Introduction:
The Jurong Town Bus Services Rationalisation of 1978 was a major change to bus routes serving the Jurong region from a point-to-point network of bus services to a hub-and-spoke network operating out of Jurong Bus Interchange. Instead of plying lengthy routes within the estate, Trunk routes were rerouted, with their deleted sectors replaced by a new series of Feeder bus services.
Initiated on 1st June 1978, the bus plan coincided with the opening of the then-newly opened Jurong Bus Interchange, located at the junction of Jurong Port Road and Jalan Ahmad Ibrahim. The interchange was subsequently relocated to Jurong West Central 3, coinciding with the opening of Boon Lay MRT station and the new Jurong West Town Centre.
| Town Name | Jurong West | 裕廊西 |
| Bus Interchanges / Terminal |
|
| BCM Route Packages |
|
| Operators |
|
| Originating Bus Services | 30, 79, 99, 154, 157, 172, 174, 174e, 178, 179, 180, 181/181M, 182/182M, 187, 192, 193, 194, 198, 199, 240, 241, 242, 243G/243W, 246, 247, 248/248M, 249, 251, 252, 253, 254, 255, 257, 258/258M, 405, 974 |
| Passing-Through Bus Services | 98/98M, 185, 240M, 502/502A, 651 |
The Changes:
From 1st June 1978, bus operations in Jurong were re-routed from a point-to-point network of bus services to a hub-and-spoke network. Existing trunk services would no longer make long rounds around Jurong Town. Instead, they would take the shortest route from the new bus Interchange at Jurong, following a series of simple route patterns.
To replace lost connections, 14 new residential and industrial Feeder services were introduced, plying the shortest route to and from the Bus Interchange. These services were:
- Residential Feeder Services
- Service 240: Jurong Int ↺ Boon Lay Place (Amended from Boon Lay Gdns Ter)
- Service 241: Jurong Int ↺ Teban Gardens Road
- Service 242: Jurong Int ↺ Kang Ching Road
- Service 244: Jurong Int ↺ Boon Lay Drive
- Industrial Feeder Services
- Service 245: Jurong Int ↺ Pandan Road (Amended from Boon Lay Gdns Ter)
- Service 246: Jurong Int ↺ Boon Lay Drive (Amended from Boon Lay Gdns Ter)
- Service 247: Jurong Int ↺ Jurong Pier Road
- Service 248: Jurong Int ↺ Neythal Road
- Service 249: Jurong Int ↺ Jalan Samulun
- Service 250: Jurong Int ↺ Sixth Lokyang Road
- Service 251: Jurong Int ↺ Refinery Road
- Service 253: Jurong Int ↺ Benoi Road
- Service 255: Jurong Int ↺ Gul Circle
- Service 257: Jurong Int ↺ Gul Road
Existing Feeder services 202, 203, 204, 205 & 254 were withdrawn on the same day.
To enhance accessibility within Jurong Town to other parts of Singapore, as well as key amenities in Jurong, 6 other bus services were also implemented as part of the rationalisation plan:
- External Trunk Service
- Service 197: Jurong Int ↔ Geylang Fringe Car Park
- Internal School Service to Nanyang University (from 3 Jul 1978)
- Service 199: Jurong Int ↺ Nanyang University
- Internal Recreational Services (from 4 Jun 1978)
- Service 404: Jurong Int ↺ Singapore Science Centre
- Service 405: Jurong Int ↺ Jurong Bird Park
- Service 406: Jurong Int ↺ Chinese / Japanese Gardens
- Internal Shuttle Service to Pasir Laba Camp (from 3 Jun 1978)
- Service 450: Jurong Int ↺ Pasir Laba Camp
In addition, the new Jurong Bus Interchange was designed to offer a pleasant environment for bus passengers to transfer and wait for their buses. Outside of Jurong, three out of eleven bus services operating from the Interchange received amendments.
Reasons for the changes:
Main reasons for the big changes in bus routes for Jurong was highlighted by SBS.
