A maiden trip, a term originating from the shipping industry, has been extended to various other forms of transport. For the public bus industry, it can refer to the debut of a particular bus, the introduction of a new route, the first revenue service trip of a particular bus, and so on.
The novelty of buses on their maiden trips is a draw for many bus enthusiasts in Singapore who take the opportunity to experience and document a newly-introduced bus model or bus route. With information becoming more accessible, more bus enthusiasts are able to quickly receive information about maiden trips and track the whereabouts of buses.
Bus Models:
Bus Contracting Model era – Maiden Trips:
| Bus Model | Operator | Registration | Bus Route | Date |
| BYD B12A03 | SBS Transit | SG4013A | 265 | 14 Jan 2024 |
| BYD BC12A04 | SBS Transit | Multiple units | 86, 107, 159 | 2 Dec 2024 |
| Ankai G9 | SMRT Buses | SG4009M | 61 | 1 Dec 2023 |
| Alexander Dennis Enviro500 (3-Door) | SBS Transit | SG6344G, SG6347Z | 974 | 26 Oct 2021 |
| SMRT Buses | SG6349T | 190 | ||
| Alexander Dennis Enviro500 (Batch 2) | SMRT Buses | SG5703K | 964 | 14 Aug 2017 |
| BYD K9 (Gemilang) | SBS Transit | SG3050Z1, SG3060U1, SG3061S2, SG3062P2,3, SG3069X4 | 1351, 1622, 162M3, 807/A4 | 29 Jul 2020 |
| BYD K9RC | SBS Transit | SG4005Z | 851 | 4 Jul 2022 |
| CRRC TEG6125BEV03 | Go-Ahead | SG4006X | 3 | 10 Dec 2021 |
| FTBCI FBC6120BRS7 | Go-Ahead | SG4012C | 374 | 14 Nov 2023 |
| Linkker LM312 | SBS Transit | SG3070R1,2, SG3071M1, SG3072K2, SG3078U2, SG3079S1, SG3082G1, SG3088R1, SG3089M1 | 381, 402 | 26 Aug 2021 |
| SMRT Buses | SG3077Y2, SG3083D1, SG3084B1, SG3085Z1, SG3086X1 | 1761, 9762 | ||
| MAN Lion’s City DD 3-door concept bus | Tower Transit | SG5999Z | 143 | 13 Mar 2017 |
| MAN Lion’s City SD 3-door concept bus | SMRT Buses | SG4002G | 190 | 19 Jun 2017 |
| MAN A22 (Euro 6) – Batch 1 | SBS Transit | Multiple units | 851e | 28 May 2018 |
| SMRT Buses | Multiple units | 991 | 8 July 2018 | |
| Go-Ahead | SG1797R | 68 | 5 Sep 2018 | |
| Tower Transit | Multiple units | Multiple routes | 6 Sep 2021 | |
| MAN A95 Euro 5 (Batch 2) | SMRT Buses | Multiple units | Multiple routes | 01 Sep 2016 |
| MAN A95 Euro 5 (Batch 3) | SMRT Buses | SG5800M & SG5801K | 190 & 972 | 14 Feb 2017 |
| MAN A95 (Euro 6) – SG2017C | SBS Transit | SG2017C | 71 | 17 Dec 2017 |
| MAN A95 (Euro 6) – Batch 1 | SBS Transit | Multiple units | 851e | 27 May 2018 |
| SMRT Buses | Multiple units | 920 & 922 | 10 Jun 2018 | |
| MAN A95 (Euro 6) – Batch 2 | SMRT Buses | SG6172K & SG6173H | 670 & 969 | 30 Mar 2020 |
| SBS Transit | SG6176A, SG6177Y, SG6181J, SG6183D*, SG6184B | 50 | 6 Apr 2020 | |
| Tower Transit | SG6173H | 854, 854e | 4 Oct 2021 | |
| MAN A95 (Euro 6) – 3-Door Batch | SBS Transit | SG6286R | 243W | 7 Feb 2021 |
| SMRT Buses | SG6287M | 900 | 14 Feb 2021 | |
| Tower Transit | SG6288K | 334 | 31 Jan 2021 | |
| Go-Ahead | SG6283Z | 83 | 28 Jan 2021 | |
| Mercedes-Benz Citaro hybrid | SBS Transit | SG4004B | 272 | 13 Mar 2020 |
