On-Demand Public Bus (ODPB) services in the Marina – Downtown area were offered between 17 December 2018 and 14 June 2019, during off-peak hours on weekdays (except public holidays). Buses operated with the service number MD-1, MD-2 or MD-3.

The trial for the Marina – Downtown area covered Shenton Way Bus Terminal, the Central Business District, Promenade, Bayfront and Marina South areas, serving bus stops served by Bus Services 400 & 402 then.

This bus service is reflected as Service 341 on the Bus Ticketing System.

Service MD-1 - SBS Transit Mercedes-Benz Citaro (SBS6776G) — Service MD-1 – SBS Transit Mercedes-Benz Citaro (SBS6776G)

Service MD-2 - SBS Transit Scania K230UB Euro V (SBS8659Z) — Service MD-2 – SBS Transit Scania K230UB Euro V (SBS8659Z)

Service MD-3 - SBS Transit Mercedes-Benz Citaro (SBS6029E) — Service MD-3 – SBS Transit Mercedes-Benz Citaro (SBS6029E)

Technical Information
Catchment Area	Promenade, Bayfront, Downtown, Marina South
Operator Information
Current Operator	SBS Transit Ltd
Current Depot	Ulu Pandan Bus Depot (UPDEP)
Current Fleet	12-metre Single Deck Buses – Mercedes-Benz Citaro – Scania K230UB
Operating Hours	1100hrs – 1500hrs & 2030hrs – 2345hrs (Weekdays, except Public Holidays)
Frequency	On-demand during Operating Hours
Fare	Flat fare equivalent to journeys under 3.2km. Distance-based fare rules and concession rates apply.
Booking App	BusNow (Android/iOS)

On Demand Public Bus - LTA Poster — On Demand Public Bus – LTA Poster

On Demand Public Bus (Marina - Downtown) - LTA Poster — On Demand Public Bus (Marina – Downtown) – LTA Poster

As part of the On-Demand Public Bus trial, Services MD-1, MD-2 and MD-3 serves the Central Business District area near Promenade, Bayfront, Downtown, Marina South, as well as Shenton Way Bus Terminal during the weekday off-peak hours, namely 1100hrs – 1500hrs & 2030hrs – 2330hrs. Buses dispatched follow a flexible route, depending on demand, as directed by the BusNow mobile application developed by Ministry of Movement (Swat).

Bus Stops served by the On-Demand Public Bus Service for the Marina – Downtown area are also served by SBS Transit Bus Services 400 or 402. As such, these regular bus services operated at a reduced frequency of 40 minutes during ODPB trial hours.

Booking a Ride

Commuters who wish to book a trip on the on-demand bus must first download the BusNow app from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store.

ODPB BusNow App - Selection of Service — ODPB BusNow App – Selection of Service

ODPB BusNow App - Selection of Boarding / Alighting Bus Stops — ODPB BusNow App – Selection of Boarding / Alighting Bus Stops

During the booking, commuters are required to indicate:

Boarding Stop (within trial area)
Alighting Stop (within trial area)
Number of Passengers (1 to 5)
If any passengers are wheelchair-bound

With a successful booking, the Bus Registration Number and the Unique Bus Service Number (MD-1, MD-2 or MD-3) will be relayed to the commuter via the app.

Upon boarding, commuters are required to flash their unique boarding number to the Bus Captain through the BusNow app. They will then need to pay their fare (via contactless card or cash) no differently from other bus services. Additional commuters not accounted for in the booking may be denied boarding by the Bus Captain.

Commuters may be banned from the On-Demand Public Bus trial for up to 48 hours if he or she cancels or does not show up for a confirmed booking, for up to 3 times within 24 hours. The duration of the ban is at the discretion of the Land Transport Authority (LTA).

Bus Stops Served

On Demand Public Bus - Service Area for Marina - Downtown - LTA Map — On Demand Public Bus – Service Area for Marina – Downtown – LTA Map

The following bus stops may be used as a boarding or alighting point for the On-Demand Public Bus (Marina -Downtown Area) service.

Promenade & Bayfront Area

List of Bus Stops (Click to expand)

Downtown Area & Shenton Way Bus Terminal

List of Bus Stops (Click to expand)

Service 400: Marina Gardens Drive

List of Bus Stops (Click to expand)

Service 402: Marina Coastal Drive

List of Bus Stops (Click to expand)

Fare

During the ODPB Trial, a promotional flat distance fare for 3.2km regardless of distance travelled applies for all passengers. Distance-fare transfer rules apply and concessionary fare travel is allowed.

Adult Card: $0.83
Adult Cash: $1.50
Senior Citizen / Persons with Disabilities Card: $0.55
Senior Citizen / Persons With Disabilities Cash: $1.00
Student Card: $0.38
Student Cash: $0.65
Workfare Transport Concession Scheme Card: $0.64
Workfare Transport Concession Scheme Cash: $1.50

Service Disruption

On 20 February 2019, the On-Demand Public Bus Service for Marina-Downtown was disrupted during the AM Off Peak session (11.00am – 3.00pm) due to a technical issue with the BusNow Application. Commuters were informed through an app notification that the service was unavailable, while regular service (20 min frequency) was restored on Bus Services 400 & 402. The technical issue was resolved later at around 3.15pm.

ODPB Infrastructure:

On-Demand Public Bus - Driver Tablet with BusNow Application — On-Demand Public Bus – Driver Tablet with BusNow Application

The On-Demand Public Bus (Marina-Downtown) trial uses Mercedes-Benz Citaro and Scania K230UB buses only, and both buses have separate mounting positions for the tablet. Citaros have the tablet mounted on the left, while K230UB buses mount it on the right.

The iPad, which runs the BusNow driver app, provides Bus Captains with travel directions and bus stop locations.