History of Sembawang Bus Services

Further Bus Service Developments in Sembawang (2010 – Present)

As the population of Sembawang New Town continues to grow, more bus services were added to the residential estate since 2010, with the route amendment for existing Bus Service 858 to pass through the town in 2010, and new Bus Services 117 & 883 under BSEP, as well as Bus Service 861 under BCEP.

In 2021, Tower Transit Singapore took over as the anchor operator of Sembawang Bus Interchange, after clinching the contract for the Sembawang-Yishun Bus Package a year prior. All but Bus Service 117 operating out of the interchange are transferred to the new operator in October of that year.

Gallery:

Chronological History of Sembawang Bus Services:

• 1971 (11 Apr):
  • Launch of 4 new services in Sembawang:
    • 160 between Rotherham Gate & Crawford St
    • 161 between Sembawang Rd End & Prince Edward Rd
    • 164 between Sembawang Rd End & New Bridge Rd
    • 166 between Sembawang Rd End & Chong Pang Village
• 1971 (3 May): Launch of Bus Service 160A between Rotherham Gate & New Bridge Rd
• 1971 (6 Nov): Route amendment for Bus Service 160 to ply Canberra Rd
• 1974 (3 Feb):
  • Re-numbering of Bus Service 160A to 167
  • Discontinuation of Bus Service 166
• 1976 (23 Aug):
  • Route amendment for Bus Services 160 & 167 to Admiralty Rd West
  • Launch of Bus Service 169 between Admiralty Rd & Sembawang Rd via Canberra Rd
• 1983 (3 Apr): Transfer of operations for Bus Services 160 & 167 to TIBS
• 1983 (8 May): Transfer of operations for Bus Services 161 & 164 to TIBS
• 1988 (25 Dec): Launch of Bus Service 856 between Yishun & Woodlands via Sembawang Rd
• 1989 (1 Oct): Discontinuation of Bus Service 164
• 1992 (20 Sep):
  • Discontinuation of Bus Service 161, with the route amendment for Bus Service 167 to Sembawang Rd End
  • Launch of Bus Service 857 between Admiralty Rd West & Yishun
• 1996 (10 Mar):
  • Route amendment for Bus Service 856 to ply Canberra Rd
  • Discontinuation of Bus Service 857, with the route amendment for Bus Service 169 to ply Admiralty Rd West, Admiralty Rd East, Sembawang Rd & Yishun Ave 2
  • Launch of Bus Service 858 between Yishun & Woodlands via Gambas Ave
• 1998 (27 Dec):
  • Discontinuation of Bus Service 160
  • Launch of Bus Service 980 between Admiralty Rd West & Lor 1 Geylang
• 1999 (4 Apr): Launch of Bus Service 859 between Yishun & Sembawang Dr
• 1999 (9 Nov): Launch of peak hour Bus Service 981 between Canberra Rd (Sembawang MRT) & Senoko Ind Est on weekdays & Saturdays
• 2000 (9 Jan): Route amendment for Bus Service 859 to ply Sembawang Dr & Admiralty Dr
• 2001 (11 Feb): Route amendment for Bus Service 167 to ply Canberra Lk & Canberra Rd
• 2001 (24 Jun): Launch of Bus Service 962 between Woodlands & Sembawang Dr
• 2002 (4 Feb): Route amendment for Bus Service 981 to start/end at Sembawang Way
• 2005 (29 May): Route amendment for Bus Service 962 to ply W’lands Ave 7, Sembawang Way & Sembawang Cres
• 2005 (20 Nov):
  • Route amendment for Bus Services 167, 859, 980 & 981 to Sembawang Bus Interchange
  • Launch of Bus Service 882 to Sembawang Rd End
• 2006 (3 Dec):
  • Route amendment for Bus Service 859 to ply Sembawang Way & Sembawang Dr
  • Route amendment for Bus Service 980 to ply Sembawang Dr, Admiralty Dr & Canberra Rd
• 2009 (24 May): Route amendment for Bus Service 882 to ply Sembawang Dr, Sembawang Way, Canberra Rd, Wellington Circle, Montreal Dr & Montreal Lk
• 2010 (28 Mar): Route amendment for Bus Service 858 to ply W’lands Ave 7, Sembawang Way, Canberra Rd & Sembawang Rd
• 2014 (17 Feb): Launch of City Direct Bus Service 656 to Shenton Way during weekday peak hours under BSEP
• 2014 (17 Aug): Launch of supplementary Bus Service 859A/859B under BSEP
• 2015 (20 Dec): Launch of Bus Service 117 to Punggol under BSEP
• 2016 (23 Oct): Launch of Bus Service 883 to Yishun Ctrl 2 under BSEP
• 2018 (25 Nov): Launch of Express Bus Service 167e to Shenton Way
• 2020 (12 Jan): Launch of supplementary Bus Service 883M to Yishun Ave 5 on Sundays & PHs
• 2020 (9 Feb): Revision of Express Bus Service 167e to operate on weekdays only
• 2020 (14 Dec): Discontinuation of Express Bus Service 167e
• 2021 (3 Oct): Transfer of operations for Bus Services 167, 859/859A/859B, 882, 883/883M, 980 & 981 to Tower Transit Singapore under Sembawang-Yishun Bus Package (Tranche 3)
• 2021 (28 Nov):
  • Route amendment for Bus Service 117 to ply Sembawang Rd, Canberra St, Canberra Wk, Canberra Cres & Canberra Way
  • Route amendment for Bus Service 883/883M to ply Canberra St (End)
• 2021 (29 Nov): Launch of alternate Bus Service 117M to Punggol via Seletar A’space Lk & Seletar A’space Cres during weekday peak hours
• 2023 (17 Dec): Route amendment for Bus Service 859 to ply Canberra Rd, Canberra Lk & Sembawang Rd
• 2024 (15 Sep): Launch of Bus Service 861 to Khatib MRT under BCEP
• 2025 (15 Mar): Extension of operations for Bus Service 883M to Saturdays
• 2025 (24 Mar): Launch of supplementary Bus Service 861M from Canberra Way to Sembawang via Wellington Pr Sch during weekday morning peak hours

External Links & References:

• Today: Sembawang set for $570 million facelift (1 Dec 2005)

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