SMRT Bus Service 973

SMRT Bus Service 973  is a trunk service plying between Bukit Panjang and Hume Avenue, passing through Pending Rd, Petir Rd and Hillview Ave, connecting Pending, Petir and Hume residents with the Hillview and Bukit Panjang MRT Stations along the Downtown Line. It was launched on Sunday, 26 February 2017.

New Short Trip Service 973A commences from 13 January 2019 in tandem with the adjusted Bukit Panjang LRT operating hours.

Technical Information
Route	Bukit Panjang Bus Interchange ↺ Hume Avenue (Loop)
Passes Through	Bukit Panjang Rd, Petir Rd, Hillview Ave
Route Length	10.6 km
Traveling Time	~ 60 mins
Operator Information
BCM Route Package	Choa Chu Kang – Bukit Panjang Bus Package
Current Operator	SMRT Buses Ltd
Current Depot	Bulim Bus Depot (BUDEP)
Current Fleet	12-metre Single Deck Bus: – MAN NL323F
Departure Times from Bukit Panjang	0530hrs – 0010hrs (Daily)
Frequency	Loop Service
	0630-0830: 10 – 13 mins 0831-1659: 12 mins 1700-1900: 10 – 12 mins After 1900: 10 – 15 mins

Bus Service 973 is a short trunk service from Bukit Panjang to Hume Avenue, mainly serving residents along Hume Avenue and Petir Road with direct links to both Hillview and Bukit Panjang MRT Stations. The route duplicates Bus Service 700 / 700A from Bukit Panjang to Petir Road.

Due to buses having to filter right along Upper Bukit Timah Road near Hillview MRT Station, Bus Service 973 does not call along Upper Bukit Timah Road towards Bukit Panjang (namely 43061 Upp Bt Timah Rd (Hillview Stn)). As such, commuters must alight at new bus stop 42991 Upp Bt Timah Rd (Bef Hillview Stn Exit B) and walk to Hillview MRT Station.

For Hillview MRT Station, commuters boarding Bus Service 973 towards Hume should board at 43069 Upp Bt Timah Rd (Hillview Stn Exit A)

Commuters boarding towards Bukit Panjang should also board at 43891 Dairy Farm Rd (Aft Dairy Farm Cres) or 42991 Upp Bt Timah Rd (Bef Hillview Stn Exit B).

Formerly, when the service was launched in February 2017, there was no direct bus stop connection to Hillview MRT Station. Commuters had to walk from nearby Dairy Farm Rd or Hillview Ave Bus Stops which had no sheltered walkway to the MRT Station. It was only in May 2017 when Service 973 was finally made to call at Hillview Stn Exit A towards Hume.

Service 973 was amended to Bt Panjang ITH with new calling Bus Stops along Dairy Farm Rd from 04 Sep 2017.

Bus Service 973 serves the following amenities along its route:

• Schools:
  • Zhenghua Primary School
  • Trinity Theological College
• Shopping Centres:
  • Bukit Panjang Plaza
  • HillV2
  • The Rail Mall
• Bukit Panjang Park
• Bukit Panjang N2 Park
• Dairy Farm Nature Park
• Senja-Cashew Community Centre
• Bukit Panjang Community Centre
• Hillview Community Centre
• MOE Dairy Farm Adventure Centre

MRT / LRT Stations served:

• DT1BP6 Bukit Panjang
• BP8 Pending
• DT3 Hillview

Special Departures:

• Petir Road (Aft Dairy Farm Rd) → Bukit Panjang Int
  Daily: 0535hrs, 0546hrs

Short Trip Service

• Service 973A: Bukit Panjang Int → Pending Rd (Bef Pending Stn)
  Daily: 0030hrs, 0050hrs & 0110hrs

Service 973A was introduced in tandem with the adjustment of Bukit Panjang LRT Operating Hours to facilitate renewal works from 13 January 2019.

Fare: Charges basic distance fares. See Bus Fares.