Public buses of Singapore

Main public transport system in Singapore

Public buses of Singapore

Volvo B9TL double-decker bus of SBS Transit, Singapore's largest public bus operator by market share

Locale| Singapore
Service type| Transit bus
Routes| 300+
Stops| 4,684 (2014)[1]
Hubs| 30 Bus Interchanges
Depots| 12
Fleet| approximately 5,800 (2020)
Daily ridership| 3.6 million

Public buses form a significant part of public transport in Singapore, with over 3.6 million rides taken per day on average as of December 2021.[2] There are 300+ scheduled bus services & 100+ short-trip variants, operated by SBS Transit, SMRT Buses, Tower Transit Singapore and Go-Ahead Singapore. The newest bus operator, Go-Ahead Singapore started operations on 4 September 2016.[3] There are also around 5,800 buses currently in operation as of 2020.

## History

[edit]

See also: Trams in Singapore and Trolleybuses in Singapore

### Early history

[edit]

A trolleybus in 1930s Singapore

Buses were first introduced into Singapore when the Singapore Traction Company (STC) was established under the Singapore Traction Company Ordinance of 1925 to replace the ill-fated electric tramway with a trolleybus system. The first trolleybuses began operations on 14 August 1926 between Joo Chiat Road and Tanjong Pagar whereas trams were phased out by 1927, with 66 trolleybuses plying on six routes with a mileage of 15” by 30 September that year. The STC later phased in motorbuses in 1929 when seven Dennis G-type buses began plying between Geylang and Finlayson Green before being transferred to serve Seletar.[4]

However, the STC faced heavy competition from “mosquito-buses”, a form of informal paratransit operated using privately owned modified Ford Model T vehicles. Reckless driving of such “mosquito-buses” led to the government imposing heavy regulation on them, including having to stop at fixed stops (1923) and speed limits (1927).[5] By 1935, “mosquito-buses” were replaced with more formalised bus services with the former “mosquito-bus” owners establishing what came to be known as the Chinese bus companies; these Chinese-operated buses connected the rural parts of Singapore to the town as opposed to the inner town services of the STC.[4]

During the Japanese Occupation during the Second World War, all bus operations were briefly unified under the Syonan-si den (昭南市電), fuel shortages then led to some buses being charcoal-powered.

### 1950s-1960s: Post-war recovery and troubles

[edit]

A Chinese-operated bus along Ayer Rajah Road in 1951

After the end of the war, the British Military Administration (BMA) was established to oversee the rebuilding of British institutions in its Malayan and Singapore colonies. Under the BMA, the STC slowly returned to normal operations with much of the dilapidated bus fleet replaced with newer motorbuses of the Albion make whereas the Chinese bus companies sought after numerous British makes such as Vulcan and Bedford. On the other hand, trolleybus operations were scaled down with only 50 new Ransomes, Sims & Jefferies-built trolleybuses procured as opposed the original 108 AEC-built trolleybuses from the pre-war period. Trolleybuses were eventually phased out by 1962 and were replaced by new Isuzu-built motorbuses.[4]

Unfortunately the 1950s boded bad times for both the STC and the Chinese bus companies. General discontent on the poor working conditions, coupled with a highly politicised environment in the 1950s, led to many of their workers joining labour unions such as the STC Employee's Union and the Singapore Bus Workers’ Union (SBWU). Labour unrest led to transport paralysis, with two notorious incidents being the Hock Lee bus riots in 1955 (that year alone saw 57 strikes) and a 146-day-long Great STC Strike in 1956, the latter which further accelerated the decline of the STC when Chinese bus companies established their presence in the inner city with replacement bus services. Illegal “pirate taxis” also flourished during this time, offering a form of relief for stranded commuters although they were also notorious for unsafe driving practices and cost the bus companies and legitimate taxi drivers much losses.[6]

The severity of the situation demanded immediate action from the government; in 1956 five Commissioners led by Mr L.C. Hawkins of the London Transport Executive published a report that recommended nationalisation of public transport[6] but little was followed up by the government then.

### 1970s: Bus reorganization and mergers

[edit]

SBS began operating double-decker buses in 1977; by 2004 its successor SBS Transit was operating more than 700 of such buses, one of which was this Volvo Olympian Bus lanes were implemented in 1974 to speed up bus services

Five years after the independence of Singapore from Malaysia in 1965, the government published a White Paper to study into an overhaul on bus services; this was followed by the Wilson Report published by Australian transport consultant R.P. Wilson, who not only reaffirmed the need for rationalisation of bus transport but also provided detailed recommendations on bus routes, frequencies, fares, vehicle specifications, bus stop and terminal design and maintenance standards.[7]

In April 1971, the 10 Chinese bus companies were merged to form three larger regional bus companies, namely Amalgamated Bus Company in the west, Associated Bus Services in the east, and United Bus Company in the north. The STC retained its presence in central Singapore but lost its privileges previously granted by the 1925 STC Ordinance. Unable to cope with existing financial difficulties and competition from the regional companies, the STC eventually discontinued bus operations in 1971, with its remaining bus fleet being split up between the three regional companies. Service quality did not make great improvement however, with breakdowns and complaints from passengers being very common. Eventually in 1973, the Singapore government persuaded the three regional companies to merge to form a single entity called Singapore Bus Services (SBS).[6]