| ST Engineering Retrofitted Electric Bus | SMRT Buses | SG3100M | 176 | 5 Oct 2021 |
| Volvo B5LH | SBS Transit | Multiple units | 272 | 10 Dec 2018 |
| SMRT Buses | Multiple units | 920, 972, 973 | 21 Dec 2018 | |
| Tower Transit | SG3016Z | 854 | 8 Sep 2021 | |
| Volvo B8L | SBS Transit | SG4003D | 94 | 2 Apr 2018 |
| Volvo BZL–SC Neustar City | Tower Transit | SG4007T | 990 | 26 Mar 2023 |
| Yutong ZK6128BEVG (E12) | Go-Ahead | SG3093A, SG3094Y, SG3095U | 15 | 3 Apr 2020 |
| SMRT Buses | SG3096S1, SG3097P1, SG3098L2 | 9441, 9832 | ||
| Tower Transit | SG3090H2, SG3091E2, SG3092C1, SG3099J1 | 661, 9902 | ||
| Yutong ZK6125BEVGS (E12DD) | Go-Ahead | SG7006B1,2, SG7007Z1,2, SG7008X1, SG7009T1,2 | 831, 1182 | 27 Oct 2020 |
| SMRT Buses | SG7002L | 983 | ||
| Tower Transit | SG7003J, SG7004G, SG7005D | 189 | ||
| Zhongtong LCK6126EVG (N12) | Go-Ahead | SG4010H | 3 | 24 Apr 2023 |
- * = Unregistered deployment
(SG6183D was only registered on 7 April 2020 as reflected on the OneMotoring Portal, but was deployed on revenue service on 6 April 2020)
Pre-BCM maiden trips by Bus Model
This list is not exhaustive.
SBS Transit:
| Bus Model | Registration | Bus Route | Date |
| Mercedes-Benz Citaro | SBS6000L | 28 | 1 Jun 2011 |
| Scania K230UB Demonstrator | SBS8033D | 174 | Nov 2007 |
| Scania K230UB (Euro 4) | 10 units | 100, 174 | 1 Nov 2007 |
| Scania K230UB (Euro 5) | Multiple units | 3, 36 | 8 Apr 2009 |
| Scania K310UD | SBS7888K | 133M | 15 May 2010 |
| Sunlong SLK6121UF14H | SBS8000Z | 185 | 8 Aug 2010 |
| Volvo B5RLE Hybrid | SBS8002T | 506 | 1 Mar 2015 |
| Volvo B9TL CDGE | Multiple units | 21 | 27 Jun 2006 |
| Volvo B9TL Wright | SBS7502Z, SBS7506M | 185 | 01 Nov 2010 |
| Volvo B9TL Gemilang | SBS7777Y | 7 | 17 Feb 2014 |
| Volvo B10TL (CDGE) | SBS9889U | 147 | 21 Mar 2005 |
SMRT Buses
| Bus Model | Registration | Bus Route | Date |
| Alexander Dennis Enviro500 | SMB3501L, SMB3502J & SMB3503G | 972 | 13 Jul 2014 |
| MAN A22 (NL323F), MCV demonstrator | SMB138Y | 961 | 29 Dec 2010 |
| MAN A22 (NL323F), Gemilang (Production Batch) | SMB189A | 963 | Sep 2011 |
| MAN A24 (NG363F) Demonstrator | SMB388S | 190 | 18 Apr 2013 |
| MAN A24 (NG363F) Production Batch | SMB8001E | 190 | 15 Mar 2015 |
| MAN A95 (ND323F) Demonstrator | SMB5888H | 190 | 05 Nov 2014 |
| MAN A95 (ND323F) – Euro V Batch 1 | SMB5889H | 868 | 07 Sep 2015 |
| Mercedes-Benz Citaro Demonstrator | SMB136C | 855 | 16 Mar 2010 |
| Mercedes-Benz Citaro (Production Batch) | SMB140P | 75 | Mar 2011 |
| Mercedes-Benz Citaro (SBS Transit-spec) | Multiple units | Multiple routes | 25 Apr 2016 |
| Mercedes-Benz OC500LE | SMB1H | 190 | 29 Jun 2008 |
| Yutong ZK6126HGC | SMB135E | 854 | 20 Aug 2009 |
| Zhongtong LCK6121GHEV | SMB137A | 945 | 19 Jan 2011 |
Maiden trips in the past:
| Bus Model | Registration | Bus Route | Date |
| Leyland Olympian 3-axle | Mixed | 7 | 01 Sep 1993 |
| Volvo B10MA-70 Superlong | SBS997A | 76 | 19 Oct 1995 |
| – | – | – | – |
Back to Bus Articles
my record shows SMB135E was first deployed on svc 854 on 20th Aug 2009.