SINGAPORE — A new integrated transport hub will open in Yishun on Sept 8, offering commuters better connectivity and barrier-free access.

The hub — Singapore’s 10th — links a new air-conditioned bus interchange with Yishun MRT station and Northpoint City shopping mall, said the Land Transport Authority (LTA) on Wednesday (Aug 7).

Its barrier-free features are designed for the elderly, less mobile and families with young children, added LTA.

These include dedicated boarding points at each berth, and graduated kerb edges to facilitate boarding by passengers in wheelchairs. There will also be barrier-free alighting areas, priority queue zones with seats, a nursing room and barrier-free toilets.

It will be the first transport hub to have “Heart Zones” – designated areas where commuters such as the elderly and visually impaired can seek help.

A room will also be set aside for those with special needs who require a “quiet and calming space”, LTA added.

Other facilities include 600 bicycle parking lots, an air-conditioned staff canteen, dedicated staff toilets and staff lounge, as well as a reverse warning system to detect bus movements and improve safety in the bus interchange.

Bus routes that now operate from the temporary Yishun Bus Interchange will be adjusted once the hub opens, said LTA.