SBS inherited many problems from its Chinese predecessors, including use of 14 non-standard bus models that frequently broke down, poor standards among the staff and inadequate infrastructure. Hence, the government seconded a Government Team of Officials to SBS in 1974 to overhaul the management and culture. Under the supervision of the GTO, SBS completely overhauled their bus fleet with new buses of usually the Albion Viking VK or Mercedes-Benz OF1413 makes and introduced a rigorous maintenance regime, improving the reliability of their buses greatly whereas a new disciplinary code was introduced, reducing complaints by half from 1979 to 1983. The government also helped to further alleviate the burden from SBS by introducing priority bus lanes to speed up bus services and introduced Scheme B bus services operated by private companies in 1974.[8]

In 1977, SBS introduced into service its first double-decker buses, the Leyland Atlantean AN68 on route 86 between Tampines Way and Shenton Way.[9]

In light of dissatisfaction over bus services in the Jurong area and requests for improved coverage, SBS started a reorganisation of bus services across the country, starting with Jurong. This consisted of a network of internal services serving a town, with external services terminating at a point in the town, along with bus interchanges to serve as such termini. Additional depots were also constructed, which SBS claimed gave them more control over bus operations.[10]

In 1975, one-man operation (OMO) that charged a flat fare (for the case of SBS; TIBS opted for a distance fare) was introduced to cut manpower costs; this was followed by a one-man operated ticketing operation (OTS) in 1982.[citation needed] By 1984, bus conductors were completely phased out.[8]

By 1978, SBS was in a healthy position to be publicly listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange as SBS (1978) Limited.

### 1980s-1990s: Market competition

[edit]

Whereas SBS opted for double-decker buses, TIBS went for articulated buses instead. This is a Hispano Carrocera-bodies Mercedes-Benz O405G

By the 1980s, SBS had managed to modernise its fleet with new buses such as the Volvo B57, Mercedes-Benz OF1417 and the Leyland Atlantean AN68. By 1982 however, there was concerns that SBS might turn complacent. To ensure that SBS remain competitive, the government gave Ng Ser Miang of Singapore Shuttle Bus (SSB, one of the two operators of City Shuttle Service) the green light to set up a second operator. Named as Trans-Island Bus Service (TIBS), TIBS started operations the following year with a modest fleet of 90 Hino buses on routes 160 and 167. By 1988, the company had expanded its operations to encompass Woodlands and Yishun and operated 328 buses on 214 routes and had taken over SSB.[7]

In 1984, SBS trialled its first air-conditioned buses, the Mercedes-Benz OF1413/61, on route 168. Following various trials of different air-conditioned demonstrators, SBS made its first bulk order for air-conditioned buses in 1989, the Scania N113CRB. When the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) opened in 1987, bus services were further rationalised such that buses complemented the MRT by “feeding” commuters into the MRT network. Fares for both buses and the MRT were also coordinated together from 1987 with the setting of the Public Transport Council that year whereas magnetic stored value cards were implemented across the entire bus network to streamline fare payment earlier in 1986.[8]

In 1993, SBS introduced into service its first air-conditioned 12m double decker bus, the Leyland Olympian 3-axle. With a capacity of 131, its size earned it the nickname the “Superbus”. Three years later, TIBS phased in Singapore's first articulated buses with a length of 17.5m and a capacity of 150.

### Late 1990s-2000s: Bus operators go multimodal

[edit]

An older EZ-Link card reader on board an SMRT bus. EZ-Link contactless smart cards were first introduced in 2002 Toa Payoh Bus Interchange was the first air-conditioned bus interchange in Singapore when it opened in 2002

By 1996, SBS had expanded far beyond public bus operations to include tourist transport (SBS Leisure), taxis (Citycab) and engineering works (SBS Engineering) to name a few. To better manage its business, SBS (1978) Limited was rebranded as DelGro Corporation while public bus services were now managed by a new subsidiary named SBS. This new company also won a tender in 1999 to operate the North East MRT line and the LRT systems in Sengkang and Punggol and was rebranded as SBS Transit in 2001 to reflect its multimodal nature. By 2003, Delgro Corporation merged with Comfort Group to form ComfortDelGro, one of the largest land transport operators in the world whose operations include Metroline in London and ComfortDelGro Australia. In 2001, TIBS was merged into SMRT Corporation and by 2004, the TIBS name was dropped by SMRT, with TIBS now being known as SMRT Buses.

During this period, there were also numerous changes outside corporate shakeups; in 1995, some bus services in Bukit Panjang, Sengkang and Punggol were transferred to TIBS from SBS but this was reversed in 1999 when SBS won the contract to operate the North East MRT line. In return, bus services in Choa Chu Kang and Bukit Batok were transferred to TIBS that year.[11] In 2002, the contactless EZ-Link card was introduced to replace the magnetic farecard and the first air-conditioned bus interchange opened in Toa Payoh; by the end of 2021, there were 11 air-conditioned integrated transport hubs (ITHs).

