History of Bukit Batok Bus Services

Introduction:

Bukit Batok is one of Singapore’s latest satellite towns developed since the early 1980s, located in the western 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 the neighbouring areas of Ulu Pandan and Queenstown, 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, Bukit Batok Bus Interchange serves as the main transport hub for bus services (and later the MRT) in the housing estate, opening its doors on 27th September 1987 along Bukit Batok Central.

Pre-Interchange Opening (1985 – 1987):

Before the development of Bukit Batok New Town, the area where the housing estate occupies today was mainly served by long distance trunk services along the former Jurong Road and Upper Bukit Timah Road. It was not until 1985, when former Bus Service 122 was extended to the new town from Buona Vista as the 1st bus service to officially serve the estate.

From there, 4 more trunk services were introduced in Bukit Batok New Town between 1985 and 1987, while a new bus interchange was constructed in the Bukit Batok Town Centre to serve as the primary transport node for the estate:

• Bus Service 122: Extended from Buona Vista on 6 Jan 1985
• Bus Service 179: New trunk service to New Bridge Rd via Bukit Timah and Bugis from 18 Aug 1985
• Bus Service 106: Extended from Buona Vista on 28 Oct 1985
• Bus Service 189: Extended from Buona Vista on 24 Nov 1985
• Bus Service 61: Extended from Ulu Pandan Rd on 19 Apr 1987

To link the neighbourhoods to the town centre, 4 new feeder bus services – 361, 365, 366 & 367 – were also implemented by SBS, operating from the interim bus terminal along Bt Batok West Ave 3 since 1985.

On 27th September 1987, the new Bukit Batok Bus Interchange was opened, offering a pleasant environment for bus passengers to transfer and wait for their buses. All 9 bus services were relocated to the new interchange from the roadside bus terminal along Bt Batok West Ave 3. The interchange would also be the first to incorporate a Multi-Storey Car Park (MSCP), a design that would be adopted for the subsequent bus interchanges built in Serangoon (1988 – 2011) and Bishan.

Summary of Post-Amendment Bus Routes in Bukit Batok (as of 27 Sep 1987):

• 61: Bukit Batok – Holland Village – World Trade Centre – Chinatown/Bugis – MacPherson
• 106: Bukit Batok – Clementi – Orchard Road – Upper Serangoon Road – Serangoon Gardens
• 122: Bukit Batok – Buona Vista – River Valley Road – Bugis – St. Michael’s
• 157: Jurong – Jurong Town Hall Road – Bukit Batok – Bukit Timah Road – Toa Payoh
• 174: NTI – Bukit Batok – Bukit Timah Road – Orchard Road – New Bridge Road
• 175: Pioneer Road – Bukit Batok – Bukit Timah Road – Bugis – Prince Edward Road
• 178: Jurong – Jurong Town Hall Road – Bukit Batok – Upper Bukit Timah Road – Woodlands
• 179: Bukit Batok – Bukit Timah Road – Bugis – New Bridge Road
• 189: Bukit Batok – Clementi – Alexandra Road – Raffles Place – Marina Centre
• 361: Bukit Batok – Bukit Batok West Avenue 8 (Loop)
• 365: Bukit Batok – Bukit Batok Street 34 (Loop)
• 366: Bukit Batok – Bukit Batok Street 23 (Loop)
• 367: Bukit Batok – Bukit Batok Road (Loop)
• 852: Jurong – Jurong Town Hall Road – Bukit Batok – Ang Mo Kio – Yishun

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