SINGAPORE — A new bus stop opposite Parkway Parade mall has drawn the ire of some commuters who said its design makes them unable to see oncoming buses, and that its separate bus bays cause confusion. 

The bus stop is located outside Marine Parade MRT Station's exit 2 and had started operations shortly before the station was opened on June 23.   

In response to feedback from the public, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said the design is to ensure the safety of the structure and prevent traffic congestion along the road while working around site constraints. 

The complaints from commuters are mainly about the pillars that have been erected at the bus stop.

On Wednesday (July 3), Reddit user "Outrageous_Horse_157" posted a picture of the bus stop with the caption: "Which genius designed this? No one can see incoming buses thanks to the row of pillars obscuring the view."

In the picture, several pillars could be seen lined along the edge of the bus stop.

Commuters who spoke to TODAY on Thursday agreed that the pillars made it difficult to see the buses.

Speaking in Mandarin, Mrs Pauline Koh, 84, said: "If I don't spot the bus earlier, I can't stand up earlier and there are times where I only see the bus when it is in front of me."

"Because of my old age, I take longer to stand up and walk to the bus. Sometimes I take too long and the bus leaves without me."  

Assisted by a walking cane, the octogenarian goes to this bus stop every week to travel home from church.

Some commuters found difficulties manoeuvring their trolleys or strollers through the tight spaces between the bollards and pillars.

Mrs Sharma Shaveta, 36, a housewife, goes to this bus stop on weekdays to take her two children, both three years old, to school. 

She ferries her kids in a double stroller and often faces difficulties getting off and on the bus.

BUS BAY CONFUSION

The two different bus bays are another cause of confusion. 

Certain buses stop only at the second bay, leaving commuters confused when their bus drives past them at the first bus bay.  

This was what happened to Mrs Awabi Ahmad, a 60-year old housewife who was at the bus stop for the first time. She said: "Because of how long the bus stop is, I thought 15 would be stop over there (the first bus bay), too." 

The Reddit post sparked discussion over poor designs in Singapore with some being reminded of the bus stops at Punggol MRT Station. 

When this reporter was at the bus stop, a commuter approached asking if the second bus bay is a bus stop and if bus number 43 stopped at the first or second bay. 

Two LTA employees were also spotted at the first bus bay directing confused commuters to the correct bay. 

However, a regular user of the bus stop, Mrs Lilian Low, 65, a retiree, said that it was easy to navigate once she got used to the bus stop.  

In response to TODAY's queries, LTA said that the two-bay system is to prevent a build-up of buses.

"Based on the projected high bus volume at this location, the staggered bus bays were intended to facilitate quicker boarding or alighting.

"Each bus bay has a dedicated bus pole indicating the services calling at that bay and signs have also been put in place to guide commuters from the station to the correct bus bay."

Due to site constraints such as underground drainage and space limitations, support columns crucial for its stability are at the front, the authority added. 

"The thickness and spacing of the columns were carefully considered to still allow visibility of oncoming buses while ensuring the safety of the structure."

LTA had advised bus drivers to slow down when approaching the two particular stops, so commuters have time to catch sight of the service number as the bus arrives.