Bus Contracting Model (BCM)

The Bus Contracting Model (BCM), is a contracting model for public bus services in Singapore.

The scheme was first announced in 2014, then called the Government Contracting Model (GCM). The main benefits touted by the BCM are its responsiveness to changes in ridership and commuter needs, as well as the injection of greater competition within the industry, thereby raising service levels for commuters over time.

The following parts will explain how the BCM works. Alternatively, they are summarised in this video by the Land Transport Authority (LTA).

With the Bus Service Operating Licenses (BSOL) for SMRT Buses and SBS Transit expiring on 31 August 2016, LTA took the opportunity to revamp the bus industry into a competitive tendering process. Elements of the scheme were adapted from contractual schemes used in other regions, such as Transperth (in Perth) and London Buses (in London).

In addition, the LTA has pursued a unified livery across all public buses in Singapore. Lush Green was chosen as the base colour, having been the preference of the majority of commuters through a public poll.

1. Background
Old Model
  • All operating assets (i.e. depots, buses) currently owned by both Government and Operators
  • Slow response in the improvement of service standards due to a profit-driven business model:
    • Bus operators earn revenue from fare collection, advertising, etc.
    • Profit used to cover capital and operating expenses, and earn returns
    • Bus operations geared towards reducing financial losses (buses are largely unprofitable as a whole, considering increasingly high bus operating costs, manpower costs and disproportionately low fares)
    • Unprofitable services often do not receive improvements
New Bus Contracting Model
  • LTA to own all* bus assets:
    Buses, bus depots, bus interchanges, fleet management systems, etc.
    * (except several assets such as buses and depots which are leased by SBS Transit / SMRT to LTA for availability fees)
  • LTA being the central bus planner, decides on bus services to be provided, and the service standards which operators have to meet
  • Bus operators will bid for bus route packages through a competitive tendering process, and be paid service fee (with incentives / disincentives; depending on performance) to operate the bus services.
  • All fare revenue will be retained by the Government and to ensure the affordability of public transport fares

Note:
* – Exceptions to LTA owning all bus assets and depots include:

What are the new roles of bus operators?
  • Operate their allocated bus services in accordance with specified performance standards
  • Operate and maintain the buses and their onboard equipment (e.g. integrated driver fare console (IDFC) and fleet management equipment) as leased from the Government
  • Operate and maintain the Bus Interchanges and the new Bus Depot included in the Route Packages, including all equipment and systems provided therein
  • Charge and collect the fares approved by the Public Transport Council, for travel on the Route Package Bus Services allocated, on behalf of the Government
  • Provide bus service information at all bus stops and bus interchanges served by the Route Packages’ Services
  • Provide customer management services, such as lost and found service, and a hotline for commuter feedback and enquiries.
  • Continue to benefit from advertising revenue
  • Operating assets will be leased from Government to Bus Operator as stated in the contract which Bus Operator has been awarded
Incentive Framework (Performance Standards for Operators)

Incentive Framework to encourage it to provide quality bus services to commuters and carry out good maintenance of the assets provided by the Government. If the Operator meets the standards, it will receive a performance payment of up to 10% of its annual service fee. On the other hand, if the Operator does not meet the standards, up to 10% of its annual service fee will be deducted. The five performance indicators are in the areas of:-

  1. Bus service reliability, with indicators on Excess Wait Time (EWT) and On-Time Adherence taking reference from the Bus Service Reliability Framework
  2. First and last bus punctuality to ensure that commuters can board the first and last bus of the day
  3. Maintenance of the buses provided by LTA
  4. Maintenance of the Bus Interchanges and Bus Depot awarded under the Route Packages
  5. Maintenance of the Bus Ticketing System
What are the advantages of this system?
  • Strengthens the Government’s ability to respond more quickly to changes in travel demand and service level expectations
  • Bus operators to focus more on operating the bus services and meeting service standards
  • Lowering entry barriers, introducing more market competition leading to the provision of better bus services in a cost-competitive manner that will benefit commuters.
So how will commuters benefit?
  • A more responsive system that adapts to ridership patterns and commuter needs
  • Greater competition and efficiency within the bus industry
  • More reliable bus services with improved service levels
  • Less waiting time between buses

The contract model is currently in use in London and various Australian cities; their transport systems which LTA is modelling from. The Government is now able to directly subsidize bus operations to maintain better service levels, even if such levels of service are unprofitable.


