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Source:
www.sbstransit.com.sg |
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SBS Transit Launches Singapore¡¯s First-Ever
Wheelchair Accessible Buses, Offers One Month Free Rides |
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For the first time in 15 years,
wheelchair-bound Sherena Loh will be able to take the bus to her
favourite shopping haunts in Orchard Road instead of having to rely on
taxis or specially-arranged transport. |
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This is thanks to the launch of SBS
Transit¡¯s Service 21 wheelchair-accessible buses (WABs) ¨C Singapore¡¯s
first such service. From tomorrow, 10 WABs will ply the Pasir Ris-St
Michael¡¯s route daily. |
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To commemorate this significant occasion,
all passengers in wheelchairs (PIWs) will be given free travel on WABs
until the end of July. |
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Service 21 was chosen to be the first WAB
service after consultation with Voluntary Welfare Organisations (VWOs)
and the Land Transport Authority. |
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It runs past the premises of the Handicaps
Welfare Association (HWA) in Whampoa, enabling members to gain direct
access to major town centres like Pasir Ris, Tampines and Bedok. It also
provides connections to Tan Tock Seng Hospital and other medical
facilities. |
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The fleet consists of 14 air-conditioned
double-deck and 9 air-conditioned single deck buses. The deployment of
10 WABs means that one in two buses on the route will be
wheelchair-accessible during peak hours. |
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Mr Ong Boon Leong, Executive Director,
SBS Transit said: ¡± We are happy to finally be able to serve all
commuters in Singapore ¨C able-bodied or not. To make it even
easier for passengers in wheelchairs to use our service, we have
made available the timetable of WAB trips on our website. SingTel
mobile service users can also make use of our SMS service *Send
655 to check out the next bus arrival time so as to better plan
their journey.¡± |
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This is good news for PIWs like Ms
Sherena Loh, who lost the use of her legs after a bout of illness.
She said: ¡°I am very excited and happy about the amount of money I
will be saving. It may not be as convenient as taking a taxi, but I
am glad to be saving what I estimate to be between $150-$200 every
month. |
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¡°I will also be making good use of the
website timetable and the SMS service to plan my journey so I don¡¯t
have to wait too long at the bus stops,¡± said the 46-year-old who
stays in McNair Road which Service 21 plies. |
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To ensure the safety and comfort
passengers like Ms Loh, all Service 21 Bus Captains have been
trained to operate the wheelchair ramp and to render assistance when
needed. |
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A public education programme, conducted
in partnership with the LTA, has also been launched to ensure that
members of the public are aware of the issues associated with WAB
travel. |
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One of the key messages is the need for
patience and tolerance on the part of all road users. This is
because, the process of boarding and alighting for the PIW will take
several minutes given the need to deploy and stow away the ramps. |
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¡°The introduction of WAB services
signals a coming of age in society. Its success is now dependent on
how PIWs take to it and how members of the public grow to accept it.
Delays and bus bunching are bound to happen when boarding and
alighting activities take place. I hope that the commuting public
will be tolerant and show their care and concern for the less
fortunate amongst us,¡± said Mr Ong. |
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Dr Ow Chee Chung, Executive Director,
the Society for the Physically Disabled agreed. He said: ¡°Many of us
take for granted our daily bus rides. Not so for our members who
have been looking forward to this day for a long time. As
able-bodied individual, we need to show them our support and render
them assistance when needed. This is our duty.¡± |
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Indeed, the public education programme
will include messages to motorists reminding them to steer clear of
bus stops. This is because WABs need to stop close to the kerbs to
deploy the ramp properly. |
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Added Ms Judy Anne Wee, Vice President
of Handicaps Welfare Association (HWA), who is herself a wheelchair
user said: ¡°This is a momentous occasion for many wheelchair users.
We have been lobbying for wheelchair-accessible buses for a while
now and the day has finally come. I, for one, am eager to try it out
myself and I hope that everyone in Singapore works together to make
it a success.¡± |
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About WABs |
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The 150 new WABs cost $71 million and
are equipped with wheelchair ramps to enable easy access for
passengers in wheelchairs. |
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A specially-designated area, with a
padded backrest, horizontal handrail, vertical stanchion pole and a
bell-push button for signalling the intention to alight, has been
installed to make commuting on public transport more comfortable for
passengers in wheelchairs. |
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These features are being introduced on
all new SBS Transit buses, in line with the recommendations by the
Committee on Ageing Issues to make all new public buses low-floor,
step-free for easy boarding and alighting and wheelchair-accessible. |
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To help make new buses wheelchair
accessible, the Government is funding the incremental capital cost
of providing manual ramps and associated features. The Government
has also embarked on road infrastructure improvement facilities,
starting from the facilities for Service 21, to enhance
accessibility between destinations for passengers in wheelchairs to
use the public transport system. |
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About Service 21 |
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Service 21 operates from Pasir Ris Bus
Interchange to St Michael¡¯s Terminal via Pasir Ris Dr 3, Dr 6, Dr 1,
Loyang Ave, Tampines Ave 7, Ave 4, Ave 5, Ave 1, Bedok Reservoir
Road, Jalan Eunos, Changi Road, Geylang Road, Geylang Lor 1, Boon
Keng Road, Bendemeer Road, Jalan Besar. Kitchener Road, Serangoon
Road, Balestier Road, Moulmein Road, Thomson Road, Balestier Road,
Whampoa Drive, Jalan Bahagia and Whampoa Road. |
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Background |
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SBS Transit |
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SBS Transit is 75%-owned by
ComfortDelGro Corporation. SBS Transit is the largest scheduled
public bus operator in Singapore with more than 2,700 buses on 217
routes. The buses serve 16 interchanges, 16 bus terminals and more
than 3,000 bus stops. Low-floor zero-step (or step-free) buses for
easy boarding and alighting, were introduced in 2001 after the
successful completion of a trial bus in 1998/99. Since then all
new buses are of zero configuration. Currently, SBS Transit
operates 86 low-floor step-free buses, consisting 14 single deck
and 72 double deck buses. |
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Source:
www.sbstransit.com.sg
Press Release 26 Jun 2006 |
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FrontPage Edition: Wed 28 June 2006
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