City Direct Services

City Direct Services (CDS) are express bus services in Singapore that connect residential estates with the Central Business District (CBD) via expressways.

These routes operate during the weekday peak hours only, offering City-bound trips in the morning, and return trips in the evenings. These services charge Express fares.


List of City Direct Services
Service Route Service Catchment
651 Jurong West Avenue 3 ⇄ Marina Boulevard / Central Boulevard Jurong West
652 Upper Thomson Road ⇄ Shenton Way / Anson Road Ang Mo Kio
653 Hume Avenue / Hillview Avenue ⇄ Marina Boulevard / Central Boulevard Hillview, Bukit Batok
654 Anchorvale Crescent ⇄ Shenton Way / Anson Road Sengkang West, Sengkang East
655 West Coast Road ⇄ Marina Boulevard / Central Boulevard Pandan Gardens, Teban Gardens, West Coast
656 Canberra Road ⇄ Shenton Way / Anson Road Sembawang
657 Jurong West Avenue 1 ⇄ Marina Boulevard / Central Boulevard Jurong East
660 Buangkok Green ⇄ Shenton Way / Anson Road Hougang
660M Buangkok Crescent ⇄ Shenton Way / Anson Road Hougang
661 Pasir Ris Drive 3 ⇄ Marina Boulevard / Central Boulevard Pasir Ris
663 Yishun Avenue 6 ⇄ Shenton Way / Anson Road Yishun East
665 Marsiling Drive ⇄ Shenton Way / Anson Road Marsiling, Woodlands
666 Punggol Drive ⇄ Raffles Boulevard / Temasek Boulevard
Punggol East
667 Clementi Avenue 4 ⇄ Marina Boulevard / Central Boulevard Clementi, Dover
668 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 5 ⇄ Marina Boulevard / Central Boulevard Ang Mo Kio, Yio Chu Kang
670 Yishun Avenue 7 ⇄ Marina Boulevard / Central Boulevard Yishun West
671 Punggol Road ⇄ Raffles Boulevard / Temasek Boulevard
Sengkang
672 Hougang Street 51 ⇄ Raffles Boulevard / Temasek Boulevard
Hougang
673 Punggol Way ⇄ Temasek Boulevard Punggol West
674 Tengah Drive ⇄ Marina Boulevard / Central Boulevard Tengah
675 Yio Chu Kang Road ⇄ Temasek Boulevard Hougang
676 Upper Serangoon Road ⇄ Temasek Boulevard Hougang, Upper Serangoon
677 Punggol Road ⇄ Temasek Boulevard Sengkang West, Sengkang East
678 Punggol Central ⇄ Temasek Boulevard Punggol East

 

List of Withdrawn City Direct Services: (Click to expand)
City Direct Route Introduced Withdrawn
658 Bedok Reservoir Road / Kaki Bukit Avenue 1 ⇄ Shenton Way / Anson Road 19 May 2014 17 Dec 2018
659 Bedok South Road ⇄ Shenton Way / Anson Road 9 Jun 2014 17 Dec 2018
662 Choa Chu Kang North 7 ⇄ Marina Boulevard / Central Boulevard 6 Oct 2015 17 Dec 2018
664 Tampines Street 41 ⇄ Marina Boulevard / Central Boulevard 6 Oct 2015 17 Dec 2018
669 Bedok North Road ⇄ Marina Boulevard / Central Boulevard 22 Mar 2016 3 Jun 2019

Brief History

City Direct Services (CDS) were introduced under the Bus Services Enhancement Programme (BSEP) in line with the Government’s plan to provide more options for commuters using stretches of existing rail lines that experience persistently high ridership. Most of these routes were introduced between 2013 and 2016.

With limited stops and usage of expressways, the travel time for commuters is comparable to taking a feeder bus/LRT and transferring to the MRT to the City, and without the hassle of transferring between different public transport modes. For this convenience, CDS charged express fares, which are higher than regular basic fares.

An initial 10 City Direct services were launched, starting with CDS 651 in September 2013, and CDS 652–660 from January 2014–June 2014. Each City Direct service was introduced with two morning and evening trips, and more trips were added as the demand for them increased.

In March 2024, an expansion of the BSEP was announced, increasing the number of CDS to 20. This was revised to 22 new CDS services in March 2015. Services 661–672 were introduced from September 2015–November 2016.

Under the BSEP, four other Express services were also introduced in the same operating form as City Direct, but operated by Public Transport Operators. These are Services 513, 850E, 951E and 982E, are are not classified as City Direct services.

In July 2024, the Bus Connectivity Enhancement Programme was launched. Under the BCEP, more peak-hour express bus services, such as City Direct Services, will be introduced to provide an alternative option for residents to complement busier MRT lines.