In 2006, SBS Transit introduced into service its first wheelchair accessible bus, the Volvo B9TL, on route 21 between Pasir Ris and St. Michael's. SSB wound up in 2007 with the discontinuation of the City Shuttle Service and its fleet was inherited by SMRT Buses. By 2009, both SBS Transit and SMRT Buses were renewing their respective bus fleets with new low-entry Scania K230UB buses and Mercedes-Benz OC500LE buses respectively.

LTA took on the role of central bus network planner from 2009, working with communities and the bus operators, SBS Transit and SMRT Buses, to identify areas for bus improvements and to shift the focus to placing the commuter at the centre and taking a holistic approach in planning the bus network, taking into consideration development in the Rapid Transit System (RTS) network and other transport infrastructure. It is meant for their feedbacks, and any changes will be under the monthly updates, this has been brought through Bus Services Enhancement Programme. Under BSEP, about 80 new services are being introduced and 1000 buses are being added over five years.[12]

Quality of Service (QoS) standards have also been tightened to reduce waiting time and reduce crowding. Now, those with increased loads run every 10 minutes or less during weekday peak hours in 2015. Feeder bus services have become more frequent too, with 95% of bus services now running at intervals of 10 minutes or less during the weekday peak periods, tightened from 85%.[13]

It was also in the 21st century when the public bus operators looked into alternative fuel sources. In 2002, SBS purchased 12 CNG-powered Volvo B10BLE buses whereas the first hybrid buses and hydrogen fuel cell buses were introduced in 2010.

### 2010s: Government leans in

[edit]

Under the new Bus Contracting Model, all new public buses are to be painted in a unified lush green livery

Since the early years of independence, the government has maintained its stance that heavy car usage is not sustainable for Singapore in the long term with a mixed-use of policies to both deter car usage and to push its people to take public transport. In December 2011, the North–South MRT line suffered its first major breakdowns with 127,000 passengers affected in the worst of them.

Amid growing criticism of the existing operating model and growing strain on the bus system, the main public transport statutory board Land Transport Authority (LTA) launched the Bus Service Enhancement Programme (BSEP), with 80 new and extended bus routes and 1000 government-funded buses, involving Volvo B9TL, Mercedes-Benz Citaro, Alexander Dennis Enviro500 and MAN A22 buses. introduced over a period of five years. In 2013, the last non-air-conditioned public bus, the Volvo Olympian 2-axle, was phased out of service whereas SMRT Buses introduced its first wheelchair-accessible articulated bus, the MAN A24 and in the following year, its first-ever double-decker bus, the Alexander Dennis Enviro500.

In 2014, LTA announced that it would replace the existing operating model with the Bus Contracting Model (BCM) from 2016 onwards. Modelled after the Transperth model with elements of the competitive tendering model from London Buses, LTA would own all bus assets and lease them out in regional packages to different bus operators for five years. The first bus package, the Bulim Bus Package, was awarded to Anglo-Australian company Tower Transit[14][15] whereas Loyang was awarded to Go-Ahead.[16][17] Both companies began their operations in 2016. The entire public bus system was fully transitioned into the BCM by September 2016 with SBS Transit and SMRT signing agreements with LTA to operate the remaining packages up to 2021 to 2026 after which they would be gradually opened up to competitive tendering.[18][19]

With the BCM, bus operators introduced new buses with new features; in 2016 the first fully electric bus since the withdrawal of trolleybuses, the BYD K9A, was operated by Go-Ahead Singapore whereas the first buses with USB charging ports commenced service with SMRT that year. In 2017, two three-door buses — a double-deck MAN A95 and a single deck MAN A22 were trialled by Tower Transit and SMRT Buses respectively. New Volvo B5LH hybrid buses were also purchased from Volvo in 2018.

On 17 December 2018, LTA started a 6-month trial of on-demand public bus (ODPB) services. It allows commuters to request on-demand bus services within the Marina-Downtown and Joo Koon areas during off-peak hours on weekdays, and those heading from the CBD to Bedok or Tampines late-night hours. During the trial, regular bus services serving the areas specified will still be available, though at lower frequencies.[20][21][22] However, the trials were unsuccessful and were eventually discontinued after 15 June 2019. As a result, services 400 and 402 were merged into Feeder service 400, from Shenton Way to Marina Barrage and Marina South Pier without the need to be suspended during the COVID-19 circuit breaker. Service NR7 is the first-night bus service to be discontinued, others were suspended from 7 April 2020.

In April 2019, SimplyGo, a new payment scheme that allows direct fare payment from bank cards, was introduced. Stroller restraint systems were also retrofitted on all wheelchair-accessible buses since July 2019. In addition, LTA also experimented with assistive technology for commuters with special needs on routes 139 and 141 from January to July 2019.

### 2020s: Sustainable and accessible buses

[edit]

SBS Transit's Mercedes Benz O530 Citaro C2 Hybrid Trial Bus, introduced in 2020

On 3 April 2020, 10 units of Yutong E12 electric buses debuted on SMRT Buses services 944 and 983, on Tower Transit services 66 and 990, and on Go-Ahead service 15.

On 29 July 2020, 5 units of BYD K9 electric buses debuted on SBS Transit services 135, 162, and 807, with the rollout of the remaining 15 units completed in December 2020.

