SMRT Bus Service 258 is a trunk service plying between Joo Koon Bus Interchange and looping at Jurong West Street 64, passing through Jurong West Streets 64, 75, 82, 81, 71, 61, 63 & Jln Ahmad Ibrahim. It is the forty-ninth (49th) bus service to be introduced under the Bus Service Enhancement Programme (BSEP).
SMRT Buses operates this service from 15 Sep 2024 as part of the Jurong West Bus Package.
↺ Jurong West St 64 (Loop)
| Route Overview | ||||||||||||
Route  |
Joo Koon Bus Interchange ↺ Jurong West Street 64 (Loop) | |||||||||||
| Passes Through | Jln Ahmad Ibrahim, Pioneer Rd Nth, Jurong West St 61, Jurong West St 81, Jurong West St 75 | |||||||||||
| Route Length | 17.4 km | |||||||||||
| Travelling Time | 62 – 81 mins | |||||||||||
| Operator Information | ||||||||||||
| BCM Route Package | Jurong West Bus Package | |||||||||||
| Current Operator | SMRT Buses Ltd |
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| Current Depot | Soon Lee Bus Depot | |||||||||||
| Current Fleet | Single-deck & Double-deck buses | |||||||||||
| Operating Hours | ||||||||||||
| Departure Times from Joo Koon |
Daily | |||||||||||
| 06:00 – 23:45 | ||||||||||||
| Operating Frequency | ||||||||||||
| Loop Service | 6:30am–8.30am | 8.31am–4.59pm | 5.00pm–7.00pm | After 7.00pm | ||||||||
| Weekdays | 9 – 13 mins | 12 – 14 mins | 11 – 13 mins | 11 – 20 mins | ||||||||
| Fare Information |
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| Fare | Charges regular distance fares |
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Service 258 serves the residential areas of Jurong West with connections to Boon Lay, Pioneer and Joo Koon MRT Stations, while looping at Jurong West Street 64 and terminating at Joo Koon Bus Interchange. It was launched on 21 November 2015 as the forty-ninth (49th) bus service to be introduced under the Bus Service Enhancement Programme (BSEP), with a route from Joo Koon and looping at Boon Lay.
As part of the Joo Koon Bus Interchange opening and accompanying Jurong Industrial Estate route reorganization (Phase 1 implementation), Service 258 was introduced to improve connectivity along Service 243G/243W’s route, connecting residential estates, schools and community amenities with bus connections to Pioneer MRT and Joo Koon MRT/Interchange, in addition to Boon Lay MRT which 243G/243W currently serves.
Together with Service 99, Service 258 was one of the first two services to terminate at the new Joo Koon Bus Interchange.
In tandem with the opening of the Tuas West Extension on the East-West Line, Bus Service 258 was amended to ply Pioneer Rd North & Jalan Ahmad Ibrahim to replace lost sectors of Bus Service 256 from 18 Jun 2017. In addition, it no longer serves Boon Lay Bus Interchange by looping at Jurong West Street 64.
MRT Stations Served:
Special Departures:
- Jurong West St 64 (Opp Blk 662C) → Joo Koon Int
Weekdays: 05:30, 05:42, 05:54, 06:06 & 06:18
Saturdays: 05:30, 05:45, 06:00 & 06:15
Sundays / Public Holidays: 05:30, 05:44, 05:58 & 06:12
Gallery
Poster Gallery:
Operator History:
- 21 Nov 2015 – 14 Sep 2024: SBS Transit Ltd
- 15 Sep 2024 – Present: SMRT Buses Ltd
The Bus Service Operating License (BSOL) for this route will be renewed in 2029 under the Jurong West Bus Package.
