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 |
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| 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 |
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| Operating Hours | ||||||||||||
| Departure Times from Queen Street |
Daily | |||||||||||
| 05:20 – 00:10 | ||||||||||||
| Departure Times from Larkin |
Weekdays | Saturdays & Sundays / Public Holidays |
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| 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 |
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| Fare | Charges regular distance fares |
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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)
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Let’s hope 170 get a few A22.There’s 12 Euro6 A22 & 8 Euro5 A22 cross border buses for SBST.
Right now SBST has registered 59 SG Citaros,12 Euro6 A22 & 8 Euro5 A22 for 160(17 buses),170x(13 buses) & 170(43 buses).Only 8 will be for spare.
As of today, all remaining Scania K230UB E4 that werent retired & the E5 K230UB have been swap for a full fleet of Citaros. I guess its end of our k230ubs on cross border services. RIP SPAD/APAD Scania K230UB E4 2014-2022
160/170/X fleet will be majority Citaro and minority B3 E5 A22 & E6 A22.
In future 170 might be shortened to Beauty World ITH while 170X might start from Gali Batu Ter instead.
What you think will happen to those Euro IV KUBS that werent retired & also the Euro V KUBS on 160 & 170? I think these buses will either be reassign to other services or 160A where no need to cross border.
They will shorten to beauty world, “useyourbrain”
170x starting from gali batu serves absolutely no purpose except to introduce even more bus traffic along woodlands road. if you start further away, such as bpi (but extremely unlikely considering that bpith is under smrt and there’s barely enough spaces for buses rn), it would make a bit more sense, but that bit is alr served by 160 anyway. many commuters take 170x from kranji anyway since it’s an mrt station thats closest to the checkpoint while avoiding the chaos arnd the train checkpoint. if you shorten 170 to beauty world ITH, fair enough, it takes away the section where barely any people ride, but you have to take into account that some people begin their ride on 170 from Queen St Ter itself, since it’s a hub for cross-border buses and taxis. Taking away that critical link forces commuters travelling into Malaysia to rely only on CW2 and SJE, which are both more crowded during peak hours and also more expensive since they are express services.
Will busses 160 and 170 resume operations across Woodlands Causeway on 1 Apr 2022?
No but all will by 1 May. This is due to the operators not being ready, both sbs & smrt need to bcs to drive these routes. Smrt can use back their MAN A22 Euro V from before circuit breaker, the registration have also expired so they just need to re registered again. Sbs on the other hand retired majority of its SPAD/APAD Scania K230UB Euro IV that serves 160 & 170. Since then & currently, the replacements have been revealed to be Citaros, MAN A22 Euro V & VI, a mix in fleet. Currently, sbs & lta are in a mist of registering these for cross border svrs with Malaysia minister. Its also likely the Euro IV Kubs that are on 160/170 that werent retired, would no longer serve the routes and be reassign elsewhere alongside the Euro V KUBS
Can be shortened to start from Bukit Panjang Int to JB Sentral Ter, deleting two major sectors along its route which are the Queen St – Bukit Panjang sector and the JB-Larkin sector. Can shift 970 to Gali Batu Ter for space in BPITH. Introduce new bus service between queen st and st michael’s ter or extend 66 to the ter. As for jb-larkin, can use the SJE or CW2. For majority of the deleted route can use DTL
and can also let SMRT take over the rights to operate 170
from what i understand queen st ter is used only for cross-border services. if you introduce a new service running from queen st it doesnt make sense since it would be like starting in the middle of a busy section and doesnt rlly serve much purpose, altho i understand what you mean by adding a supplmentary route between whampoa and queen st.
DTL is trash so dont use take 67 or 170 instead