Private Bus Operators

At the start, Private Bus Operators were contracted to operate these routes, to augment the resources of public transport operators.

After their initial two-year operating contracts with Private Bus Operators had expired, most City Direct services were transferred to Public Transport Operators. Poorer performing services were withdrawn. CDS 658, 659, 662 & 664 were withdrawn in December 2018, while CDS 669 was withdrawn in June 2019. By December 2020, all City Direct bus services were operated by Public Bus Operators.

Fare History

When the first 10 CDS routes were introduced, flat fares were charged, equivalent to the full distance of the bus route under the distance-based Express fare scheme. Fares could be paid via card or cash, and no transfer discounts were offered.

When the subsequent tranche of CDS routes 661–665 was launched in September 2015, these services were integrated with the distance-based fare structure used across the public transport network. Commuters could pay Express fares corresponding to the exact distance travelled, and benefit from transfer discounts between CDS and other buses/trains under distance-based fare rules. An LTA press release in September 2015 also mentioned that the existing 651–660 would be converted to Distance Fares progressively from 4Q 2015, and the transition is expected to be completed by mid-2016.

Private buses operating on CDS were fitted with fare collection equipment similar to that used on public buses, inclusive of entry and exit readers.


CBD Routing

In general, the routing in CBD for CDS is as follows:

CDS Morning Peak (Alighting Points) Evening Peak (Boarding Points)
651, 653, 655, 657, 661, 667, 668, 670 & 674
  • Anson Road
  • Robinson Road
  • Marina Boulevard
  • Central Boulevard
  • Shenton Way
652, 656, 660, 660M, 663 & 665
  • Orchard Road
  • Bras Basah Road
  • Nicoll Highway
  • Collyer Quay
  • Raffles Quay
  • Shenton Way
  • Anson Road
  • Robinson Road
  • Fullerton Road
  • Esplanade Drive
  • Stamford Road
  • Orchard Road
  • Penang Road
654
  • Central Boulevard
  • Shenton Way
  • Anson Road
  • Robinson Road
  • Marina Boulevard
666, 671 & 672
  • Anson Road
  • Robinson Road
  • Marina Boulevard
  • Bayfront Avenue
  • Temasek Avenue
  • Temasek Boulevard
  • Temasek Boulevard
  • Temasek Avenue
  • Bayfront Avenue
  • Central Boulevard
  • Shenton Way
673, 675, 676, 677 & 678
  • Anson Road
  • Cecil Street
  • Marina Boulevard
  • Bayfront Avenue
  • Temasek Avenue
  • Temasek Boulevard
  • Temasek Boulevard
  • Temasek Avenue
  • Bayfront Avenue
  • Central Boulevard
  • Shenton Way
CBD Bus Stop Index for CDS (Click to expand)

As of 2 Jan 2025:

