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Withdrawal of Bus Services 700 & 700A, Launch of Bus Service 972M & Amendment to Bus Service 171
30 August 2020
On Sunday, 30 August 2020, as part of the modified Downtown Line 2 Bus Service Rationalisation plan:
- Bus Services 700 & 700A will be withdrawn. The last day of service would be on Saturday, 29 August 2020.
- Bus Service 171 from Yishun Bus Interchange will be shortened to loop at Bukit Panjang MRT Station, no longer serving Marina Centre Terminal.
- New Bus Service 972M will be launched from Bukit Panjang – Orchard Road (Loop) via Newton MRT, plying the routing originally planned for Service 972 via Dunearn Road / Bukit Timah Road and Scotts Road.
See also: Renumbering of Express Bus Service 971E to Trunk Bus Service 971 on 31 August 2020.
Operator Posters
![[Updated Poster] Withdrawal of Bus Services 700 & 700A](https://landtransportguru.net/web/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Aug20_Service-700-700A-Withdrawal_updated-212x300.jpg)
Former Changes
Originally planned to take effect from Sunday 16 August 2020:
As part of the Downtown Line 2 Bus Service Rationalisation:
- Bus Services 700 & 700A would be withdrawn, with the last day of service on Saturday, 15 August 2020.
- Bus Service 171 from Yishun Bus Interchange will be shortened to loop at Bukit Panjang MRT Station, no longer serving Marina Centre Terminal.
- Bus Service 972 will be amended to serve Newton MRT Station, via Dunearn Road / Bukit Timah Road and Scotts Road.
In addition, Short Trip Service 972A will also be amended to serve Newton MRT Station via Dunearn Road and Scotts Road.
Due to the controversy over Bus 700 withdrawal and Bus 171 & 972 amendment, the plan to implement the changes on 16 August 2020 was scrapped, with the modified plan to be implemented from 30 August 2020 instead.
Operator Posters (Withdrawn)
![[Withdrawn Poster] Bus 171: Route Amendment to loop at Bukit Panjang](https://landtransportguru.net/web/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Aug20_Service-171-Amendment-212x300.jpg)
![[Withdrawn Poster] Bus 972: Route Amendment to Newton MRT](https://landtransportguru.net/web/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Aug20_Service-972-Amendment-212x300.jpg)
![[Withdrawn Poster] Withdrawal of Bus Services 700 & 700A](https://landtransportguru.net/web/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Aug20_Service-700-700A-Withdrawal-212x300.jpg)
25 thoughts on “Withdrawal of Bus Services 700 & 700A, Launch of Bus Service 972M & Amendment to Bus Service 171”
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700/A withdrawn>16 buses
972M>Probably 7-8 buses
971>Probably add 2-3 buses
973>Probably add 1 bus
171 cut short>Probably reduced 9-10 buses.
KJDEP save around 3-4 buses.
AMDEP save around 9-10 buses.
Is lta seriously joking around. ??? Just took 171 at orchard area back to yishun lastweek and today. The bus had a gd loading and was in good demand.
Not jus my bus but other 171 also was having gd pax loads. Even 700 had a gd amt of pax. I feel its very evil of lta to do this.
It’s different from Weekdays off peak loadings..Well it’s true 171 suffer 20-30% drop in loadings from BPJ-ORD sectors except for certain hours on weekends and ditto for 700.Actually no need for 972M or 971..Just a new service from Marina Centre looping at BPJ from SBST is enough.
67 can be used to cover 171 deleted sector. Little India to Bedok Reservoir portion easily covered by 65. Affected commuters can always take 66 or DTL 3.
Probably can also introduce 170M run by SBS Transit that starts from Queen Street Bus Terminal and travels via Rochor Road, Bencoolen Street, Penang Road, which will follow 171’s route until Bukit Panjang Road, then loop at Gangsa Road, goes to Jelebu Road, and to Upper Bukit Timah Road and back to Queen Street Bus Terminal. Those taking 171 that want to travel beyond Bukit Panjang to Dhoby Ghaut from Yishun can then use this proposed 170M to travel.
If starting point from Marina Centre Bus Terminal is preferred, can think of another bus service number for this. Can be operated by SMRT Buses.
Frequency can be 10 or 15 mins during peak hours, and 30 mins during off peak hours since the demand is not there. Frequency can be adjusted again if there’s increase of demand.
At least can give an alternative option for those who still prefers to travel by bus, and save jobs for the bus drivers who is affected by the cut of buses due to route amendments.
Just wait,After few months of resident complaints and voila you will have a new service from Gali Batu Terminal to Orchard Rd.171 might be extended to terminate at Beauty World ITH in future
I think they can consider keeping 700/700A but with a further reduced frequency like 30-40 minutes to compliment downtown line or convert it into a peak hour only service.