SBS Transit Bus Service 53

SBS Transit Bus Service 53 is a trunk route operating between Bishan and Changi Airport, via Serangoon, Lorong Ah Soo and Pasir Ris, with express sectors along the Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway (KPE) and Tampines Expressway (TPE).

Alight at Changi Airport Terminal 1 for direct access to Jewel Changi Airport through the arrival hall.

53
Bishan Int
↺ Changi Airport (Loop)
53009 Bishan Int B5 NS17CC15 Bishan St 13
53261 Opp Bishan Stadium Bishan St 14
53249 Blk 210 Bishan Rd
54539 Bishan Pk Bishan Rd
54101 Aft Ang Mo Kio Ave 10 Ang Mo Kio Ave 1
66091 Golden Hill Est Ang Mo Kio Ave 1
66031 Cardiff Residence Lor Chuan
66041 Blk 230 Boundary Rd
66051 Opp Blk 257 Boundary Rd
66379 Blk 206 S'goon Ctrl
66359 Serangoon Stn Exit C/Blk 201 NE12CC13 S'goon Ctrl
62141 Opp Blk 1 Upp S'goon Rd
62059 Blk 161 Upp Paya Lebar Rd
62229 The Minton Lor Ah Soo
63309 Blk 126 Lor Ah Soo
63299 Blk 115 Lor Ah Soo
63289 Aljunied CC Hougang Ave 1
63279 Opp Yuying Sec Sch Hougang Ave 1
63269 Blk 232 Hougang Ave 1
63131 The Tembusu Tampines Rd
64201 Aft Hougang Ave 3 Tampines Rd
64211 Aft Hougang Ave 7 Tampines Rd
64221 Opp Defu Ave 2 Tampines Rd
64131 Bef KPE Tampines Rd
77339 Opp Blk 756 Pasir Ris Dr 12
77289 Blk 738 Pasir Ris Dr 1
77239 Blk 643 Pasir Ris Dr 1
77249 Blk 640 Pasir Ris Dr 1
78049 Blk 612 Pasir Ris Dr 1
77019 Blk 515 Pasir Ris Dr 1
77029 Blk 571 Pasir Ris Dr 1
77039 Pasir Ris Stn Exit B EW1 Pasir Ris Ctrl
77049 Pasir Ris Town Pk Pasir Ris Dr 1
77059 Blk 425 Pasir Ris Dr 1
78069 Blk 442 Pasir Ris Dr 1
78031 Blk 191 Pasir Ris St 12
78181 Bef Blk 187 Pasir Ris St 11
78191 Aft Blk 182 Pasir Ris St 11
98099 Blk 269A Pasir Ris Dr 1
98019 Opp Blk 149A Loyang Ave
95151 Airport Police Stn Airport Blvd
95011 Aft Aircraft Flyover Airport Blvd
95109 Changi Airport Ter 3 CG2 PTB3 Basement
95029 Changi Airport Ter 1 PTB1 Basement
95129 Changi Airport Ter 2 CG2 PTB2 Basement
95019 Aft Changi Airport Ter 2 Airport Blvd
95159 Near SATS Flight Kitchen Airport Blvd
98011 Blk 149A Loyang Ave
98091 Blk 156 Pasir Ris Dr 1
78199 Opp White Sands Pri Sch Pasir Ris St 11
78189 Opp Blk 187 Pasir Ris St 11
