Passengers had to use GPS to direct SMRT's shuttle bus drivers during North-South Line disruption

It's like this is their first time doing this.

Jeanette Tan | August 19, 2017, 11:39 AM

It's undoubtedly been a tough week for SMRT.

Peak-hour disruptions and delays took place over successive peak-hour periods (Thursday evening and Friday morning), to the extent that SMRT took to warning people to "plan in advance" for their journeys on Friday evening:

And now, we discover, once again thanks to the long-suffering reporters at Channel NewsAsia, that something else bizarre was happening on an already-rather-painful Friday morning — the free shuttle bus services activated by SMRT's bus arm.

In an article posted late Friday afternoon, CNA reporter Justin Ong discovered that the bus drivers activated and driving free shuttle services that were supposed to ply the North-South Line train stations had, well, basically no idea how to go where they needed to.

Staff at the Control Room were supposed to give driving directions. Surprise, none were provided.

Ong boarded a packed shuttle at Bishan MRT and went to the front to speak to the driver after he missed a turn to Braddell MRT station.

The driver said he had pointed out when he was activated that it was his first time having to do so in his 22 years of driving for SMRT, and he was not at all familiar with the Bishan and Toa Payoh areas. He was assured, though, that staffers at SMRT's operations control centre would give him directions over the intercom.

Here's Ong's account of what actually took place on the ground:

That never happened. The first few times I heard a voice crackle over the driver's comms, a representative from the headquarters simply reminded him that the final stop would be Newton MRT station.

Until I heard this: "Can you slow down so the shuttles behind can catch up? They don't know the way too."

Neither did our driver; he was still following instructions from the passenger, who eventually got off at Novena.

And that's how Ong unwittingly found himself having to step up to be the next navigator:

It was left to me to direct the driver towards Newton - after all, it was just one more stop, right?

Not really. This was what was communicated next: "Hey sorry, can you go all the way to Marina South Pier? You know how right? Call back when you get there."

Being somewhat familiar with the rest of the route, I cautiously agreed to become a human GPS.

So yes, random passengers with initiative had to step up to the front to guide the drivers on which turns to make, without knowing whether or not the routes they were recommending were even the right or safe ones for buses (since some roads are not conducive for buses, and some turns not suitable for bendy buses, for instance) to begin with.

Functioned as bus staff

Ong also ended up having to perform the role of an SMRT staffer, informing an irate passenger on board the bus that it was not stopping at regular bus stops, only at train stations:

As we approached Far East Plaza, a passenger pressed the alighting bell - but our driver rightfully ignored it. The passenger then started bashing the bell furiously and shouting from the back. "Why aren't you stopping?"

I went over and told him this was a shuttle with specific instructions to stop at MRT stations only.

"Why you never tell me earlier? (sic)"

I smiled and walked back to the front. Thankfully, the rest of the journey was less eventful.

Not only did he end up helping to navigate the driver all the way to Marina South Pier station, Ong also helped guide him all the way back to Woodlands Interchange, where he was instructed to resume normal duties.

The upside: Ong noticed another chain of three shuttle buses, all with passengers standing in front and guiding their respective, ostensibly confused bus drivers.

[related_story]

SMRT: Training provided, there should be bus guides

We contacted SMRT to understand why this was happening — for one thing, disruptions and delays like this have happened many, many times before, and by now the crisis network should be reasonably well-oiled and prepared for activation at the short notice required.

Here's the response we received from Patrick Nathan, SMRT's Vice President for Corporate Communications:

"As part of SMRT's service recovery and contingency plans, our Bus Captains (BCs) go through training to learn multiple bridging bus service routes along the North-South Line, East-West Line, Circle Line and Bukit Panjang LRT networks. BCs have to learn these routes on top of regular service routes which they drive daily, and refresher training is conducted to allow BCs to be as familiar as possible with the deployment plans and routes.

When called upon to provide bridging bus services to help commuters affected by MRT service disruptions, BCs may be asked to operate bridging services which they are less familiar with. Their duties driving these bridging bus services are therefore supported by a bus guide onboard, or remotely via radio communications with service controllers at the Bus Operations Control Centre, who help them to navigate.

Our BCs are always ready to serve and help commuters, and do their best to ensure that commuters get to their destinations safely. These situations are dynamic and can be stressful for our BCs. We acknowledge that there is room for improvement, and we are continually working to improve our service recovery efforts."

Indeed, there is room for improvement, and perhaps they can take the coming service disruptions and delays to work that out.

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Top photo via Singapore Buses