SBS Transit Bus Service 170 is a cross-border service plying between Queen Street Terminal and Larkin Terminal in Johor Bahru, passing through Rochor, Bukit Timah, Upper Bukit Timah, Woodlands Road, Woodlands CIQ, Sultan Iskandar CIQ, and Jalan Tun Abdul Razak.
Sometimes referred to as 170 (Red Plate) to distinguish it from its route variant Service 170X, this is the only bidirectional route to have its bus terminals at either end serving only one local franchised bus route.
170
Note:
- Commuters along Woodlands Centre Road should check the bus destination and service number plate displayed on the front of the bus as buses from both directions will call at the same stops.
RED plated Service 170 buses are bound for Johor Bahru / Larkin Terminal, while
WHITE plated Service 170 buses are bound for Queen Street. - Passengers boarding at Larkin Ter must pay an RM1 facilities charge separate from the bus fare
| Route Overview | ||||||||||||
Route  |
Queen Street Bus Terminal ↔ Larkin Bus Terminal | |||||||||||
| Passes Through | Bt Timah Rd, Upp Bt Timah Rd / Dunearn Rd, Woodlands Rd, Woodlands Crossing | |||||||||||
| Route Length | Towards Larkin: 34.3 km | Towards Queen St: 34.2 km | ||||||||||
| Travelling Time | 100 mins (Offpeak) 120 mins (Peak) Timings subject to traffic conditions, especially affected at Checkpoints |
|||||||||||
| Operator Information | ||||||||||||
| BCM Route Package | Bukit Merah Bus Package | |||||||||||
| Current Operator | SBS Transit Ltd | |||||||||||
| Current Depot | Ulu Pandan Bus Depot (UPDEP) | |||||||||||
| Current Fleet | Single-deck buses APAD Registered for Cross Border Bus Services |
|||||||||||
| Operating Hours | ||||||||||||
| Departure Times from Queen Street |
Daily | |||||||||||
| 05:20 – 00:10 | ||||||||||||
| Departure Times from Larkin |
Weekdays | Saturdays & Sundays / Public Holidays |
||||||||||
| 05:20 – 00:30 | 05:30 – 00:30 | |||||||||||
| Operating Frequency | ||||||||||||
| From Queen Street |
6:30am–8.30am | 8.31am–4.59pm | 5.00pm–7.00pm | After 7.00pm | ||||||||
| Weekdays | 15 – 20 mins | 15 – 20 mins | 15 – 18 mins | 18 – 20 mins | ||||||||
| Saturdays | 20 mins | 20 mins | 20 mins | 19 – 20 mins | ||||||||
| Sundays / Public Holidays | 20 mins | 20 mins | 20 mins | 18 – 20 mins | ||||||||
| From Larkin |
6:30am–8.30am | 8.31am–4.59pm | 5.00pm–7.00pm | After 7.00pm | ||||||||
| Weekdays | 15 – 20 mins | 15 – 20 mins | 15 – 18 mins | 20 mins | ||||||||
| Saturdays | 20 mins | 20 mins | 20 mins | 20 mins | ||||||||
| Sundays / Public Holidays | 20 mins | 20 mins | 20 mins | 20 mins | ||||||||
| Fare Information |
||||||||||||
| Fare | Charges regular distance fares |
|||||||||||
Service 170 is a cross-border route connecting Rochor, Bukit Timah, Kranji and Woodlands Centre to Larkin Terminal in Johor Bahru. The route has remained largely unchanged since the 1920s, connecting the Singapore City Centre with the Bukit Timah regions and on to Johor Bahru.
This route also plies Woodlands Centre Road in both directions. Passengers boarding Service 170 from Bus Stop 46069 – W’lands Train Checkpt or Bus Stop 46088 – Blk 25 should check the destination clearly before boarding.
Low-entry Scania K230UBs were added to the fleet in March 2014. These are SBS Transit’s first wheelchair-accessible buses to enter cross-border service. In 2022, the cross-border fleet was replaced with Mercedes-Benz Citaro buses.