Road Name
Bus Stop Morning Peak
Evening Peak
Anson Rd (03241) Mapletree Anson 651, 653, 655, 657, 661, 666, 667, 668, 670, 671, 672 & 674 652, 654, 656, 660, 660M, 663 & 665
Anson Rd (03222) Hub Synergy Pt 673, 675, 676, 677 & 678
Anson Rd (03223) Tanjong Pagar Stn Exit C 673, 675, 676, 677 & 678
Bayfront Ave (03511) Aft Bayfront Stn Exit E 666, 671, 672, 673, 675, 676, 677 & 678
Bayfront Ave (03501) Marina Bay Sands Theatre 666, 671, 672, 673, 675, 676, 677 & 678
Bayfront Ave (03509) Bayfront Stn Exit B / MBS 666, 671, 672, 673, 675, 676, 677 & 678
Bayfront Ave (03519) Bayfront Stn Exit A 666, 671, 672, 673, 675, 676, 677 & 678
Bras Basah Rd (08069) Bencoolen Stn Exit B 652, 656, 660, 660M, 663 & 665
Bras Basah Rd (04179) Aft Bras Basah Stn Exit A 652, 656, 660, 660M, 663 & 665
Bras Basah Rd (02049) Raffles Hotel 652, 656, 660, 660M, 663 & 665
Cecil St (03151) Opp GB Bldg 673, 675, 676, 677 & 678
Central Blvd (03539) Marina Bay Stn 654 651, 653, 655, 657, 661, 666, 667, 668, 670, 671, 672, 673, 674, 675, 676, 677 & 678
Central Blvd (03539) Downtown Stn Exit E 654 651, 653, 655, 657, 661, 666, 667, 668, 670, 671, 672, 673, 674, 675, 676, 677 & 678
Collyer Quay (03019) OUE Bayfront 652, 656, 660, 660M, 663 & 665
Esplanade Dr (02111) Esplanade Bridge 652, 656, 660, 660M, 663 & 665
Fullerton Rd (03011) Fullerton Sq 652, 656, 660, 660M, 663 & 665
Marina Blvd (03381) The Sail 651, 653, 655, 657, 661, 666, 667, 668, 670, 671, 672, 673, 674, 675, 676, 677 & 678 654
Marina Blvd (03391) Marina Bay Financial Ctr 651, 653, 655, 657, 661, 666, 667, 668, 670, 671, 672, 673, 674, 675, 676, 677 & 678 654
Nicoll Highway (02119) Opp War Memorial Pk 652, 656, 660, 660M, 663 & 665
Orchard Rd (08041) YMCA 652, 656, 660, 660M, 663 & 665
Orchard Rd (08057) Dhoby Ghaut Stn 652, 656, 660, 660M, 663 & 665
Penang Rd (08031) Dhoby Ghaut Stn Exit B 652, 656, 660, 660M, 663 & 665
Raffles Blvd (02089) Promenade Stn/Pan Pacific 666, 671 & 672
Raffles Quay (03059) One Raffles Quay 652, 656, 660, 660M, 663 & 665
Robinson Rd (03011) Aft Capital Twr 651, 653, 655, 657, 661, 666, 667, 668, 670, 671, 672 & 674 652, 654, 656, 660, 660M, 663 & 665
Robinson Rd (03071) 80 Robinson Rd 651, 653, 655, 657, 661, 666, 667, 668, 670, 671, 672 & 674 652, 654, 656, 660, 660M, 663 & 665
Robinson Rd (03031) Opp Raffles Pl Stn Exit F 652, 656, 660, 660M, 663 & 665
Shenton Way (03129) UIC Bldg 652, 654, 656, 660, 660M, 663 & 665 651, 653, 655, 657, 661, 666, 667, 668, 670, 671, 672, 673, 674, 675, 676, 677 & 678
Shenton Way (03217) Opp AXA Twr 673, 674, 675, 676, 677 & 678
Shenton Way (03218) Opp MAS Bldg 652, 654, 656, 660, 660M, 663 & 665 651, 653, 655, 657, 661, 666, 667, 668, 670, 671 & 672
Stamford Rd (04111) Capitol Bldg 652, 656, 660, 660M, 663 & 665
Stamford Rd (04121) SMU 652, 656, 660, 660M, 663 & 665
Temasek Ave (02169) Promenade Stn Exit B 666, 671, 672, 673, 675, 676, 677 & 678
Temasek Ave (02161) Aft Promenade Stn Exit C 666, 671, 672, 673, 675, 676, 677 & 678
Temasek Ave (02171) Opp The Ritz-Carlton 666, 671, 672, 673, 675, 676, 677 & 678
Temasek Blvd (02141) Suntec Twr Two 673, 675, 676, 677 & 678
Temasek Blvd (02149) Suntec Twr Three 673, 675, 676, 677 & 678
Temasek Blvd (02151) Suntec Convention Ctr 666, 671 & 672
Temasek Blvd (02159) Opp Suntec Convention Ctr 666, 671 & 672

Operating Hours:

City Direct Services operate on weekdays only (excluding public holidays) Single-direction trips from the Heartlands to the CBD are operated during the morning peak hours, while return trips are operated during the evening peak hours.

Evening return trips will be brought forward to the early afternoon on Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve & Chinese New Year’s Eve, should these dates fall on a Weekday. Exact departure timings will be announced by the respective bus operators closer to the dates.

Fares:

These services charge Express fares based on distance-based fare scheme.


