ON A recent trip to Hong Kong, I was very impressed by the transport system.

Bus and train routes run parallel, allowing passengers to choose their preferred mode of transport.

The main reason SBS Transit gave for removing bus routes when the North-East Line was introduced was to avoid duplication of services. This was obviously not the case in Hong Kong.

The Hong Kong MTR utilises a user-friendly system to inform passengers on the stops, interchanging of routes, etc. All the routes are indicated by lights on a dashboard of sorts on the top panel of the train. With different lines highlighted in different colours, lights indicate which station the train has arrived at.

When the train arrives at an interchange, the lines or routes which the interchange serves are highlighted by a row of blinking lights.

Having such a passenger-friendly system on our Circle Line would make it easier for passengers to make their way to their destinations.

Having such a system would also enable the hearing-impaired and non-English speakers to get to their destinations with ease.

The Hong Kong MTR and KCR train services, equivalent to SBS Transit and SMRT, will be merging soon to bring about greater efficiency and lower costs for passengers.

Even with competition between SMRT and SBS Transit, service standards still seem to be lagging.

With regard to the implementation of the real-time bus-arrival information system at selected bus stops, I noticed that most of the projected waiting and arrival times of the buses were inaccurate, even on days when traffic was not heavy.

SMRT and SBS Transit should work together to streamline public-transportation routes and services to justify their constant fare hikes.

Rene Yap Bin Ping (Ms)