Implementation of Wheelchair-Accessible Bus (WAB) Services
Introduction
On 15th February 2006, SBS Transit unveiled a prototype of the first wheelchair accessible bus (WAB) with the then Minister for Transport Mr Yeo Cheow Tong.[1] It features a low-floor step-free interior, a manual wheel-chair ramp installed at the exit doors as well as a specially-designated area for wheelchair passengers, which 150 units will be rolled out on revenue service by the end of that year. These features were introduced inline with the recommendations by the Committee on Ageing Issues.[2] The Government funded the incremental capital cost of the provision of manual ramps and associated features such as the dedicated bell-push button, padded backrest, horizontal handrail and vertical stanchion pole. Road infrastructure improvement works were done to enhance accessibility for commuting passengers in wheelchairs (PIWs).
On 26th June 2006, the first WAB service was launched on SBS Transit Service 21, consisting of a fleet of 23 buses inclusive of 10 Volvo B9TL (CDGE) buses.[3] Service 21 was chosen after the consultation with the Voluntary Welfare Organisation (VWOs) and the Land Transport Authority (LTA) as it serves the Handicaps Welfare Association (HWA) in Whampoa and key medical facilities such as Tan Tock Seng Hospital and VWOs. PIWs were given free travel on the WAB-friendly buses till end July.
On 30th October 2006, the second WAB service was launched on SBS Transit Service 147 with 19 Volvo B9TL (CDGE) buses in the fleet of 37 buses, which mean that one in two buses will be wheelchair-accessible during peak hours.[4]
On 1st June 2009, SMRT launched their first batch of WAB services on 1st June 2009, with the roll out of 134 units of WAB-friendly Mercedes-Benz OC500LE (Gemilang) single-decker buses.
Since then, existing bus services were progressively declared with WAB statuses, with new WAB-friendly buses rolled out as part of the fleet renewal exercise.
Today, all new bus routes are given the WAB service status upon introduction.
List of WAB services
Year | Date | Bus services |
---|---|---|
2006 | 26 June | 21 |
30 October | 147 | |
3 December | 12, 196, 198 | |
2007 | 22 May | 2, 51, 72, 76 |
20 August | 7, 80 | |
17 December | 143 | |
2008 | 14 July | 14, 123, 174, 185 |
2 December | 64, 130, 183, 199, 232, 268 | |
2009 | 1 June | 171, 172, 189, 307, 811, 851, 945 |
26 October | 3, 27, 34, 53, 142, 293, 358, 410 | |
3 December | 13, 15, 36, 52, 54, 57, 291, 333 | |
2010 | 28 February | 29, 63, 113, 265, 334, 359 |
28 June | 45, 48, 59, 94, 240, 242 | |
18 October | 43, 95, 181, 228, 235 | |
29 November | 858 | |
2 December | 24, 86, 151, 225, 231, 335 | |
2011 | 7 March | 18, 22, 55, 60, 135, 136, 162, |
27 June | 5, 17, 38, 39, 99, 194, 354, 400, | |
26 September | 19, 100, 109, 133, 138, 154, 156, 315, 317 | |
3 December | 16, 30, 61, 87, 101, 131, 175, 272, 273, | |
2012 | 26 March | 10, 25, 58, 66, 69, 105, 165, 168 |
29 April | 187, 852, 857, 970 | |
25 June | 33, 78, 79, 96, 97, 98, 98M, 124, 125, 197, 243 | |
1 July | 75, 77, 177, | |
30 September | 56, | |
15 November | 167, 859, 860, 966, 980, 985 | |
3 December | 32, 70, 70M, 73, 93, 111, 238, 325, 372, 518, 518A | |
2013 | 31 March | 4, 50, 62, 82, 116, 119, 132, 158, 513 |
21 April | 173, 882, 941, 981 | |
9 June | 85, 88, 112, 120, 145, 222 | |
7 July | 902, 965, 969 | |
29 September | 178, 853, | |
30 September | 20, 141, 157, 182, 182M, 192 | |
3 December | 6, 40, 90, 139 | |
2014 | 2 March | 803, 927, 961, |
