Singapore commuter raises concern over inaccurate bus timings on mobile apps, netizens say issue is ‘islandwide’
Singapore commuters are voicing their frustration online over inaccurate bus arrival times displayed on mobile apps, with some even resorting to private-hire rides as a result.
Inaccurate app timings lead to private-hire rides
In a post on r/askSingapore on 19 Jan, one commuter shared their experience of relying on the bus app, only to be caught out by incorrect timings.
The original poster (OP) described how the app indicated a 40-minute wait for the bus, only for it to arrive much sooner.
By the time they saw the bus physically pull up at the stop, they had already booked a private-hire ride, and it was too late to cancel their ride.
According to the OP, this has happened to them twice already, prompting them to wonder if others are experiencing the same issue.
what’s with the bus timing now?
byu/12345mango inaskSingapore
Netizens speculate reason for inaccurate bus timings
Other netizens echoed similar experiences, with many noting that timings across various bus services appear inaccurate.
One netizen shared how they almost booked a private-hire ride when their app showed the next bus being 30 minutes away, only for the vehicle to arrive within three minutes.
Source: Reddit
Another commenter claimed that it is an islandwide issue that may have been caused by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) adding the Circle Line shuttle bus services to the bus app.
Source: Reddit
One Redditor shared their experience of seeing long wait times on the bus app before two buses arrived within three minutes of each other.
Source: Reddit
Another netizen thought the inaccuracy affected only their area, not realising that it was affecting “everyone”.
Source: Reddit
Bus apps rely on real-time data from LTA
Singapore’s public transport apps, including the official MyTransport.SG and third-party services such as Singabus or SG Buses rely on real-time data from the LTA’s DataMall.
That information combines GPS data from buses and schedule data to estimate arrivals.
However, users have long reported variability in accuracy, particularly when buses are close to stops or when traffic conditions fluctuate.
While overall satisfaction with Singapore’s public transport system remains high, bus waiting time has been a recurring concern in commuter surveys.
The Public Transport Council’s 2023 Customer Satisfaction Survey found a small dip in satisfaction with waiting times compared with previous years, even as overall service ratings stayed strong.
LTA investigating technical issues
In a Facebook post on 21 Jan, LTA said they are investigating technical faults in the bus ETA system that caused inaccurate timings and prolonged wait times to be displayed on bus stops and apps.
Bus services remain unaffected and continue to run at their regular frequencies, the authority said.
According to LTA, the issue was detected on 10 Jan and worsened over the week.
Early findings indicate a technical fault in some buses’ on-board systems, disrupting ETA data transmission.
“Our engineers and ETA system contractors are working with bus operators to rectify this issue as soon as possible,” LTA said.
LTA also apologised for the inconvenience caused.
Also read: M’sian man attacks female bus driver in S’pore after becoming frustrated with 11-minute wait for bus
M’sian man attacks female bus driver in S’pore after becoming frustrated with 11-minute wait for bus
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Featured image adapted from Google Play Store & Land Transport Authority for illustration purposes only.