2. Gradual transition to competitive tendering

In September 2016, bus services in Singapore were announced by the Land Transport Authority to be bundled into fourteen bus packages with about 300-500 buses each. The number of bus packages was previously announced to be twelve back in 2014 at the start of the Bus Contracting Model scheme. The contracts will last for five years, and can be extended by another two years with good performance. Contracts awarded from 2023 allows for LTA to extend the contract between two and five years at the end of the five year term.

With the negotiations with the incumbent operators (SBS Transit and SMRT) complete, the Bus Service Operating License (BSOL) for the remainder 11 packages not tendered out as of 2016 has been extended for 2-10 years, starting from 01 Sep 2016. After these negotiated contracts expire, the bus services in the 11 packages will be gradually tendered out.

This gradual, phased transition will allow LTA to refine and improve the management of contracts, as well as the tendering and handover process, and minimise the risk of service disruption.


3. Safeguarding the welfare of workers

Each new tender or change in contract for bus services can result in the movement of bus employees from one employer to another. To safeguard the welfare of the affected employees and ensure their smooth transition to the incoming operator, the Public Transport Tripartite Committee (PTTC) released the Guidelines on Good Employment Practices in the Public Bus Industry (the “Guidelines”) on 16 September 2014, detailing the obligations and responsibilities of both incoming and outgoing bus operators. These include the timeline for the offer of employment, recognition of the length of service, employment terms to be safeguarded, treatment of affected bus industry employees including those who choose to stay with the outgoing operator, as well as training for those who choose to join the incoming operator.

The three key assurances proposed by the PTTC are:

  1. All affected employees must be offered a job by the incoming operator;
  2. Affected employees must be offered employment terms which are not worse-off than what they have been enjoying before transition; and
  3. Affected employees can choose to join the new operator or be redeployed by their current employer, where feasible.

These employee aspects of the Guidelines have been incorporated into LTA’s tender documents, and will also be included in LTA’s subsequent contract with the Operator.


4. Higher Service Levels

With the transition to a bus contracting model, the Government intends to also raise bus service levels to beyond those of the expanded BSEP.

Current (Pre-BCM) Service Levels during 2-hour AM and PM Peak Periods:

  • About 30% of bus services operating at headway of no more than 10 minutes
  • 100% of bus services operating at headway of no more than 30 minutes

Expanded BSEP during 2-hour AM and PM Peak Periods

  • About 35% of bus services operating at headway of no more than 10 minutes
    100% of bus services operating at headway of no more than 20 minutes

Bus Contracting Model during 2-hour AM and PM Peak Periods

  • 50 or more % of bus services operating at headway of no more than 10 minutes
  • 100% of bus services operating at headway of no more than 15 minutes
  • All Feeder Services operating at intervals of 6 to 8 minutes.

As a result, an estimated 45% of bus services will have shorter intervals during peak periods when compared to the expanded BSEP service levels.


5. Tendering Process

All tender submissions will be evaluated by LTA through a 2-envelope process for quality and price with greater weightage given to the quality proposal submitted by the tenderers. This was evident when UK bus operator Tower Transit won the Bulim Bus Package despite offering the third lowest bid of $125.6 Million per year, in contrast to the lowest $93.7 Million per year bid from SMRT.

LTA awards route packages (tenders) based on “Gross Cost Model”. The Operator which the tender would be awarded will be required to set up a local company to operate the Route Packages, with senior management overseeing its operations to be based in Singapore for better oversight and accountability.

There will also be provisions for additional bus capacity in the contract which will enable the Government to make expeditious adjustments to the Route Packages when necessary, in response to changes in ridership and commuter needs.

During the contract period (5-7 years), the service fee which is the Operator’s bid price for the package, will be adjusted to better reflect the operating climate by taking into consideration inflation, changes in wage levels, and fuel costs.

Separately, the Operator will be able to tap the Bus Driver Training Grant for new bus drivers trained and deployed on the bus services from the date of award of contract to December 2016.

The Operator will be paid the service fee on a monthly basis with deductions for non-operated mileage that is within its control, such as driver absenteeism.

Tendering requirements

Among other requirements, bus operators bidding for the package must have a proven track record of operating a fleet of at least 250 buses.