In a statement issued by then-SBS chairman, Dr. Tony Tan, he added that the rationalisation of bus services in Jurong aims to strike a happy balance between the varied expectations of bus commuters and the operational constraints faced by the company, in order to provide the public with a better service at a reasonable cost.
At the same time, SBS also implemented a slew of other initiatives to enhance Jurong’s public bus network, such as the launch of non-transferable concession passes with a $5 monthly stamp for regular commuters of the feeder services, as well as the increase in the number of buses serving the industrial feeder services from 85 to 89 buses per peak hour.
Route changes within Jurong:
Two simple route patterns would be adopted:
- East bound services will leave the Town via Jalan Ahmad Ibrahim.
- Service 10, 30, 154, 165, 178, 183, 184, 192, 196, 197 and 198 will leave via Jln Ahmad Ibrahim
- North bound services will leave the Town via Corporation Road.
- Service 206 will leave via Corporation Road
Route changes outside of Jurong:
Changes will only be made to 4 out of the 15 existing bus services serving Jurong.
- Service 42 withdrawn
- Service 154 amended to skip Toa Payoh New Town by plying Jln Toa Payoh & MacPherson Rd
- Service 176 withdrawn from Jurong: Amended as Clementi ↔ Crawford St
- Service 178 amended to ply Old Jurong Rd, skipping Jln Jurong Kechil & Upp Bt Timah Rd
- Service 183 amended to terminate at New Bridge Road Bus Terminal, instead of South Canal Bus Terminal
- Service 209 withdrawn from Jurong: Amended as C’wealth Ave ↔ Crawford St
No changes were made to Services 10, 30, 157, 165, 183, 184, 196, 198 and 206 outside of Jurong Town.
In addition, a new external Service 197 was launched, connecting Jurong residents with North Bridge Road, Chinatown and Jalan Bukit Merah.
New Feeder Services:
| Service | Route |
| 240 | Jurong Int, Jurong Port Rd, Corporation Rd, Yung Ho Rd, Corporation Dr, Corporation Rd, Boon Lay Dr, Boon Lay Pl, Boon Lay Ave, Corporation Rd, Jurong Rd, Jln Boon Lay, Boon Lay Ave, Boon Lay Dr, Corporation Rd, Corporation Dr, Yung Ho Rd, Corporation Rd, Jurong Port Rd and Jurong Int. |
| 241 | Jurong Int, Jurong Port Rd, Jln Ahmad Ibrahim, Jurong Town Hall Rd, Teban Gdns Rd, Penjuru Rd, West Coast Rd, Jurong Town Hall Rd, Jln Ahmad Ibrahim, Jurong Port Rd and Jurong Int. |
| 242 | Jurong Int, Jurong Port Rd, Corporation Rd, Yung Ho Rd, Corporation Dr, Ho Ching Rd, Yuan Ching Rd, Kang Ching Rd, Corporation Dr, Yung Ho Rd, Corporation Rd, Jurong Port Rd and Jurong Int. |
| 244 | Jurong Int, Jurong Port Rd, Corporation Rd, Boon Lay Dr, Boon Lay Pl, Boon Lay Ave, Boon Lay Dr, Corporation Rd, Jurong Port Rd and Jurong Int. |
| 245 | Jurong Int, Jurong Port Rd, Jln Ahmad Ibrahim, Jurong Town Hall Rd, Teban Gdns Rd, Penjuru Rd, Tg Penjuru, Jln Buroh, Pandan Rd, Jln Buroh, Tg Penjuru, Penjuru Rd, Teban Gdns Rd, Jurong Town Hall Rd, Jln Ahmad Ibrahim, Jurong Port Rd and Jurong Int. |
