Bedok Bus Interchange

Bedok Bus Interchange is an Integrated Transport Hub (ITH) located at Bedok Town Centre, serving residential areas around Bedok, Tanah Merah, Bedok Reservoir, Upper East Coast and Marine Parade.

The interchange is the seventh air-conditioned bus interchange in Singapore, integrated within Bedok Mall shopping centre and Bedok Residences condominium, and located a short distance away from Bedok MRT Station. Nearby public amenities include Bedok Hawker Centre, Bedok Polyclinic, Bedok Point, Bedok Public Library and Heartbeat @ Bedok.

Currently, SBS Transit is the anchor operator of Bedok Bus Interchange. With the rollout of the Bus Contracting Model (BCM), the future operator of the Bedok Bus Package will take over as anchor operator of this interchange.

Details

The Interchange:

Bedok Bus Interchange is a bus station located in the residential town of Bedok. Connecting with Bedok MRT Station along the East-West MRT Line, the interchange is a transport node for commuters heading in and out of town, allowing for convenient transfers between the rail network and the many bus services at the interchange.

Opened in November 2014, Bedok Bus Interchange was the seventh Integrated Transport Hub (ITH) to be opened in Singapore, after Toa Payoh in May 2002, Sengkang in January 2003, Ang Mo Kio in April 2007, Boon Lay in December 2009, Serangoon in September 2011 and Clementi in November 2011. The interchange is on Level 2, which is directly on top of Bedok Mall (occupying Level 1 to Basement 2), and the upper floors are occupied by the Bedok Residences condominium. Hence, retail, residential and transportation facilities are combined in a single development under one roof.

The interchange has a single vehicular concourse area fully enclosed within the building, with ten sawtooth boarding berths and five linear alighting berths combined with a large bus park. The facility has exactly 56 angled-parking lots for regular 12-metre buses, and an additional 2 parallel-parking bendy bus lots. Separate vehicle entrances and exits lead to traffic light junctions with Bedok North Drive. The air-conditioned passenger concourse features queue lanes at every berth, and automatic sliding glass doors that open only when the bus reaches the berth. Passenger Service Offices are staffed throughout operating hours. At the West side of the interchange, large glass panels allow natural light into the interchange.

The interchange concourse has pedestrian entrance/exits located on all sides, with the main entrance at New Upper Changi Road linking to Bedok MRT station (Exit B).

Historical Background

• 1979 (25 Feb): Bedok Bus Interchange opens
• 1981-83: Given expansion to accommodate more buses
• 1985 (Sep): Additional bus services after closure of Chai Chee Bus Terminal
• 2011 (19 Nov): Shifted to temporary facility west of the original site
• 2014 (30 Nov): New air-conditioned Integrated Transport Hub (ITH) opens, integrated with Bedok Mall & Bedok Residences

A bus terminal for Bedok was established in 1974, when the Housing and Development Board (HDB) built Chai Chee Bus Terminal along New Upper Changi Road (near present-day Block 32) to serve the newly-constructed Chai Chee Estate. Nearby roadside terminals of Opera Estate, Telok Kurau Road, Changi Road/Siglap Road and Joo Chiat Place were gradually closed down as bus routes were rerouted to the new terminal. In addition, a temporary roadside terminal was built at Bedok South Rd in 1975

As Bedok New Town expanded east, a new Bedok Bus Interchange was opened on 25 February 1979, constructed as part of Bedok Town Centre, and situated between Blk 203 and Bedok Food Centre (Blk 207). Like other new towns in that era, the interchange was constructed next to other community facilities such as hawker centres, a public library, town council offices and (later) a cinema. It was also allocated the block number 207A.

In 1981, just two years after its opening, the overcrowded interchange was partially demolished for expansion works. Building on additional land allocated to the interchange by the HDB, the interchange expanded from 1.2 ha to 1.6 ha, built at a cost of S$2.5-million with a capacity for 26 bus services, up from the previous 15 services, in preparation for the relocation of Chai Chee Bus Terminal. The expansion was fully opened on 26 June 1983. Finally, in September 1985, 10 bus services at Chai Chee Bus Terminal were moved to Bedok Bus Interchange over two consecutive Sundays (8 and 15 September 1985) while 4 services were withdrawn. Chai Chee Bus Terminal was demolished to make way for the construction of more HDB flats. A new feeder Service 219 was introduced at Bedok Bus Interchange to cover missing links between Bedok and Chai Chee.

In November 1989, Bedok MRT Station was completed, offering travel alternatives for long-distance commuters. Despite the rationalization of many bus services, Bedok Bus Interchange remained as a transfer point for over 30 bus services. Later in its lifetime, it would also absorb services from Marine Parade Bus Terminal when it closed in September 2001.

After serving residents of Bedok for 32 years, Bedok Bus Interchange closed on 19 November 2011 as part of redevelopment works to develop a air-conditioned interchange integrated with commercial (Bedok Mall) and residential (Bedok Residences) developments over the existing site. That same day, all bus operations were shifted to Bedok Temporary Bus Interchange, built west of the exiting interchange. Minor amendments to bus routes took place with the closure of the interchange entrance along New Upper Changi Road. Several months later, a temporary bus stop was built outside Block 204 in closer proximity to Bedok Town Centre for the benefit of commuters.

On Sunday, 30 November 2014, the Bedok Integrated Transport Hub opened as the seventh ITH in Singapore, integrated within the commercial and residential developments of Bedok Mall and Bedok Residences. That same day, the temporary interchange closed, along with the temporary bus stop outside Block 204.

Electric Bus Charging Infrastructure

Two overhead pantograph chargers were at Bedok Integrated Transport Hub in January 2020. These chargers are intended to support 20 electric buses brought in by ST Engineering and its retrofitted electric bus.

Interchange facilities:

The 1.6 hectare ITH provides air-conditioned access for commuters transferring at the bus interchange and Bedok MRT Station. In addition to being linked to Bedok Mall, there are 400 square metres of commercial space in the ITH for the convenience of commuters. The new interchange is expected to benefit about 40,000 commuters daily.

The new Bedok ITH is Singapore’s first ITH to achieve the Building and Construction Authority’s (BCA) Green Mark Platinum Award. Notable features include energy efficient lighting for the concourse, LED lighting for the driveway and bus park area, as well as a water-cooled air-conditioning system.

Other facilities include:

• Passenger Service Offices (SBS Transit)
• SimplyGo Ticket Office
• SimplyGo Kiosk
• Top Up Kiosk
• Drivers lounge
• NTWU Canteen
• Retail outlets
• Boarding berths with queue lines
• Information board & Bus departure timings display
• Service guide rack
• Retail outlets
• Toilets

Bus Services:

Bus Service 854e serves Bedok Bus Interchange as an alighting point only.

Berth Allocation:

Bedok Integrated Transport Hub (Bus Interchange) has 5 alighting berths (prefixed A) and 10 sawtooth boarding berths (prefixed B).

Gallery:

For more pictures, check out Bedok Bus Interchange: Gallery

External Links & References:

• Interchanges and Terminals – SBS Transit
• New bus interchange – NewspaperSG
• $2.5m for bigger bus centre in Bedok – NewspaperSG
• Chai Chee bus terminal to make way for redevelopment – NewspaperSG
• Old bus terminus – Chai Chee – Bigbus

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