BCM Route Packages by Bus Services

Operator Legend:

  • GAS – Go Ahead Singapore Pte Ltd
  • SBST – SBS Transit Ltd
  • SMRTB – SMRT Buses Ltd
  • TTS – Tower Transit Singapore Pte Ltd
Contract Ref. Route Package Contract Period Operator Bus Services
Tendered Package (TP) – Upcoming Bus Package Contracts
PT219 Seletar

PT218A Bukit Merah
(18 Services)
Apr 2024 – 2029 SBST 5, 16/16M, 57, 93, 120, 121, 122, 123/123M, 131, 145, 160, 170/170X, 195, 198, 272, 273, 400 & 993
PT218B Jurong West
(26 Services)
1 Sep 2024 – 2029 SMRT 179/179A, 181/181M, 182/182M, 185, 192, 193, 194, 199, 240/240M, 241, 242, 243G/243W, 246, 247, 248/248M, 249, 251, 252, 253, 254, 255, 257, 258, 405, 502/502A & 974
Tendered Package (TP) – Ongoing Bus Package Contracts
PT201 Loyang
(31 Services)
04 Sep 2016 – 2026
(with 2+3 year extension)
GAS 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, 382G/382W, 384, 386, 403, 518/518A, 661 & 666
PT202 Seletar
(29 Services)
11 Mar 2018 – 2025
(with 2 year extension)
SBST 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
PT203 Bukit Merah
(18 Services)
18 Nov 2018 – Apr 2024
(with 5 month extension)
SBST 5, 16/16M, 57, 93, 120, 121, 122, 123/123M, 131, 145, 160, 170/170X, 195, 198, 272, 273, 400 & 993
PT217A Bulim
(31 Services)
29 May 2021 – 2026 TTS 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, 941, 945, 947, 990 & 992
PT217B Sembawang – Yishun
(25 Services)
05 Sep 2021 – 2026 TTS 167, 169, 171, 656, 663, 670, 801, 825, 853/853M, 854, 854e, 855, 856, 857, 858, 859, 882, 883/883M, 963, 963e, 965, 966, 969, 980 & 981
Negotiated Contract (NC) – Ongoing Bus Package Contracts
PT212 Jurong West
(26 Services)
Sep 2016 – Sep 2024 SBST 179/179A, 181/181M, 182/182M, 185, 192, 193, 194, 199, 240/240M, 241, 242, 243G/243W, 246, 247, 248/248M, 249, 251, 252, 253, 254, 255, 257, 258, 405, 502/502A & 974
PT206 Sengkang – Hougang
(32 Services)
Sep 2016 – 2024
(with 3 year extension)
SBST 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
PT211 Bedok
(20 Services)
Sep 2016 – 2023*
(will be extended)
SBST 9, 13, 14, 14e, 25, 30, 30e, 35/35M, 40, 42, 45, 46, 168, 196, 196e, 222, 225G/225W, 228, 229 & 401
PT207 Tampines
(25 Services)
Sep 2016 – 2024*
(will be extended)
SBST
4, 10, 10e, 18, 19, 20, 23, 28, 29, 31, 37, 38, 39, 47, 65, 69, 72, 81, 127, 129, 291, 292, 293, 298 & 513
PT209 Serangoon – Eunos
(25 Services)
Sep 2016 – 2025*
(will be extended)
SBST 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
PT210 Clementi
(23 Services)
Sep 2016 – 2025*
(will be extended)
SBST 7, 32, 33, 48, 74, 91, 92/92M, 95, 99, 100, 111, 147, 156, 166, 174, 174e, 175, 191, 197, 200, 201, 655 & 667
PT208 Bishan – Toa Payoh
(22 Services)
Sep 2016 – 2026*
(will be extended)
SBST 8, 21, 26, 50, 52, 54, 56, 73, 88, 124, 125, 139, 142, 155, 157, 186, 230, 231, 232, 235, 238 & 410G/410W
PT215 Choa Chu Kang – Bukit Panjang
(28 Services)
Sep 2016 – 2026
(with 3 year extension)
SMRTB 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, 983/983M, 985 & 991
PT216 Woodlands
(20 Services)
Sep 2016 – 2026
(with 3 year extension)
SMRTB 110, 178, 187, 665, 900, 901/901M, 902, 903/903M, 904, 911, 912/912M, 913/913M, 925/925M, 950, 951E, 960, 960e, 961/961M, 962 & 964

 

Former Bus Package Contracts:

Contract Ref. Route Package Contract Period Operator Bus Services
PT204 (TBC) Seletar Sep 2016 – 10 Mar 2018 SBST 24, 70/70M, 71, 76, 130, 133, 135, 138, 162/162M, 261, 262, 265, 268 & 269
PT214 (TBC)
Seletar Sep 2016 – 24 Mar 2018 SMRTB 800, 803, 804, 805, 806, 807, 811, 812, 850E, 851, 852 & 860
PT205 (TBC) Bukit Merah Sep 2016 – 17 Nov 2018 SBST 5, 16, 57, 93, 120, 121, 122, 123/123M, 131/131M, 145, 160, 170/170A/170X, 195, 198, 272, 273, 400 & 402
PT200 Bulim
(31 Services)
29 May 2016 – 28 May 2021 TTS
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, 663, 665, 941, 945, 947, 974 & 990
PT213 Sembawang – Yishun
(28 Services)
Sep 2016 – 02 Oct 2021
(with 1 year extension)
SMRTB 110, 167, 169, 171, 652, 656, 670, 825, 853/853M, 854, 854e, 855, 856, 857, 858, 859, 882, 883/883M, 963, 963e, 963R, 965, 966, 969, 980, 981, NR1 & NR2
* – Contract Extensions

