History of Hougang Bus Services

Introduction:

Hougang is one of the largest public residential estates in the northeastern region of Singapore developed since the 1970s. To cater to the increasing population in the developing public housing estate, SBS gradually introduced new trunk services and amended the routes of existing trunk services from nearby bus termini along Upper Serangoon Road, 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, Hougang Bus Interchange served as the main transport hub for bus services in the housing estate, opening its doors on 30th October 1983 along Hougang Street 21. While the Hougang Town Centre was relocated northwards to Hougang Central in the 1990s, with another bus interchange built in the relocated town centre in 1994, the interchange remained operational as Hougang South Bus Interchange, until its permanent closure in 2004.

Pre-Interchange Opening (1970s – 1983):

Before the development of Hougang New Town, the area where the housing estate occupies today was mainly served by long distance trunk services along Upper Serangoon Road, Tampines Road, Yio Chu Kang Road, the northern end of Upper Paya Lebar Road and the southern end of Punggol Road. As the new estate developed in the late 1970s, the bus services along these major roads also started catering to the early residents of Hougang New Town. In 1977, former Bus Service 86 marked the 1st new service that was launched to serve Hougang residents, which was also the first to operate double-deck buses in Singapore.

Prior to the opening of Hougang Bus Interchange, most bus services operated from 2 major roadside bus terminals along Upper Serangoon Road – with 1 of the termini being located near the 10.5 km mark of the road (near Lim Ah Pin Road), while the other was located at the former end point of Upper Serangoon Road (near the junction with Buangkok Drive today). In addition, 2 other roadside termini were built along Tampines Way (present Hougang Avenue 3) for Bus Service 86, as well as along Hougang Street 21 for former Feeder Bus Service 321.

On 30th October 1983, the new Hougang Bus Interchange started operations, offering a pleasant environment for bus passengers to transfer and wait for their buses. Only 2 bus services from the roadside terminus along the 10.5 km mark of Upper Serangoon Road, as well as Bus Service 86 (from Tampines Way) and Feeder Bus Service 321 (from Hougang Street 21) were relocated to the new interchange, while former Bus Services 84 & 156 remained operational from the roadside terminus along Upper Serangoon Road End.

Summary of Post-Amendment Bus Routes in Hougang (as of 30 Oct 1983):

• 80: Upper Changi Road – Upper Serangoon Road – Prince Edward Road
• 81: Upper Changi Road – Upper Serangoon Road – New Bridge Road
• 82: Punggol Road – Upper Serangoon Road – Prince Edward Road
• 83: Punggol Road – Upper Serangoon Road – New Bridge Road
• 84: Upper Serangoon Road – Paya Lebar Road – North Bridge Road – Anson Road
• 85: Hougang – Kallang Bahru – Sims Avenue (Loop)
• 86: Hougang – Beach Road – Shenton Way (Loop)
• 111: Hougang – Little India – Orchard Road – Buona Vista
• 136: Ang Mo Kio – Serangoon Gardens – Upper Serangoon Road End (Loop)
• 156: Toa Payoh – Serangoon Gardens – Upper Serangoon Road
• 321: Hougang – Hougang Avenue 1 – Lorong Ah Soo (Loop)
• 323: Hougang – Hougang Avenue 7 – Upper Serangoon Road (Loop)

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