Bus Services 170 & 170X towards Larkin & JB Sentral respectively regularly experiences a temporary route diversion along Woodlands Road, skipping Bus Stops 46021 – Bef W’Lands Ind Pk D St 2, 46031 – Kranji Lodge 1, 46041 – Opp Globalfoundries, and 46051 – Bef BKE due to traffic congestion. Refer to SBS Transit’s Twitter account for updates.
Route Limitations:
Buses deployed on cross-border routes must be registered with the Agensi Pengangkutan Awam Darat (APAD), also known as the Land Public Transport Agency (Malaysia).
In accordance with Malaysian regulations, buses must carry relevant documents, be fitted with a third brake light at the rear, and attached with Malaysian stickers dictating the legal speed limit.
Currently, several SBS Transit Mercedes-Benz Citaro & MAN A22 buses are registered for cross-border operations.
Cross-Border Procedures
At each checkpoint, passengers have to alight and clear immigration before boarding the bus again. When different bus services are used when arriving at/departing from a checkpoint, this will constitute a transfer for card paying passengers. If the same bus service is used, the journey is resumed. Cash-paying passengers should retain their tickets as proof of payment, and produce them when re-boarding buses at checkpoints.
At Woodlands Checkpoint towards Johor Bahru, a single queue is formed for Bus Services 160/170/170X/950. Passengers will be directed to board whichever bus comes first. This arrangement has been in place since 20 May 2022.
At JB CIQ (Johor Bahru Checkpoint) towards Singapore, a single queue is formed for Bus Services 160/170/170X. Passengers will be directed to board whichever bus comes first.
Approximate Operating Hours at Woodlands Checkpoint
| 46101 – Woodlands Checkpoint (Towards Larkin) | |||
| Weekdays | Saturdays | Sundays / Public Holidays | |
| First Bus | 05:43 | 05:37 | 05:36 |
| Last Bus | 01:19 | 01:13 | 01:14 |
| 46109 – Woodlands Checkpoint (Towards Queen Street) | |||
| Weekdays | Saturdays | Sundays / Public Holidays | |
| First Bus | 05:30 | 05:07 | 05:32 |
| Last Bus | 01:14 | 01:14 | 01:14 |
MRT/LRT Stations Served:
- DT22 Jalan Besar
- DT13 Rochor
- NE7DT12 Little India
- NS21–DT11 Newton
- DT10TE11 Stevens
- CC19DT9 Botanic Gardens
- DT8 Tan Kah Kee
- DT7 Sixth Avenue
- DT6 King Albert Park
- DT5 Beauty World
- DT3 Hillview
- DT2 Cashew
- DT1–BP6 Bukit Panjang
- NS7Â Kranji
Special Departures:
- Woodlands Road (Opp Kranji Stn) → Larkin Ter
Weekdays: 05:30 & 05:54
Saturdays: 05:30 & 05:49
Sundays / Public Holidays: 05:30 & 05:50 - Johor Bahru (Johor Bahru Checkpoint) → Queen St Ter
Weekdays: 05:00, 05:19 & 05:39
Saturdays: 05:00, 05:22 & 05:44
Sundays / Public Holidays: 05:23, 05:35 & 05:46 - Woodlands Centre Road (Woodlands Train Checkpt) → Queen St Ter
Weekdays: 05:05 & 05:19
Route Variant:
- Service 170X: Kranji MRT Station ↺ JB Sentral Ter (Loop)
Daily
Gallery:
Posters:
Operator History:
- 1971 – 1973: United Bus Company Ltd
- 1973 – 2001: Singapore Bus Services Ltd
- 2001 – Present: SBS Transit Ltd
The Bus Service Operating License (BSOL) for this route will be renewed in 2029 under the Bukit Merah Bus Package.
