The Woodlands Bus Package is one of fourteen bus packages under the Bus Contracting Model (BCM).
Under the BCM, bus routes are bundled into bus packages, consisting of a single bus depot, several bus interchanges/terminals, 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.
The successful tenderer operates these bus routes and collects fares on behalf of LTA, while maintaining the associated bus infrastructure (buses & onboard equipment, depots, interchanges & terminals). In return, the operator is awarded an operating fee from LTA and potential bonuses via an incentive framework.
PT216 – Woodlands Bus Package (Negotiated Contract Term: 2016 to 2023):
As part of the Bus Contracting Model which was fully implemented in September 2016, LTA entered into a Negotiated Contract with SMRT Buses to operate bus services under the Woodlands Bus Package until the awarded operator for the open tender of the Woodlands takes over operations. This was announced to be in Year 2023 by LTA in 2016.
| Contract PT216: Woodlands Bus Package (Negotiated Contract) | |
| Operator | SMRT Buses Ltd |
| Duration | 01 Sep 2016 – 2023 |
| Bus Services |
178, 187, 652, 670, 900/900A, 901/901M, 902, 903/903M, 904, 911, 912/912M, 913/913M, 925/925M, 926, 950, 951E, 960, 960e, 961/961M, 962, 964, NR5 & NR6 Operated by Tower Transit under a negotiated contract – 665 (24 bus routes) |
| Handover Date | – |
| Anchor Bus Depot | Woodlands Bus Depot, Woodlands Bus Park |
| Anchor Bus Interchange / Terminal | Woodlands Temporary Bus Interchange, Woodlands Regional Bus Interchange |
The package includes Bus Service 950, a cross-border route, as well as City Direct 665, currently operated by Tower Transit under a negotiated contract.
Bus Services:
Woodlands Bus Package contains 24 existing bus services, 23 of which are currently operated by SMRT Buses and 1 by Tower Transit
| Service | Route | Type |
| 178 | Woodlands ↔ Boon Lay | Trunk |
| 187 | Woodlands ↔ Boon Lay | Trunk |
| 652 |
Upper Thomson Road ⇄ Shenton Way / Anson Road | City Direct |
| 665 |
Marsiling Drive ⇄ Shenton Way / Anson Road | City Direct |
| 670 |
Yishun Avenue 7 ⇄ Marina Boulevard / Central Boulevard | City Direct |
| 900 | Woodlands ↺ Woodlands Drive 14 | Feeder |
| 901 | Woodlands ↺ Woodlands Avenue 6 | Feeder |
| 902 | Woodlands → Woodlands Avenue 9 | Feeder |
| 903 | Woodlands ↺ Woodlands Centre Road | Feeder |
| 904 | Woodlands ↺ Woodlands Crescent | Feeder |
| 911 | Woodlands ↺ Woodlands Avenue 2 / Woodlands Centre Road | Feeder |
| 912 | Woodlands ↺ Woodlands Avenue 7 / Woodlands Centre Road | Feeder |
| 913 | Woodlands ↺ Woodlands Circle / Woodlands Avenue 3 | Feeder |
| 925 | Woodlands ↔ Choa Chu Kang | Trunk |
| 926 | Woodlands ↺ Mandai Lake Road | Special |
| 950 | Woodlands ↺ JB Sentral | Trunk |
| 951E | Woodlands Street 82 ⇄ Shenton Way / Anson Road | Express |
| 960 | Woodlands ↔ Marina Centre | Trunk |
| 960e | Woodlands ↔ Marina Centre | Express |
| 961 | Woodlands ↔ Lorong 1 Geylang | Trunk |
| 962 | Woodlands ↺ Admiralty Street | Trunk |
| 964 | Woodlands ↺ Woodlands Loop | Trunk |
| NR5 | Marina Centre → Jurong West Street 64 | Night |
| NR6 | Resorts World Sentosa → Compassvale Drive | Night |
Note:
Bus Service 926 is a special bus service, operating only on Sunday & Public Holidays and charging flat fares.
Short Trip & Supplementary Bus Services
These services do not add to the overall service count.
| Service | Route | Type |
| 178A | Woodlands → Woodlands Road (Kranji Stn) | Short Trip |
| 900A | Woodlands ↺ Woodlands Drive 17 | Supplementary |
| 901M |
Woodlands ↺ Woodlands Avenue 6 | Supplementary |
| 903M | Woodlands ↺ Marsiling Lane | Supplementary |
| 911T | Woodlands ↺ Woodlands Avenue 2 / Woodlands Centre Road | Terminating Trip |
| 912A | Woodlands ↺ Woodlands Avenue 7 | Short Trip |
| 912B | Woodlands ↺ Woodlands Centre Road | Short Trip |
| 912M | Woodlands ↺ Woodlands Street 41 | Supplementary |
| 913M | Woodlands ↺ Woodlands Street 13 | Supplementary |
| 913T | Woodlands ↺ Woodlands Circle / Woodlands Centre Road | Terminating Trip |
| 925A |
Woodlands → Kranji Way (Kranji Resvr Pk B) | Short Trip |
| 925M | Woodlands ↺ Neo Tiew Crescent | Supplementary |
| 961M | Woodlands ↔ Lorong 1 Geylang | Supplementary |
| 962B | Sembawang Drive (Opp Sun Plaza) → Sembawang Drive (Sun Plaza/Sembawang Stn) | Short Trip |
| 962C | Woodlands Avenue 5 (Blk 618) → Woodlands Avenue 6 (Admiralty Stn/Blk 680) | Short Trip |
Woodlands Bus Package – Negotiated Contract (PT216) Timeline
- 2016 (11 Aug): Woodlands Bus Package mentioned as one of 11 Negotiated Contract (NC) Packages, and operated by SMRT Buses.
- 2017 (12 Oct): City Direct 665 added to the Bus Package, operated by Tower Transit
- 2018 (12 Aug): Terminating trips 911E & 913E renumbered to 911T & 913T respectively.
- 2018 (28 Oct): Bus Service 960e added to the Bus Package.
- 2019 (17 Mar): Bus Service 913M added to the Bus Package as a supplementary bus service.
- 2019 (01 Jan): NightRider NR7 temporary suspended to facilitate the On-Demand Public Bus Trial
- 2019 (16 Jun): NightRider NR7 discontinued and removed from the Bus Package.
- 2019 (23 Jun): Bus Service 901M added to the Bus Package as a supplementary bus service.
- 2019 (08 Sep): Bus Services 925# & 961# (Sunday & Public Holiday variant of 925 & 961) renumbered to 925M & 961M.
- 2020 (06 Jan): City Direct 652 added to the Bus Package
- 2020 (18 Mar): Bus Service 950 temporarily suspended due to Malaysia Movement Control Order.
- 2020 (30 Mar): City Direct 670 added to the Bus Package
- 2020 (08 Apr): Bus Services 652, 665, 670, 926, 951E, NR5 & NR6 temporarily suspended due to Singapore COVID-19 Circuit Breaker Measures.
- 2020 (13 Apr): Bus Service 925A added to the Bus Package as a short trip service.
- 2020 (15 Apr): Bus Service 960e temporarily suspended due to Singapore COVID-19 Circuit Breaker Measures.
- 2020 (02 Jun): Resumption of Bus Services 652, 665, 670, 951E & 960e. Bus Services 926, NR5 & NR6 remain suspended.
External Links & References:
Back to Bus Contracting Model