The Bus Connectivity Enhancement Programme, or BCEP for short, was launched on 30 July 2024 by the Land Transport Authority (LTA).
The BCEP will allocate an additional $900 million from 2024 to 2032, for the purchase of new buses and infrastructural improvements, and to fund the operating cost of new bus services.
Initiatives under BCEP for Bus Services are:
- Improvement to bus services to address changing travel patterns
- Introduction of more peak-hour express bus services
- Speeding up the introduction of new bus services in new estates
- Introduction of “express feeder” bus services
The BCEP logo was first unveiled within the City Direct 673 poster in September 2024, carrying the tagline “Connecting People, Improving Journeys”.
BCEP – Bus Services
Bus Service Improvements
Under the BCEP, bus services will be improved in response to changing travel patterns through measures such as:
- Adding more trips
- Adjusting routes
- Introduction of new bus services
An example cited by LTA is the upcoming extension of an existing bus service to connect residents in Toa Payoh East to Caldecott MRT Station by the end of 2024. This was later revealed in December 2024 to be Bus Service 230 in which the implementation was delayed to February 2025.
Peak-hour Express Bus Services
More peak-hour express bus services will be introduced under the BCEP to complement busier MRT lines. These include City Direct services, which connect residential estates with the CBD via expressways.
The first of these peak-hour services introduced was City Direct 673, which commenced service in October 2024, connecting Punggol with the CBD.
New Bus Services in New Estates
Under the BCEP, residents of new housing estates will be better served by the expedited introduction of new bus services in anticipation of growing demand.
An example cited by LTA was the aim to introduce a new bus service connecting residents in new and upcoming BTO developments in Yishun East to nearby Khatib MRT station by end- September 2024. This was later announced as Service 861, which commenced service on 15 September 2024.
Express Feeder Bus Services
A new category of bus service, the “express feeder”, was launched under the BCEP to enhance connectivity for residents in estates with areas located farther away from major transport nodes and town centres. These services will take more direct routes with fewer intermediate stops than regular feeder bus services, reducing residents’ travel time for the first and last mile of their journeys from major transport nodes.
An example cited by LTA was an upcoming bus service in Tampines North, which will provide a more direct connection for residents in Tampines North to Tampines MRT station in December 2024. This was later announced as Express Feeder 298X commencing service on 9 December 2024.
Rollout
| S/N | Date | Bus Service | Category |
| 1 | 26 Aug 2024 | Short Trip Service 129A | Improvements to Bus Services |
| Short Trip Service 129B | |||
| 2 | 15 Sep 2024 | Bus Service 861 | New Bus Services in New Estates (Yishun East) |
| Short Trip Service 861A | |||
| 3 | 14 Oct 2024 | City Direct 673 | Peak-hour Express Bus Service |
| 4 | 11 Nov 2024 | City Direct 654 | Peak-hour Express Bus Service enhancement (Route extension to Anchorvale Crescent) |
| 5 | City Direct 660M | Peak-hour Express Bus Service | |
| 6 | City Direct 671 | Peak-hour Express Bus Service enhancement (Route extension to Bayfront & Suntec City) | |
| 7 | City Direct 672 | Peak-hour Express Bus Service enhancement (Route extension to Bayfront & Suntec City) | |
| 8 | 25 Nov 2024 | City Direct 666 | Peak-hour Express Bus Service enhancement (Route extension to Bayfront & Suntec City) |
| 9 | City Direct 674 | Peak-hour Express Bus Service | |
| 10 | 9 Dec 2024 | Express Feeder 298X | Express Feeder Bus Service |
| 11 | 2 Jan 2025 | City Direct 675 | Peak-hour Express Bus Service |
| 12 | City Direct 676 | Peak-hour Express Bus Service | |
| 13 | City Direct 677 | Peak-hour Express Bus Service | |
| 14 | City Direct 678 | Peak-hour Express Bus Service | |
| 15 | 12 Jan 2025 | Bus Service 967 | New Bus Services in New Estates (Woodlands) |
| 16 | TBA Feb 2025 | Bus Service 230 | Improvements to Bus Services (Extension to Caldecott MRT) |
The list of BCEP Bus Services are as announced by the Land Transport Authority during implementation. Other bus service improvements may be made under BCEP without any press releases by LTA.
