IKEA Tampines / Giant / Courts Free Shuttle Bus Services

Tampines Retail Park houses IKEA Tampines, Giant Hypermarket and Courts Megastore in close proximity, making it a popular shopping destination.

As of 6 September 2023, IKEA, Giant and Courts have each implemented their own dedicated shuttle bus services connecting directly to their respective premises. These shuttle bus routes establish convenient links between Tampines Retail Park and three key heartland MRT stations, namely Tampines, Bedok, and Sengkang.

Shuttle services to Tampines and Bedok run daily, while services to Sengkang only run on Weekends and Public Holidays. Details of each shuttle route are enclosed in the following sections, grouped by their respective retail destination served.

New Bus Service 296, which serves Tampines Retail Park, was launched on 28 April 2024.

Shuttle services to Courts Megastore ceased on 1 June 2024.


Tampines Retail Park Shuttle Services

Click to expand the following sections.

Tampines MRT Station ↔ Giant / IKEA

EW2DT32 Tampines MRT Station ↔ Tampines Retail Park
Operating Daily
From Tampines MRT
To Giant Weekdays
No Service
Weekends
10:30, 11:00, 11:30, 12:00, 12:30, 13:00, 13:30, 14:00, 14:30, 15:30, 16:00, 16:30, 17:00, 17:30, 18:00, 18:30 & 19:00
To IKEA Monday – Thursdays (including Public Holidays)
11:00, 11:40, 12:20, 13:00, 13:40, 14:40, 15:40, 16:40, 17:15, 17:45, 18:15, 19:00, 19:35, 20:05 & 20:40
Fridays – Sundays (including Public Holidays)
11:00, 11:35, 12:05, 12:35, 13:05, 13:40, 14:10, 14:40, 15:40, 16:40, 17:10, 17:45, 18:15, 18:45, 19:15, 19:45, 20:15, 20:45, 21:15 & 21:45
To Tampines MRT
From Giant Weekdays
No Service
Weekends
10:50, 11:20, 11:50, 12:20, 12:50, 13:20, 13:50, 14:20, 14:50, 15:50, 16:20, 16:50, 17:20, 17:50, 18:20, 18:50 & 19:15
From IKEA Monday – Thursdays (including Public Holidays)
11:20, 12:00, 12:40, 13:20, 14:20, 15:20, 16:20, 17:00, 17:30, 18:00, 18:40, 19:20, 19:50 & 20:20
Fridays – Sundays (including Public Holidays)
11:20, 11:50, 12:20, 12:50, 13:20, 13:55, 14:25, 15:20, 16:20, 16:55, 17:25, 18:00, 18:30, 19:00, 19:30, 20:00, 20:30, 21:00, 21:30 & 22:15

 

Tampines MRT Stop for Tampines Retail Park Shuttle
Tampines MRT Stop for Tampines Retail Park Shuttle

Shuttle services to/from Tampines MRT offered by IKEA operate daily, while the shuttle to/from Giant only operates on Weekends, with each retail outlet engaging its own transport provider. These timings above are effective 6 September 2023.

The pick-up point for all shuttle buses is at Tampines MRT Station pick-up point along Tampines Central 4, just outside Exit B.

Passengers can also take Bus Service 296 from Tampines Bus Interchange to Tampines Retail Park.


Bedok MRT Station ↔ IKEA

 

EW5 Bedok MRT Station ↔ Tampines Retail Park
Operating Daily
From Bedok MRT Monday – Thursdays (including Public Holidays) Fridays – Sundays (including Public Holidays)
To IKEA 11:00, 12:05, 13:05, 14:05, 15:05, 16:05, 17:05, 18:10, 19:10 & 20:05 12:00, 13:05, 14:05, 15:05, 16:05, 17:05, 18:10, 19:10, 20:05, 21:05 & 22:00
To Bedok MRT Monday – Thursdays (including Public Holidays) Fridays – Sundays (including Public Holidays)
From IKEA 11:45, 12:45, 13:45, 14:45, 15:45, 16:45, 17:45, 18:45, 19:45 & 20:45 12:45, 13:45, 14:45, 15:45, 16:45, 17:45, 18:45, 19:45, 20:45, 21:45 & 22:40
Bedok MRT Stop for Tampines Retail Park Shuttle
Bedok MRT Stop for Tampines Retail Park Shuttle

 

The shuttle service to Bedok MRT daily is provided by IKEA. Giant has ceased the Bedok shuttle from 6 September 2023.

The pick-up point for the Shuttle is at Bus Stop 84031 (Bedok Station) along New Upp Changi Road, near Bedok MRT Station Exit B.

Passengers can also take Bus Service 168 between Bedok MRT and Tampines Retail Park.


