More than just a pretty flower

Iris is my new favorite thing! Not the flower, however, I do think they are quite pretty. The iris I'm speaking of is the Intelligent Route Information System for the Singapore bus system.

Since arriving in Singapore in January, my primary form of transportation has been the bus system. I've received many scoffs and questions from co-workers asking why in the world I'd take the bus instead of getting my own car or just hopping in a taxi (they are quite cheap here). I grew-up in a small Midwestern city without buses. I even lived close enough to the schools that I never got to ride the school bus - this was very upsetting to me as a child. So, I always swore that if I lived someplace with decent public transportation I'd utilize it.

Singapore has an excellent public transportation system. The bus and subway system here are inexpensive and very easy to use. I am lucky enough to be able to walk out of my temporary apartment in the morning and be right at a bus stop. I hop on the #14 and it drops me right in front of both of my office buildings. The total trip takes about 15-20 minutes depending on traffic and is the same time as by taxi. The best part is that I can travel round trip for under $2 SNG (that's $1.33 US). The buses are all air conditioned and extremely clean. On the way to work I usually read my emails on my blackberry and on the way home I read a book. Although, I have to admit that sometimes it is just fun to people watch.

Anyway - back to my new favorite thing. Singapore is hot...just off the equator hot. While I'm definitely adjusting to the heat and humidity, I don't want to spend too much time hanging around outside waiting for the bus. This past weekend I learned about IRIS. IRIS is a system on the Singapore Bus Transit website that allows you to find out when the next bus is arriving at your bus stop. You type in your bus stop number and bus number and it tells you the estimated arrival time of the next two buses. The buses here run on a pretty regular schedule but due to traffic backups you can end up waiting 20 minutes for the next bus. Not anymore! Well...I guess I'll still be waiting but I'll just stay in the cool air conditioning and do something else.