The Tampines Bus Package is one of fourteen bus packages announced under the Bus Contracting Model (BCM).
Currently operated by SBS Transit, operations for this bus package will be taken over by Go-Ahead Singapore from 5 July 2026, as the awarded operator for the Tampines Bus Package.
Upcoming Term: PT220 – Tampines Bus Package (2026 to 2031)
| Contract PT220: Bus Contracting – Tampines Bus Package | |
| Awarded Operator | Go-Ahead Singapore (Tendered as The Go-Ahead Group Limited) |
| Duration | Five years; with the option of 2 to 5 year extension based on good performance |
| Key Dates | Tender Published 19 Dec 2024 | Closed 17 Apr 2025 | Awarded 19 Sep 2025 |
| Commenced Operations |
From 5 Jul 2026 |
| Bus 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, 299, 454 & 513 [28 bus services] |
| Anchor Bus Depot | East Coast Bus Depot |
| Anchor Bus Interchange / Terminal | Tampines Bus Interchange, Tampines Concourse Bus Interchange, Tampines North Bus Interchange, Changi Business Park Bus Terminal |
Bidding Procedure
The first tendered package term for the Tampines Bus Package was put up for tender on 19 December 2024 with the title of Contract PT220: Bus Contracting – Tampines Bus Package.
The number of bus services for this tender (26 existing services as of December 2024 + Service 299 launched in Apr 2025 for a total of 27 bus services), commencement date (July 2026), as well as the anchor bus depot (East Coast Bus Depot as part of the East Coast Integrated Depot) were revealed by a LTA spoksperson in response to queries by Lianhe Zaobao in December 2024.
In addition to the usual quality factors, the LTA spokesperson also revealed that it will also consider the bidders’ plans for operating an electric bus fleet. The plan includes:
- Optimising the deployment of electric buses
- Maintenance of assets such as the electric buses and infrastructure
- Ensuring the safe operation of the electric buses
At closing time on 17 April 2025, bids were submitted by five operators as follows:
| No. | Company | Base | Alternative |
Alternative 2 |
| 1 | Bravo Transport Holdings Limited | ^ | — | — |
| 2 | SBS Transit Ltd | $596,016,898.92 | ^ | — |
| 3 | SMRT Buses Ltd | $613,495,283.00 | — | — |
| 4 | The Go-Ahead Group Limited | $651,343,327.61 | $646,244,809.73 | — |
| 5 | Tower Transit Singapore Pte. Ltd. | $617,021,481.00 | $610,453,915.00 | $615,455,246.00 |
^ = Bravo Transport Holdings Limited’s base bid and SBS Transit Ltd’s alternative bid were not considered in the price evaluation.
According to government procurement site GeBIZ, Bravo Transport Holdings Limited was not shortlisted for this tender.
Contract Award:
On 19 September 2025, LTA awarded the Tampines Bus Package to Go-Ahead Singapore.
The tender submissions were evaluated based on a two-envelope process, which looked at both quality and price factors. The price submissions were only opened after the quality evaluation was completed. This two-envelope process ensures that LTA gets the best value-for-money proposal without compromising on quality.
According to the LTA, it placed greater emphasis on the proposal’s quality, particularly in electric bus operations and maintenance capabilities, given the large-scale electric bus deployment in this package.
The LTA press release cited the reasons for picking Go-Ahead Singapore for the Tampines Bus Package:
- Highest total score for the Tampines Bus Package proposal, taking into account both price and quality factors
- Offered cost savings for LTA compared to the current contract
- Initiatives that would help to raise the industry’s capabilities for large-scale electric bus deployment, building on its UK Group’s experience and expertise in operating the largest fleet of electric buses in London:
— Work with the Singapore Bus Academy to establish a Satellite Centre of Excellence in Singapore to facilitate knowledge transfer and build expertise in electric bus operations for the industry. The centre will develop a team of skilled local electric bus specialists to support Singapore’s transition to a cleaner energy public bus fleet.