On 27 October 2020, 10 units of Yutong E12DD double-decker electric buses debuted on SMRT service 983, on Tower Transit service 189, and on Go-Ahead services 83 and 118.

On 25 August 2021, ST Engineering-Linkker LM312 which is fitted with 3 doors debuted on SBS Transit Service 38 and 40, on SMRT Buses services 176 and 976.

On 5 October 2021, ST Engineering Retrofitted Electric Bus, SG3100M which was once a diesel bus was retrofitted to an electric bus debuted on SMRT Buses Service 176. However, it was taken out of service the next day due to rolling back issues and charging connectivity issues.[23] It has since returned to revenue service in August 2023 after taken out for repairs between late 2022 to August 2023.

All the Volvo Super Olympian buses were retired from revenue service on 8 April 2020, with the exception of SBS9889U being in revenue service until 11 November 2020. However, 2 buses have been preserved - 1 in Hong Kong for heritage purposes and the other in a special needs school in Ang Mo Kio, Singapore for practical purposes. A sole Mercedes-Benz O405G (Hispano Habit), TIB1238H which operated under Kranji Depot [KJDEP] has been preserved at Kranji Depot and has been deregistered with the "Off Peak" Number plate which has a Red Plate with White Text.[24] November 2020 marked the last day of operation of non-wheelchair-accessible buses with TIB1242U, a Hispano Habit-bodied Mercedes-Benz O405G on Service 169 being the last non-wheelchair-accessible bus on revenue service.

On 1 December 2020, all public buses in Singapore became fully wheelchair-accessible.[25]

In April 2023, LTA launched a tender for 400 electric buses.[26] The tender was won by BYD and Zhongtong, and the new buses will enter service from December 2024 onwards.[27]

#### COVID-19 pandemic

[edit]

When the COVID-19 pandemic first emerged in the beginning of 2020, the Singapore government introduced the circuit breaker measures to curb the spread of the virus. Under these measures, selected public bus services were suspended in two tranches, with adjustments made later. The first tranche of suspended bus services took effect from Wednesday, 8 April 2020, while the second tranche of bus service suspensions started from Wednesday, 15 April 2020.[28] The suspensions lasted till Monday, 1 June 2020; Express and City Direct services all resumed after 1 June 2020, and several recreational and discretionary services were suspended until 30 June 2022, after which all services except 401 were withdrawn.[29][30]

Bus 401 was eventually reinstated on 4 June 2022 [31] while the rest of the suspended bus services were withdrawn from 30 June 2022.[32][33][34][35]

#### Installation of protective screens

[edit]

Since 2016, protective screens were installed to protect bus drivers from potential abuse by passengers. This was expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic to protect bus captains from the virus as well.[36][37][38][39]

#### Autonomous buses

[edit]

Between 2015 and 2022, ST Engineering embarked on various initiatives and effort to develop and trial autonomous buses. The public trials included Sentosa (3 months, 2019), Science Park 2 (4 months, 2021) and Jurong Island (4 months, 2021). In 2023, the company discontinued their autonomous bus development effort, citing insufficient financial resources.[40] The Centre of Excellence for Testing & Research of Autonomous Vehicles (CETRAN) has said that autonomous vehicles remained a key part of the plan to make the city-state "car-lite", potentially reducing accidents and keeping roads safer for all.[41]

#### Bus Connectivity Enhancement Programme

[edit]

In July 2024, LTA announced the launch of the Bus Connectivity Enhancement Programme, in which they would spend nearly $900 million over a period of eight years to improve the connectivity of public buses in Singapore. These improvements would include purchasing more buses, introducing new bus services and increasing the frequency of existing ones, recruiting more staff and building new transport infrastructure. This is a successor of Bus Services Enhancement Programme (BSEP), the first bus service to be introduced is at Yishun (Service 861).[42]

## Vehicles

[edit]

Singapore's buses consist of single deck and double deck buses and they are operated by all four operators, SBS Transit, SMRT Buses, Tower Transit Singapore and Go-Ahead Singapore. Articulated buses are operated by SMRT Buses, with several units being transferred to SBS Transit and Tower Transit Singapore as part of the Seletar and Sembawang-Yishun Bus Packages respectively under the Bus Contracting Model (BCM).

Single deck and articulated buses  Bus Model  | Operators  | Units acquired  | Year of introduction  | Notes  | Ref.

