Commuters will soon be able to hail a bus with a mobile app, as part of a new six-month On-Demand Public Bus (ODPB) trial commencing on Monday, 17 December 2018.
Through a mobile application, commuters will be able to request pick-ups and drop-offs at any bus stop within a defined operating area. Previously, boarding and alighting stops were confined to those served by fixed bus routes. The ODPB trial, which was initiated by the Land Transport Authority (LTA), is intended to make the commute more seamless and convenient than the fixed bus routes of today.
On-Demand Public Buses are being introduced to the Joo Koon and Marina Bay / Downtown areas, spanning catchment areas currently served by five bus routes. The areas served currently experience low demand for bus services during off-peak hours, and commuters might be better served if these services are converted to on-demand services. In addition, the OBDP will be extended to CBD to Bedok & Tampines areas presently served by NightRider NR7, on Fridays, Saturdays & Eve of Public Holidays (from 4 January 2019 only).
Bus Services
Seven bus services were identified for the trial back in August 2017. Services 84 and 382 were eventually excluded from the final trial, and NR7 was added.
ODPB Services will be operated using single deck Public Service Buses, with the bus registration number and a unique service number provided to commuters who book an on-demand bus trip through a designated App. The services will bear a two-character prefix followed by an assigned number (e.g. JK-1, JK2, MD-1, etc.)
Trials will begin on 17 December 2018 for Joo Koon and Marina Bay / Downtown areas, and 4 January 2019 for the Night route. The ODPB trial will end on 15 June 2019.
| Area / Mobile App | Service | Route |
| Joo Koon (BusGo) | 253 | Joo Koon Int ↺ Benoi Rd (Loop) |
| 255 | Joo Koon Int ↺ Gul Cres (Loop) | |
| 257 | Joo Koon Int ↺ Pioneer Sector 2 (Loop) | |
| Marina Bay / Downtown (BusNow) | 400 | Shenton Way Ter ↺ Marina Gardens Dr (Loop) |
| 402 | Shenton Way Ter ↺ Marina Coastal Dr (Loop) | |
| CBD to Bedok & Tampines (BusNow) | NR7 | Marina Centre Ter → Loyang Avenue (Opp Blk 275) |
Commuters using the service in Joo Koon will need to download the BusGo app by Via Transportation. For the Marina-Downtown and CBD-East areas, commuters will need the BusNow app by Ministry of Movement (Swat).
Trial Period
The ODPB trial will only be conducted during weekday off-peak hours. During the trial, the scheduled bus services will continue to be operated at lower frequencies, for the benefit of commuters who are unfamiliar with the new bus services. Note that NR7 will not be operating during the trial period, and commuters can take Nite Owl 2N and 4N to travel to Bedok, Tampines or Pasir Ris.
Revised operating frequencies for the trial bus services are:
| Service | Revised Frequency hours | Revised Frequency |
| 253 | 1100hrs—1500hrs & 2030hrs—2330hrs | 30 minutes |
| 255 | 1100hrs—1500hrs & 2030hrs—2315hrs | 30 minutes (Afternoon) 25-30 minutes (Evening) |
| 257 | 1100hrs—1500hrs & 2030hrs—2330hrs | 30 minutes |
| 400 | 1020hrs—1500hrs & 2010hrs—2330hrs | 40 minutes |
| 402 | 1100hrs—1500hrs & 1945hrs—2345hrs | 40 minutes |
| NR7 | No Operation. Check out Guide to NightRider/Nite Owl Services for more night bus directions. | |
Exact departure timings for the fixed-route buses during the trial period:
Exact Departure Times (Click to expand)
| Service | Exact Departure Times (during ODPB hours) |
| 253 | 1100 1130 1200 1230 1300 1330 1400 1430 1500, then every 10-14 mins until 2030 2100 2130 2200 2230 2300 2330 |
| 255 | 1100 1130 1200 1230 1300 1330 1400 1430 1500, then every 7-12 mins until 2030 2055 2120 2145 2215 2245 2315 |
| 257 | 1100 1130 1200 1230 1300 1330 1400 1430 1500, then every 6-11 mins until 2014 2030 2100 2130 2200 2230 2300 2330 |
| 400 | 1020 1100 1140 1220 1300 1340 1420 1500, then every 14-20mins until 2010 2050 2130 2210 2250 2330 |
| 402 | 1100 1140 1220 1300 1340 1420 1500, then every 14-20mins until 1945 2025 2105 2145 2225 2305 2345 |
See Also:
- On-Demand Public Bus
- GrabShuttle Plus – On-Demand Bus Service Trial
– Privately operated on-demand bus service since November 2017
External Links & References:
- Hail a Public Bus with Your App! – LTA
- LTA Awards First Phase of Tender for On-Demand Bus Services Trial – LTA
- LTA Awards Second Phase of Contract for On-Demand Public Buses Trial For More Seamless And Convenient Bus Journeys – LTA
- Trial of on-demand public bus services to start in December – The New Paper
- Six-Month Trial for On-Demand Public Buses to Start on 17 December 2018 – LTA
- Coming soon: Buses on demand in Marina-Downtown, Joo Koon, and from CBD to the east – Today Online
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