In November 2021, LTA announced that the Downtown Line would transition to New Rail Financing Framework (NRFF) Version 2 starting in January 2022. As part of this agreement between LTA and SBST, SBST agreed to a revised service fee rate for five of its existing bus contracts that is lower than the current service fee and is benchmarked against recent bus tenders. The five contracts were also extended (by an average of three years) at these revised rates. [LTA Press Release]

These five bus contracts were not stated in the LTA press release, but were revealed in an article from The Straits Times [Straits Times article]. The exact number of years extended for each affected bus package was also not disclosed.

  • PT211 – Bedok Bus Package
    (originally ending in 2023)
  • PT207 – Tampines Bus Package
    (originally ending in 2024)
  • PT209 – Serangoon-Eunos Bus Package
    (originally ending in 2025)
  • PT210 – Clementi Bus Package
    (originally ending in 2025)
  • PT208 – Bishan-Toa Payoh Bus Package
    (originally ending in 2026)

In September 2022, a further 3-year contract extension for the Loyang Bus Package was mentioned in a LinkedIn post by Louis Rambaud, Group Strategy & Transformation Director, Member of the Executive Committee of The Go-Ahead Group plc.


BCM Route Packages by Infrastructure – Bus Interchanges, Terminals & Depots

Current Term
Contract Ref. Route Package Operator Anchor Bus Depot Anchor Interchanges / Terminals
Tendered Packages (Upcoming Term)
PT218A Bukit Merah SBST Ulu Pandan Bus Depot Bukit Merah Int, HarbourFront Int, Kampong Bahru Ter,
Marina Centre Ter, Queen Street Ter, Shenton Way Ter
PT218B Jurong West SMRTB Soon Lee Bus Depot Boon Lay Int, Joo Koon Int, Tuas Ter
Tendered Packages
PT201 Loyang GAS Loyang Bus Depot Pasir Ris Int, Punggol Temp Int
PT202 Seletar SBST Seletar Bus Depot Ang Mo Kio Int, Yio Chu Kang Int
PT203 Bukit Merah SBST Ulu Pandan Bus Depot Bukit Merah Int, HarbourFront Int, Kampong Bahru Ter,
Marina Centre Ter, Queen Street Ter, Shenton Way Ter
PT217A Bulim TTS Bulim Bus Depot Bukit Batok Int, Jurong East Int, Jurong Town Hall Int
PT217B Sembawang–Yishun TTS Mandai Bus Depot Sembawang Int, Yishun Int, Lorong 1 Geylang Ter, Former Yishun Temp Int
Negotiated Packages
PT206 Sengkang–Hougang SBST Hougang Bus Depot Sengkang Int, Compassvale Int, Hougang Central Int, Hougang Bus Park
PT211 Bedok SBST Bedok North Bus Depot Bedok Int, Upper East Coast Ter
PT215 Choa Chu Kang–Bukit Panjang SMRTB Kranji Bus Depot Choa Chu Kang Int, Bukit Panjang Int, Gali Batu Ter
PT216 Woodlands SMRTB Woodlands Bus Depot
Woodlands Bus Park
Woodlands Temp Int, Woodlands Integrated Transport Hub
PT207 Tampines SBST Bedok North Bus Depot Tampines Int, Tampines Concourse Int, Tampines North Int, Changi Business Park Ter
PT212 Jurong West SBST Soon Lee Bus Depot Boon Lay Int, Joo Koon Int, Tuas Ter
PT209 Serangoon–Eunos SBST Hougang Bus Depot Serangoon Int, Eunos Int, Sims Place Ter, Changi Village Ter
PT210 Clementi SBST Bukit Batok Bus Depot Clementi Int, Buona Vista Ter, Ghim Moh Ter, Kent Ridge Ter
PT208 Bishan–Toa Payoh SBST Ang Mo Kio Bus Depot Bishan Int, Toa Payoh Int, Saint Michael’s Ter
Past Terms
Contract Ref. Route Package Operator Anchor Bus Depot Anchor Interchanges / Terminals
Negotiated Packages
PT213 Sembawang–Yishun SMRTB Ang Mo Kio Bus Depot Sembawang Int, Yishun Int, Lorong 1 Geylang Ter
PT204 (TBC) Seletar SBST Seletar Bus Depot /
Ang Mo Kio Bus Depot
Ang Mo Kio Int, Yio Chu Kang Int
PT214 (TBC)
Seletar SMRTB Ang Mo Kio Bus Depot
PT205 (TBC) Bukit Merah SBST Ayer Rajah Bus Park Bukit Merah Int, HarbourFront Int, New Bridge Rd Ter, Kampong Bahru Ter, Marina Centre Ter, Queen Street Ter, Shenton Way Ter
Tendered Packages
PT200 Bulim TTS Bulim Bus Depot Bukit Batok Int, Jurong East Int

