Tower Transit Bus Service 171

Tower Transit Bus Service 171 is a trunk route linking Yishun and Bukit Panjang, passing through Sembawang Rd, Mandai Rd and Petir Rd.

Route Overview
Route	Yishun Bus Interchange ↺ Upper Bukit Timah Road (Loop)
Passes Through	Yishun Ave 5, Sembawang Rd, Mandai Rd, Petir Rd
Route Length	31.3 km
Travelling Time	75 mins
Operator Information
BCM Route Package	Sembawang–Yishun Bus Package
Current Operator	Tower Transit Singapore Pte Ltd (Tower Transit Singapore)
Current Depot	Mandai Bus Depot
Current Fleet	Single-deck & Double-deck buses
Operating Hours
Departure Times from Yishun	Daily
	05:30 – 23:30
Operating Frequency
Loop Service	6:30am–8.30am			8.31am–4.59pm			5.00pm–7.00pm			After 7.00pm
Weekdays	10 – 13 mins			11 – 13 mins			10 – 13 mins			11 – 14 mins
Fare Information
Fare	Charges regular distance fares

Service 171 is an inter-town route serving between the areas of Yishun and Bukit Panjang. It is a key inter-town connection between the towns of Yishun and Bukit Panjang, via BKE and Mandai Road, with no other public bus route offering a faster route.

This service plies a short express sector on the Bukit Timah Expressway (BKE), between Mandai Road and Bukit Panjang Road.

Originally planned to be shortened to loop at Bukit Panjang MRT from 16 August 2020, the implementation date was deferred to 30 August 2020 following the Controversy over Bus 700 withdrawal and Bus 171 & 972 amendment.

Double Decker Bus Deployments

On 24 August 2015, SMB5059J (Alexander Dennis Enviro500) performed Service 171 in the evening as part of a crossover slot (969S151). On its maiden trip from Yishun to Marina Centre, the bus was withdrawn from revenue service at Bukit Panjang by the Operations Control Centre (OCC), which was likely due to the route not being officially certified as ready for double-decker deployment.

Another incident happened on 08 December 2016, where a MAN A95 Bus (SG5744S) performed Service 171 for several trips before being pulled out of service.

Regular double-decker deployments started on 12 August 2018, when they were deployed on high-capacity bus slots on Sundays / Public Holidays, replacing articulated buses. These regular deployments ceased when the route was cut short on 30 Aug 2020. However, Double-decker buses returned to service 171 under Tower Transit as part of the Sembawang-Yishun Bus Package from September 2021.

Special Departures

• Jelebu Rd (Opp Blk 180) → Yishun Int
  Weekdays: 05:35, 05:42, 05:49 & 05:56
  

MRT/LRT Stations Served

• NS13 Yishun
• BP8 Pending
• BP7 Petir
• DT1–BP6 Bukit Panjang

Gallery (Tower Transit):

Gallery (SMRT Buses) at Page 2.

Poster Gallery:

Operator History:

• 1971 – 1973: United Bus Company Pte Ltd
• 1973 – 1995: Singapore Bus Services Ltd
• 1995 –  2004: Trans-Island Bus Services Ltd
• 2004 – 04 Sep 2021: SMRT Buses Ltd
• 05 Sep 2021 – Present: Tower Transit Singapore Pte Ltd

The Bus Service Operating License (BSOL) for this route will be renewed in 2026 under the Sembawang–Yishun Bus Package.

History:

• 1971 (11 Apr): Introduced between Sembawang Ter and Queen St Ter under 1971 Bus Reorganisation
• 1973 (25 Jun): Amended to ply Mandai Lake Rd in both directions until 2200 hours daily
• 1979 (28 Oct): Amended to ply Sungei Rd, Ophir Rd and Ban San St (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 Sembawang 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
• 1984 (15 Apr): Amended to ply Scotts Rd, Orchard Rd and Victoria St/North Bridge Rd, skipping Bt Timah Rd and Sungei Rd/Rochor Canal Rd
• 1985 (13 Oct): Amended to the relocated Queen St Ter along Ban San St, skipping Arab St
• 1987 (18 Jan): Amended to Yishun Central Ter
• 1987 (23 Aug): Amended to Yishun Int
• 1987 (13 Dec): Serves new staggered bus stop outside Orchard Stn along Orchard Blvd, skipping the bus stop opposite Orchard Stn; Serves new bus stop outside Newton Stn along Scotts Rd
• 1992 (19 Jul): Amended to ply Orchard Link, skipping Grange Rd
• 1993 (03 Jan): Extended to Marina Ctr Ter and amended to ply Bt Panjang Rd, Pending Rd and Cashew Rd under TransitLink Network Integration Exercise Phase 11
• 1994 (26 Apr): Amended to skip Mandai Lake Rd and amended to ply Mandai Ave with the introduction of Service 138
• 1995 (07 May): Amended to ply Orchard Turn
• 1995 (05 Nov): Operations transferred to Trans-Island Bus Services (TIBS); First bus from Yishun Int revised to 0530 hrs daily
  
• 1999 (26 Dec): Amended to ply BKE, Bt Panjang Rd, Petir Rd, Jelebu Rd under Bukit Panjang LRT Rationalisation, skipping Woodlands Rd and Cashew Rd
• 2000: Serves new bus stop before Goldhill Ave along Dunearn Rd
• 2000: Serves additional bus stop opposite Sembawang Air Base along Sembawang Rd
• 2002 (07 Jul): Skips the bus stop outside Orchard Emerald along Orchard Rd
• 2003 (24 Aug): Serves the bus stop outside Northpoint Shop Ctr along Yishun Ave 2, skipping the bus stop outside Blk 923
• 2005 (02 Jul): Amended to ply Grange Rd and Orchard Link with the partial closure of Somerset Rd
• 2006 (29 Oct): Serves relocated bus stop outside Orchard Stn along Orchard Turn
• 2009 (01 Jun): Designated wheelchair-accessible bus service (WAB)
• 2009 (21 Jun): Serves new pair of bus stops outside and opposite Mandai Crematorium & Columbarium along Mandai Ave
• 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 (04 Sep): Serves new bus stop outside Botanic Gdns Stn along Bt Timah Rd
• 2015 (01 Mar): Serves reinstated bus stop outside Assumption Pathway Sch along Upp Bt Timah Rd
• 2015 (14 Mar): Amended to Yishun Temp Int
• 2015 (27 Dec): Serves new bus stop outside Blk 184 along Bt Panjang Rd, skipping the bus stop outside Blk 183 as part of DTL2 Bukit Panjang Bus Service Enhancements
• 2017 (04 Sep): Skips a pair of bus stops outside and opposite Bt Panjang Plaza along Jelebu Rd
• 2018 (25 Feb): Serves additional pair of bus stops outside and opposite Blk 180 along Jelebu Rd
• 2019 (08 Sep): Amended to Yishun Integrated Transport Hub
• 2020 (03 Aug): Announcement of Route Amendment to loop at Bukit Panjang MRT from 16 Aug 2020
• 2020 (13 Aug): Route Amendment announced to be deferred to 30 Aug 2020
• 2020 (30 Aug): Shortened to loop at Upper Bukit Timah Road (Bukit Panjang MRT) under Downtown MRT Line 2 Rationalisation
• 2021 (05 Sep): Operations transferred to Tower Transit under the Sembawang–Yishun Bus Package

Past Routings

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