Timeline
  • 2012 (21 Nov): Tender for CDS 651 published (Contract VT371)
  • 2013 (13 Jun): Tender for CDS 652 – 657 published (Contract VT387); Contract for CDS 651 awarded (Contract VT371).
  • 2013 (09 Nov): Contracts for CDS 652 – 657 awarded (Contract VT387)
  • 2013 (26 Nov): Tender for CDS 658 – 660 published (Contract PT162)
  • 2014 (03 Feb): Contracts for CDS 658 – 660 awarded (Contract PT162)
  • 2015 (09 Feb): Tender for CDS 661 – 665 published (Contract PT221)
  • 2015 (11 Mar): Announcement of 12 more CDS to be launched by LTA from Q2 2015 onward, an increase of 2 CDS from the original announcement.
  • 2015 (21 Jul): Contracts for CDS 661 – 665 awarded (Contract PT221); Routing region for CDS 666 – 670 announced.
  • 2015 (05 Aug): Tender for CDS 666 – 670 published (Contract PT233)
  • 2015 (14 Dec): Contracts for CDS 666 – 670 awarded (Contract PT233)
  • 2016 (18 Jan): 1 year extension of contracts for CDS 651 – 657
  • 2016 (15 Apr): Tender for CDS 651, 671 & 672 published (Contract PT270)
  • 2016 (01 Aug): Contracts for CDS 651, 671 & 672 awarded (Contract PT270); Tender for CDS 652 – 657 published (Contract PT288)
  • 2016 (14 Nov): Contract for CDS 654 awarded (Contract PT288). No award for CDS 653, 655, 656 & 657.
  • 2017 (Apr): Transfer of operations for CDS 653, 655, 656 & 657 to Public Transport Operators under the Bus Contracting Model (BCM)
  • 2017 (12 May): Tender for CDS 658 – 660 published (Contract PT309)
  • 2017 (22 Jun): Tender for CDS 661 – 665 published (Contract PT321)
  • 2017 (10 Jul): No award for CDS 658 – 660
  • 2017 (30 Aug): No award for CDS 658 – 660
  • 2017 (28 Sep): Operations for CDS 663 transferred to Public Transport Operator Tower Transit under the BCM
  • 2017 (12 Oct): Operations for CDS 665 transferred to Public Transport Operator Tower Transit under the BCM
  • 2018 (17 Dec): CDS 658, 659, 662 & 664 discontinued
  • 2019 (02 Jan): Operations for CDS 660 & 661 transferred to Public Transport Operators SBS Transit & Go-Ahead Singapore respectively under the BCM
  • 2019 (03 Jun): CDS 669 discontinued
  • 2019 (22 Jul): Operations for CDS 654 transferred to Public Transport Operator SBS Transit under the BCM
  • 2020 (06 Jan): Operations for CDS 652 transferred to Public Transport Operator SMRT Buses under the BCM
  • 2020 (13 Jan): Operations for CDS 651 transferred to Public Transport Operator Tower Transit under the BCM; Operations for CDS 671 & 672 transferred to Public Transport Operator SBS Transit under the BCM
  • 2020 (02 Mar): Operations for CDS 666 transferred to Public Transport Operator Go-Ahead Singapore under the BCM
  • 2020 (09 Mar): Operations for CDS 667 transferred to Public Transport Operator SBS Transit under the BCM
  • 2020 (30 Mar): Operations for CDS 670 transferred to Public Transport Operator SMRT Buses under the BCM
  • 2020 (14 Dec): Operations for CDS 668 transferred to Public Transport Operator SBS Transit under the BCM
  • 2024 (14 Oct): Launch of CDS 673 under the Bus Connectivity Enhancement Programme (BCEP)
  • 2024 (11 Nov): Launch of supplementary CDS 660M under BCEP; Extension of CDS 654 to Anchorvale Cres under BCEP; Extension of CDS 671 & 672 to Temasek Blvd via Bayfront Ave under BCEP
  • 2024 (25 Nov): Launch of CDS 674 under BCEP; Extension of CDS 666 to Temasek Blvd via Bayfront Ave under BCEP
  • 2025 (02 Jan): Launch of CDS 675, 676, 677, 678 under BCEP

LTA BSEP Poster for CDS

External Links:

Back to Bus Services

61 thoughts on “City Direct Services

  • 27 November 2021 at 7:41 AM
    Permalink

    where to get service guides for 651, 653, 656, 657, 663, 670, 671

    Reply
  • 16 March 2020 at 12:12 PM
    Permalink

    Bus 667 should transfer to SMRT, bus 668 to SBS Transit and reintroduce the five withdrawn city direct buses to their new Operators.
    -Bus 658 – Go-Ahead sg
    -Bus 659 – Tower transit
    -Bus 662 – SBS Transit
    -Bus 664 – SMRT
    -Bus 669 – SBS Transit
    Introduce bus 650 and put it in Go ahead sg

    Reply
    • 5 December 2020 at 4:24 PM
      Permalink

      changed:
      658, 659, 664, 669: SBS Transit.
      662: SMRT.

      Reply
  • 30 January 2020 at 7:41 AM
    Permalink

    It would be convenient for Sengkang residents if 2 of bus no 654 starts around 8.30 am instead of having 6 buses between 7.30 to 7.55 am.

    Reply
  • 14 January 2020 at 9:29 PM
    Permalink

    City direct buses are very convenient. We observe that there are no buses from Bedok especially crossing Opp Eastern Lagoon II bus stop towards ECP for MBFC.
    Every morning more than 30 people board 12e and another 20 people board a private bus 621 just from the “Opp Eastern Lagoon II” bus stop every 20 minutes (150+ people between 8am and 9am) for going to CBD.
    We request you to consider a direct service from Bedok south or upper East coast to MBFC via ECP route.

    Reply
  • 7 January 2020 at 10:44 AM
    Permalink

    Hi,

    The city direct service 671 is very convenient to Sengkang residents. Kindly consider our request for one more service at 8.15 or 8.30 am. Thanks

    Reply

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