SMRT Bus Service 179

SMRT Bus Service 179 is a high-frequency trunk route connecting Boon Lay Interchange to Nanyang Technological University (NTU), via Pioneer MRT and Pioneer Road North.

SMRT Buses operates this service from 1 Sep 2024 as part of the Jurong West Bus Package.

Route Overview
Route	Boon Lay Bus Interchange ↺ Nanyang Drive (Loop)
Passes Through	Jurong West St 63, Pioneer Road North, Lien Ying Chow Dr, Nanyang Dr
Route Length	9.7 km
Travelling Time	35 – 48 mins
Operator Information
BCM Route Package	Jurong West Bus Package
Current Operator	SMRT Buses Ltd
Current Depot	Soon Lee Bus Depot
Current Fleet	Double-deck buses
Operating Hours
Departure Times from Boon Lay	Weekdays & Saturdays								Sundays / Public Holidays
	06:00 – 00:00								06:30 – 00:20
Operating Frequency
Loop Service	6:30am–8.30am			8.31am–4.59pm			5.00pm–7.00pm			After 7.00pm
Weekdays	5 – 6 mins			4 – 5 mins			5 – 6 mins			6 – 7 mins
Fare Information
Fare	Charges regular distance fares

Bus Service 179 is the main public bus route connecting the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) campus with Pioneer MRT and Boon Lay MRT/Bus Interchange. The service also caters to residents of Jurong West Street 63 and Pioneer North.

Within the NTU campus, Service 179 runs along Nanyang Drive, serving key academic buildings such as those around the North Spine, South Spine, The Arc/Learning Hub North, and The Hive/Learning Hub South. This coverage, along with stops at the National Institute of Education (NIE), Yunnan Garden, and various Halls of Residence along Nanyang Drive and Lien Ying Chow Drive, contributes to the service’s high passenger demand.

As a vital route for NTU, Service 179 operates at a high frequency, with buses arriving every five minutes or less during most of the day. This frequency is further enhanced during peak hours by Service 179A, an express variant that connects Boon Lay Interchange and NTU directly, with no intermediate stops. Additional trips of Service 179 are also dispatched from Lien Ying Chow Dr (Blk 1) during evening peak hours.

While Bus Service 199 also connects Boon Lay Interchange with NTU, it primarily serves the northern halls of residence, whereas Service 179 focuses on the southern academic areas. Additionally, the free NTU Campus Rider, operated by private buses, helps complement demand between NTU and Pioneer MRT.

MRT Stations Served

• EW27 Boon Lay
• EW28 Pioneer

Special Departures

• Lien Ying Chow Dr (Blk 1) → Boon Lay Int
  Weekdays (except School Holidays): Evening Peak Hours
• Pioneer Rd North (Blk 840) → Boon Lay Int
  Weekdays: 05:16, 05:26, 05:36, 05:46, 05:56, 06:06 & 06:16
  Weekdays (School Holidays): 05:15, 05:30, 05:45, 05:55, 06:05 & 06:15
  Saturdays: 05:16, 05:30, 05:45, 05:59 & 06:14
  Sundays / Public Holidays: 05:15, 05:31, 05:47, 06:03, 06:16, 06:29 & 06:42

Route Variants

• Service 179A: Boon Lay Int ↺ Nanyang Drive
  Skips Bus Stops along Jurong West St 63 & Pioneer Rd North
  Weekdays (Except Public Holidays & School Holidays): 07:30 – 09:30
• Service 179A (Special Departures): Nanyang Dr (Hall 1) → Boon Lay Int
  Skips Bus Stops along Jurong West St 63 & Pioneer Rd North
  Weekdays (Except Public Holidays & School Holidays): 15:00 – 20:00
• Service 179A (Special Departures): Nanyang Dr (Wee Kim Wee Sch of C&I) → Boon Lay Int
  Skips Bus Stops along Jurong West St 63 & Pioneer Rd North
  Weekdays (Except Public Holidays & School Holidays): Evening Peak Hours

Service 179A helps relieve demand between NTU and Boon Lay and skips bus stops along Jurong West Street 63 and Pioneer Road North in both directions. It was introduced as a faster means of travel for students heading to Boon Lay since many students prefer alighting at Pioneer MRT. It does not operate during NTU vacations.

Gallery (SMRT):

Poster Gallery:

Operator History

• 07 Jan 2001 – 31 Oct 2001: Singapore Bus Services Ltd
• 01 Nov 2001 – 31 Aug 2024: SBS Transit Ltd
• 01 Sep 2024 – Present: SMRT Buses Ltd

The Bus Service Operating License (BSOL) for this route will be renewed in 2029 under the Jurong West Bus Package.

History

• 2001 (07 Jan): Introduced between Boon Lay Int and Nanyang Dr (Loop)
• 2006 (18 Jun): Amended to Boon Lay Temp Int
• 2010 (08 May): Amended to Boon Lay Integrated Transport Hub
• 2010 (01 Aug): Amended to loop at Nanyang Ave temporarily with the partial closure of Nanyang Ave and Nanyang Dr to facilitate Youth Olympic Games 2010
• 2010 (29 Aug): Amended back to loop at Nanyang Dr
• 2014 (07 Dec): Serves new bus stop opposite Blk 41 along Nanyang Dr
• 2015 (03 Dec): Designated wheelchair-accessible bus service (WAB)
• 2024 (01 Sep): Operations transferred to SMRT Buses under the Jurong West Bus Package

Past Routings

Back to Bus Services
Back to Buses

Continued on Page 2 – Gallery

• Gallery (SBS Transit)