New double-decker buses to have two exits doors, two staircases

New Singapore double-decker public buses with two exits doors for speedier alighting and other useful features on board will be hitting the roads soon.

As early as the end of this year, there could be USB ports for commuters to charge their portable devices.

Passenger information displays that come with audio announcements will also be added to tell passengers what the next bus stop is.

Sometime between late 2018 and early 2019, buses with two staircases to the upper deck and two exits doors — so passengers can hop off more smoothly — can be expected.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA), unveiled lush green as the colour for all public buses here, will call a tender for the manufacturing of the new buses later this year.

Explaining the addition of the new on-board features on trial, LTA’s group director for public transport Yeo Teck Guan said they are aimed at addressing current feedback.

The USB ports will be placed near the inner seats to encourage people to use those seats first, he said.

“With a third door, what we hope is that people will be less averse to move to the (rear of the) buses and that also when they are alighting from the bus, there will be less conflict between them and those boarding the buses,” Mr Yeo said.

One of the prototype buses has a staircase leading to a dedicated second exit for upper deck passengers.

The other has an additional exit door at the rear of the bus, so those sitting at the back of the bus will not have to squeeze past other passengers to alight. The move to reduce dwell time at bus stops comes after the LTA announced other measures to speed up bus commuting.

This ADL prototype has been equipped with 3 doors from Ventura Systems. The front entrance door is an Inward Swinging door, the Plug Slding doors act as the 2 exit doors. New for Singapore is the 3rd door behind the rear axle, which function as the 2nd exit for passengers.

Earlier this week, it announced longer operating hours for full-day bus lanes and a pilot to try out mandatory “give way” boxes for buses at stops without bus bays.

Tower Transit, which will be the first operator under the new government contracting model, welcomed the new features.

“Anything that can help with boarding and alighting times is fantastic for the service that passengers can expect to have.

“The quicker passengers can board, the quicker passengers can alight, it means better and more reliable bus services for everyone,” said Tower Transit Singapore managing director Andrew Bujtor.

The LTA is collecting feedback on the new features at three bus carnivals it has scheduled.

About Ventura Sysytems

Ventura Systems has, ever since its founding in 1994, been a manufacturer of innovative door systems for buses, trams, and metro. This period has seen the worldwide delivery of the company’s products from its base in the Netherlands to many renowned manufacturers of vehicles and rolling stock designed for use in public transport systems.

Right from the beginning, the company’s founders focused particularly on the high level of standardization of the range, in which – depending on customer needs – the modular design of door systems allows them to be adapted to any requirement. This guarantees both high standards of quality and an outstanding price-to-performance ratio.

The current range includes Inward Swinging (ISD), Outward Swinging (OSD), Plug Sliding (PSD) and Rapid Sliding doors (RSD). All doors, which we developed in-house, combine intelligent technology with the best possible life cycle cost.