78039 Blk 104 Pasir Ris St 12
78061 Opp Pasir Ris Polyclinic Pasir Ris Dr 1
77051 Blk 115 Pasir Ris Dr 1
77041 Blk 541 Pasir Ris Dr 1
77031 Opp Pasir Ris Stn Exit B EW1 Pasir Ris Ctrl
77021 Opp Blk 571 Pasir Ris Dr 1
77011 Opp Blk 515 Pasir Ris Dr 1
77241 Opp Blk 640 Pasir Ris Dr 1
77231 Tampines Meridian Jc Pasir Ris Dr 1
77281 Blk 740 Pasir Ris Dr 1
77331 Blk 747A Pasir Ris Dr 12
64229 Bef Defu Ave 2 Tampines Rd
64219 Aft Defu Ave 2 Tampines Rd
64209 Aft Defu Ave 1 Tampines Rd
63139 Aft En-Naeem Mque Tampines Rd
63261 Opp Blk 232 Hougang Ave 1
63271 Blk 239 Hougang Ave 1
63281 Blk 105 Mkt/FC Hougang Ave 1
63291 Opp Blk 115 Lor Ah Soo
63301 Paya Lebar Meth Girls' Sch Lor Ah Soo
62221 Opp The Minton Lor Ah Soo
62051 Aft Jln Chermat Upp Paya Lebar Rd
62149 Forest Woods Upp S'goon Rd
66351 Serangoon Stn Exit E NE12CC13 S'goon Ctrl
66371 Blk 261 S'goon Ctrl
66059 Blk 257A Boundary Rd
66049 Blk 233 Boundary Rd
66039 Blk 307 Lor Chuan
66099 Opp Golden Hill Est Ang Mo Kio Ave 1
54109 Bef Ang Mo Kio Ave 10 Ang Mo Kio Ave 1
54531 Opp Bishan Pk Bishan Rd
53241 Opp Blk 217 Bishan Rd
53269 Bishan Stadium Bishan St 14
53009 Bishan Int NS17CC15 Bishan St 13
Route Overview
Route WAB_logo_20px Bishan Bus Interchange ↺ Changi Airport Terminal 2 (Loop)
Passes Through Ang Mo Kio Ave 1, Serangoon Ctrl, Lor Ah Soo, Tampines Rd, Pasir Ris Dr 1, Airport Blvd
Route Length 52.9 km
Travelling Time 150 mins
Operator Information
BCM Route Package Serangoon–Eunos Bus Package
Current Operator SBS Transit Ltd
Current Depot Ang Mo Kio Bus Depot (AMDEP)
Current Fleet Single-deck buses
Operating Hours
Departure Times from Bishan
Daily
05:30 – 23:15
Departure Times from Changi Airport Terminal 2
Weekdays Saturdays Sundays / Public Holidays
05:55 – 00:31 06:00 – 00:28 05:59 – 00:22
Operating Frequency
Loop Service 6:30am–8.30am 8.31am–4.59pm 5.00pm–7.00pm After 7.00pm
Mondays – Thursdays 8 – 11 mins 6 – 11 mins 6 – 10 mins 8 – 13 mins
Fridays 9 – 11 mins 7 – 11 mins 4 – 9 mins 9 – 12 mins
Saturdays 8 – 11 mins 8 – 13 mins 12 – 15 mins 12 – 16 mins
Sundays / Public Holidays 8 – 12 mins 9 – 14 mins 11 – 14 mins 11 – 15 mins
Fare Information
Fare Charges regular distance fares