|
|
|
|
|

BYD B12 | SBS Transit | 1 unit  | 2023  | Demonstrator Unit  | [43]
BYD BC12A04  | SBS Transit | 300 units  | 2024  | To replace Scania K230UB.  | [44]
BYD C6 | Tower Transit Singapore | 4 units  | 2019  | This bus model is only deployed on Service 825  | [45]
BYD K9 | SBS Transit | 20 units  | 2020  | Go-Ahead Singapore also trialed a BYD K9 between 2016 and 2017  | [46]
FTBCI FBC6120BRS7  | Go-Ahead Singapore | 1 unit  | 2023  | Demonstrator Unit  | [47]
Linkker LM312  | SBS Transit, SMRT Buses | 20 units  | 2020  | Based on the Linkker 11 LF low-floor city bus  | [48]
MAN A22 | SBS Transit, SMRT Buses, Tower Transit Singapore & Go Ahead Singapore | 734 units (Euro V), 150 units (Euro VI)  | 2010  | 20 units have been converted into COVID-19 Patient Transport Vehicles during the COVID-19 pandemic, and were subsequently purchased by various private operators.  | [49]
MAN A24 | SBS Transit, SMRT Buses, Tower Transit Singapore | 40 units  | 2013  | Sole model of articulated buses in Singapore as of June 2023.  | [49]
Mercedes-Benz Citaro | SBS Transit, SMRT Buses, Tower Transit Singapore & Go Ahead Singapore | 1155 units  | 2010  | 51 of these Citaros were built to SMRT specifications, while the remaining 1104 buses were built to SBS Transit specifications.  | [49]
Mercedes-Benz OC 500 LE | SMRT Buses, Tower Transit Singapore | 134 units  | 2008  | First Euro V Buses in South-East Asia  | [49]
Scania K230UB | SBS Transit, SMRT Buses | 501 units (Euro IV), 600 units (Euro V)  | 2007  | 97 Euro IV units were retired in 2022.  | [49][50]
Volvo B5LH | SBS Transit, SMRT Buses, Tower Transit Singapore | 50 units  | 2018  |  | [51]
Volvo B7RLE | SBS Transit | 1 unit  | 2007  | Demonstrator Unit  | [49]
Yutong E12 | Go-Ahead Singapore, SMRT Buses, Tower Transit Singapore | 10 units  | 2020  |  | [46]
Zhongtong N12  | SBS Transit | 120 units  | 2024  |  | [52]
Double deck buses  Bus Model  | Operators  | Units acquired  | Year of introduction  | Notes  | Ref.

|
|
|
|
|

Alexander Dennis Enviro500 MMC | SBS Transit, SMRT Buses, Tower Transit Singapore | 216 units (Euro V), 50 units (Euro VI)  | 2014  |  | [49]
MAN A95 | SBS Transit, SMRT Buses, Tower Transit Singapore & Go Ahead Singapore | 199 units (Euro V), 412 units (Euro VI)  | 2014  |  | [49]
Scania K310UD | SBS Transit | 1 unit  | 2010  | Demonstrator Unit  | [49]
Volvo B9TL (Gemilang) | SBS Transit | 1 unit  | 2014  | Demonstrator Unit bodied by Gemilang Coachworks | [49]
Volvo B9TL (Wright) | SBS Transit, SMRT Buses, Tower Transit Singapore & Go Ahead Singapore | 1606 units  | 2010  | Most common bus model in Singapore. Wright Eclipse Gemini II bodywork by Wrightbus | [49]
Yutong E12DD | Go-Ahead Singapore, SMRT Buses, Tower Transit Singapore | 10 units  | 2020  | First fully electric double-decker buses in Singapore  | [46]

## Routes

[edit]

Main article: List of bus routes in Singapore

Singapore has many different bus services plying through the island. These bus routes are categorised accordingly:

* Trunk: Routes that ply between towns. (e.g. 5, 21, 98M, 133, 162, 851, 960)
* Feeder: Services that operate within a neighbourhood. (e.g. 243G, 334, 386, 410W, 812, 901M)
* Short Trip: Routes that operate short haul trips of services which cover high demand sectors of the parent route. (e.g. 3A, 70B, 147A, 222A, 502A, 857A, 965A)
* Jurong Industrial Service: Routes that serve the Jurong and Tuas industrial areas. SMRT Buses took over operations of all Jurong Industrial Services from SBS Transit in 2 phases under the Jurong West Bus Package. (e.g. 247, 249, 251, 258)
* Express: Routes that stop at selected stops and generally run on expressways or long stretches of express sector for faster travel between several towns. (e.g. 43e, 174e, 502, 854e, 951E)
* City Direct: Service connecting passengers directly to and from the Central Business District during peak hours. Previously operated by private operators. (e.g. 655, 661, 666, 670)
* Cross Border Services: Services that cross the Causeway or the Second Link into Malaysia. (i.e. 160, 170, 170X, 950)
* Resorts World Sentosa Bus services: Bus services that operate in and out of Resorts World Sentosa. Services run on weekends and Public Holidays. (i.e. RWS8)
* Scheme B Bus services: Bus services that are operated by private operators at peak timings. (Note that these services are not very well mentioned by LTA) (i.e. 621, 625, 640)

### Bus packages

[edit]

Main article: Bus contracting model of Singapore

Under the Bus Contracting Model, bus services are grouped into bus packages, each of which is operated by a bus operator.

