Improving bus service reliability: The Singapore experience

In February 2014, Singapore embarked on a 2-year trial of a Bus Service Reliability Framework (BSRF) to improve en-route bus regularity and reduce instances of bus bunching and prolonged waiting times. Based on London's Quality Incentive Contract, the Singapore model also imposes penalties or provides incentives to operators for increases/reductions of Excess Wait Time (EWT) beyond a certain route-specific baseline. Drawing on insights derived from research on performance-based contracts, this paper describes some key considerations surrounding this particular innovation in Singapore's overall bus regulatory framework. We also discuss an important advancement in our understanding of how bus users value reliability improvements through estimates obtained from stated preference data. At the same time, early indications from the trial have been encouraging

Improving bus service reliability

The objective of this research (undertaken in 2010–12) was to provide urban bus operators and public transport contracting authorities in New Zealand with practical guidance on methods for diagnosis of urban bus service (un)reliability, the causes of unreliability, how unreliability is best measured and monitored, and experience and best practice on measures and methods to improve reliability and punctuality. The research outputs were intended to assist urban bus operators and planning/contracting/funding authorities in New Zealand to gain a better understanding of bus reliability and punctuality issues and how best to address them. The report addressed the causes of unreliability, reliability standards and measurement, data collection and analysis methods, and the approaches available to tackle reliability problems through planning and timetabling measures (when problems can be anticipated in advance) and/or through operational measures (for problems arising on a day-to-day basis). Recommendations were made on: the continuing refinement and adoption of outputs from automated (GPS-based) data sources as the primary means of monitoring reliability performance, replacing operator self-reporting methods; on using these data sources to optimise running times; and on the adoption of some form of ‘quality partnership’ arrangement between regional authorities and their operators to jointly pursue continuous improvements in reliability performance