Brunei Bus Experiences
It has been 3 years since Tourists For A Day! While my 'Submarine Project' friends have talked of expanding our initial project, and I've even had other people propose to help out, we've just not had the time to do it!
I continue to follow the news on public transport development in Brunei, and it's with interest that I came across other bus-riding experiences. These are more of 'experiments' and betrays a middle-class thinking haha - I was humbled to meet someone once who told me they'd used the bus as their primary means of transport and how limiting it is - but I am still interested in the 'reviews' or comments for improvement. If anyone knows of other similar write-ups or videos, please let me know! (Contact via Ask or Twitter)
If I manage to expand this post enough, I might write up a more proper post on Open Brunei.
Experiences
2016:
1 - Public Transport Challenge: Brunei Muara District, Liyana Love, 30 May 2016
This is an overall trip rather than just a bus trip, with a goal to reach a number of desinations while spending a maximum of BND$30/USD$21.
2 - Embarking on a scenic bus journey around Brunei, The Brunei Times, Ahmad Alshidiq Abdul Samad, 8 Jun 2016
Part 1 of a 3-part series. Accompanying video: "A scenic bus journey around Brunei Times" (Faiq Airudin)
Older ones:
Students help to check bus stops' accuracy, The Brunei Times, 20 Apr 2013
News article about student projects informing the updated routes in 2013. Accompanying video: "Students check bus stop accuracy" (Rudolf Portillo)
(Edit) Forgot to mention the student project ride4rewards!
Common comments
Bus Station - Information Available
there is no information counter at the bus station regarding which bus to hop on to our destination. It would be better if there is an information counter or a digital display information system regarding the bus number and the routes [1]
At the bus terminal, you can find maps of the different bus routes that begin from there. Not that hard to read, the maps have Brunei’s major attractions included with the relevant bus number indicated for our convenience. [2]
But what’s missing is the bus schedule and, more importantly, an information counter at the terminal. [2]
Notably, information needs to be up-to-date considering the changes in bus routes over the recent years.
The map shows bus service 57 and 58. So I moved over to where the buses were parked, but to my disappointment, couldn’t find any bus 57 or 58. [...] The friendly driver, who is not local, welcomed my question with a smile; he shook his head indicating that both services were not available and suggested that I take a different bus service instead, which also goes to Jerudong. [2]
Bus Station - State/Infrastructure
the bus station needs a serious repairs in terms of lighting as well as ventilation [1]
Bus - Punctuality/Speed
The good:
We started at Airport Mall parking lot at 9am. From there, we walked and crossed the road to our first bus stop ‘Jln Berakas 2’. We only waited for 7 minutes for the bus yay! [1]
The journey takes around 15-20 minutes from Bandar to The Mall. [2]
The bad:
The bus is not on time as from my understanding, the bus is quite flexible in which sometimes it does not stop on bus stop but rather stop at where the customer want to stop [1]
from the [SOAS] mosque we walked to Bus station where we waited nearly 2 hours for the bus to Empire Hotel, we were told that one of the bus broke down so it would take longer then we negotiate the bus drive to send us to empire hotel [1]
But not when in the suburb, where she had experienced waiting for almost an hour for a bus in Salambigar! [2]
Bus - Routes
the buses does follow their own designated route but they can also be flexible such that they can wait for you [1]
The bus route is not bad, really, as it brings you through a scenic journey in Bandar, passing by Tamu Kianggeh, where you can see the ‘life’ of the tamu vendors and visitors. [...] I guess, it’s because when I’m taking the bus, my eyes are free to roam and really have a good look around, as oppose to driving, where you need to stay attentive on the road in front of you. [2]
As we enter Kg Kiulap, the driver asked if I want to stop at Masjid Jame’ ‘Asr Hassanil Bolkiah. Even though, it is not part of the bus route, but he is actually kind enough to make a turn just to drop us there since we will be passing by the mosque. But I politely rejected his offer as I do not want to waste the time of the other commuters. [2]
Bus - Bus Stops
as for the bus stops, providing a timetable would also be beneficial for passengers that are waiting for the bus, for example, bus 01 arrives at each bus stop every 20 mins, give the expected time for the first and last bus to arrive at each stop [1]
We alight right in front of the main entrance of The Mall. There is neither proper bus shelter nor bus signage in sight though. [2]
Bus - Costs
And have I mentioned that it costs only $1. [2]
Users - Regular Users
Throughout the journey, the friendly driver never stops chatting with me, sharing his 14 years experience as a bus driver in Brunei. He has seen how the public bus service here progressed, although he admits that more can be done to make the whole bus system better. [2]
He also points out that locals should start taking buses more often. More demand will only mean more improvement, he says. [2]
His sentiments are shared by a Filipino lady passenger whom I have the pleasure of speaking with. She is a frequent bus taker and enjoys it when taking a bus service that serves the Bandar area. [2]