23 March | 26, 35, 49, 65, 161 | |
18 May | 143M | |
29 June | 83, 121, 155, 371 | |
17 August | 859B | |
25 August | ||
14 September | ||
29 September | 11, 42, 74, 92, 386 | |
3 December | 9, 17A, 43M, 91, 103, 115, | |
2015 | 22 March | 176, 188, 188E, |
30 March | 41, 140, 159, 201, 324, 405 | |
14 June | 106, 190, 301, 804, 911, 963, 963E, | |
22 June | 31, 89, 122, 200 | |
16 August | 53M | |
30 August | ||
20 September | 102 | |
28 September | 28, | |
11 October | 67, 169, 854, | |
21 November | 258 | |
3 December | 14e, 89e, 107, 107M, | |
20 December | 47, 117, 118 | |
27 December | 979 | |
2016 | 3 January | 382 |
25 January | 30e, 196e, 246, 249, 251, 252, 253, 254, 255, | |
14 February | 805 | |
20 March | 134, 150 | |
21 March | 181M | |
28 March | ||
3 April | 302, 800, 812, 903, 912, 913, 960, 962 | |
24 April | ||
15 May | ||
27 June | 10e, 37, | |
1 September | 240M, 912M | |
23 October | 883 | |
18 December | 127, 129 | |
26 December | 262 | |
2017 | 13 January | 903M |
13 February | 193 | |
26 February | 973 | |
12 March | 374, 381 | |
13 April | 653 | |
17 April | 656 | |
24 April | 657 | |
18 June | 247, 248 | |
9 July | 329 | |
16 July | 84, 180, 806, | |
21 August | 8, 23, 46, 81, 160, 170, 170X, 191, 401, 655 | |
27 August | ||
17 September | 850E, 856, | |
28 September | 663 | |
12 October | 665 | |
15 October | 807 | |
21 October | 137, 298 | |
22 October | 110 | |
9 December | 71 | |
17 December | 184, 300, 900, | |
2018 | 28 January | 12e, |
1 April | 68 | |
8 April | 974 | |
27 May | 851e | |
8 July | 991 | |
28 October | 960e | |
25 November | ||
2019 | 2 January | 660, 661 |
17 March | 913M | |
23 June | 901M | |
22 July | 654 | |
9 September | 43e | |
17 October | 825 | |
10 November | 976 | |
2020 | 6 January | 652 |
12 January | 883M | |
13 January | 651, 671, 672 | |
2 March | 666 | |
9 March | 16M, 667 | |
30 March | 670 | |
26 July | ||
30 August | 972M | |
31 August | ||
25 October | 114 | |
14 December | 668 | |
27 December | 384 | |
2021 | 26 September | 248M |
29 November | 117M | |
2022 | 23 January | 801 |
2023 | 24 September | 230, 992, 993 |
26 November | 870 | |
2024 | 25 February | 146 |
18 March | 983M | |
28 April | 296 | |
21 July | 871 | |
15 September | 861 | |
14 October | 673 | |
25 November | 674 |
Other information
Legend
Bold | Services that were declared WAB status on its first day of introduction. |
Services that were declared WAB status and subsequently discontinued. | |
Services that were declared WAB status and subsequently transferred to another private operator. | |
Green | Services that were declared WAB status under Tower Transit operations. |
Purple | Services that were declared WAB status under SBS Transit operations. |
Red | Services that were declared WAB status under SMRT Buses operations. |
Yellow | Services that were declared WAB status under Go-Ahead operations. |
References
- ↑ "SBS Transit To Introduce Singapore's First Wheelchair Accessible Low-Floor Superbus". SBS Transit (Archived, 15 February 2006). Retrieved 27 May 2020.
- ↑ "Committee on Ageing Issues Report on the Ageing Population". Ministry of Social and Family Development. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
- ↑ "SBS Transit Launches Singapore’s First-Ever Wheelchair Accessible Buses, Offers One Month Free Rides". SBS Transit (Archived, 26 June 2006). Retrieved 27 May 2020.
- ↑ "SBS Transit Rolls Out Second Wheelchair Accessible Bus Service". SBS Transit (Archived, 27 October 2006). Retrieved 27 May 2020.