 

Service 53 is an inter-town route connecting the residential towns of Bishan, Serangoon Central, Lorong Ah Soo and Pasir Ris with Changi Airport. It also serves the role of connecting Serangoon MRT to outlying housing estates. This service also compliments Service 81 between Pasir Ris and Serangoon Central, travelling via Tampines Expressway (TPE) and Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway (KPE) in both directions, offering a quick bus connection between these areas.

Between Bishan and Pasir Ris, Service 53 plies the shorter route compared to Service 58 and 88, via the Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway (KPE). In Bishan, Services 53 and 58 both start their eastbound trips towards Pasir Ris (and Changi Airport, only for service 53) from Bishan Interchange, while services 58 and 88 call at the bus stops outside the Bishan MRT Station (53231 Bishan Stn & 53239 Opp Bishan Stn). In Pasir Ris, service 53 calls at the bus stops in close proximity to Pasir Ris MRT station along Pasir Ris Central, while services 58 & 88 terminate at Pasir Ris Interchange.

Changi Airport:

Service 53 serves Changi Airport Terminals 3, 1 & 2 in order. It does not serve Terminal 4.

Changi Airport Passenger Terminal Buildings (PTBs) 1, 2 and 3 have their bus stops integrated into their basement levels, which also serves as a cargo loading and unloading bay. Security checks for any unattended or suspicious articles are carried out before a bus enters Terminals 1, 2 and 3. Bus Captains may take a short toilet break at Terminal 2. Because of height restrictions, double-decker buses are unable to enter Changi Airport basement.

Occasionally when Changi Airport basement is closed, buses will be diverted to the departure hall along T1/T2/T3 Departure Drive where a temporary bus stop will be set up.

Announcements for passengers to inform the Bus Captain if they see any suspicious person or article are played on board public buses at Changi Airport as well.

MRT Stations Served:
Special Departures
  • Serangoon Central (Blk 206) → Bishan Int via Changi Airport
    Weekdays: 05:35
    Saturdays: 05:35 & 05:41
    Sundays / Public Holidays: 05:35 & 05:51
  • Tampines Rd (Aft Hougang Ave 3) → Bishan Int via Changi Airport
    Weekdays: 05:20, 05:30 & 05:40
    Saturdays: 05:30 & 05:40
    Sundays / Public Holidays: 05:30 & 05:39
  • Pasir Ris Dr 12 (Opp Blk 756) → Bishan Int via Changi Airport
    Weekdays: 05:20, 06:23 & 06:51
    Saturdays, Sundays / Public Holidays: 05:25
  • PTB3 Basement (Changi Airport Ter 3) → Bishan Int
    Fridays: 21:52, 22:30, 23:01 & 23:20
    Saturdays: 19:13, 19:38, 20:03, 20:17, 20:31, 20:44, 21:41, 22:04, 22:14, 22:26, 22:48, 23:11 & 23:23
    Sundays / Public Holidays: 19:23, 19:50, 20:16, 20:27, 20:38, 20:50, 21:03, 21:39, 22:09, 22:24, 22:36, 22:50, 23:16 & 23:28
  • Loyang Ave (Blk 149A) → Bishan Int
    Weekdays: 05:30, 05:40, 05:50, 06:00 & 06:26
    Saturdays: 06:00
    Sundays / Public Holidays: 06:00
  • Tampines Rd (Aft Defu Ave 1) → Bishan Int
    Weekdays: 05:35 & 05:44
    Saturdays: 05:35, 05:51 & 06:07
    Sundays / Public Holidays: 05:55 & 06:08
Short Trip Service
  • Service 53A: Pasir Ris Drive 1 (Blk 738) → Changi Airport Ter 2
    Weekdays (Mon – Thu): 06:34 & 07:24
    Weekdays (Fri): 06:30 & 07:23
Route Variants:
  • Service 53M: Hougang Avenue 1 ↺ Serangoon Central (Loop)
    Daily: 06:00 – 23:00

Gallery
Poster Gallery

Operator History:
  • 1994 – 2001: Singapore Bus Services Ltd
  • 2001 – Present: SBS Transit Ltd

The Bus Service Operating License (BSOL) for this route will be renewed in 2025 under the Serangoon–Eunos Bus Package.