History:
- 2015 (21 Nov): Introduced between Joo Koon Integrated Transport Hub and Boon Lay Integrated Transport Hub (Loop) under the LTA’s Bus Service Enhancement Programme (BSEP). Wheelchair-accessible at launch
- 2017 (18 Jun): Integrated with Service 256, amended to ply Pioneer Rd North, Jln Ahmad Ibrahim and Benoi Rd and amended to loop at Jurong West Street 64, skipping Upp Jurong Rd and Boon Lay Integrated Transport Hub
- 2024 (15 Sep): Operations transferred to SMRT Buses under the Jurong West Bus Package
Back to Bus Services
Continued on Page 2 – Gallery
- Gallery (SBS Transit)
hopefully 258 extend furthur to either Tengah or Jurong Town Hall.
258 actually can be replaced entirely.
Originally, it was 192 and 193 plying Boon Lay Int to Tuas Terminal, same route at Jurong West which is via Jurong West Avenue 4.
It’s because of 258 that’s why 192 went to cover 257’s deleted sector at Jurong West Street 62.
It’s because of 258 removal from Boon Lay Int in 2017 that’s why although originally the long queue situation for 243G&W at Boon Lay Int had been resolved, everything back to square one.
258’s Jurong West section can be replaced by 193 plying its route, with a slight amendment at JW Ave 5 > PRN > JW St 71 if 243 G&W ever want to become two separate feeder routes (243 and 244). Then, JW St 61 > JW St 63 > PRN > and continue on 193’s current routing to Tuas Bus Terminal. Number remains as bus route 193.
193 more suitable than 185 to replace 258, since 193 and 258 are Jurong industrial bus services, whereas 185 is a regular trunk bus service.
And that’s for 258’s northern sector (Jurong West residential area).
258’s middle sector (Pioneer Road North) duplicates 185 and 251.
258’s southern sector (Jalan Ahmad Ibrahim) can be absorbed by 194 extending from former Jurong Bird Park. Which means 194 extend to Joo Koon Bus Interchange using 258’s routing at Jalan Ahmad Ibrahim, Benoi Road, Joo Koon Bus Interchange.
When JRL Rationization takes place. Service 258 most likely will be withdrawn. Service 192 can cover up the lost sectors of Service 258. Service 192 will start normally from Tuas to Boon Lay but it will pass via Tuas Avenue 12, Gul Circle MRT, Jalan Ahmad Ibrahim(AYE), Pioneer Road North, Pioneer MRT, Pioneer Mall, Jurong West Street 81/82/75/64. 192 will skip sectors along Benoi Road & Upper Jurong Road.
Initially, before 2015 Joo Koon opening, it was 192 and 193 plying the same route in Jurong West:
Boon Lay Int – JW St 64 – JW Ave 4 – Pioneer Road North – then split into their respective route towards Tuas Ter.
258 plying JW St 64/75/82/81/71/61/63 – Pioneer Road North, essentially means either 193 or 192 has to make way. In this case, 192 made way, and went to ply JW St 62 instead.
Anyway, 258 has healthy catchment along JW St 75/82/81/71/61 already. In future, when the JRL opens, at most just loop at Gek Poh MRT station, via JW St 82, 75, 74, Ave 5, St 82 only (this loop shorter than via the other possible loop). So actually, it’s quite obvious how this bus route would change in the future.
This should be a Jurong Industrial service
This bus service has always been the candidate for merging with other bus services, due to its low ridership, especially at the section from Jurong West Street 64 (Boon Lay MRT Station bus stop) to Jurong West Street 82, as well as the section between Joo Koon Bus Interchange and Pioneer MRT Station where usually not many people taking.
Just now, I was at YouTube where I saw the time lapse video of 240M.
I was thinking: since 240M also loop around Boon Lay MRT Station, 258 and 240M can merge.
Then, I am thinking: still can absorb other bus services or not?
Then, I thought of a very good idea:
Why not, let 180 absorb 240M and 258 route, to become a bus service that runs between Bukit Panjang Bus Interchange and Joo Koon Bus Interchange?
If the route is too long, can make 180 become a two-directions bus service with direction 1 (to Bukit Panjang) and direction 2 (to Joo Koon).
This way, 180 can reduce its duplication with the East West Line between Lakeside Station and Boon Lay Station, while residents living in Pioneer and Boon Lay can enjoy greater intra-town connection and a direct bus connection to Bukit Batok and Bukit Panjang, enhancing the overall transport connectivity in the western part of Singapore.