My observations staying in bukit panjang donkey years. I took Feeder Service 922 demand is super higher then usual during Weekdays Peak Hours and Weekends Off-Peak Hours. Therefore, I hope LTA could introduce new express service 922E to serve commuters better connectivity in Bukit Panjang Town.
Best Route
Bukit Panjang via
– Bukit Panjang Ring Road
– Segar Road
– Fajar Road (Loop)
Service 871 could extend to Bukit Panjang ITH from Tengah Int and become a bidirectional service plus integrate with Feeder Service 920. Service 871 new route will be running from Tengah to Bukit Panjang passing via Tengah Gardens, Bukit Batok West, Bukit Gombak, Bukit Batok East, Beauty World, PIE, BKE, Fajar, Jelapang & Senja. service 871 will also transfer operations under SMRT Buses Choa Chu Kang-Bukit Panjang Bus Package.
Service 871’s purpose of extending to Bukit Panjang is to connect a faster connective route for residents of Senja, Jelapang, Saujana, Bangkit a direct link to Beauty World & Bukit Timah Plaza.
And for service 922 the feeder service 922 could extend to loop at Gangsa Road from Bukit Panjang ITH passing via Jelapang, Segar, Fajar & Gangsa Road. 922 extension to Gangsa Road is to connect residents of Segar, Fajar to get to Greenridge Secondary School with a direct bus.
there will also be a new feeder service known as Service 921 which will run from Bukit Panjang ITH and loop at
Senja Close passing via Bukit Panjang Road, Bangkit Road, Bukit Panjang Ring Road & Senja Close. Service 921 will be operated under CCK-Bukit Panjang Bus Package SMRT Buses.
871 route to Bukit Panjang would be horribly ridiculous and unnecessary. Better to extend 171 instead of 871.
A 922 extension to Gangsa Road Koop sounds okay, but take note that the roundabout may not be feasible for DD. Plus, if extending to Gangsa Road, might as well become a G/W bus service, seeing how Gangsa Road is so close to the BPITH.
If there were to be 921… one of the bus services currently at BPITH will have to move to Gali Batu Bus Terminal. There is no space in BPITH for another bus service.
Anyways, 921 will be duplicating both 920 & BPLRT. There would not be much use for 921 then. However those are good ideas you raised.
Residents Staying Bukit Panjang
WLTransit (YT)
– Your suggestions is good that Service 871 to ply from Tengah – Beauty World/Bukit Panjang Stn – Yishun Interchange and withdraw of Service 171. (I have plan on this and ready to email this proposal to LTA/Tower Transit).
– Service 920 & 922, if extends to loop at Gangsa Road may be good ideals but some feel will not be good due to traffic congestions during peak hours. Therefore, if SMRT/LTA to plans out Service 920G/920W and 922G/922W in difference berth may be better ideals and yes the Bukit Panjang Interchange is small and it difficult to fit it those services.
Residents Staying Bukit Panjang
HillviewBusTransport
– For Service 871 to extends towards Bukit Panjang may be long hual and Feeder Service 920 somehow the demand is low the commuters still need to service as well. Therefore, not flexible to withdraw Service 920 and renumbered to Service 871.
– Introducing of Service 921, i have an ideal to feedback to LTA to ply’s from Gali Batu towards Ten Mile Junction / Bukit Panjang Stn and loop at Dairy Farm Estate for the benefits new residents the upcoming bto along Woodlands Road (Next to Junction 10).
The extension of services 870 & 992, as well as the introduction of 871 might have been the first part of bcep
I think the express feeder may go something like the M series they had a few years back
Other than Express Feeder initiative and to some extent CDS, the other items in the list appear to be what LTA should already be providing. This feels more like a PR move for some upcoming ‘event’.
Excited to see how the express feeder concept will materialise. It’s a radical change to our current “bus must stop at all stops” system but can help mitigate long travel times in large estates and do more to segment passengers by destination.
Wonder if they’ll look into existing feeder services? Some like 229, 282, 315, 333 take long winding routes between MRT and looping point. By creating a variant that skips out the middle, that can make travel times better for passengers and thus public transport more attractive as a whole