 

 


Changes to Bus Services:

Basic Bus Services:

With LTA being the central bus planner, it will continue to introduce new routes and amend current routes to suit the needs of commuters. While an overhaul of bus services is unlikely, several routes may be amended/split for better reliability. As more housing estates are being built, the number of basic services will only increase to suit new travel patterns.

An exception is cross-border services, where regular service standard indicators do not apply, owing to complex traffic conditions across the Causeway. Instead, they are measured based on the mileage fulfilled.

Basic-Plus Services:

Routings and operation hours of Fast-Forward services will be unchanged and tendered out along with the parent service, such as Service 97e tendered as part of the first Bulim Bus Package. However, the “Fast-Forward” branding from the SBS Transit days would be dropped, and they continue to charge Express fares. The “Fast-Forward” branding was subsequently standardised to “Express” in August 2018.

Chinatown Direct services are also retained and tendered out due to their popularity with residents.

Express, NightRider and Nite Owl services form part of the routes in various bus packages as well.

Premium Services:

As PTOs are gradually handing over Premium services to private bus operators, premium bus services will not be operated by public bus operators with BCM assets. They will be gradually be fully transferred to private operators, or continue to be operated by their non-franchised divisions (such as SMRT’s BusPlus charter division).


Taking over of buses

Main article: Transitioning of Buses to the Bus Contracting Model

LTA has initiated the BCM initially using buses destined for SBS Transit but registered under the Bus Service Enhancement Programme (BSEP). These buses, destined for service with SBS Transit fleet but owned by the Government, were rerouted to operators of the first few BCM packages such as Tower Transit, the initial operator of the Bulim Bus Package.

To further expand the BCM bus pool, the LTA said on 29 December 2015 that it would take over SBS Transit’s bus purchasing contracts worth S$164 million for 346 new bus purchases, scheduled for delivery in 2016 and 2017. It will also directly buy 50 buses, worth about S$23 million, which were delivered to SBST between June and December this year.

Among the 346 buses to be bought under the contracts, 100 are single-deck buses, while 246 are double-deck buses. 210 of these buses are scheduled for delivery in 2016, and the rest in 2017.

Among the 50 buses to be bought from SBS Transit, 12 are single-deck buses, while 38 are double-deck buses

In total, LTA will be buying 112 Mercedes-Benz O530 Citaro single-deck buses and 284 Volvo B9TL buses for the BCM, worth around S$187 million.

Full transition milestone article: Bus industry completes transition to Bus Contracting Model


Advertising on BCM buses

Main article: Advertising on Bus Contracting Model Buses


New Bus Services

With the completion of the Bus Service Enhancement Programme (BSEP) in Late 2017, new bus services continue to be launched under the Bus Contracting Model.

Operators of these new services receive additional service fee based on the additional mileage of the new bus services.

