint City shopping mall and Yishun MRT.
The revamp also improved the aesthetic of the heart of Yishun, giving it a livelier and more modern look.
The integrated transport hub is surely something to cheer for. Thankfully, SMRT and LTA fixed the problem within no time. Kudos to them for doing a great and swift job.
Featured images adapted from Facebook and Instagram.