— Utilise AI-driven tools to aid Service Controllers in regulating intervals between buses and controlling bus deployment, helping to reduce bus bunching and improve service reliability - Commuter-friendly initiatives, such as ‘Caring Corners’ at bus interchanges and ‘Baby on board’ badges for pregnant commuters
- Programmes to enhance staff welfare through comprehensive programmes focusing on health, safety, and professional development
Tampines Bus Package – Tendered Package (PT220) Timeline
- 2024 (19 Dec): Tender published
- 2025 (17 Apr): Tender closed; 5 bids submitted
- 2025 (19 Sep): Contract awarded to The Go-Ahead Group Limited (Go-Ahead Singapore)
PT207 – Tampines Bus Package (Negotiated Contract Term: 2016 to 2026):
As part of the Bus Contracting Model which was fully implemented in September 2016, LTA entered into a Negotiated Contract with SBS Transit to operate bus services under the Tampines Bus Package until the awarded operator for the open tender of the Tampines Bus Package takes over operations. This was announced to be in Year 2024 by LTA in 2016.
| Contract PT207: Tampines Bus Package (Negotiated Contract) | |
| Operator | SBS Transit Ltd |
| Duration | 01 Sep 2016 – July 2026 (extended by about 1 year 10 months) |
| Bus 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, 299, 454 & 513 (28 bus routes) |
| Handover Date | 5 Jul 2026 (to Contract PT220; First tendered package term) |
| Anchor Bus Depot | Bedok North Bus Depot |
| Anchor Bus Interchange / Terminal | Tampines Bus Interchange, Tampines Concourse Bus Interchange, Tampines North Bus Interchange, Changi Business Park Bus Terminal |
Contract Extension:
In November 2021, as part of the Transition of Downtown Line to Version 2 of the New Rail Financing Framework from January 2022, SBS Transit has 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 after a review with LTA. The five contracts will be extended (by an average of three years) at these revised rates. [LTA Press Release]
As published in an article on The Straits Times, Tampines Bus Package is one of the bus contracts that would be extended at a revised rate. However, the exact duration of the extended was not announced publicly by LTA. This was later revealed to be 1 year 10 months with the publishing of the tendered package in December 2024 for commencement in July 2026.
Bus Services:
| Service | Route | Type |
| 4 | Tampines ↺ Changi North Way | Trunk |
| 10 |
Tampines ↔ Kent Ridge | Trunk |
| 10e |
Bedok Road ⇄ Shenton Way / Anson Road | Express |
| 18 | Tampines North ↔ Bedok North Bus Depot | Trunk |
| 19 |
Tampines ↺ Airport Cargo Road | Trunk |
| 20 |
Tampines ↺ Changi Business Park Avenue 3 | Trunk |
| 23 | Tampines ↺ Rochor Canal Road | Trunk |
| 28 | Tampines ↔ Toa Payoh | Trunk |
| 29 | Tampines ↺ Changi Village | Trunk |
| 31 |
Tampines ↔ Toa Payoh | Trunk |
| 37 | Tampines ↺ Changi North Crescent | Trunk |
| 38 | Tampines ↔ Bedok | Trunk |
| 39 | Tampines Concourse ↔ Yishun | Trunk |
| 47 |
Changi Business Park ↺ Amber Road | Trunk |
| 65 |
Tampines ↔ HarbourFront | Trunk |
| 69 |
Tampines ↺ Bedok | Trunk |
| 72 |
Yio Chu Kang ↔ Tampines | Trunk |
| 81 |
Tampines ↺ Serangoon Central | Trunk |
| 127 |
Tampines ↺ Tampines Industrial Avenue 5 | Trunk |
| 129 |
Tampines North ↔ Saint Michael’s | Trunk |
| 291 |
Tampines ↺ Tampines Street 81 / Tampines Street 32 | Feeder |
| 292 |
Tampines ↺ Tampines Street 22 | Feeder |
| 293 |
Tampines ↺ Tampines Street 71 / Tampines Avenue 7 | Feeder |
| 296 | Tampines ↺ Tampines North Drive 2 | Feeder |
| 298 |
Tampines North ↺ Tampines Avenue 5 | Feeder |
| 299 | Tampines North ↺ Tampines Street 96 | Feeder |
| 454 | Tampines North ↺ Tampines Street 86 | Trunk |
| 513 | Tampines Avenue 5 ⇄ Shenton Way / Anson Road | Express |
Short Trip & Supplementary Bus Services
These services do not add to the overall service count.
