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AFTER getting rave reviews from residents about Ang Mo Kio Hub - which integrates a bus interchange and MRT station - the Government plans to put up seven more in the next decade.
Work has already started on two, in Boon Lay and Clementi, with the others earmarked for Bedok, Jurong East, Serangoon, Joo Koon and Marina South.
Plans for these hubs were announced by Transport Minister Raymond Lim on Friday, together with a package of measures to improve service standards of buses.
Citing Ang Mo Kio Hub as an example, Mr Lim said: 'Residents have told us they liked the air-conditioned bus interchange where they can pop into shops at the passenger concourse before their bus arrived.'
'Other like the convenience of the underground linkway to Ang Mo Kio MRT station. These attributes have helped increase public transport ridership at this hub. We will therefore embark on a programme to build more integrated public transport hubs as well as upgrade existing bus interchanges.'
The Ang Mo Kio building is the most recent of the three existing hubs. The other two are in Toa Payoh and Sengkang.
Once the hubs are completed, Jurong residents will have three nearby: Clementi, Jurong East and Boon Lay.
Buildings aside, residents can also expect higher standards and better coordinated public transport system now that the Land Transport Authority intends to take over all route planning for buses.
At present, LTA takes charge of only the train and road network, and leaves the bus planning to the operators. With everything under LTA's purview by next year, Mr Lim said it would be able to 'optimise the performance of the entire land transport system for commuters' benefit'.
Planners are aiming to achieve at least 80 per cent of buses at peak frequencies of 10 minutes or less by August next year, compared with 15 minutes today.
By 2015, they want 80 per cent of commuters on public transport to complete their trips in under an hour, up from 71 per cent today.
Finally, by 2020, they aim to make trips on public transport take no longer 11/2 times that of a private car. Currently, it is 1.7 times longer.
Mr Lim stressed the big improvements planned for buses were crucial.
'If we allow the bus to become the poor cousin of the train, the system as a whole suffers and commuters suffer,' he said.
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