SMRT Bus Service 972M

SMRT Bus Service 972M is a route variant of Service 972, operating from Bukit Panjang Bus Interchange and looping at Orchard Road, passing through Bukit Panjang Estate, Petir Road and Newton MRT. Following the controversy over Bus 700 withdrawal and Bus 171 & 972 amendment, Service 972M was introduced as a mitigation measure to retain connectivity along Dunearn Road and Scotts Road. The route was originally intended to be the amended route of Service 972 itself.

Route Overview
Route	Bukit Panjang Bus Interchange ↺ Orchard Road (Loop)
Passes Through	Senja Rd, Jelapang Rd, Segar Rd, Fajar Rd, Petir Rd, BKE/PIE, Dunearn Rd / Bukit Timah Rd, Scotts Rd, Orchard, Dhoby Ghaut
Route Length	42.8 km
Travelling Time	140 mins
Operator Information
BCM Route Package	Choa Chu Kang–Bukit Panjang Bus Package
Current Operator	SMRT Buses Ltd
Current Depot	Kranji Bus Depot (KJDEP) Buses park at: Woodlands Bus Park
Current Fleet	Single-deck & Double-deck buses
Operating Hours
Departure Times from Bt Panjang	Daily
	05:45 – 22:50
Operating Frequency
	6:30am–8.30am			8.31am–4.59pm			5.00pm–7.00pm			After 7.00pm
Loop Service	8 – 10 mins			12 – 18 mins			9 – 11 mins			24 – 25 mins
Fare Information
Fare	Charges regular distance fares

Service 972M was introduced to retain connectivity for commuters along Dunearn Road and Scotts Road, following the withdrawal of Services 700 & 700A in August 2020.

The routing for Service 972M was originally presented as a route amendment for Service 972 that took effect from 16 August 2020. However, these plans were met with strong negative feedback from Bukit Panjang residents who relied heavily on Service 972 as a direct bus service to the city via the Expressway, citing higher fares (due to the longer distance travelled via Newton MRT), and resulting in longer travelling time, partly contributed by known congestion issues around Dunearn Rd / Bukit Timah Rd and Newton Circus. (Main article: Controversy over Bus 700 withdrawal and Bus 171 & 972 amendment)

Following discussions with the Members of Parliament for Bukit Panjang, the Land Transport Authority as well as the Ministry of Transport, Service 972M was introduced as a mitigation measure, while the route of Service 972 remains unchanged.

In April 2022, Service 972M was amended to serve Petir Road, skipping Bukit Panjang Road with the withdrawal of Service 971.

MRT / LRT Stations Served:

• DT1–BP6 Bukit Panjang
• BP13 Senja
• BP10 Fajar
• BP9 Bangkit
• BP8 Pending
• DT10TE11 Stevens
• NS21–DT11 Newton
• NS22TE14 Orchard
• NS23 Somerset
• NS24NE6CC1 Dhoby Ghaut

Special Departures:

• Whitley Rd (Bef Stevens Stn Exit 4) → Bukit Panjang Int via Orchard Road
  Weekdays: 07:33 & 08:03
• Penang Rd (Dhoby Ghaut Stn Exit B) → Bukit Panjang Int
  Weekdays: 18:28 & 18:41
  
• Petir Rd (Dairy Farm Mall) → Bukit Panjang Int
  Weekdays: Between 06:45 – 07:25

Route Variant:

• Service 972: Bukit Panjang Int ↺ Orchard Road (Loop)
  Daily, via Bukit Panjang Road & Stevens Road

Gallery:

Poster Gallery:

Operator History:

• 30 Aug 2020 – Present: SMRT Buses Ltd

The Bus Service Operating License (BSOL) for this route will be renewed in 2026 under the Choa Chu Kang–Bukit Panjang Bus Package.

History:

• 2020 (30 Aug): Introduced from Bukit Panjang to Orchard Road (Loop) via Newton MRT as part of the mitigation measures in response to planned bus route changes along the Downtown Line 2 Corridor. Wheelchair-accessible at launch.
• 2022 (03 Apr): Amended to Bukit Panjang Ring Rd & skipping Senja Link towards Orchard Road due to the conversion of part of Senja Road and Senja Link to one-way traffic; Amended to ply Pending Rd, Petir Rd and Dairy Farm Rd, replacing the deleted sectors of Service 971, skipping Bt Panjang Rd
• 2023 (08 Jan): Temporarily skips the bus stop outside Newton Stn Exit B along Scotts Rd due to upgrading works
• 2023 (27 Aug): Resumes serving the bus stop outside Newton Stn Exit B along Scotts Rd after completion of upgrading works

Past Routings

Reference

• Chee Hong Tat 徐芳达 – Facebook

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