Package | Bus depot | Operator | Commencement Date | End Date | Services

|
|
|
|
|

Tendered packages
Bulim | Bulim Bus Depot | Tower Transit | 29 May 2021 | 2026 | 32 services: 41, 49, 66, 77, 78, 79, 96, 97, 97e, 98/98M, 106, 143/143M, 173, 177, 183, 189, 282, 284, 285, 333, 334, 335, 651, 653, 657, 870, 871, 941, 945, 947, 990, 992
Loyang | Loyang Bus Depot | Go-Ahead | 4 September 2016 | 2026 | 31 services: 2, 3, 6, 12, 12e, 15, 17/17A, 34, 36, 43/43M, 43e, 62, 68, 82, 83, 84, 85, 118, 119, 136, 354, 358, 359, 381, 382, 384, 386, 403, 518/518A, 661, 666
Seletar | Seletar Bus Depot | SBS Transit | 11 March 2018 | 2025 | 29 services: 24, 70/70M, 71, 76, 130, 133, 135, 138, 162, 261, 262, 265, 268, 269, 652, 668, 800, 803, 804, 805, 806, 807, 811, 812, 850E, 851, 851e, 852, 860
Bukit Merah | Ulu Pandan Bus Depot | SBS Transit | 28 April 2024 | 2029 | 18 services: 5, 16/16M, 57, 93, 120, 121, 122, 123/123M, 131, 145, 160, 170/170X, 195, 198, 272, 273, 400, 993
Sembawang-Yishun | Mandai Bus Depot | Tower Transit | 5 September 2021 | 2026 | 26 services: 167, 169, 171, 656, 663, 670, 801, 825, 853/853M, 854, 854e, 855, 856, 857, 858, 859, 861, 882, 883/883M, 963, 963e, 965, 966, 969, 980, 981
Jurong West | Soon Lee Bus Park | SMRT Buses | 1 September 2024[53] | 2029 | 26 services: 179/179A, 181/181M, 182/182M, 185, 192, 193, 194, 199, 240/240M, 241, 242, 243, 246, 247, 248, 249, 251, 252, 253, 254, 255, 257, 258, 405, 502/502A, 974
Negotiated packages
Sengkang-Hougang | Hougang Bus Depot | SBS Transit | 1 September 2016 | 2024 | 32 services: 27, 51, 80, 86, 87, 89, 89e, 102, 107/107M, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117/117M, 132, 151, 153, 159, 161, 163, 165, 324, 325, 329, 371, 372, 374, 654, 660, 671, 672
Bedok | Bedok North Bus Depot | SBS Transit | 1 September 2016 | 2023 | 20 services: 9, 13, 14, 14e, 25, 30, 30e, 35/35M, 40, 42, 45, 46, 168, 196, 196e, 222, 225, 228, 229, 401
Choa Chu Kang-Bukit Panjang | Kranji Bus Depot | SMRT Buses | 1 September 2016 | 2026 | 28 services: 61, 67, 75, 172, 176, 180, 184, 188, 188e, 190, 300, 301, 302, 307, 868E, 920, 922, 927, 970, 972/972M, 973, 975, 976, 979, 982E, 983, 985, 991
Woodlands | Woodlands Bus Depot | SMRT Buses | 1 September 2016 | 2026 | 20 services: 110, 178, 187, 665, 900/900A, 901/901M, 902, 903/903M, 904, 911, 912/912M, 913/913M, 925/925M, 950, 951E, 960, 960e, 961/961M, 962, 964
Tampines | Bedok North Bus Depot | SBS Transit | 1 September 2016 | 2024 | 26 services: 4, 10, 10e, 18, 19, 20, 23, 28, 29, 31, 37, 38, 39, 47, 65, 69, 72, 81, 127, 129, 291, 292, 293, 296, 298, 513
Serangoon-Eunos | Hougang Bus Depot | SBS Transit | 1 September 2016 | 2025 | 26 services: 11, 22, 53/53M, 55, 58, 59, 60, 63/63M, 64, 90, 94, 101, 103, 105, 109, 134, 137, 140, 141, 146, 150, 154, 158, 315, 317, 506
Clementi | Bukit Batok Bus Depot | SBS Transit | 1 September 2016 | 2025 | 23 services: 7, 32, 33, 48, 74, 91, 92/92M, 95, 99, 100, 111, 147, 156, 166, 174, 174e, 175, 191, 197, 200, 201, 655, 667
Bishan-Toa Payoh | Ang Mo Kio Bus Depot
Braddell Bus Park | SBS Transit | 1 September 2016 | 2026 | 22 services: 8, 21, 26, 50, 52, 54, 56, 73, 88, 124, 125, 139, 142, 155, 157, 186, 230, 231, 232, 235, 238, 410

## See also

[edit]

