In late September 2024, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) granted a two-year lifespan extension to Scania K230UB (Euro IV Batch 1) buses that were expected to be retired by the end of the year.
68 of such buses were due for retirement at the end of 2025. 56 buses received the lifespan extension to operate until 2026.
This decision was unexpected as recently retired buses have not received extensions beyond their statutory 17-year lifespan. Some Scania K230UB buses had even been retired early in the past several years.
Background
The first batch of Scania K230UB buses purchased by SBS Transit included 100 buses (registered SBS8034B – SBS8131D, SBS8138K & SBS8888D), along with one demonstrator unit (SBS8033D). These buses were registered between October and December 2007, and given the statutory lifespan of 17 years for public buses, they were expected to retire between October and December 2024.
Before the Bus Contracting Model (BCM) was implemented, the LTA had the authority to grant lifespan extensions for operator-owned buses, depending on their condition. These were granted to many models of operator-owned buses up to 2018, such as the Leyland Olympian, Volvo Olympian, Nissan Diesel U31RCN, Volvo B10M (Mark IV) & Mercedes-Benz O405G (Hispano Habit).
Early Retirement
Earlier in January 2022, SBS Transit retired several Volvo B9TL (CDGE) and Scania K230UB buses as part of a deal with LTA involving the transition of the Downtown Line to the New Rail Financing Framework (Version 2). As part of this deal, SBS Transit replaced 241 buses (144 double-deck and 97 single-deck buses) with newer, more environmentally friendly, and cost-efficient government-owned buses.
All 97 retired single-deck buses were Scania K230UB (Euro IV) models, consisting of 33 Batch 1 and 64 Batch 2 buses. Of these, 20 buses—13 from Batch 1 and 7 from Batch 2—were repurposed as hotel rooms at The Bus Collective.
Replacements & Possible Factors
In March 2023, the LTA called a tender for the procurement of 360 units of 3-door electric buses under Contract PT601. The contract was later awarded in November 2023, with progressive deployment of these new buses from December 2024.
LTA stated that these electric buses will “replace diesel buses that are reaching the end of their statutory lifespan.” This likely refers to the Scania K230UB (Euro IV) buses, whose lifespans are set to expire between October 2024 and January 2026.
In July 2024, LTA announced the Bus Connectivity Enhancement Programme (BCEP), which requires additional buses to improve existing services and introduce new ones. It is possible that the lifespan extensions granted in September 2024 are connected to the launch of the BCEP. Alternatively, these extensions might provide extra time between the retirement of older buses and the arrival of new ones, allowing for potential delays in the introduction of the new fleet.
Extension
Out of the 68 remaining operational Scania K230UB (Euro IV) batch 1 buses, 56 buses have received a 2-year lifespan extension. The remaining 12 buses will be retired at the end of their 17 year statutory lifespan by the end of 2024.
Under the BCM Jurong West Bus Package, 8 Scania K230UB (Euro IV) Batch 1 buses have been transferred from SBS Transit to SMRT Buses in September 2024. The lifespan of these buses were extended by 2 years as part of the 56 buses.
These Scania deserve a stay. LTA also had spent lots of money on refurbishments on these buses and they must be well spent to avoid criticism
These lousy and terrible Scania buses should have been long gone. Worst buses on the roads, clear winner here.
Basically LTA wants to replenish its storage fleet to support BCEP but they want to avoid another political fiasco like with the E6 MAN buses a few years ago so they’re keeping retiring models as a backup instead of ordering additional Ebuses now to save on potential depreciation expenses by having to keep them in storage.
To be honest, even the early batches of Volvo B9TL, which were introduced at around 2011, are already 13 years old now.
What’s the life span again? 17.
Scania K230UB extend, left 2 years.
Volvo B9TL as they are, left 4 years.
Do they really want to repaint the Volvo B9TL buses at Jurong West package into lush green, since left only about 4 years? At most 6 years, if extended.
HDB repainting once every 8 years.
Sorry, I know a bit off topic, just want to ride on the topic of Scania K230UB.
Perhaps, instead of repainting Scania K230UB and Volvo B9TL at Jurong West package, should mass replace.
Scania K230UB already got clear replacement. For Jurong West package, will take in existing diesel buses at SMRT other packages to replace.
Volvo B9TL, can also likewise take in second hand diesel buses at SMRT other packages to replace.
The above are my opinion regarding the matter.
No one said they are repainting buses.
BCM after tender out, naturally will repaint all the buses to lush green one. Scania K230UB confirmed to be an exception. Volvo B9TL maybe will repaint to lush green. Am talking about the Jurong West bus package which was just recently tendered out.
Should just extend 1 year…Scania K series spare parts is expensive.LTA anything can ah,Motorcycle and cars doesn’t meet Euro IV encourage to scrap.LTA should start purchasing 150 electric double deckers and 70 electric bendy buses for Airport and selective feeder service as supplementary.
So China spare parts cheap that’s why LTA keeps buying Chinese these days?