No. Date of Launch Operator Bus Service Bus Package
1 31 Oct 2017 SMRT Buses Bus Service 110 Sembawang–Yishun
2 28 Jan 2018 Go-Ahead Bus Service 12e Loyang
3 28 Jan 2018 SBS Transit Bus Service 147e Clementi
25 Feb 2018 SBS Transit Short Trip Service 7A Clementi
25 Feb 2018 SBS Transit Short Trip Service 7B Clementi
12 Mar 2018 Go-Ahead Short Trip Service 2A Loyang
4 01 Apr 2018 Go-Ahead Bus Service 68 Loyang
5 08 Apr 2018 Tower Transit Bus Service 974 Bulim
6 27 May 2018 SBS Transit Bus Service 851e Seletar
7 08 Jul 2018 SMRT Buses Bus Service 991 Choa Chu Kang–Bukit Panjang
08 Jul 2018 SMRT Buses Short Trip Service 991A Choa Chu Kang–Bukit Panjang
30 Sep 2018 SMRT Buses Short Trip Service 991B Choa Chu Kang–Bukit Panjang
30 Sep 2018 SMRT Buses Short Trip Service 983A Choa Chu Kang–Bukit Panjang
8 28 Oct 2018 SMRT Buses Bus Service 960e Woodlands
29 Oct 2018 Go-Ahead Short Trip Service 386A Loyang
19 Nov 2018 SBS Transit Short Trip Service 160A Bukit Merah
9 25 Nov 2018 SMRT Buses Bus Service 167e Sembawang–Yishun
24 Dec 2018 SBS Transit Short Trip Service 142A
Bishan–Toa Payoh
13 Jan 2019 SMRT Buses Short Trip Service 973A Choa Chu Kang–Bukit Panjang
13 Jan 2019 Tower Transit Short Trip Service 974A Bulim
14 Jan 2019 SBS Transit Short Trip Service 117A Sengkang–Hougang
10 Feb 2019 SBS Transit Short Trip Service 163A Sengkang–Hougang
25 Feb 2019 SMRT Buses Short Trip Service 169B Sembawang–Yishun
25 Feb 2019 SMRT Buses Short Trip Service 883B Sembawang–Yishun
11 Mar 2019 SBS Transit Short Trip Service 33B Clementi
11 Mar 2019 SBS Transit Short Trip Service 117B Sengkang–Hougang
17 Mar 2019 SMRT Buses Feeder Bus Service 913M
Woodlands
25 Mar 2019 Go-Ahead Short Trip Service 34B Loyang
25 Mar 2019 Go-Ahead Short Trip Service 85A Loyang
15 Apr 2019 SBS Transit Short Trip Service 116A Sengkang–Hougang
23 Jun 2019 SMRT Buses Feeder Bus Service 901M Woodlands
01 Jul 2019 Go-Ahead Short Trip Service 382A Loyang
10 09 Sep 2019 Go-Ahead Express Bus Service 43e Loyang
11 10 Nov 2019 SMRT Buses Bus Service 976
Choa Chu Kang–Bukit Panjang
18 Nov 2019 Go-Ahead Short Trip Service 68A Loyang
18 Nov 2019 Go-Ahead Short Trip Service 68B Loyang
12 Jan 2020 SMRT Buses Bus Service 883M
Sembawang–Yishun
28 Jan 2020 SMRT Buses Short Trip Service 975A Choa Chu Kang–Bukit Panjang
09 Mar 2020 SBS Transit Bus Service 16M Bukit Merah
13 Apr 2020 SMRT Buses Short Trip Service 925A
Woodlands
26 Jul 2020 SBS Transit Bus Service 160M Bukit Merah
30 Aug 2020 SMRT Buses Bus Service 972M Choa Chu Kang–Bukit Panjang
12 25 Oct 2020 SBS Transit Bus Service 114 Sengkang–Hougang
26 Oct 2020 SMRT Buses Short Trip Service 991C
Choa Chu Kang–Bukit Panjang
13 27 Dec 2020 Go-Ahead Feeder Bus Service 384 Loyang
25 Jan 2021 SBS Transit Short Trip Service 807B Seletar
11 Apr 2021 SBS Transit Short Trip Service 63A Serangoon–Eunos
11 Apr 2021 SMRT Buses Short Trip Service 857B Sembawang–Yishun
11 Apr 2021 SMRT Buses Short Trip Service 966A Sembawang–Yishun
11 Apr 2021 SMRT Buses Short Trip Service 975C Choa Chu Kang–Bukit Panjang
31 May 2021 Tower Transit Short Trip Service 66C Bulim
26 Sep 2021 SBS Transit Bus Service 248M
Jurong West
29 Nov 2021 SBS Transit Bus Service 117M Sengkang–Hougang
1 Jan 2022 SBS Transit Short Trip Service 114A Sengkang–Hougang
14 23 Jan 2022 Tower Transit Feeder Bus Service 801
Sembawang–Yishun
12 Dec 2022 SBS Transit Short Trip Service 139A Bishan–Toa Payoh
25 Jan 2023 Tower Transit Short Trip Service 856A Sembawang–Yishun
25 Jan 2023 Tower Transit Short Trip Service 856B Sembawang–Yishun
27 Mar 2023 SBS Transit Short Trip Service 102A Sengkang–Hougang
14 Aug 2023 SBS Transit Short Trip Service 5A Bukit Merah
14 Aug 2023 SBS Transit Short Trip Service 5B Bukit Merah
15 24 Sep 2023 SBS Transit Feeder Bus Service 230 Bishan–Toa Payoh
24 Sep 2023 Tower Transit Bus Service 992
(renumbered from 944)
Bulim
24 Sep 2023 Tower Transit Short Trip Service 992A Bulim
24 Sep 2023 SBS Transit Bus Service 993
(renumbered from 160M)
Bukit Merah
25 Sep 2023 Go-Ahead Short Trip Service 2B Loyang
9 Oct 2023 SBS Transit Short Trip Service 102B Sengkang–Hougang
9 Oct 2023 SBS Transit Short Trip Service 163B Sengkang–Hougang
16 26 Nov 2023 Tower Transit Bus Service 870 Bulim
26 Nov 2023 Tower Transit Short Trip Service 870A Bulim
27 Nov 2023 SBS Transit Short Trip Service 9B Bedok
17 25 Feb 2024 SBS Transit Bus Service 146 Serangoon–Eunos
18 Mar 2024 SMRT Buses Bus Service 983M
Choa Chu Kang–Bukit Panjang
11 Mar 2024 SMRT Buses Short Trip Service 911A
Woodlands