* Transport in Singapore
* Rail transport in Singapore

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Statistics in Brief 2015 FINAL" (PDF). Retrieved 5 May 2019.
2. ^ "LTA | Bus". www.lta.gov.sg. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
3. ^ "Go-Ahead Singapore begins bus services". Retrieved 5 September 2016.
4. ^ a b c York, F W; Phillips, A R (1996). Singapore: A History of its Trams, Trolleybuses & Buses, Volume One 1880s to 1960s. Croydon, Surrey, UK: DTS Publishing. ISBN 1-900515-00-8.
5. ^ "Singapore Infopedia: Mosquito bus".
6. ^ a b c "The Road to Nationalisation: Public buses in Singapore". Biblioasia.
7. ^ a b York, F W; Davis, Mike; Phillips, Ron (2005). Singapore Buses Volume 1 Singapore Bus Service Part 1. DTS Publishing. ISBN 9781900515757.
8. ^ a b c Teo, Eisen (2019). Jalan Singapura : 700 Years of Movement in Singapore. Singapore: Marshall Cavendish. ISBN 9789814828741.
9. ^ "First doubledecker bus service starts on Monday". The Straits Times. Singapore. 11 June 1977. p. 9. Retrieved 3 October 2019 - via NewspaperSG.
10. ^ "Jurong to have a new bus system". New Nation. Singapore. 19 February 1977. p. 4. Retrieved 3 October 2019 - via NewspaperSG.
11. ^ Yung, Stanley (2017). Transformation of Singapore Buses. BSI Hobbies (HK). ISBN 978-962-8414-88-8.
12. ^ "Bus Service Enhancement Programme". Land Transport Authority.
13. ^ "Quality of Service (QoS) Standards for Basic Bus Services". Public Transport Council. Archived from the original on 2 October 2013. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
14. ^ "First Bus Package under the Government Contracting Model up for tender". Land Transport Authority. 3 October 2014. Retrieved 29 August 2016.
15. ^ "LTA hands over Bulim Depot to Tower Transit".
16. ^ "Second Bus Package under the Government Contracting Model up for tender". Land Transport Authority. 15 April 2015. Retrieved 12 December 2016.
17. ^ "LTA awards second bus package to Go-Ahead Group PLC". Land Transport Authority. 23 November 2015. Retrieved 12 December 2016.
18. ^ "Bus Industry to complete Transition to Bus Contracting Model on 1 September 2016". Land Transport Authority. 11 August 2016. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
19. ^ Annex B: Details of the 11 Negotiated Packages Archived 1 November 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Land Transport Authority. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
20. ^ "Six-month trial for on-demand public buses to start Dec 17". 3 December 2018. Retrieved 24 December 2018.
21. ^ Wong, Derek; Abdullah, Zhaki (28 August 2018). "LTA to test on-demand bus services for 6 months". The Straits Times. Retrieved 24 December 2018.
22. ^ "On-demand public bus trial gets off to a slow start, but service still impresses". CNA. Retrieved 5 May 2019.
23. ^ "ST Engineering Retrofitted Electric Bus | Land Transport Guru". Land Transport Guru. 5 October 2021. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
24. ^ "Mercedes-Benz O405G (Hispano Habit) (Euro II) - SgWiki".
25. ^ "Wheelchair-Accessible Bus Services". www.sbstransit.com.sg. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
26. ^ Kok, Yufeng (10 April 2023). "Tender called for 400 electric buses in the largest purchase of its kind by LTA". The Straits Times. ISSN 0585-3923. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
27. ^ "Singapore, LTA awarded 360 e-buses to BYD and Zhongtong". Sustainable Bus. 19 December 2023. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
28. ^ "Transport Arrangements for the Singapore COVID-19 Circuit Breaker Measures". Land Transport Guru. 14 April 2020.
29. ^ "Post-Circuit Breaker – Resumption of Public Transport Services". Land Transport Guru. June 2020.
30. ^ "Post-Circuit Breaker – Suspension of Bus Services". Land Transport Guru. 29 May 2020.
31. ^ "Resumption of Service 401 from Saturday, 4 June 2022 - SBSTransit". www.sbstransit.com.sg. Retrieved 16 June 2022.
32. ^ "Services CT8, CT18, 1N, 2N, 3N, 4N, 5N & 6N to be discontinued from Thursday, 30 June 2022 - SBSTransit". www.sbstransit.com.sg. Retrieved 16 June 2022.
33. ^ "Discontinuation of bus services and night riders". www.smrt.com.sg. Retrieved 16 June 2022.
34. ^ "Discontinuation of Bus Service 963R". 16 June 2022.
35. ^ "Discontinuation of Night Rider Services". 16 June 2022.
36. ^ 吴依瑾, 文 / (11 August 2020). "车长劝戴好口罩不果 "铁齿叔"爆粗吐口水". 早报 (in Simplified Chinese). Retrieved 17 September 2020.
37. ^ "Man who used neck warmer as face mask challenges bus driver for stopping him, likens himself to Rosa Parks". AsiaOne. 20 August 2020. Retrieved 17 September 2020.
38. ^ hermesauto (16 September 2020). "'This is repugnant and must stop,' says SBS Transit after bus driver assaulted by commuter for enforcing mask rule". The Straits Times. Retrieved 17 September 2020.
39. ^ 潘靖颖, 文 / (6 October 2020). "酒醉打巴士车长 退休中校监六周". 早报 (in Simplified Chinese). Retrieved 6 October 2020.
40. ^ "ST Engineering quits Autonomous Bus development | Land Transport Guru". 30 June 2023.
41. ^ "A hands-on approach to hands-off vehicles".
42. ^ Kok, Yufeng (30 July 2024). "Up to $900m to be invested in new initiative to improve Singapore's public bus network". The Straits Times. ISSN 0585-3923. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
43. ^ "BYD B12A03". Land Transport Guru. 23 July 2023. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
44. ^ "Singapore, LTA awarded 360 e-buses to BYD and Zhongtong". Sustainable Bus. 19 December 2023. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
45. ^ "4 of these smol e-buses with 1 door in whole of S'pore, plying roads in Yio Chu Kang". mothership.sg. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
46. ^ a b c "At least 60 electric buses to be deployed from early next year: LTA". Yahoo News. 11 November 2019. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
47. ^ "Xiamen Fengtai International New Energy Vehicle Co., Ltd". Weichai Group. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
48. ^ "New fleet of 20 fast-charging electric buses to enter service". CNA. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
49. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Yung, Stanley (January 2017). Transformation of Singapore Buses. Hong Kong: BSI Hobbies (Hong Kong) Co. ISBN 978-962-8414-88-8.
50. ^ "Early Retirement of Volvo B9TL (CDGE) and Scania K230UB buses (2022) | Land Transport Guru". 19 January 2022. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
51. ^ Tan, Christopher Tan (11 October 2017). "50 Volvo hybrid buses to join public fleet next year". The Straits Times. ISSN 0585-3923. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
52. ^ Kok, Yufeng (25 November 2023). "360 more electric buses to hit the roads from Dec 2024 in biggest purchase by LTA". The Straits Times. ISSN 0585-3923. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
53. ^ "Stewarding Public Transport and Charting New Frontiers of Excellence | SMRT". www.smrt.com.sg. Retrieved 24 August 2024. "SMRT Buses was awarded the contract for the Jurong West Bus Package in August 2023. Starting from 1 September 2024, SMRT Buses will serve commuters along 26 service routes for five years"