| Service | Route | Type |
| 18A | Tampines North → Tampines Avenue 9 (Tampines East Stn Exit D) | Short Trip |
| 20A |
Simei Street 1 (Blk 148) → Changi South Avenue 1 (Expo Stn Exit B) | Short Trip |
| 29A | Tampines → Tampines Avenue 7 (Blk 497D) | Short Trip |
| 31A | Tampines → New Upp Changi Road (Tanah Merah Stn Exit A) | Short Trip |
| 39A |
Pasir Ris Central (Opp Pasir Ris Stn Exit B) → Jalan Kayu (Aft Seletar Camp G) | Short Trip |
| 39B |
Punggol Way (Blk 220C) → Pasir Ris Central (Pasir Ris Stn Exit B) | Short Trip |
| 72A |
Yio Chu Kang → Hougang Central (Opp Hougang Ctrl Int) | Short Trip |
| 72B |
Yio Chu Kang → Ang Mo Kio Avenue 5 (ITE Coll Ctrl) | Short Trip |
| 127A |
Tampines → Tampines North Drive 1 (Opp Blk 610C) | Short Trip |
| 129A | Tampines Avenue 1 (Temasek Poly East G) → Bartley Road (Bartley Stn Exit A) | Short Trip |
| 129B | Bartley Road (Gambir Ridge) → Tampines Avenue 1 (Opp Temasek Poly East G) | Short Trip |
| 291T |
Tampines ↺ Tampines Street 81 / Tampines Street 32 | Terminating Trip |
| 293T | Tampines ↺ Tampines Street 71 / Tampines Avenue 7 | Terminating Trip |
Tampines Bus Package – Negotiated Contract (PT207) Timeline
- 2016 (11 Aug): Tampines Bus Package mentioned as one of 11 Negotiated Contract (NC) Packages, and operated by SBS Transit.
- 2018 (12 Aug): Terminating trips for 291 & 293 renumbered as 291T & 293T
- 2020 (08 Apr): Bus Services 10e, 513 & 2N temporarily suspended due to Singapore COVID-19 Circuit Breaker Measures.
- 2020 (02 Jun): Resumption of Bus Services 10e & 513. Bus Service 2N remain suspended.
- 2020 (11 Oct): Service 127 amended to Tampines North Dr 1 & Tampines Ave 11. Service 127A amended to terminate at Tampines North Drive 1 (Opp Blk 610C)
- 2021 (Nov): Announcement of extension of bus contract at a revised rate by SBS Transit / LTA as part of the Transition of Downtown Line to Version 2 of the New Rail Financing Framework from January 2022; exact duration of extension has not been announced publicly by LTA.
- 2021 (12 Dec): Service 22 transferred to Serangoon-Eunos Bus Package with its route amendment
- 2022 (30 Jun): Bus Service 2N withdrawn
- 2024 (28 Apr): Bus Service 296 added
- 2024 (27 May): Short Trip bus services 20A, 39A & 39B added
- 2024 (26 Aug): Short Trip bus services 129A & 129B added
- 2024 (09 Dec): Express Feeder service 298X added
- 2025 (27 Apr): Feeder service 299 added
- 2025 (15 Sep): Short Trip Service 18A added
- 2025 (24 Nov): Service 298X renumbered to Service 454
External Links & References:
- Bus Industry to complete transition to BCM on 1 Sep 2016 – LTA
- Transition of Downtown Line to New Rail Financing Framework Version Two – LTA
- Downtown Line to transition to new rail financing framework from January 2022 – The Straits Times
- 淡滨尼巴士配套开放竞标 陆交局注重电动车队运营提案 – Zaobao
- 淡滨尼巴士配套开放竞标 陆交局注重电动车队运营提案 | Lianhe Zaobao [Published 25 Dec 2024]
- Contract to run 27 public bus routes in Tampines from 2026 up for bidding | The Straits Times [Published 30 Dec 2024]
- LTA Awards Tampines Bus Package to Go-Ahead Singapore – Land Transport Authority [Published 19 Sep 2025]
- Go-Ahead expands in Singapore with major new contract – The Go-Ahead Group [Published 19 Sep 2025]
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