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
Two reasons why no foreign operators interested,One is COVID19 and another looking at the way LTA awarded the past two packages to SBST anyway i still believe RATP Dev Asia and Keolis will make a comeback next year.I assume after 2026 the BCM will be scrapped and only two “Foreign operators will be permanently given two contracts each for them to handle for a longer period of time and who knows the Jurong Region Line & Cross Island Line also goes to them?
My assumption will be like
SBS Transit Limited operations will be Sengkang-Hougang,Seletar,Bedok,Choa Chu Kang-Bukit Panjang,Bukit Merah & Bishan-Toa Payoh as well as EastWest Line,NorthEast Line & Sengkang-Punggol LRT.
For SMRT Corporation Limited operations will be Sembawang-Yishun,Woodlands,Serangoon-Eunos & Clementi as well as the NorthSouth Line,Circle Line,Downtown Line,Thomson-East Coast Line & Bukit Panjang LRT.
For Go-Ahead Singapore Pte Limited operations will be Bulim,Tampines and the Jurong Region Line.
For RATP Dev Singapore or other Euro operators will be Loyang,Jurong West & Cross Island Line.
There will be no more BCM after 2026
Isn’t the last package getting farmed out in 2026? That means BCM is here to stay.
Yes,After that who knows the BCM will be scrapped to save more cost?Or at least extend the contract to 7 years and 3 years of good performance.
Yup. ☝️ I agree with you.
Now still got foreign operators interested? Even local players like Woodlands Transport also lost hope already. Anyway, is this meant to be a blanket bid like the one won by Tower Transit in WA (Claremont-Marmion-Joondalup)?
My preference will be like this
Sembawang-Yishun & Bulim>TTS
Sengkang-Hougang>GAS
Loyang>SMRT
Seletar>SMRT
Bedok,Choa Chu Kang-Bukit Panjang & Woodlands>SBST
Bukit Merah>SMRT
Tampines>SBST
Jurong West>GAS
Serangoon-Eunos>TTS
Clementi>SBST
Bishan-Toa Payoh>SBST
East West Line,NorthEast Line & Sengkang/Punggol LRT>SBST
NorthSouth Line,Circle Line,Thomson-East Coast Line,Cross Island Line & Bukit Panjang LRT>SMRT
Downtown Line>GAS
Jurong Region Line>TTS
Correct,assumptions after assumptions.
Those SBST worshippers always think SBST is the best when most of them aren’t BCs at all.
I don’t like the idea of SBST monopoly the bus sector i have enough of SMRT monopoly the rail system.I still respect both of them are the pioneers here but again let’s have fair and transparent competition not by having favourism and i had enough of status quo packages like the Bukit Merah & Woodlands tenders.
Worse to worse just let SBST have Sengkang-Hougang/Seletar/Choa Chu Kang-Bukit Panjang/Bedok/Bukit Merah & Serangoon-Eunos.
SMRT with Sembawang-Yishun/Woodlands & Clementi.
TTS with Bulim & Tampines.
GAS or new operator with Loyang & Jurong West.
I think is better if SBST operate the EastWest Line over Downtown Line and let GAS or future operator take over DTL instead.
TTS should learn rail operations and operate the Jurong Region Line instead and Cross Island goes to SMRT.
I agree 2. Sometimes LTA will make every package possible to SBST.
These are just assumptions… We shall see when they release the results within the next 3-6 months…
They will announce the results by Mid year not 3-6 months.1st of September is the operation day for SBW-YIS and Bulim is on May 2021.
1st Sept 2020>Sembawang-Yishun
29th May 2021>Bulim
1st Sept 2021>Sengkang-Hougang
4th Sept 2021>Loyang
18th March 2023>Seletar
1st Sept 2023>Bedok,Choa Chu Kang-Bukit Panjang & Woodlands
18th Nov 2023>Bukit Merah
1st Sept 2024>Tampines & Jurong West
1st Sept 2025>Serangoon-Eunos & Clementi
1st Sept 2026>Bishan-Toa Payoh
I wonder why LTA nego contract with SBST for so long?To keep in power?By right in 2023 every balance contract has to be bid else defeat the purpose of BCM.
Looks like Bulim operator always has the most time to get ready.
Anyway, Tengah Depot won’t be ready till 2023 so CCK package has to wait. Ditto for Tampines and Serangoon as these will be based out of East Coast and Kim Chuan depots respectively. EC won’t be ready till the full length of TEL is complete. A new depot is currently built in Sengkang West which may be the replacement for HGDEP. It is possible HG will only focus on bus assembly next time once both the SKW and Kim Chuan facilities are up and running.