The East Coast Bus Depot (ECBD) Official Opening & Carnival, also called the ECBD Carnival, was held on Sunday, 27 September 2026. It was organised by Go-Ahead Singapore, the current operator of the Tampines Bus Package, which operates out of the depot.
The official opening ceremony was held at around 12pm, and featured Minister of State for Transport Baey Yam Keng, alongside representatives from Go-Ahead Singapore and other stakeholders.
Event Details
Registration links for the free event were released by Go-Ahead Singapore on social media on 11 September 2026. Participants could register for either the morning session (9am–12pm) or afternoon session (12pm–3pm). All tickets appeared to have been snapped up within an hour of their release, and an additional batch of tickets released on 15 September was also fully subscribed.
Registered participants were issued a QR Code, which granted them admission to the event. Participants were also provided with an event card, which could be used to redeem drinks, snacks and a goodie bag during the carnival. The event card also entitled participants to take part in a lucky draw.
A 2-way shuttle bus service was provided for registered participants between Tampines Bus Interchange (Berth A1) and East Coast Bus Depot, operating at 15-minute intervals. Buses depart Tampines from 8.45 AM to 2.15 PM.
Carnival Booth Highlights
The carnival featured information booths such as from Go-Ahead Singapore and TransCom, while a bus driving simulator was set up in an adjacent room.
For younger visitors, the carnival featured a children’s bouncy castle, game booths, an instant photo booth, and face painting.
Stage programmes such as live magic performances were also held during the carnival.
Static Bus Displays
2 buses were displayed at the carnival.
ChattyBus
One of the buses was a new BYD BC12A04 electric bus (SG3238A), which was displayed as the ChattyBus, an initiative by Go-Ahead Singapore aimed at connecting people and communities by encouraging conversations and social connections. The bus featured stickers and exterior branding highlighting the initiative.
The ChattyBus initiative is part of a wider programme by the Go-Ahead Group, which had previously been implemented by its bus operating companies in other countries. At the carnival, visitors had the opportunity to chat with Go-Ahead Singapore staff and Caring Commuter Champions onboard the bus.
The ChattyBus exterior decals were removed from SG3238A shortly after the event, with the bus spotted the day after the carnival with all exterior decals removed.
Mercedes-Benz Citaro
A standard, unrefurbished Mercedes-Benz Citaro diesel bus (SG1144A) was also displayed at the carnival. More than 1,100 Citaro buses operate in Singapore, and all four public bus operators operate Citaro buses in their fleets.
This bus represented a somewhat unexpected addition to the carnival, with no special features being showcased.
Depot Tour / Bus Wash
Two Mercedes-Benz Citaro buses were used for the Depot Tour / Bus Wash experience, with tours scheduled at 20-minute intervals. A guide accompanied participants on the bus and provided a narrated overview of the depot’s operations and facilities.
The bus tour drove participants up to the third and fourth floors of the depot, showcasing depot facilities on the upper levels, including the electric bus charging bays. Heading back down to the first floor, the bus tour passed by the refuelling bay and passed through the depot’s automated bus wash before coming to an end.
Although the carnival area was confined to a limited portion of the depot, participants were nevertheless able to visit and observe depot facilities such as the workshop, refuelling bay, automated bus wash and bus parking areas.
However, as ECBD is an operational bus depot, several areas that have previously been open to visitors during past depot carnivals were out of bounds. These included the canteen, bus captain rest area and Operations Control Centre (OCC).
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