Purchase of New Buses

In 2015, LTA purchased 176 additional Volvo B9TL buses built to SBS Transit specifications. These buses were registered SG5000E – SG5175J, forming the first SG-prefix registered buses as part of the Bus Contracting Model.

In addition, LTA also purchased 60 MAN A95 buses (SG5740C – SG5799J) for the Bus Contracting Model in 2015. The last 10 units of these buses are equipped with USB Charging Ports, making them the first batch of public buses to feature USB chargers. The following year, in September 2016, another batch of 122 MAN A95 buses (SG5800M – SG5920A & SG2017C) were purchased, alongside a smaller batch of 15 Alexander Dennis Enviro500 buses (SG5700T – SG5714D).

 

In 2017, LTA purchased Euro 6 MAN A22 & A95 buses under a negotiated contract (Contract PT337 – Procurement of 250 MAN Buses), but an additional 150 units more MAN A95 buses were added to this order, for a total of 400 buses. The following year in July 2018, 111 more MAN A95 buses were procured under a competitive tender (Contract PT322 – Procurement of Euro 6 Double Deck Diesel Buses) awarded to ST Engineering Land Systems.

In October 2017, LTA awarded Contract PT313 – Procurement of Diesel Hybrid Buses (DHB) to Volvo East Asia (Pte) Ltd for the purchase of 50 Volvo 7900 Hybrid (Volvo B5L Hybrid) Buses.

In December 2017, LTA put up a tender for Contract PT323 – Procurement of Electric Buses (E-Buses), with an order for 60 Electric Buses. 3 Tenderers were awarded.

  • BYD (Singapore) Pte Ltd – 20 Single-Deck Electric Buses
  • ST Engineering Land Systems – 20 Single-Deck Electric Buses
  • Yutong-NARI Consortium – 10 Single-Deck & 10 Double-Deck Electric Buses

In May 2018, LTA put up a tender for Contract PT342 – Procurement of 3-Door Euro 6 Double Deck Diesel Buses, with an order for 100 Double Decker buses. 2 Tenderers were awarded.

  • Alexander Dennis (Services) Singapore Pte Ltd – 50 3-Door Double Deck Buses
  • ST Engineering Land Systems – 50 3-Door Double Deck Buses

In March 2023, LTA put up a tender for Contract PT601 – Procurement of single deck electric buses, with an order for 360 3-door single deck electric buses. 2 Tenderers were awarded.

  • BYD (Singapore) Pte. Ltd. – 240 3-door single deck electric buses
  • Cycle & Carriage Automotive Pte. Ltd. (partnered with Zhongtong Bus) – 120 3-Door Double Deck Buses

Refurbishment of Buses

As the owner of all bus assets, the LTA is also responsible for the mid-life refurbishment of its buses. In June 2023, a tender was called to appoint a contractor for the refurbishment of 630 buses between 2023 and 2025, comprising both single- and double-deck buses.

Refurbishment works entail the replacement of bus seats, floor covers, sealant for the bus windows and windshields, and components for the bus door system. These works would take place between 2023 and 2025.


