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.

From 15 May 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 four key heartland MRT stations, namely Pasir Ris, Tampines, Bedok, and Sengkang.

Shuttle services to Tampines and Bedok run daily, while services to Pasir Ris and 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.

Interim Bus Arrangements (15 to 31 May 2023)

From 15 May 2023, the IKEA shuttle was decoupled from the existing IKEA & Giant shuttle. An interim schedule is in effect from 15 to 30 May 2023 as follows:

• Tampines ↔ IKEA at 1-hour frequency
• Bedok ↔ IKEA at 1-hour frequency on weekends (no weekday service)
• Sengkang and Pasir Ris MRT shuttle services discontinued

Existing shuttle buses to Tampines, Bedok, Sengkang and Pasir Ris will still be offered to Giant Hypermarket at reduced intervals.

According to IKEA, the shuttle service will be coordinated by Bookabus and seating capacity is limited to a first-come-first-served basis. On Monday, 15 May 2023, a 13-seater Toyota Hiace van was observed plying the Tampines route.

Back in 2021, Courts Megastore also similarly exited from the Tampines Retail Park shuttle network that then served Giant/Courts/IKEA, and has since arranged for its own shuttle bus service to Tampines MRT only.

Tampines Retail Park Shuttle Services

Click to expand the following sections.

Tampines MRT Station ↔ Giant / IKEA / Courts

EW2–DT32 Tampines MRT Station ↔ Tampines Retail Park		Operating Daily
From Tampines MRT	Monday – Thursdays	Fridays – Sundays & Public Holidays
To Giant	07:45, 08:30, 09:30, 10:30, 11:30, 12:30, 13:30, 14:30, 15:30, 16:30, 17:40, 18:40, 19:30 & 20:30	07:45, 08:30, 09:30, 10:30, 11:30, 12:30, 13:30, 14:30, 15:30, 16:30, 17:40, 18:40, 19:30, 20:30, 21:30 & 22:30
To IKEA	11:00, 12:00, 13:00, 14:00, 15:00, 16:00, 17:00, 18:00, 19:00 & 20:00	11:00, 12:00, 13:00, 14:00, 15:00, 16:00, 17:00, 18:00, 19:00, 20:00, 21:00 & 22:00
To Courts	Weekdays (Monday – Friday): 09:50, 10:50, 11:50, 12:50, 13:50, 14:50, 15:50, 16:50, 17:50, 18:50, 19:50, 20:50 & 21:50	Weekends & Public Holidays: 09:50, 10:20, 10:50, 11:20, 11:50, 12:20, 12:50, 13:20, 13:50, 14:20, 14:50, 15:20, 15:50, 16:20, 16:50, 17:20, 17:50, 18:20, 1850, 19:20, 19:50, 20:20, 20:50, 21:20 & 21:50
To Tampines MRT	Monday – Thursdays	Fridays – Sundays & Public Holidays
From Giant	08:15, 09:15, 10:15, 11:15, 12:15, 13:15, 14:15, 15:15, 16:15, 17:15, 18:15, 19:15, 20:15 & 21:15	08:15, 09:15, 10:15, 11:15, 12:15, 13:15, 14:15, 15:15, 16:15, 17:15, 18:15, 19:15, 20:15, 21:15 & 22:15
From IKEA	11:40, 12:40, 13:40, 14:40, 15:40, 16:40, 17:40, 18:40, 19:40 & 20:40	11:40, 12:40, 13:40, 14:40, 15:40, 16:40, 17:40, 18:40, 19:40, 20:40 & 21:40
From Courts	Weekdays (Monday – Friday): 10:35, 11:35, 12:35, 13:35, 14:35, 15:35, 16:35, 17:35, 18:35, 19:35, 20:35, 21:35 & 22:00	Weekends & Public Holidays: 10:05, 10:35, 11:05, 11:35, 12:05, 12:35, 13:05, 13:35, 14:05, 14:35, 15:05, 15:35, 16:05, 16:35, 17:05, 17:35, 18:05, 18:35, 19:05, 19:35, 20:05, 20:35, 21:05, 21:35 & 22:05

Note: Interim schedule for IKEA Shuttle between 15 – 31 May 2023.