History:
- 1971 (11 Apr): Introduced between Queen St Ter and Johore Bahru Ter as a cross border service under 1971 Bus Reorganisation
- 1979 (28 Oct): Amended to ply Sungei Rd and Ophir Rd (towards Queen St Ter) and amended to ply Rochor Canal Rd and Bt Timah Rd, skipping Bencoolen St, Middle Rd, Selegie Rd and Mackenzie Rd (towards Johore Bahru Ter) with the conversion of Rochor Canal Rd and Rochor Rd to one-way traffic
- 1979 (30 Dec): Amended to ply Jln Anak Bt towards Queen St Ter with the partial conversion of Upp Bt Timah Rd to one-way traffic
- 1985 (13 Oct): Amended to relocated Queen St Ter along Ban San St
- 1996 (01 Jan): Amended to Larkin Ter;Â Last bus from Larkin Ter extended to 0010 hrs on Sundays and Public Holidays
- 1997 (05 May): Serves new pair of bus stops outside KK Women & Child Hosp along Bt Timah Rd
- 1999 (19 Jul): Serves new bus stop outside Woodlands CIQ along Woodlands Rd
- 2000: Serves new bus stop before Goldhill Ave along Dunearn Rd
- 2003 (10 Nov): Amended to ply Jln Lingkaran Dalam towards Larkin Ter, skipping Jln Tun Abdul Razak
- 2006: Last bus from Larkin Ter extended to 0030 hrs on Sundays and Public Holidays
- 2010 (23 May): Skips temporarily abolished bus stop outside Assumption Voc Inst along Upp Bt Timah Rd to facilitate the construction of Cashew MRT station along the Downtown MRT Line
- 2011 (Aug): Retiring Volvo B10M Mark IIIs replaced with Volvo B10M Mark IVs (DM3500 and Strider)
- 2011 (04 Sep): Serves new bus stop outside Botanic Gdns Stn along Bt Timah Rd
- 2014 (30 Mar): Deployment of a full fleet of Scania K230UBs to replace Volvo B10M MkIVs
- 2015 (01 Mar): Serves reinstated bus stop outside Assumption Pathway Sch along Upp Bt Timah Rd
- 2016 (11 Dec): Serves new bus stop opposite Blk 635A along Woodlands Road
- 2017 (28 May): Skips abolished bus stop opposite Mandai Rd along Woodlands Rd
- 2017 (21 Aug): Designated wheelchair-accessible bus service (WAB)
- 2018 (10 Jun): Serves new bus stop before Yew Tee Flyover along Woodlands Road
- 2018 (28 Oct):Â Calls at temporary co-sharing bus stop 40031 Newton FC along Bukit Timah Rd
- 2018 (18 Nov): Start of operations under Bukit Merah Bus Package (Tendered Contract)
- 2019 (24 Feb): Calls at reinstated bus stop 40021 – Bef Winstedt Rd along Bukit Timah Rd
- 2021 (11 Apr): Amended to ply the extended southbound Upp Bt Timah Rd towards Queen St Ter, skipping Jln Anak Bt
- 2022 (01 Apr – 30 Apr): Temporary suspension of service with the conversion of Short Trip 170A to a bi-directional service
- 2022 (01 May): Service resumed
- 2024 (01 Sep): Amended to ply Arab St, Weld Rd and Jln Besar towards Larkin, skipping Rochor Rd due to the permanent closure of a section of Queen St to facilitate the construction of North-South Corridor (NSC)
Back to Bus Services
Back to Bus Articles
95% of this route is covered by 67, 178 and 950. Only unique route is larkin and queen street, which is also served by SJE. Could withdraw the route but it is needed to support 160/950. So to reduce duplication, 170 should shorten to Gali batu and 178 can ply expressway to woodlands int from bt panjang, with lost sectors covered by amending 950 whose local sectors duplicate 856.
Everyone has been complaining about bad frequencies in cross-border Service articles. You have to understand that frequencies vary extremely, causing frequencies to be as long as 1 hour. This is caused by heavy traffic jams at the causeway. Generally normal frequencies are okay.