SMRT Bus Service 190

SMRT Bus Service 190 operates between Choa Chu Kang and Kampong Bahru Terminal, 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 and the City.

Service 190 serves the new Choa Chu Kang Bus Interchange from 16 December 2018.

Technical Information
Route	Choa Chu Kang Bus Interchange ↔ Kampong Bahru Bus Terminal
Passes Through	Teck Whye Ave, Bukit Panjang, Stevens, Orchard Road, Clarke Quay, Chinatown
Route Length	23.2 km (D1) | 22.6 km (D2)
Travelling 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 Double Deck Bus: – Alexander Dennis Enviro500 – Volvo B9TL – MAN A95 12-metre Single Deck Bus: – MAN A22 – Mercedes-Benz OC500LE
Departure Times from Choa Chu Kang	0550 – 2330 (Daily)
Departure Times from Kampong Bahru	0555 – 2330 (Weekdays, Saturdays) 0625 – 2330 (Sundays/PHs)
Frequency	Direction 1	Direction 2
	0630-0830: 02 – 05 mins 0831-1659: 04 – 07 mins 1700-1900: 06 – 07 mins After 1900: 07 – 11 mins	0630-0830: 08 – 11 mins 0831-1659: 04 – 07 mins 1700-1900: 04 – 06 mins After 1900: 05 – 08 mins

Service 190 is a major trunk route linking Choa Chu Kang and Bukit Panajng 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 the commencement of Downtown Line Stage 2.

SMRT 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 of and undercoverage of 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. Commuters may consider alternative bus services to the city, such as 171, 700/A and 972. Bunching of buses is common owing to the short headway between buses. With the opening of the Downtown Line Stage 2 in Dec 2015, demand for this bus service has been reduced.

Formerly a Singapore Bus Service (SBS) route since 1988, the route was transferred to Trans-Island Bus Service (TIBS) in 1999 and has been operated by SMRT ever since. High capacity articulated / double-deck buses are deployed on a regular basis. SMRT’s Alexander Dennis Enviro500 double-deck buses appeared on the route since Aug 2014, marking a comeback since SBS transferred Service 190 to TIBS in 1999 (then operating with double-decks).

MRT Stations Served:

•  EW16  NE3   Outram Park
•  NS4  BP1   Choa Chu Kang
•  NS22   Orchard
•  NS23   Somerset
•  NS24  NE6  CC1   Dhoby Ghaut
•  NE4  DT19   Chinatown
•  NE5   Clarke Quay
•  CC2   Bras Basah
•  DT1  BP6   Bukit Panjang
•  DT10   Stevens
•  DT21   Bencoolen

LRT Stations Served:

•  NS4  BP1   Choa Chu Kang
•  BP5   Phoenix
•  DT1  BP6   Bukit Panjang

Special Departures:

• Bukit Panjang Road (Blk 604) → Kampong Bahru Ter
  0545 (Weekdays), 0600 (Sat, Sun) & Weekdays AM Peak
  Majority of morning downroutes start here; buses are usually full with passengers from Teck Whye, and downroutes help with the passenger loads at Bukit Panjang
• Bukit Panjang Road (Blk 223) → Choa Chu Kang Int
  0600 (Daily) onwards, Weekday afternoons
  Morning downroutes from this stop until the first bus arrives from New Bridge Road.
• Orchard Road (YMCA) → Choa Chu Kang Int
  Weekdays PM Peak & Weekend nights
  Majority of weekday evening peak downroutes are from this stop, notably split-shift buses which perform 190A in the morning. Additional downroutes from this stop also operated during weekend nights.
• Somerset Road (Somerset Stn) → Choa Chu Kang Int
  Weekdays PM Peak & Weekend nights. Minority of downroutes.

Due to the exceptionally high demand of Service 190, many downroutes are used to better cater to demand and ensure that passengers throughout the route have a chance of boarding a bus.

Short Trip Service:

• Service 190A: Choa Chu Kang Int → Orchard Rd (Dhoby Ghaut Stn)
  Weekdays, Except Public Holidays: 0555hrs – 0746hrs
  04 – 24 mins frequency
  

Fare: Charges basic distance fares. See Bus Fares.

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 by Singapore Bus Service (SBS) between Bukit Panjang and New Bridge Road.
• 1990 (16 Dec): Extended to start from Choa Chu Kang
• 1993 (03 Jan): Amended to ply express along PIE to Whitley Rd instead of Jln Anak Bukit/Upp Bukit Timah Rd and Dunearn Rd/Bukit Timah Rd
• 1999 (25 Jul): Handed to Trans-Island Bus Services (TIBS), later rebranded as SMRT.
• 1999 (Dec): Amended from Choa Chu Kang Way to Choa Chu Kang Dr and Teck Whye Ave, as part of the BPLRT Rationalisation.
• 2013: Service improvement under the Bus Service Enhancement Programme (BSEP)
• 2014 (18 Aug): Alexander Dennis Enviro500 double-deck buses deployed
• 2015 (14 Jun): Designated wheelchair-accessible bus route (WAB)
• 2018 (10 Mar): Amended to Kampong Bahru Ter
• 2018 (16 Dec): Calls at relocated Choa Chu Kang Bus Interchange.

Past Routings:

• Refer to this article
• 2018: Amended to present routing. No significant route changes since 2018.

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