The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has put up a call for a tender for the Bulim and Sembawang-Yishun Bus Packages on 29 November 2019.
The Sembawang-Yishun Bus Package marks the fifth tendered contract for the bus contracting model, while the Bulim Bus Package is currently up for its second term under the bus contracting model.
Under the Bus Contracting Model, bus routes were bundled into bus packages, consisting of a single bus depot, several bus interchanges, the bus routes and the buses themselves. With all bus infrastructure belonging to the Government, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) would contract out the bus package, select a bus operator (through a competitive tendering process), and lease these assets to the new operator.
As part of the transition, all existing bus services in Singapore (previously operated by long-standing duopoly between SBS Transit and SMRT Buses) were divided up into 14 route packages, operating under a negotiated contract with the incumbent operator until the Bus Package is tendered out competitively.
The Bulim Bus Package was first awarded to Tower Transit in May 2015, while the Sembawang-Yishun Bus Package has been operated by SMRT Buses under a negotiated contract since September 2016.
In a response by LTA to The Straits Times, this contract includes 29 routes in the Bulim Bus Package and 27 routes in the Sembawang-Yishun Bus Package. However, the bus service numbers of these routes were not mentioned back then.
Contract PT217: Bus Contracting – Bulim and Sembawang-Yishun Bus Packages involves three components, where tenderers are required to submit bids for.
- Bulim Bus Package
- Sembawang-Yishun Bus Package
- Combined bid for Bulim Bus Package & Sembawang-Yishun Bus Package
The tender closed on 30 March 2020, at 4:00pm sharp.
Bidding Procedure
According to tender details as published on government procurement portal GeBIZ, bids were submitted by 5 hopeful operators. namely:
| S/No | Country | Tenderer |
| 1. | China | Guangzhou Public Transportation Group No.3 Bus Co., Ltd |
| 2. | Local | SBS Transit Ltd |
| 3. | Local | SMRT Buses Ltd |
| 4. | Local | The Go-Ahead Group Plc |
| 5. | Local | Tower Transit Singapore Pte. Ltd. |
This is the first time that Guangzhou Public Transportation Group No.3 Bus Co., Ltd is participating in a local bus package tender. Chinese companies have participated in all previous rounds of bus package tenders, either tendered as standalone companies or in joint venture with local companies.
All four other tenderers (SBS Transit, SMRT Buses, Go-Ahead and Tower Transit) are incumbent operators.
See Also:
Tender Award
On 30 September 2020, the tender was awarded to Tower Transit Singapore Pte Ltd.
Main Article: Tower Transit awarded Bulim and Sembawang-Yishun Bus Packages
I got a feeling SMRT will transfer 8 A22 E6 & 10 A95 E6 for service 944 & 991 to Bulim and TTS will transfer 7 A22 E5 & 5 E500 for service 974 to CCK—BPJ..
TTS should lease 2 more A22 E6 & 2 A95 E6 for spare buses.
Honestly i would prefer TTS wins both Sembawang~Yishun & Bulim packages while SMRT win Sengkang~Hougang and a new foreign operator bag the Loyang package.Why?Because there will be no guarantee status-quo just because the NEL is under SBST Doesnt mean the bus package should be under them and vice-versa for TEL.
Come 2023,Seletar,Bukit Merah & Bedok will be retain by SBST,Woodlands retain by SMRT and the Loyang winner will bag Choa Chu Kang~Bukit Panjang.
For 2024,SBST will retain both Tampines & Jurong West bus packages.
In 2025,SBST bag the Serangoon~Eunos and SMRT win the Clementi package.
Bishan~Toa Payoh will definately goes to SBST.
In conclusion SBST will have 50% control of the bus packages with Seletar,Bedok,Bukit Merah,Tampines,Jurong West,Serangoon~Eunos,
SMRT will control Sengkang~Hougang,Woodlands & Clementi.
TTS will have Sembawang~Yishun & Bulim.
New operator will have Loyang & Choa Chu Kang~Bukit Panjang.
If this happens then it would be suffice
Logically,Do you think LTA want to award the incumbents stronghold to foreign operators?
SBS Transit and SMRT Corporation will still hold majority of buses and trains because it’s also involved important shareholders.
SBS Transit will retain Sengkang-Hougang,Bukit Merah,Serangoon-Eunos,Tampines,Bishan-Toa Payoh,Bedok but will lose Seletar and gain CCK-BPJ.
SMRT will retain Sembawang-Yishun & Woodlands but probably will lose Choa Chu Kang-Bukit Panjang to SBST but again will gain Jurong West.
Tower Transit will retain Bulim and likely will win Loyang.
A new operator will get Seletar & Clementi in future.
Tower Transit will retain Bulim and win Loyang thus ending Go~Ahead Singapore operations.SMRT will retain Sembawang~Yishun for sure.
2023
SBS Transit will retain Seletar and Bukit Merah much like SMRT retain Choa Chu Kang~Bukit Panjang and Woodlands.A new European operator will win Bedok package.
2024
SBS Transit will retain Tampines but lose out Jurong West to the new European operator that win Bedok.
2025
Tower Transit will win Serangoon~Eunos and SBS Transit will retain Clementi.
2026
SBS Transit will win Bishan~Toa Payoh for sure.
There might be a slight change in rail operators too,finger crossed.
For this packages i think LTA should exclude SBST from bidding as they have bag 2 packages in a row previously..They can only bid next year for the SKG-HGN & LYG packages.
I’d prefer SBST to sit out of Hougang.
Yes much as i like SMRT lose Mandai and take Loyang instead.GAS should take Sengkang and Choa Chu Kang while TTS take Mandai and Bulim..
Yup. Later bag 2 much