Free shuttle bus service for Marine Parade cluster residents to start on Jul 8
The one-year pilot initiative will be available from 10am to 4pm on weekdays, and is open to those living in Marine Parade GRC, MacPherson SMC and Mountbatten SMC.
A new shuttle bus service will be rolled out from Jul 8 to connect residents living in the Marine Parade cluster. (Photo: Facebook/Dr Tan See Leng)
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SINGAPORE: Residents living in Marine Parade GRC, MacPherson SMC and Mountbatten SMC will soon have access to a new free shuttle bus service that will ply seven routes within these areas and bring them to amenities like polyclinics, hawker centres and MRT stations.
Touted as "Singapore’s first cluster-wide community shuttle bus service", it was jointly announced on Sunday (Jun 30) by the South East Community Development Council (CDC) and the People's Association (PA).
Registration for the shuttle bus service starts on Sunday and operations will begin on Jul 8 as part of a one-year pilot initiative.
The service will be available from 10am to 4pm on weekdays, excluding public holidays.
It will operate every 45 minutes to an hour, and a shuttle bus can ferry up to 22 passengers at a time, the agencies said in response to CNA's queries.Â
The seven routes were developed with input from residents at various engagement sessions, including the recent Forward Singapore exercise.
"Given the strong demand and potential benefits for the residents, it is expected that over half a million rides will be taken on this community-driven initiative over the one-year pilot," said South East CDC and PA.
The shuttle bus service is meant to "greatly enhance last-mile connections", Marine Parade Member of Parliament Edwin Tong said on Sunday.
"The Marine Parade cluster, like the rest of Singapore, has an ageing population. While the overall connectivity to the island is efficient, some residents have shared that they are finding it harder to close the distance to these key amenities," he said in a Facebook post.
"Hence, we planned the routes with convenience for these residents in mind, while balancing the efficient use of resources and the needs of other road users in the area.”Â
Mr Tong, who is also Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, noted that the shuttle bus service will have six stops around Joo Chiat, noting that famous eateries like Beach Road Prawn Noodle House, which is located on East Coast Road, are along the way.
His fellow Marine Parade MPÂ Tan See Leng added that the shuttle bus would make local business more accessible.Â
"We have designed the seven routes to allow residents to easily transfer between shuttle buses for routes with overlapping stops, enabling them to access different divisions within the cluster," he said.
Dr Tan, who is also Manpower Minister, noted similar sentiments expressed by residents on the challenges they faced in "reaching essential services" like polyclinics, and said the upcoming service would have "significant impact on all of us here". Â
"There will be a total of six stops within the Marine Parade division," he said, adding that some of them are "within walking distance" of amentities, such as the two new MRT stations - Marine Parade and Marine Terrace - on Stage 4 of the Thomson-East Coast Line.Â
Both stations were among seven stations that officially opened for passenger service on Jun 23.Â
A free shuttle bus service aims to give seniors in the Marine Parade cluster, easier access to amenities like polyclinics, markets and MRT stations. It's on a one-year trial and runs during off-peak hours. The initiative is by advisers to the area, which includes MacPherson and Mountbatten SMCs. Aslam Shah tried out the service.
HOW TO REGISTER FOR THE SHUTTLE BUS
Residents living in Marine Parade GRC, MacPherson SMC and Mountbatten SMCÂ can register for the shuttle bus service through these apps on Google Play Store or Apple's App Store.Â
They can also visit their nearest community club (CC), including Braddell Heights CC, Geylang Serai CC, Mountbatten CC, MacPherson CC and Marine Parade CC. Staff will be on hand to assist residents intending to sign up for the service.
Following registration, residents only need to show the barcode on their phones to the bus driver for identification purposes at the point of boarding, Mr Tong said.
Dr Tan added that a physical WeCare card will be issued to residents for identification purposes.
According to the ministers, the app can show the live location of the buses as residents wait to be picked up.
Data on ridership will be collected to enable the agencies involved to review the service.
"The shuttle bus service originated from the intention to enhance residents’ accessibility to key destinations during off-peak hours," said the South East CDC and the PA.
"Our prioritised consideration is the non-working crowd such as the seniors and individuals who work shifts outside of office hours. As such, we have chosen to offer this service during off-peak to connect the non-working crowd to other heartland areas such as the polyclinics, hawker centres and MRT stations."