LTA News Releases (References)

  1. Transition to a Government Contracting Model For The Public Bus Industry  (24 May 14)
  2. First Bus Package Under The Government Contracting Model Up For Tender (03 Oct14)
  3. Second Bus Package under the Government Contracting Model to Be Put Up for Tender in Second Quarter of 2015 (11 Mar 15)
  4. LTA awards first tendered bus package to Tower Transit Group Limited (08 May 15)
  5. LTA to take over SBS Transit’s contracts for new bus purchases – Channel NewsAsia
  6. Over 600 public buses to be refurbished by LTA, first such exercise since contracting model, Singapore – THE BUSINESS TIMES (23 Jun 2023)

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121 thoughts on “Bus Contracting Model (BCM)

  • 6 February 2024 at 3:51 PM
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    The 3 north region bus packages have the weirdest service allocations tbh. Take YITH for example, SBST controls majority of the services despite being allocated to SBW-YIS under TTS. TTS only has 1/3 share of the bus services despite being the anchor operator of YITH. Even if you break down the services to the packages, Seletar services that operate out of YITH outnumbers SBW-YIS services. Why is this so?

    Woodlands package seems to be given the short end of the stick. It has way less services than SBW-YIS and the latter package eats up most of the long distance 96x services that were originally under SMRT. Why the heck is 963/e and 966 even in SBW-YIS when its catchment is in the north-west area?

    Personally, I feel that the services in the packages need reshuffling. The anchor operator of an interchange should control majority of the services in the interchange in my opinon. Feeder services should be operated by the anchor operator of the interchange since its catchment is obviously going to be in the strictly within the area of the bus interchange.

    My suggestions for the reallocation of the services:

    1. All YITH feeders, 800, 803, 804, 805, 806, 807, 811, 812 transferred from Seletar to Sembwang-Yishun. I contemplated adding the other Yishun Seletar trunk services for the sake of consistency but this will create a severe imbalance in the depot allocation. SBW-YIS will be overcrowded with too many services and Seletar package will also lose way too many services. Besides, 851/e and 852’s catchment is in the AMK area while 860 already operates from a Seletar-anchored bus int (YCK) so it makes more sense for just the feeders to go to SBW-YIS instead.

    2. 169 and 825 transferred from Sembawang-Yishun to Seletar. 825 is a no-brainer choice since it operates out of YCK int as for 169, it can be argued at Woodlands package will be suitable as well but if Seletar has to sacrifice all the YIS feeders, then I guess Seletar can take in 169 to make up for the shortfall.

    3. 963, 963e, 965, 966, 969 transferred from Sembawang-Yishun to Woodlands. All 96x trunks are better off being consolidated in Woodlands package for consistency. 858 can remain with SBW-YIS for consistency with other SBW-YIS 85x numbered services.

    4. 110 transferred from Woodlands to Seletar. Since 110 buses park at SEDEP anyway so might as well give 110 to Seletar. Sengkang-Hougang seems to be the more appropriate choice but I suspect 110 was given to Woodlands in the first place because Sengkang-Hougang already has a lot of services in its plate. Alternatively 161 can be swapped out to Woodlands while Sengkang-Hougang intakes 110.

    With the reallocation, SBW-YIS will have a net gain of 1 service, Woodlands will have a net gain of 3 services, and Seletar will have a net loss of 6 services. Despite SBW-YIS gaining 1 more service, it is more resource efficient as the feeder services combined requires fewer buses to run than the long-haul trunks given to other packages. SEDEP will also be freed up and the designated operator can dedicate more resources in its core area, namely AMK.

    Reply
  • 10 December 2023 at 7:32 PM
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    Would prefer GAS intake Bulim & Sengkang-Hougang
    TTS intake Loyang & Choa Chu kang-Bukit Panjang
    SMRTB operates Jurong West,Seletar & Woodlands
    SBST remaining Bukit Merah,Sembawang-Yishun,Bedok,Tampines,Serangoon-Eunos,Clementi & Bishan-Toa Payoh.

    Reply
  • 1 December 2023 at 4:35 PM
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    The BCM should split Sengkang-Hougang packages. 32 services is too much. Get at least 15 services to Hougang and 17 to Sengkang.

    Sengkang – Buangkok should be in Sengkang Bus Package
    Hougang bus svcs should be in a separate bus package called Hougang Bus Package.

    Reply
  • 15 October 2023 at 4:10 PM
    Permalink

    2024:Sengkang~Hougang Package>Go-Ahead SG
    2025:Seletar Package>SMRT Buses
    2026:Bulim Package>Go-Ahead SG
    Sembawang~Yishun Package>SBS Transit
    Loyang Package>Tower Transit SG
    Woodlands Package>SMRT Buses
    Choa Chu Kang~Bukit Panjang Package>Tower Transit SG

    2027 onwards
    Bedok,Tampines,Serangoon~Eunos,Clementi,Bishan~Toa Payoh & Bukit Merah Packages>SBS Transit.

    Jurong Region Line>SMRT Trains
    Cross Island Lines>SBS Transit Rails

    Reply

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