Ho Ching: Haven’t we Learnt from Building Bus Stops All these Years?

Commuters have been complaining about an illogical bus stop design which blocks the view of oncoming buses. The particular bus stop is located right outside Punggol MRT station. It has huge pillars that obstruct commuters from having sight of approaching buses.

Due to its bad design, a woman missed her bus and had to wait 20 minutes for the next one. Commuters often have to stick out their heads or walk further out to check if their buses are arriving. This is unsafe for children and also a hassle for many.

The LTA said they will remind bus captains to slow down when approaching the bus stop. However, that is not solving the problem. Even Ho Ching was appalled by how they built the bus stop.

“Homework for the architects and the LTA team involved: Go take bus trips to visit all the bus stops, getting on and off each bus stop until they have a feel of each bus stop, their quirks, their shortcomings, and come up with ideas to make each bus stop better – do this for at least a month, in dry season, and again in the wet season.”

“True, we sometimes see bus stops built back to front, bus stops on higher platforms, bus stops in the shape of mushrooms, and shades. But these thick wide columns take the cake!”

Ho Ching

This is what happens when we have policymakers who do not take public transport make decisions for Singaporeans. They fail to come up with sound decisions or considerations because they do not experience life the way we do. Some do not bother experiencing it. Some do not listen when we tell them their so-called “solutions” do not work.

Singaporeans are the ones who have to live with the decisions they make. It is therefore their duty to consider things from our perspective and at least do their jobs properly!