SMRT Bus Service 190

SMRT Bus Service 190 operates between Choa Chu Kang and Kampong Bahru, passing through Teck Whye, Bukit Panjang, Stevens, Orchard Road, Clarke Quay and Chinatown. It utilizes the expressway between Bukit Panjang and Whitley Road, making it a popular route between Choa Chu Kang / Bukit Panjang and the City.

Route Overview
Route	Choa Chu Kang Bus Interchange ↔ Kampong Bahru Bus Terminal
Passes Through	Teck Whye Ave, Bt Panjang Rd, Stevens Rd, Orchard Rd / Orchard Turn, Hill St, New Bridge Rd / Eu Tong Sen St
Route Length	Towards Kampong Bahru: 23.1 km						Towards Choa Chu Kang: 22.3 km
Traveling Time	80 mins
Operator Information
BCM Route Package	Choa Chu Kang–Bukit Panjang Bus Package
Current Operator	SMRT Buses Ltd
Current Depot	Kranji Bus Depot (KJDEP)
Current Fleet	12-metre Single Deck Bus: – MAN A22 – Mercedes-Benz OC500LE						12-metre Double Deck Bus: – Alexander Dennis Enviro500 – Volvo B9TL – MAN A95
Operating Hours
Departure Times from Choa Chu Kang	Weekdays				Saturdays & Sundays / Public Holidays
	05:30 – 23:30				05:50 – 23:30
Departure Times from Kampong Bahru	Weekdays & Saturdays								Sundays / Public Holidays
	05:55 – 23:30								06:25 – 23:30
Operating Frequency
	6:30am–8.30am			8.31am–4.59pm			5.00pm–7.00pm			After 7.00pm
From Choa Chu Kang	2 – 5 mins			4 – 7 mins			6 – 7 mins			7 – 11 mins
From Kampong Bahru	8 – 11 mins			4 – 7 mins			4 – 6 mins			5 – 8 mins
Fare Information
Fare	Charges regular distance fares

Service 190 is a major trunk route linking Choa Chu Kang and Bukit Panjang with the City areas of Orchard Road, Clarke Quay and Chinatown. The express nature of the route provides a highly convenient connection between housing estates and the City areas, leading to frequent overcrowding along the route prior to the commencement of Downtown Line Stage 2.

Service 190 was among the most patronized bus services in Singapore, experiencing high demand throughout the day, and even more so during the peak hours. This is partially due to the lack existing bus routes between CCK / Teck Whye and the City before end-2015. Also, the inconvenience of multiple transfers on the MRT (before the Downtown Line Stage 2 opened) led to more commuters preferring the direct bus route over a train ride. Difficulty boarding Service 190 during weekday and weekend peak hours are commonplace. With the opening of the Downtown Line Stage 2 in Dec 2015, demand for this bus service has been reduced.

MRT/LRT Stations Served:

• NS4BP1 Choa Chu Kang
• BP5 Phoenix
• DT1–BP6 Bukit Panjang
• DT10 Stevens
• NS22 Orchard
• NS23 Somerset
• NS24NE6CC1 Dhoby Ghaut
• CC2 Bras Basah
• DT21 Bencoolen
• NE5 Clarke Quay
• NE4DT19 Chinatown
• NE3EW16 Outram Park

Special Departures:

• Bukit Panjang Road (Bt Panjang Stn/Blk 604) → Kampong Bahru Ter
  Weekdays: Weekdays Morning Peak Hours
  Saturdays & Sundays / Public Holidays: 06:00
• Bukit Panjang Road (Blk 223) → Choa Chu Kang Int
  Daily: From 06:00 onwards until first bus from Kampong Bahru Ter
  
• Orchard Road (YMCA) → Choa Chu Kang Int
  Weekday Evening Peak Hours & Weekend Nights
• Somerset Road (Somerset Stn) → Choa Chu Kang Int
  Weekday Evening Peak Hours & Weekend Nights

Short Trip Service:

• Service 190A: Choa Chu Kang Int → Orchard Rd (Dhoby Ghaut Stn)
  Weekdays (except Public Holidays): 05:55 – 07:46
  

Gallery:

Additional photos at Page 2

Poster Gallery:

Operator History:

• 1988 – 1999: Singapore Bus Services Ltd
• 1999 – 2004: Trans-Island Bus Services Ltd
• 2004 – Present: SMRT Buses Ltd

The Bus Service Operating License (BSOL) will be renewed in 2023 under the Choa Chu Kang–Bukit Panjang Bus Package.

History:

• 1988 (10 Jul): Introduced between Bt Panjang Ter and New Bridge Rd Ter
• 1990 (16 Dec): Integrated with Service 179 and extended to Choa Chu Kang Int
• 1992: Amended to ply Orchard Link, skipping Grange Rd
• 1993 (03 Jan): Amended to ply PIE and Whitley Rd under TransitLink Network Integration Exercise Phase 11, skipping Jln Anak Bt/Upp Bt Timah Rd and Dunearn Rd/Bt Timah Rd
• 1993 (11 Apr): Amended to ply Victoria St, Hill St and New Bridge Rd, skipping North Bridge Rd, South Bridge Rd and Upp Cross St
• 1995: Amended to ply Orchard Turn
• 1997 (07 Dec): Amended to ply Upp Pickering St, South Bridge Rd and Kreta Ayer Rd with the partial closure of New Bridge Rd to facilitate the construction of Chinatown MRT station on the North East MRT Line
• 1999 (25 Jul): Operations transferred to Trans-Island Bus Services (TIBS)
• 1999 (26 Dec): Amended to ply Choa Chu Kang Ave 4, Choa Chu Kang Dr and Teck Whye Ave under Bukit Panjang LRT Rationalisation, skipping Choa Chu Kang Way
• 2000: Serves additional bus stop opposite Blk 333 along Kreta Ayer Rd
• 2002 (20 Apr): Amended to ply the reinstated New Bridge Rd, skipping Upp Pickering St, South Bridge Rd and Kreta Ayer Rd
• 2002 (07 Jul): Skips the bus stop outside Orchard Emerald along Orchard Rd
• 2005: Serves additional bus stop outside Clarke Quay Stn along Eu Tong Sen St
• 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
• 2015 (14 Jun): Designated wheelchair-accessible bus route (WAB)
• 2018 (10 Mar): Extended to Kg Bahru Ter with the closure of New Bridge Rd Ter
• 2018 (16 Dec): Amended to relocated Choa Chu Kang Bus Interchange.

Past Routings

Back to Bus Services
Back to Bus Articles

Page 2: More Photos