Sengkang MRT Station ↔ Giant

NE16STC Sengkang MRT Station ↔ Tampines Retail Park
Operating on Weekends and Public Holidays
From Sengkang MRT
To Giant 10:00, 11:00, 12:00, 13:00, 14:00, 15:00, 16:00, 17:00 & 18:00
To Sengkang MRT
From Giant 10:35, 11:35, 12:35, 13:35, 14:35, 15:35, 16:35, 17:35 & 18:35
Sengkang MRT Stop for Tampines Retail Park Shuttle
Sengkang MRT Stop for Tampines Retail Park Shuttle

The shuttle service to Sengkang MRT is provided by Giant Hypermarket and operates only on Weekends & Public Holidays.

The pickup point for the Shuttle is at the Taxi Stand / Passenger Pick-up / Drop Off Point along Sengkang Square, near Sengkang MRT Station Exit C.

Passengers can also take Bus Service 27 between Sengkang MRT and Tampines Retail Park.


Operators

As of 6 Sep 2023:

  • Giant: Leisure Frontier (S) Pte Ltd
  • IKEA: Leisure Frontier (S) Pte Ltd (Subcontracted from Bookabus Pte Ltd)

The Tampines Retail Park shuttle by ComfortDelGro Bus formerly served Giant, IKEA & Courts. Courts and IKEA exited the Tampines Retail Park shuttle bus network from 1 Apr 2021 and 15 May 2023 respectively.

The operator for the Giant shuttle was changed from ComfortDelGro Bus to Leisure Frontier on 6 September 2023.

The Courts Megastore shuttle was formerly operated by Leisure Frontier (S) Pte Ltd (Subcontracted from Bookabus Pte Ltd).

Shuttle Boarding Points at Tampines Retail Park


Operating History

Early years

The Tampines Retail Park free shuttle started in December 2006, in tandem with the opening of IKEA Tampines. Operated by SBS Transit, the daily Tampines MRT ↔ IKEA Tampines route was operated at 30-minute intervals. A new daily route, Bedok MRT ↔ IKEA Tampines, was added in March 2007. As Giant Hypermarket and Courts Megastore opened in the following months, the shuttle was amended to serve these outlets as well.

In September 2007, the Pasir Ris MRT ↔ IKEA Tampines route was launched, operating on weekdays only at 45-minute intervals. This shuttle service stopped at various en-route bus stops along Pasir Ris Drive 1, 8, 3 and 12. In late 2008, this service would be converted to daily operation, and in April 2009, weekday service was discontinued owing to low usage.

Also in late 2008, the Sengkang MRT ↔ IKEA Tampines route was launched, operating on weekends only at 1-hour intervals.

SMRT Operations

Sometime in 2009, SMRT’s charter arm BusPlus took over the Tampines Retail Park shuttle, with PA-plated Dennis Lance buses running daily and supplemented by TIB-plated Mercedes-Benz O405 buses on weekends. From ~2012, Dennis Lance buses would make up the full operating fleet, substituting Mercedes-Benz O405 buses.

In late 2014/early 2015, the Pasir Ris MRT ↔ IKEA Tampines route would only stop at Pasir Ris MRT, omitting all en-route stops in Pasir Ris.

ComfortDelGro Operations & Courts Decoupling

From 1 November 2016, ComfortDelGro Bus took over operations of the Tampines Retail Park shuttle services. The Tampines, Bedok and Sengkang routes were served by low-entry Scania K230UB buses that were formerly deployed on NUS Internal Shuttle Bus routes, while a minibus covered the Pasir Ris route. Coach buses would occasionally be deployed as replacement buses.

On 1 April 2021, Courts Megastore decoupled from the Tampines Retail Park shuttle service network, launching its own daily shuttle service to Tampines operated by minibuses. That same day, the shuttle routes were amended to omit Courts Megastore, and Courts was correspondingly removed from the bus’ liveries, initially via removing/covering mentions of Courts. Several months later, buses were re-stickered with an updated livery promoting IKEA and Giant only.

In February 2023, ComfortDelGro Bus would introduce Volvo B9L buses to the regular Tampines Retail Park shuttle fleet. Like the preceding Scania K230UB buses, these buses were also displaced from the NUS Internal Shuttle Bus fleet as newer buses were introduced to NUS. Buses were initially deployed in NUS colours and later received the black-themed livery promoting IKEA and Giant.

2023 IKEA Decoupling

On 15 May 2023, IKEA Tampines abruptly exited from the existing Tampines Retail Park shuttle network. Between 15–31 May 2023, a significantly-degraded interim timetable was introduced by IKEA with Bookabus Pte Ltd appointed as transport provider. Daily Tampines ↔ IKEA trips operated at 1-hour intervals, and Bedok ↔ IKEA trips operated only on weekends at 1-hour intervals  (no weekday service). The shuttle services from Sengkang and Pasir Ris MRT stations were discontinued.