Shuttle services to/from Tampines MRT are offered by Giant, IKEA & Courts and operate daily, with each retail outlet engaging its own transport provider. These timings above are effective 15 May 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 Services 27, 68 and 168 between Tampines MRT and Tampines Retail Park.

Bedok MRT Station ↔ Giant / IKEA

 

EW5 Bedok MRT Station ↔ Tampines Retail Park		Operating Daily
From Bedok MRT	Monday – Thursdays	Fridays – Sundays & Public Holidays
To Giant	07:45, 08:35, 09:35, 10:35, 11:35, 12:35, 13:35, 14:35, 15:35, 16:35, 17:40, 18:40, 19:35 & 20:35	07:45, 08:35, 09:35, 10:35, 11:35, 12:35, 13:35, 14:35, 15:35, 16:35, 17:40, 18:40, 19:35, 20:35, 21:35 & 22:35
To IKEA	No Operation	Weekends & Public Holidays 13:30, 14:30, 15:30, 16:30, 17:30, 18:30, 19:30, 20:30 & 21:30
To Bedok MRT	Monday – Thursdays	Fridays – Sundays & Public Holidays
From Giant	08:15, 09:15, 10:15, 11:15, 12:15, 13:15, 14:15, 15:15, 16:15, 17:15, 18:15, 19:15, 20:15 & 21:15	08:15, 09:15, 10:15, 11:15, 12:15, 13:15, 14:15, 15:15, 16:15, 17:15, 18:15, 19:15, 20:15, 21:15 & 22:15
From IKEA	No Operation	Weekends & Public Holidays 14:10, 15:10, 16:10, 17:10, 18:10, 19:10, 20:10 & 21:10

Note: Interim schedule for IKEA Shuttle between 15 – 31 May 2023.

The shuttle service to Bedok MRT is provided by Giant Hypermarket and operates daily. Additional shuttle trips provided by IKEA run on weekends and public holidays.

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.

Pasir Ris MRT Station ↔ Giant

EW1 Pasir Ris MRT Station ↔ Tampines Retail Park		Operating on Weekends and Public Holidays
From Pasir Ris MRT
To Giant	08:00, 09:00, 10:00, 11:00, 12:00, 13:00, 14:00, 15:00, 16:00, 17:00, 18:00, 19:00, 20:00, 21:00, 22:00 & 22:30
To Pasir Ris MRT
From Giant	08:35, 09:35, 10:35, 11:35, 12:35, 13:35, 14:35, 15:35, 16:35, 17:35, 18:35, 19:35, 20:35 & 21:35

The shuttle service to Pasir Ris MRT is provided by Giant Hypermarket and operates only on Weekends & Public Holidays. This route is typically operated with minibuses, owing to lower usage.

The pick-up point for the Shuttle is at Bus Stop 77321 (Aft Pasir Ris St 53) along Pasir Ris Central, connected by a sheltered walkway from Pasir Ris MRT Station Exit B.

Passengers can also take Bus Service 58 and 68 between Pasir Ris 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	08:00, 09:00, 10:00, 11:00, 12:00, 13:00, 14:00, 15:00, 16:00, 17:00, 18:00, 19:00, 20:00, 21:00 & 22:00
To Sengkang MRT
From Giant	08:35, 09:35, 10:35, 11:35, 12:35, 13:35, 14:35, 15:35, 16:35, 17:35, 18:35, 19:35, 20:35 & 21:35

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 15 May 2023:

• Giant: ComfortDelGro Bus
• IKEA: Bookabus Pte Ltd
• Courts Megastore: Leisure Frontier

The Tampines Retail Park shuttle 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.

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.

Meanwhile, Giant Hypermarket took over the existing Tampines Retail Park shuttle network on 15 May 2023. ComfortDelGro Bus continued to operate the service, although the frequency of the routes was reduced. The shuttle routes to Tampines, Bedok, Pasir Ris, and Sengkang remained unchanged, except for the exclusion of IKEA Tampines. As a result, the bus liveries were also modified to remove any reference to IKEA Tampines.

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.

Detailed Timings:

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