The only condition is that Bukit Panjang Bus Interchange must have space for 180 to terminate. Otherwise, 180 after absorbing 240M and 258 may become too long to be a looping service.
If 180 becomes a service that runs between Joo Koon and Bukit Panjang, this will become the second bus route to run between these two bus interchanges, after 974 which is already running between the two bus interchanges.
Just a randomly thought about suggestion. From the surface, it looks feasible. But in terms of details, may need to assess the feasibility.
258 from Joo Koon Bus Interchange to Boon Lay MRT Station (Opp Blk 662C) is 8.5km; 36mins.
240M from Boon Lay MRT Station (Opp Blk 662C) to Lakeside MRT Station is 3.3km; 17mins.
180 from Lakeside MRT Station to Bukit Panjang Bus Interchange is 8.1km; 30mins.
If combine these route segments together, the total length would be 19.9km; 83mins, which would be longer than many two-directional bus services, like 99 (around 17km in one direction), 974 (around 18km in one direction), 172 (around 14km in one direction) and 185 (around 18km in one direction).
Furthermore, 240M is only a peak hour short service, where it is just a route variant of 240. During regular periods, there is no need for 240M to operate. So providing such capacity during regular hours, by letting a full-day bus service run 240M route, is really excessive.
Another solution is to only combine 258 and 180.
258 from Joo Koon Bus Interchange to Boon Lay MRT Station (Opp Blk 662C) is 8.5km; 36mins.
180 from Boon Lay MRT Station (Opp Blk 662C) to Bukit Panjang Bus Interchange is 10km; 38mins.
The combined segment would be 18.5km; 74mins from Joo Koon Bus Interchange to Bukit Panjang Bus Interchange, similar to 185 route length and travel duration per direction.
Combining 258 and 180 would be more practical.
The only concern is 258 frequency and 180 frequency are different. 258’s ridership does not need 180’s frequency. 258’s frequency may not be enough to meet 180’s ridership. Nonetheless, if 258 ridership and 180 ridership are similar, we can merge the two services together and use 258’s frequency to optimize resources.
The condition is whether 180 can operate using 258’s frequency. If can, 258 and 180 can merge.
The benefits would be shorter travel time for 180’s drivers, better intra-town connection between Jurong West (Pioneer) and Jurong West (Lakeside) and better inter-town connection between Jurong West (Pioneer) and Bukit Batok, Choa Chu Kang and Bukit Panjang.
Plus, if 180 can operate using 258’s frequency, this would somewhat reduce the capital of operating 180, and improve the use of public resources.
Therefore, I sincerely recommend combining 258 and 180.
Pioneer Road North, between Ayer Rajah Expressway and Pioneer MRT Station, always jam during peak hours. For many years already.
Yet, unlike Jalan Bukit Merah, where both Pioneer Road North and Jalan Bukit Merah are a hybrid of industrial area and residential area, Pioneer Road North don’t have public bus priority lanes.
Yes, 180 absorbing 258 to run between Joo Koon Bus Interchange is possible (using 180 instead of 258 is because once combined, the combined service would be more of a regular trunk service instead of a Jurong Industrial Service).
However, if the government forever don’t want to set up public bus priority lanes at Pioneer Road North, unlike a similar area like Jalan Bukit Merah which already has public bus priority lanes, the weekday peak hour jams at Pioneer Road North will affect 180’s operations, and affect existing 180 passengers, as buses will get stucked at Pioneer Road North and affect the deployment at the other segments.
Therefore, until Bukit Panjang Bus Interchange has space for 180 to terminate, and Pioneer Road North has public bus priority lanes at between Ayer Rajah Expressway and Pioneer MRT Station, 180 and 258 merger is impossible.
Even though got economic benefit, the absence of public bus priority lanes at Pioneer Road North prevents the merger from happening.
Until the government wakes up their idea and set up public bus priority lanes at Pioneer Road North, this is just a dream. Probably will never be realised.