SBS Transit Bus Service 186

SBS Transit Bus Service 186 is a trunk route running from Shenton Way Terminal to St. Michael’s Terminal, passing through Telok Ayer, Ganges Avenue, Queenstown MRT, Farrer, Whitley, Balestier and St. Michael’s Estate.

Technical Information
Route	Shenton Way Bus Terminal ↔ Saint Michael’s Bus Terminal
Passes Through	Telok Ayer, Ganges Ave, Queenstown, Farrer, Whitley, Balestier, St. Michael’s Estate
Route Length	18.3km (D1) | 17.6km (D2)
Travelling Time	75 mins
Operator Information
BCM Route Package	Bishan – Toa Payoh Bus Package
Current Operator	SBS Transit Ltd
Current Depot	Braddell Bus Park (BRBP)
Current Fleet	12-metre Double Deck Bus: – Volvo B9TL – Volvo B10TL 12-metre Single Deck Bus – Mercedes-Benz O530 Citaro – Scania K230UB
Departure Times from Shenton Way	0600 – 0000 (Daily)
Departure Times from Saint Michael’s	0600 – 2345 (Daily)
Frequency	Direction 1	Direction 2
	0630-0830: 15 – 16 mins 0831-1659: 11 – 19 mins 1700-1900: 12 – 14 mins After 1900: 12 – 16 mins	0630-0830: 08 – 14 mins 0831-1659: 12 – 18 mins 1700-1900: 15 – 18 mins After 1900: 16 – 19 mins

Service 186 connects St. Michael’s Estate, Balestier, Farrer and Queenstown with the City areas of Havelock, Telok Ayer and Shenton Way. Demand is moderate to low during offpeak hours, but heavy during the peak hours as residents commute to and from the City.

From St. Michael’s, Service 131 offers a faster route to Shenton Way by not going via Queenstown. No alighting is allowed at Shenton Way Terminal.

Service 186 serves the same bus stops along Jalan Bahagia in both directions. Commuters should check the bus destination signage before boarding the bus. Shenton Way bound buses will display a red Service 186 plate while Saint Michael’s bound buses will display a white Service 186 plate.

Special Departures

• Whitley Road (Aft Tanglin CC) → Shenton Way Ter
  Weekdays: 0555hrs, 0608hrs
  Sat/Sun/PHs: 0555hrs
  

MRT Stations Served

• EW15 Tanjong Pagar
• EW18 Redhill
• EW19 Queenstown
• NE4DT19 Chinatown
• CC19DT9 Botanic Gardens
• CC20 Farrer Road
• DT18 Telok Ayer

Fare: Charges basic distance fares. See Bus Fares.

Gallery:

Operator History:

• 1992 – 2001: Singapore Bus Services Ltd
• 2001 – Present: SBS Transit Ltd

The Bus Service Operating License (BSOL) for this route will be renewed in 2026 under the Bishan – Toa Payoh Route Package.

History:

• 1992 (03 May): Introduced as a Shenton Way – Farrer Road service when 185 shortened to loop at Jln Anak Bt from Shenton Way.
• 1993 (05 Dec): Extended to St. Michael’s Terminal
• 2012 (30 Sep): Designated wheelchair-accessible bus route (WAB)
• 2017 (25 Jun): Amended to relocated Shenton Way Bus Terminal.

Past Routings:

• Refer to this article
• 1993: Amended to present routing. No significant route changes since 1993.

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