ComfortDelGro trials on-demand bus in Tanjong Rhu, Meyer Road
Transport conglomerate ComfortDelGro is trialling its first on-demand bus service here for residents in the Tanjong Rhu and Meyer Road area, just months after the Land Transport Authority (LTA) halted its plans for such services, citing higher costs.
Called ComfortConnect, the service has been available since Aug 15 and is free during the three-month trial period.
It operates on weekdays between 10am and 4pm, serving 16 physical and virtual stops, including the majority of condominiums in the Tanjong Rhu and Meyer Road area, Parkway Parade, Singapore Swimming Club, and Dunman High School.
ComfortDelGro said yesterday it has similar on-demand buses in Australia.
Said ComfortDelGro Bus chief executive Pang Weng Heng: "We believe that on- demand services have the potential to supplement conventional public transport services.
"Through this trial, we hope to gauge the commercial viability of on-demand services which will help us plan for new services in the future."
To book an on-demand bus ride, passengers need to download the ComfortConnect app from the Apple App Store or the Google Play store, select a stop as a pick-up point and another as a drop-off point, and indicate the date and time of pick-up.
There will be in-app notifications once the ride is confirmed and at least two minutes before the bus arrives.
ComfortDelGro said the bus will complete the ride even if there is only a single booking.
The trial comes after the LTA decided not to roll out on-demand public buses after conducting its own six-month trial.
Despite seeing mileage savings, LTA said high software development costs made such services less cost-effective.
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