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
Now,If other operators beside SMRT win Sembawang-Yishun package for this month,They have less than two months before starts of operation.LTA should stop playing cat and mouse game or just simply award to SMRT.
I predict SBW-YIS bus fleets will be
B1/B2/B3 A22 Euro V & B1 A22 Euro VI
OC500LE & Citaro
A24 for 858
Volvo B9TL from KJ/WL
Enviro500
B2/B3 A95 Euro V & B1 A95 Euro VI
I honestly don’t think LTA allow the B5LH to be opreated by other operators beside SBST/SMRT.
Most probably the C6 also taken and use 12m instead.
For Bulim
B1/B2 A22 Euro V
Citaro
E12
Few B1 A22 Euro VI for 944/991
Volvo B9TL
Enviro500
Few B1 A95 Euro VI for 991.
Sembawang-Yishun 2 new service I highly suspect one Sembawang feeder and one Yishun trunk/Express with SBST 860 just loop inside Yishun Int to make space.
For Bulim either Bukit Batok express service or Jurong East new trunk.
Imagine if SMRT lose Mandai and those SMB Citaros will be spread to both Kranji & Woodlands depots.Woodlands feeders will see the deployment of OC500LEs too.
I suspect SBW-YIS will have a new SBW feeder a new trunk from Yishun and Bulim will have a new trunk from Bukit Batok.