ST : Bukit Panjang LRT and MRT to be linked

Nov 30,2010

Bukit Panjang LRT and MRT to be linked
New bus interchange to provide seamless transfer

By Goh Chin Lian
A NEW bus interchange between the existing LRT station and a new station on the Downtown MRT Line in Bukit Panjang will allow commuters to seamlessly transfer from either line.

The interchange - which may be air-conditioned - will be integrated with residential and commercial developments on a site in Jelebu Road and Petir Road.

The 1.89ha site, now partly occupied by an open-air bus interchange, was offered up for sale last Friday by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA).

The Downtown Line, scheduled to come up in 2015, is to be situated 120m from the LRT line, making transfers inconvenient. The bus interchange will provide a seamless link.

In addition, a new, elevated 120m covered linkway will also link the mezzanine level of the LRT station to the entrance of the MRT station, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and the URA said.

The site on sale has a 99-year lease with a maximum permissible gross floor area of 56,864 sq m, with at least 35per cent of this area set aside for commercial use, the URA said.

The move follows an increase in the frequency of bus services to make life easier for commuters in the area.

Residents had asked for better connectivity from the bus interchange and Bukit Panjang LRT station to Bukit Panjang MRT station.

The MRT station, scheduled to open by 2015, is part of the Downtown Line that will run to the city centre, to places such as Bugis and Marina Bay.

Bukit Panjang MP Teo Ho Pin and Holland-Bukit Timah GRC MPs Vivian Balakrishnan and Liang Eng Hwa had proposed moving the MRT station closer to the LRT station, 70m apart from each other, to allow for easier transfers.

Their wish has been partly granted: The MRT station cannot be moved because of technical difficulties. The underground MRT line cannot swing sharply to meet the LRT station and return to Woodlands Road since the distance was too short, the LTA had said.

The Bukit Panjang development is in line with efforts to make public transport attractive, by making transfers seamless between bus and rail, as well as to link commuters to commercial activities.

Similar public transport hubs operate in Toa Payoh, Sengkang, Ang Mo Kio and Boon Lay. Two others, in Serangoon and Clementi, are due to open by next year.

MPs like Dr Teo and Mr Liang were cheered by the latest announcement.

Dr Teo said the area needed a town centre, with more food and beverage and entertainment outlets than those at the present Bukit Panjang Plaza.

Mr Liang had also raised another transport issue in Parliament last week, that of raising the capacity of Bukit Panjang LRT trains as more flats are built in the area.

In a written answer, Transport Minister Raymond Lim noted that the trains and station platforms had become more crowded, especially during peak hours.

While LRT daily ridership rose by about 2.2 per cent a year from 2001 to this year, it grew by more than 7 per cent in recent years.

He said the LTA was working with LRT operator SMRT to improve train capacity.

Bus capacity and frequencies have also been increased for seven bus services, including service 922, which was re-routed to serve two more areas in the estate, Jelapang and Bangkit.

Also under study are bus services that will give Bukit Panjang residents more direct transport options to the city, he said.

chinlian@sph.com.sg