History of Ang Mo Kio Bus Services

Introduction:

Ang Mo Kio is one of Singapore’s oldest public residential estates developed since the 1970s, located in the central region of the island. To cater to the increasing population in the developing public housing estate, SBS gradually introduced new trunk services and extended the routes of existing trunk services from nearby bus termini in Upp Thomson Rd, as well as providing several feeder services that connected the town’s neighbourhoods with the town centre.

While there was no specific bus plan implemented by SBS, Ang Mo Kio Bus Interchange serves as the main transport hub for bus services (and later the MRT) in the housing estate, opening its doors on 10th April 1983 at the junction of Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3 and Ang Mo Kio Avenue 8. The current air-conditioned Integrated Transport Hub (ITH) sits on the former location of the bus interchange.

Pre-Interchange Opening (1976 – 1979):

Before the development of Ang Mo Kio New Town, the area where the housing estate occupies today was mainly served by long distance trunk services along Upper Thomson Road and Yio Chu Kang Road. It was not until 1976, when former Bus Service 168 was extended to the new town from Upper Thomson Road as the 1st bus service to officially serve the estate.

From there, 11 more trunk services were introduced in Ang Mo Kio New Town between 1977 and 1979, while a new bus interchange was constructed in the Ang Mo Kio Town Centre to serve as the primary transport node for the estate:

• Bus Service 168: Amended from Sembawang Hills Dr on 15 Feb 1976
• Bus Service 166: New trunk service to New Bridge Rd via Little India and City Hall from 22 Nov 1976
• Bus Service 169: Extended from Sembawang Rd on 31 Jan 1977
• Bus Service 159: New trunk service to Toa Payoh via Lor Chuan on 25 Apr 1977
• Bus Service 165: Amended from Upp Thomson Rd on 19 Sep 1977
• Bus Service 162: New trunk service to Sims Ave via Upp S’goon Rd on 21 Nov 1977
• Bus Service 136: New trunk service to Upp S’goon Rd via S’goon Gdns on 27 Jul 1978
• Bus Service 138: New trunk service to Robinson Rd via Little India on 27 Jul 1978
• Bus Service 132: New trunk service to Orchard Rd on 9 Oct 1978
• Bus Service 133: New trunk service to Nth Bridge Rd via Upp S’goon Rd on 29 Dec 1978
• Bus Service 74: New trunk service to Clementi via Bukit Timah from 16 Jul 1979

To link the neighbourhoods to the town centre, 3 new feeder bus services – 260, 261 & 262 – were also implemented by SBS, operating from the interim bus terminal along Ang Mo Kio Ave 6.

In addition, Blue Arrow Bus Service 308 was briefly implemented by SBS in 1976, when the new bus scheme was first rolled out as part of the Area Licensing Scheme (ALS). Due to low passenger demand, it was subsequently restructured and replaced by Bus Service 138 in 1978.

The main bus terminus for Ang Mo Kio New Town was developed and established in 3 phases between 1979 & 1983, as further discussed below.

Phase 1 (12 August 1979 & 6 January 1980):

On 12th August 1979, 7 trunk services (74, 132, 138, 165, 166, 168 & 169) were relocated from the roadside terminus along Ang Mo Kio Avenue 6 (outside Block 207) to a larger interim terminus along Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3, providing more convenient access to the then-developing Ang Mo Kio Town Centre.

Several months later, on 6th January 1980, the remaining 3 trunk and 3 feeder services (133, 136, 162, 260, 261 & 262) were also relocated from the roadside terminus along Ang Mo Kio Avenue 6 (outside Block 304) to the roadside terminus along Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3.

Phase 2 (5 July 1981):

On 5th July 1981, the roadside terminus along Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3 was relocated to Ang Mo Kio Central 2 to reduce traffic congestion along the increasingly busy Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3 during peak hours.

Furthermore, to alleviate overcrowding at the central bus terminus, 3 other interim roadside termini were established along Ang Mo Kio Industrial Park 1 (for Feeder Bus Service 261), Ang Mo Kio Industrial Park 2 (for Feeder Bus Service 267) and Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10 (for Feeder Bus Service 265). This is on top of the former Ang Mo Kio Bus Depot, which was made the new terminus for Feeder Bus Service 263 a month earlier in June 1981.

Phase 3 (10 April 1983):

On 10th April 1983, SBS officially opened its doors of the new Ang Mo Kio Bus Interchange to the public. Spanning over 14,000 sq m with 36 boarding and alighting berths, the new interchange concourse provided a more comfortable and organised facility for Ang Mo Kio residents to seamlessly transfer between bus services at the new bus interchange. A total of 18 bus services were amended from the various interim roadside terminals in Ang Mo Kio New Town to operate from the interchange, with the exception of Feeder Bus Service 263, which continued to operate from the former Ang Mo Kio Bus Depot.

Summary of Post-Amendment Bus Routes in Ang Mo Kio (as of 10 Apr 1983):

• 25: Ang Mo Kio – Upper Paya Lebar Road – Bedok
• 74: Ang Mo Kio – Bukit Timah Road – Clementi
• 77: Ang Mo Kio – Serangoon – Bendemeer Road (Loop)
• 132: Ang Mo Kio – Thomson Road – Orchard Road (Loop)
• 133: Ang Mo Kio – Upper Serangoon Road – North Bridge Road (Loop)
• 134: Ang Mo Kio – Marymount Road – Little India – New Bridge Road
• 136: Ang Mo Kio – Serangoon Gardens – Upper Serangoon Road (End) (Loop)
• 138: Ang Mo Kio – Marymount Road – Robinson Road (Loop)
• 162: Ang Mo Kio – Upper Serangoon Road – Sims Avenue (Loop)
• 165: Ang Mo Kio – Holland Road – Upper Ayer Rajah Road – Jurong
• 166: Ang Mo Kio – Thomson Road – Little India – New Bridge Road
• 168: Ang Mo Kio – Marymount Road – Orchard Road (Loop)
• 169: Ang Mo Kio – Sembawang Road – Admiralty Road West – Woodlands
• 261: Ang Mo Kio – Ang Mo Kio Industrial Park 1 (Loop)
• 262: Ang Mo Kio – Ang Mo Kio Street 21 (Loop)
• 263: Ang Mo Kio Depot – Ang Mo Kio – Ang Mo Kio Industrial Park 2 (Loop)
• 265: Ang Mo Kio – Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10 (Loop)
• 266: Ang Mo Kio – Ang Mo Kio Avenue 4/5 (Loop)
• 267: Ang Mo Kio – Ang Mo Kio Industrial Park 2 (Loop)
• 269: Ang Mo Kio – Ang Mo Kio Street 61 (Loop)

More detailed information for operational bus services can be found in the Historical Routes of Bus Services article.