History:
  • 1994 (10 Jul): Introduced between Bishan Int and Hougang Ave 3 (Loop)
  • 1995 (23 Apr): Extended to loop at Changi Airport
  • 1996: Converted to bi-directional service between Bishan Int and Changi Airport PTB 1
  • 1996 (03 Sep): Amended to ply Pasir Ris Dr 12 and Pasir Ris Dr 1, skipping Elias Rd
  • 1996: First bus from Bishan Int brought forward to 0530 hrs on Sundays and Public Holidays
  • 1997: Serves additional bus stop opposite Fish Farm Rd 2 along Tampines Rd
  • 1998: Serves additional bus stop after Fish Farm Rd 2 along Tampines Rd
  • 2000: Serves new pair of bus stops outside and opposite SATS Flight Kitchen along Airport Blvd
  • 2003 (21 Jun): Amended to ply Serangoon Central and Upp Serangoon Rd under North East MRT Line Rationalisation Phase 1
  • 2003: Serves new bus stop outside S’goon Stn along Serangoon Central
  • 2007 (23 Jun): Amended to ply Tampines Service Rd
  • 2007 (11 Nov): Amended to serve Changi Airport PTB3
  • 2009 (26 Oct): Designated wheelchair-accessible bus service (WAB)
  • 2012 (09 Jan): Converted to loop service between Bishan Int and Changi Airport PTB 2
  • 2012 (29 Apr): Serves new bus stop outside Blk 612 along Pasir Ris Dr 1
  • 2022 (30 Oct): Amended to ply Pasir Ris St 12 and Pasir Ris St 11 with the partial closure of Pasir Ris Dr 1 to facilitate the construction of Pasir Ris East MRT station on the Cross Island MRT Line
  • 2023 (08 Oct): Amended to ply Pasir Ris Dr 8 and Pasir Ris Ctrl with the partial closure of Pasir Ris Dr 1 to facilitate the construction of Pasir Ris MRT station on the Cross Island MRT Line

Past Routings

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8 thoughts on “SBS Transit Bus Service 53

  • 9 July 2022 at 7:40 AM
    Permalink

    SG1713H (Service 53), SG1837J (Service 53) & SG1743X (Service 53) should be added to the fleet, SMRT should pass more MAN A22 (Euro 5) to Bishan, Ang Mo Kio and Toa Payoh Bus Interchanges. Trial the MAN A22 (Euro 5) Electric Bus on Service 31 from Toa Payoh Interchange to Tampines Interchange, if it’s good, launch this MAN A22 (Euro 5) Bus on Service 31.

    Reply
  • 9 July 2022 at 7:35 AM
    Permalink

    Deploy MAN A22(Euro 5 or Euro 6) Single-Deck Bus on this service. With no doubt, the current fleet should be:
    Mercedes-Benz Citaro
    MAN A22 Euro 5 or Euro 6 (Single-Deck)

    Reply
  • 7 April 2022 at 3:26 PM
    Permalink

    Like 858, bus service 53 is usually quite packed and its frequency can be quite bad too. I suggest/hope LTA buy more bendy buses and have them on 53, its demand is high too, or at least have buses run a frequency like 27. If dont want Bendies, LTA & Changi Airport Grp better build a bus terminal that double deckers can ply and is near all 4 terminals(5 in the future)

    Reply
    • 5 February 2024 at 5:09 PM
      Permalink

      i also agree but the chances of LTA buying more bendy buses are vv low as they focus more in double deckers and 3 doors single deck now

      Reply
  • 9 January 2022 at 5:59 PM
    Permalink

    I saw a MAN A22 Euro V on 53 today (in green paint)

    And I saw a MAN A22 Euro V (in SMRT livery) at Bishan Interchange

    I suggest:

    Current fleet:
    Mercedes-Benz 0530 Citaro
    Scania K23OUB
    MAN A22

    Reply
    • 11 February 2022 at 10:24 AM
      Permalink

      Scania K230UB arent deploy as perms on Airport Service Due to BCM back in 2016. You can usually see some as Cameos but thats it. I suspect with the retirement of the E4 KUBS, Cameos are going be rarer. E5 KUBS are most likely to be assign to Feeder services like Toa Payoh and other services. So it should be:

      Mercedes Benz 0530 Citaro
      MAN A22(Euro 5 or Euro 6)

      Besides buses that go to airport needs to have the next stop speakers equiped. The KUBS dont have them

      Reply
  • 18 June 2020 at 10:11 AM
    Permalink

    Candidate to start from Bidadari Int while 53M loops at Bishan Int.

    Reply
    • 16 June 2023 at 10:03 AM
      Permalink

      Maybe, but a better long-term option might be to swap with 81 for the Airport section, so

      81 does Bidadari — (usual route) — Pasir Ris — Changi Airport (can run bendies on shorter CGA route), while

      53 does Bishan — (usual route) — Pasir Ris — Tampines (can run DDs on bidirectional route; number retained as Bishan service).

      Reply

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