The bus interchange at Boon Lay gets quite busy, especially because it serves as a transportation hub for workers, residents, and students from the nearby Nanyang Technological University (NTU). The place familiar to many will soon undergo a change, as SMRT prepares to take over operations.
Source: Foursquare
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) announced the news on Friday (18 Aug).
Other than Boon Lay, SMRT will also be managing the bus interchange at Joo Koon.
In a news release yesterday (18 Aug), LTA shared that they had awarded contracts for the Jurong West and Bukit Merah bus packages to SMRT and SBS Transit respectively.
The five-year contract will take effect gradually from Q2 2024, though LTA will have the choice to extend them.
While the Bukit Merah bus package remains under SBS Transit, the Jurong West one will be handed over to SMRT according to the timeline.
This means that the 26 routes in the package that are operating from Soon Lee Bus Depot will be run by SMRT by Sep 2024.
Source: Land Transport Authority – We Keep Your World Moving on Facebook
The bus company will also be managing both Boon Lay and Joo Koon bus interchanges.
Meanwhile, SBS Transit will continue to oversee Bukit Merah and Harbourfront bus interchanges.
Besides putting in the highest bids, bus companies also submitted proposals to “improve service delivery, environmental sustainability and promote public transport usage”.
SBS Transit broached the idea of a self-service mobile concierge for a better customer experience.
SMRT, on the other hand, suggested deploying an AI-enabled CCTV system to determine which commuters need help.
In light of the transition, SMRT must offer SBS Transit employees from the Jurong West package jobs. The terms of employment must be comparable to their existing employment terms.
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Featured image adapted from Google Maps and Google Maps.
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