| 246 | Jurong Int, Jurong Port Rd, Corporation Rd, Jln Tukang, Quality Rd, Chin Bee Ave, Third Chin Bee Rd, International Rd, Corporation Rd, Yung Ho Rd, Corporation Dr, Corporation Rd, Boon Lay Dr, Boon Lay Pl, Boon Lay Ave, Boon Lay Dr, Corporation Rd, Corporation Dr, Yung Ho Rd, Jln Tukang, Quality Rd, Chin Bee Ave, Third Chin Bee Rd, International Rd, Corporation Rd, Jurong Port Rd and Jurong Int. |
| 247 | Jurong Int, Jurong Port Rd, Jln Tepong, Fishery Port Rd, Jln Buroh, Jurong Pier Rd and U-turn at Jurong Town Pier, back along Jurong Pier Rd, Jln Buroh, Fishery Port Rd, Jln Tepong, Jurong Port Rd and Jurong Int. |
| 248 | Jurong Int, Jurong Port Rd, Jln Ahmad Ibrahim, Jln Boon Lay, Tractor Rd, International Rd, Fan Yoong Rd, Wan Lee Rd, Enterprise Rd, Kwong Min Rd, Soon Lee Rd, International Rd, Neythal Rd, International Rd, Tractor Rd, Jln Ahmad Ibrahim, Jurong Port Rd and Jurong Int. |
| 249 | Jurong Int, Jurong Port Rd, Jln Ahmad Ibrahim, Jurong Pier Rd, Jln Buroh, Tg Kling Rd, U-turn at Jurong Shipyard, back along Tg Kling Rd, Shipyard Rd, Jln Samulun, Shipyard Rd, Tg Kling Rd, U-turn at Jurong Shipyard, back along Tg Kling Rd, Jln Buroh, Jurong Pier Rd, Jln Ahmad Ibrahim, Jurong Port Rd and Jurong Int. |
| 250 | Jurong Int, Jurong Port Rd, Jln Ahmad Ibrahim, Pioneer Rd, International Rd, Sixth Lokyang Rd, Lokyang Way, Pioneer Rd, Jln Ahmad Ibrahim, Jurong Port Rd and Jurong Int. |
| 251 | Jurong Int, Jurong Port Rd, Jln Ahmad Ibrahim, Pioneer Rd, Liu Fang Rd, Tg Kling Rd, Pioneer Rd, Shipyard Rd, Refinery Rd, Shipyard Rd, Pioneer Rd, Tg Kling Rd, Liu Fang Rd, Pioneer Rd, Jln Ahmad Ibrahim, Jurong Port Rd and Jurong Int. |
| 253 | Jurong Int, Jurong Port Rd, Jln Ahmad Ibrahim, Benoi Sector, Benoi Rd, Pioneer Rd, Benoi Rd, Benoi Sector, Jln Ahmad Ibrahim, Jurong Port Rd and Jurong Int. |
| 255 | Jurong Int, Jurong Port Rd, Jln Ahmad Ibrahim, Gul Way, Gul Circle, Gul Way, Jln Ahmad Ibrahim, Jurong Port Rd and Jurong Int. |
| 257 | Jurong Int, Jurong Port Rd, Jln Buroh, Tg Kling Rd, Pioneer Rd, Gul Rd, Pioneer Sector 2, Pioneer Sector 1, Pioneer Sector 3, Gul Rd, Pioneer Rd, Tg Kling Rd, Jln Buroh, Jurong Port Rd and Jurong Int. |
Summary of Post-Amendment Bus Routes in Jurong:
- 10: Jurong – Robinson Road – Upper Changi Road
- 30: Jurong – Robinson Road – Kampong Chai Chee
- 154: Jurong – Jalan Toa Payoh – MacPherson Estate
- 157: Jurong – Bukit Timah Road – Toa Payoh
- 165: Jurong – Adam Road – Ang Mo Kio
- 178: Jurong – Jurong Road – Upper Bukit Timah Road
- 183: Jurong – Commonwealth Avenue – New Bridge Road
- 184: Jurong – Upper Ayer Rajah Road – Telok Blangah Way
- 196: Jurong – Dover Road – Prince Edward Road
- 197: Jurong – Jalan Bukit Merah – Geylang
- 198: Jurong – Clemenceau Avenue – Sims Place
- 206: Jurong – Jalan Bahar – Lim Chu Kang Road
More detailed information for operational bus services can be found in the Historical Routes of Bus Services article.