SBS Transit Bus Service 8

SBS Transit Bus Service 8 is a trunk route connecting Tampines and Toa Payoh through Kaki Bukit and MacPherson. Along with Service 28 and 31, it is one of three services plying between Tampines and Toa Payoh.

Technical Information
Route	Tampines Bus Interchange ↔ Toa Payoh Bus Interchange
Passes Through	Kaki Bukit, Ubi, MacPherson, PIE
Route Length	18.0km (D1) | 17.7km (D2)
Travelling Time	80 mins
Operator Information
BCM Route Package	Bishan – Toa Payoh Bus Package
Current Operator	SBS Transit Ltd
Current Depot	Bedok North Bus Depot (BNDEP) Braddell Bus Park (BRBP)
Current Fleet	12-metre Double Deck Buses: – Volvo B9TL – Volvo B10TL 12-metre Single Deck Buses: – Scania K230UB
Departure Times from Tampines	0530 – 2300 (Weekdays) 0545 – 2300 (Saturday) 0600 – 2300 (Sunday/PHs)
Departure Times from Toa Payoh	0600 – 2330 (Daily)
Frequency	Direction 1	Direction 2
	0630 – 0830: 04 – 07 mins 0831 – 1659: 04 – 13 mins 1700 – 1900: 06 – 08 mins After 1900: 07 – 14 mins	0630 – 0830: 05 – 07 mins 0831 – 1659: 05 – 14 mins 1700 – 1900: 06 – 07 mins After 1900: 06 – 16 mins

Introduced in 1990, Service 8 is an inter-town route serving between Toa Payoh and Tampines, passing through MacPherson, Ubi, Kaki Bukit, Tampines Ave 2 and Tampines Ave 7. The route serves a unique catchment of both residents (of Toa Payoh, Kaki Bukit and Tampines) and workers heading to the industrial estates (around Ubi and MacPherson), leading to high patronage throughout the day. Double-deck buses make up the bulk of the fleet, but single-deck buses are more common during weekends.

Due to close proximity to Downtown Line (Stage 3) stations, demand was affected by the opening of the new line on 21 Oct 2017.

As part of the DTL3 Bus Service Enhancements, Service 8 calls at a new pair of bus stops along Tampines Ave 2, at Tampines East MRT Station from 21 Oct 2017.

MRT Stations Served

• EW2DT32 Tampines
• NS19 Toa Payoh
• DT27 Ubi
• DT31 Tampines West
• DT33 Tampines East

Special Departures

• Macpherson Rd (Bef Davidson Rd) → Tampines Int
  Weekdays: 0606hrs

Fare: Charges basic distance fares. See Bus Fares.

Gallery

Operator History

• 01 Mar 1990 – 31 Oct 2001: Singapore Bus Services Ltd
• 01 Nov 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

• 1990 (01 Mar): Introduced by SBS Transit as a trunk service, plying Pasir Ris – Toa Payoh
• 1992 (29 Nov): Shortened to Tampines Int under Transitlink Integration Exercise Phase 10
• 1995 (18 Sep): Amended with the opening of Temasek Polytechnic to Tampines Ave 1, Tampines Ave 10 and Bedok North Rd Extension
• 1998 (31 May): Amended to temporary Toa Payoh Int
• 1999: Serves new bus stops 52501 and 52509 along Lor 6 Toa Payoh
• 2000: Serves new bus stops 75251 and 75259 along Tampines Ave 1
• 2002 (19 May): Amended to air-conditioned Toa Payoh Int
• 2011 (04 Sep): No longer calls at the bus stop after Moonstone Lane along Serangoon Rd due to the closure of Whampoa North
• 2017 (12 Feb): Serves a new pair of bus stops along Ubi Ave 2.
• 2017 (21 Aug): Designated wheelchair-accessible bus route (WAB)
• 2017 (21 Oct): Calls a new pair of bus stops at Tampines East MRT Station.

Past Routings

• Refer to this article
• 2011: Amended to present routing. No significant route changes since 2011.