'Can't see incoming buses': Pillars at new bus stop opposite Parkway Parade draw commuters' ire

The pillars at a new bus stop near Parkway Parade has drawn flak from commuters, who said the structures block their view of incoming buses.

A photo of the bus stop outside Marine Parade MRT station's exit 2, shared by a netizen on Reddit on Wednesday (July 3), shows some commuters standing in between the pillars.

"Which genius designed this? No one can see incoming buses thanks to the row of pillars obscuring the view," wrote Redditor Outrageous_Horse_157.

Commenting on the post, one netizen wondered if the structure "is really needed".

"Imagine the elderly travelling alone, then they need to get up from their seat, stick their head out to check and see if the bus is coming or not," they wrote.

"Stupid design," said another netizen. "Bus cannot see passengers. Passengers cannot see bus."

Marine Parade resident Michelle Tng told AsiaOne that "bad visibility" at the bus stop is making commuters stand near the columns when looking out for their bus.

The 21-year-old student said it is "a bit difficult" to alight at the bus stop, as people waiting at the pillars "are blocking the doors of the bus".

"And the space is small, so when it's crowded, I end up bumping into them," she added.

In the Reddit thread, a netizen pointed out that there are two bus stop bays in the vicinity, with different bus services stopping at different bays.

"People who are new to the area might be waiting at the wrong spot for their bus," they wrote.

A Today reporter who visited the bus stop on Thursday saw two Land Transport Authority (LTA) employees at the first bus bay directing confused commuters to the correct bay.

A housewife had missed her bus as she was waiting at the wrong place.

LTA told Today that the support columns crucial for the stability of the bus stop are erected at the front due to site constraints such as underground drainage and space limitations.

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

The two-bay system is intended to help facilitate quicker boarding or alighting because of the projected high bus volume at the location, LTA explained.

"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."

LTA also advised bus drivers to slow down when approaching these two bus stops, so commuters can better view the bus service numbers.

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lim.kewei@asiaone.com