AUDITOR Joanne Goh's morning commute to work in Shenton Way used to consist of a one hour-long crammed train ride after hitching a ride to the Yio Chu Kang MRT station from her parents.

That all changed last week, with start of new premium bus service that picks her up just metres from her door at Thomson Hills.

Now, the 29-year-old gets a comfortable seat to herself and piped music for her 45-minute ride to her office at DBS Building.

'I used to have to miss trains because they were too crowded. And if I was late for work, I'd spend $20 on a taxi,' said Miss Goh who now pays $4 for the one-way bus ride.

By the end of the month, a total of 12 premium bus services will be up and running.

This will bring the total number of premium bus services to 54, up from the current 42.

The Transport Ministry's target, as part of its recent Land Transport Review, is to have 72 premium services running by June.

In line with the Ministry's push towards getting commuters to switch to public transportation, premium buses will give commuters a good alternative to their cars, said the Land Transport Authority.

Read the full story in Saturday's edition of The Straits Times.