After so long, I finally sat on a Bendy Bus again!
At 18 metres in length, the MAN A24 model is Singapore’s longest public bus.
The 40-strong fleet commenced service in 2013. As public buses in Singapore have a lifespan of 17 years, that means nine more years for these vehicles. Let’s hope replacements are acquired and the Bendy Bus lives on in Singapore!
This is an interesting transport feature along the Pan-Island Expressway, east of the Thomson Flyover - an expressway tunnel acting as a sound barrier, just in front of Block 173 Lorong 1 Toa Payoh.
Both the block and this stretch of expressway were completed around the same time, in 1972, making them almost half a century old.
The sound barrier was constructed in the early days when 1) HDB blocks and expressways were sited very close to each other; 2) expressways ran above ground, before the land crunch was felt more acutely approaching the 21st century.
On a bus passing through the tunnel:
Since the beginning of the 21st century, expressways have moved underground. Examples include the Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway, Marina Coastal Expressway, and the North South Corridor, to open in 2026.
I can’t think of another similar feature in Singapore. Let me know if you know of one!
The design of Bukit Chagar Station of the future Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) has been unveiled.
Dubbed “The Integration of Two”, it will feature an intertwined roof inspired by the concept of two hands holding each other by the wrists, a reference to the historic, intertwined relationship between Johor Bahru and Singapore.
Beautiful concept, and it’s fitting that this design was the work of Malaysian architects from a Johor Bahru-based firm. Great job!
I am looking forward to checking out the station when the transit system opens in 2026. Hopefully, by then, the pandemic would have been a distant nightmare, and the border open once more.