According to IKEA, the shuttle service will be coordinated by Bookabus and seating capacity is limited to a first-come-first-served basis. During the interim period, the Tampines route was served by a 13-seater Toyota Hiace van on weekdays, and a minibus was deployed on weekends. The Bedok route was served by a Toyota Hiace van. Both routes are served by a minibus from 1 June 2023.

At the same time, Giant Hypermarket inherited the existing Tampines Retail Park shuttle network from 15 May 2023, with ComfortDelGro bus continuing to operate the service. The shuttle routes to Tampines, Bedok, Pasir Ris and Sengkang remained unchanged, except for the removal of IKEA Tampines as an en-route stop, and a reduction in shuttle bus frequencies. References to IKEA Tampines were also removed from the bus’ liveries.

2023 Giant Shuttle Degradation / Change of Operator

The Giant Tampines shuttle service schedule was revised from 6 September 2023, with changes summarised below:

  • Tampines MRT route to only operate on weekends instead of daily, with shortened operating hours (1030 – 1900 instead of 0745 – 2230)
  • Bedok MRT route to be withdrawn, previously operating daily
  • Sengkang MRT route operating hours on weekends to be shortened (1000 – 1800 instead of 0800 – 2200)
  • Pasir Ris MRT route to be withdrawn, previously operating on weekends only

The operator for the Giant shuttle also changed from ComfortDelGro Bus to Leisure Frontier.

Withdrawal of Courts Shuttle

The shuttle service to Courts Megastore ceased on 1 June 2024.


Detailed Timings:


Continued on Page 2:
  • Photo Gallery
  • Archives
  • External Links & References

25 thoughts on “IKEA Tampines / Giant / Courts Free Shuttle Bus Services

  • 17 May 2021 at 9:34 PM
    Permalink

    Date 17.5.21
    Time 1710 hrs

    I arrived at Bedok bus stop 84031 at 1710 hrs awaiting for Ikea shuttle bus to arrive at designated pick up point at 1715 hrs
    Till 1735 hrs the shuttle bus still not arrived
    Can someone explained what had happened ?
    Rdgs

    Reply
  • 24 February 2021 at 11:36 AM
    Permalink

    Hi, I would like to raise an issue happened on the bus PB9698 travelling to Tampines on 17th Feb 2021 ard 2.30pm.
    My dad, an 80 year old man with things in his hands boarded the bus at Ikea Tampines, the bus driver moved off without waiting for him to be seated. In the event, he fell and hit his head and body. The driver was responsible for his fall but did not take any further action on this. Shouldn’t the driver be thoughtful enough to wait for the weak and elderly person to be seated before moving off! With pain, my dad struggled his way home, in the end, he was being brought to Sengkang Hospital for further checks. At the hospital, his diagnosis was Minor Head Injury and Low Back Pain, he was then admitted into hospital.

    We, as family would like the authority will look into this matter and give us a satisfactory reply on it.

    Thank you and hope to receive your reply soon.

    Reply
  • 3 December 2020 at 5:30 PM
    Permalink

    5.30pm bus is departing earlier every week. Before is 5.28pm and now is 5.26pm.

    Reply
  • 26 October 2020 at 6:22 PM
    Permalink

    Hi there. I would like to feedback about your shuttle bus driver. Today 26 Oct 2020 at around 12.10pm. I was driving along Tampines Avenue 5 before AIA Building.

    The Shuttle Bus no. Plate PA9596T was initially on the left lane cut into my lane even though there is little space and force me to step brake. Next the driver who was on the turning lane (3rd Lane) to Tampines Avenue 4 Then cut into my lane again just before the NTUC Income Tampines junction Building to take a right turn. And again I have to step brake to let him filter to my lane in order for him to take to the right turning lane.

    Imagine if it’s a new driver in this situation. Do you think he or she will be in time to step brake to let the big vehicle to pass through?

    We could not tolerate such a reckless driver on the road as accident might happen due to his way of driving.

    Hope the authority will look into it and give us a satisfactory reply!

    Tks, popiahqueen.

    Reply
    • 15 May 2023 at 3:31 AM
      Permalink

      Since the shuttle service is free no one shud complain abt their schedule . If anyone cannot wait then they have to take a bus or cab . But I have been hoping & wish that there will be similar shuttle service at a flat rate of $1. I believe that people who are genuinely going to ikea to shop will be willing to pay for the service. Only those who have no intention to buy anything will complain. So in future if there’s such a service, at $1 & only half hr interval max , many people will appreciate.

      Reply
  • 31 March 2020 at 11:14 AM
    Permalink

    shuttle bus from tamp mrt did not arrive for 10.45am slot. Few of the passengers have been waiting since 10.40 and had to wait for the 11.15am one instead

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *