We’ve all heard about the magical bus stop in Jurong that has charging stations, books for rent and a swing, but unless you’re living in the area, the dream of charging your phone (drained from all that Pokemon GO playing) is literally so far away.
However, more of us would be able to enjoy charging on-the-go, with 10 new SMRT double-decker buses equipped with USB charging ports hitting our roads starting from tomorrow!
Each bus is said to have 41 charging ports, and will be “located near the inner seats to encourage commuters to move in”. For those on wheelchairs, ports will also be available on wheelchair-accessible buses.
The implementation comes after a survey was conducted during the inaugural bus carnival organised by the Land Transport Authority (LTA), where buses featuring the ports were showcased. Out for the 22,000 responses, 72% were supportive of the idea.
The not-so good news though – the bus services currently covered only include Service 61 from Bukit Batok, Services 67 and 985 from Choa Chu Kang and Services 963 and 969 from Woodlands – s0 those of us in the East and South might need to wait a little longer for the perk.
However, 137 buses with the ports will apparently be rolled out on other routes starting from October.
Move Towards Car-Lite, No Extra Costs For Usage
The inclusion of the ports come as a bid to make public transport even more attractive.
Said LTA Group Director for Public Transport Yeo Teck Guan, “The introduction of the USB charging ports is part of the review and upgrade in the design of public buses in Singapore. Other interior features that could feature in future public buses include information display panels, better seat comfort, lightings, and foldable seats.”
SMRT and LTA also found it necessary to assure the bus-taking public that the ports “will not incur any additional cost [for commuters] for [their] use”.
This probably comes to soothe any sentiments that might have been frazzled with the recent article published by The Straits Times which featured a rather confusing headline.
Singaporeans React
However, Singaporean netizens seem to be rather pessimistic about the new implementation, many citing that it will lead somehow lead to a fare hike:
Some also don’t seem to have much faith in bus-riders:
It’s hard to say if the ports will bring about any problems or hikes in the long run, but for now, let’s enjoy the “juice on-the-go” first.
Featured Image Credit: landtransportguru.net