I REFER to last Tuesday's article, 'Yield to buses at bus bays or face fine'. I am a daily driver and agree this new scheme is necessary to bring down the waiting time of buses in bus bays.

But I would like to bring up what I have seen before on one occasion. A car had given way to a bus in the bus bay so it could exit, but the bus driver drove straight into the second lane (skipping the first lane where the car had given way) without checking his blind spot, nearly causing an accident with another car in the second lane. It was lucky the driver jammed on his brakes in time to avoid a collision. What made me angry is that the bus driver did not even wave to apologise, but drove on as if nothing had happened.

I do hope that the authorities will educate bus drivers that this new scheme is to bring down the waiting time of buses in bus bays, but this does not mean they can abuse the scheme by not checking their blind spot for oncoming vehicles in the second lane.

Yap Boon Joo

Make sure bus drivers use them correctly

I REFER to last Tuesday's report 'Yield to buses at bus bays or face fine'.

I fully understand and acknowledge the need for the Land Transport Authority (LTA) to introduce this measure.

However, until now, blame has always fallen on other vehicular traffic. What about the buses themselves? Are they absolved of all blame?

Perhaps the LTA should also look into the causes of traffic congestion that results from the operation of buses? It is time other motorists were given fair treatment. The equation should not always be to the advantage of the buses. Is not the time of other drivers equally important - even if they are not on public transport?

• Some buses have to turn right immediately after they leave the bus bay, and, due to the proximity of the turn, it is not uncommon to see them straddle two or three lanes, at an angle of 45 degrees, trying to cut into the right turn lane. When that happens, all vehicles behind the bus are held up - even if the traffic lights are green in favour of those intending to go straight. This is because turning traffic needs a longer time to turn since it must wait for oncoming traffic from the opposite direction to clear, or wait for the right turn green arrow.
  
  
• Bus bays should be upgraded to accommodate the extra long buses that ply the roads nowadays. It is common to see the tail end of these buses back into the road, whenever a few buses bunch together. If the lane is not a designated bus lane, other vehicular traffic is held up.
  
  
• Not all bus drivers are angels. Have we not seen buses come out of bus bays abruptly and hastily, without due consideration for other road users? Given half a chance, such drivers will not hesitate to exit a bus bay - even though an oncoming vehicle may be within striking distance.

Even as the LTA strives to improve public transport, it should pay attention to other road users. Any deficiency, whether in planning or infrastructure, must be addressed.

Chia Yong Soong

These articles were first published in The Straits Times on Dec 9, 2008.

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