## Further reading

[edit]

* Ilsa Sharp, (2005), SNP:Editions, The Journey: Singapore's Land Transport Story. ISBN 981-248-101-X
* York, F W; Phillips, A R (1996). Singapore: A History of its Trams, Trolleybuses & Buses, Volume One 1880s to 1960s. Croydon, Surrey, UK: DTS Publishing. ISBN 1-900515-00-8.
* York, F W (2009). Singapore: A History of its Trams, Trolleybuses & Buses, Volume Two 1970s to 1990s. Croydon, Surrey, UK: DTS Publishing. ISBN 978-1-900515-01-6.
* York, F W; Davis, Mike; Phillips, Ron (2005). Singapore Buses Volume 1 Singapore Bus Service Part 1. DTS Publishing. ISBN 9781900515757.
* Davis, Mike; Phillips, Ron (2006). Singapore Buses Volume 1 Singapore Bus Service Part 2. DTS Publishing. ISBN 9781900515269.
* Davis, Mike (2012). Singapore Buses Volume 2 Singapore Shuttle Bus and Trans Island Bus Service now SMRT Buses. DTS Publishing. ISBN 9781900515276.
* Chan, Danny (1996). Singapore Bus Handbook. Northcord International Limited. ISBN 962-920-006-6.
* Yung, Stanley (2013). The Fleet Directory of Singapore Buses. BSI Hobbies (HK). ISBN 978-962-8414-87-1.
* Yung, Stanley (2017). Transformation of Singapore Buses. BSI Hobbies (HK). ISBN 978-962-8414-88-8.

## External links

[edit]

* Ministry of Transport website
* Land Transport Authority website
* Public Transport Council website
* TransitLink website
* SBS Transit website
* SMRT Corporation website
* Tower Transit Singapore website
* Go-Ahead Singapore website

* v
* t
* e

Public buses of Singapore

Operators|

* Causeway Link
* Go-Ahead
* ComfortDelGro
* SBS Transit
* SMRT Corporation
* SMRT Buses
* Tower Transit

Interchanges|

| Integrated Transport Hubs|

* Ang Mo Kio
* Beauty World
* Bedok
* Boon Lay
* Buangkok
* Bukit Panjang
* Clementi
* Joo Koon
* Punggol Coast
* Sengkang
* Serangoon
* Toa Payoh
* Woodlands
* Woodleigh
* Yishun

|

* Bishan
* Bukit Batok
* Bukit Merah
* Choa Chu Kang
* Compassvale
* Eunos
* HarbourFront
* Hougang Central
* Jurong East
* Jurong Town Hall
* Pasir Ris
* Punggol
* Sembawang
* Tampines
* Tampines Concourse
* Tampines North
* Tengah
* Yio Chu Kang

Terminals|

* Beach Station
* Buona Vista
* Changi Airport PTB2
* Changi Business Park
* Changi Village
* Ghim Moh
* Jurong Island
* Kampong Bahru
* Kent Ridge
* Lorong 1 Geylang
* Marina Centre
* Queen Street
* Saint Michael’s
* Shenton Way
* Sims Place
* Tuas
* Upper East Coast

Depots|

* Ang Mo Kio
* Bedok North
* Bukit Batok
* Bulim
* East Coast
* Gali Batu
* Hougang
* Kim Chuan
* Kranji
* Lorong Halus
* Loyang
* Mandai
* Pasir Panjang
* Seletar
* Sengkang West
* Simpang
* Soon Lee
* Tengah
* Ulu Pandan
* Woodlands

Bus parks|

* Braddell
* Woodlands

Miscellaneous|

* Bus contracting model
* List of bus routes

* List of bus stations
* Former bus stations
* Buses portal
* Singapore portal

*[Ref.]: References
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template