On 19 September 2025, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) announced the awarding of the Tampines Bus Package to Go-Ahead Singapore.
The 5-year contract, estimated at a total fee of $646 million, represents the first tendered package term for the Tampines Bus Package. It will commence on 5 July 2026, with an option for extension of 2 to 5 years.
With this, Go-Ahead Singapore will succeed SBS Transit as the operator of 27 bus services in the Tampines region. It will also operate around 400 buses from the new East Coast Bus Depot, including over 250 electric buses.
In addition, it will also manage Tampines Bus Interchange, Tampines Concourse Bus Interchange, Tampines North Bus Interchange & Changi Business Park Bus Terminal.
Contract PT220: Tampines Bus Package
Tampines Bus Package has been operated by SBS Transit under a negotiated contract since the start of the Bus Contracting Model in September 2016.
Go-Ahead Singapore will succeed SBS Transit as the new operator of this package. Buses will also be based at the new East Coast Bus Depot, instead of the existing Bedok North Bus Depot.
| Incumbent | SBS Transit Ltd |
| Present Contract Term |
Negotiated Contract (Contract PT207): Sep 2016 – July 2026 (9 years & 10 months term) |
| Upcoming Contract Term |
Tendered Package 1st Term (Contract PT220): July 2026 – 2031 |
| Awarded Operator |
Go-Ahead Singapore Pte Ltd (subsidiary of tenderer: The Go-Ahead Group Limited) |
| Bus Services |
4, 10, 10e, 18, 19, 20, 23, 28, 29, 31, 37, 38, 39, 47, 65, 69, 72, 81, 127, 129, 291, 292, 293, 296, 298/298X, 299 & 513 (27 bus routes) |
| Handover Date | From 5 July 2026 |
| Bus Depot | East Coast Bus Depot |
| Bus Interchanges | Tampines Bus Interchange, Tampines Concourse Bus Interchange, Tampines North Bus Interchange |
| Bus Terminals | Changi Business Park Bus Terminal |
Reasons for the award to Go-Ahead Singapore were provided by LTA:
- Highest total score for the Tampines Bus Package proposal, taking into account both price and quality factors
- Offered cost savings for LTA compared to the current contract
- Initiatives that would help to raise the industry’s capabilities for large-scale electric bus deployment, building on its UK Group’s experience and expertise in operating the largest fleet of electric buses in London:
— Work with the Singapore Bus Academy to establish a Satellite Centre of Excellence in Singapore to facilitate knowledge transfer and build expertise in electric bus operations for the industry. The centre will develop a team of skilled local electric bus specialists to support Singapore’s transition to a cleaner energy public bus fleet.
— Utilise AI-driven tools to aid Service Controllers in regulating intervals between buses and controlling bus deployment, helping to reduce bus bunching and improve service reliability - Commuter-friendly initiatives, such as ‘Caring Corners’ at bus interchanges and ‘Baby on board’ badges for pregnant commuters
- Programmes to enhance staff welfare through comprehensive programmes focusing on health, safety, and professional development
The Go-Ahead Group Limited (Go-Ahead Singapore) submitted both a base proposal and an alternative proposal for the Tampines Bus Package, both of which were compliant. LTA awarded the tender to the alternative proposal by The Go-Ahead Group Limited.
With the award of the Tampines contract, Go-Ahead Singapore will expand to over 2,000 staff members and operate a total fleet of more than 800 buses, including over 270 zero-emission vehicles, with scope to introduce further electric buses during the contract period.
Transition of impacted workers
Current SBS Transit employees from the Tampines Bus Package will be protected by the Public Transport Tripartite Committee’s Guidelines on Good Employment Practices in the Public Bus Industry and must be offered a job by Go-Ahead Singapore, the incoming operator, at employment terms that are no worse off than their current employment terms.
In addition, Go-Ahead Singapore has also committed to ensuring that the remuneration for the current workforce remains competitive.
Affected employees can also choose to join Go-Ahead Singapore or be redeployed by their current employer (SBS Transit), where feasible.
Bid Prices
The tender for the Tampines Bus Package was called on 19 December 2024. The awarded tenderer and its corresponding contract sum are highlighted in red.
| No. | Company | Base | Alternative |
Alternative 2 |
| 1 | Bravo Transport Holdings Limited | ^ | — | — |
| 2 | SBS Transit Ltd | $596,016,898.92 | $586,029,129.17^ | — |
| 3 | SMRT Buses Ltd | $613,495,283.00 | — | — |
| 4 | The Go-Ahead Group Limited | $651,343,327.61 | $646,244,809.73 | — |
| 5 | Tower Transit Singapore Pte. Ltd. | $617,021,481.00 | $610,453,915.00 | $615,455,246.00 |
^ = Bravo Transport Holdings Limited’s base bid and SBS Transit Ltd’s alternative bid were not considered in the price evaluation.
The tender submissions were evaluated based on a two-envelope process, which looked at both quality and price factors. The price submissions were only opened after the quality evaluation was completed. This two-envelope process ensures that LTA gets the best value-for-money proposal without compromising on quality.
According to the LTA, it placed greater emphasis on the proposal’s quality, particularly in electric bus operations and maintenance capabilities, given the large-scale electric bus deployment in this package.
LTA also retains the option to extend the contract by between two and five years, beyond the end of the initial five-year term.
References
- LTA Awards Tampines Bus Package to Go-Ahead Singapore – Land Transport Authority
- Go-Ahead expands in Singapore with major new contract – The Go-Ahead Group
Back to Tampines Bus Package
Hmmmmmm hope will have service guides
Stop living in the 90s, now everything is online
New Service guides are no longer being printed ever since 2024. (i wish they still do)
Finally Go Ahead won another package since 2016!
Kind of Sad that SBST lost since they have been operating Tampines for Decades Now. With this they have lost 2 packages back to back, will they comeback by winning another package or are they planning for the CRL Contract.
For Buses Probably Mainly Volvo B9TL, Citaros, EV Buses like BYD & Zhongtong. Not sure about the B5LH & A22s, Scania K230UBs most likely wont. I think this might happen, SBST retire Some of their KUBs from Tampines Package and take in EV buses for GAS, KUBs not retiring transfer out to Swap with A22, Citaro & Possibly their EV buses from SWDEP.
As for Depots, GAS will operate Tampines Package Via the ECID. For Bedok which is still under SBST, they might stay at Bedok North or Park in ECID with GAS Tampines Buses.
Given there’s sometime between now till July 2026, the remaining E-bus will be registered to ECID.
Considering SWDEP basically have enough e buses now that covers the entire Sengkang Hougang package service with single deck (except 27)
Like what SBST did with SWDEP, BND KUB would be retired, citaro swap out to other depots.
Given how there’s a lot of enviro 500 under BNDEP for Tampines package, SBST is likely to retain only 4 units that’s currently under SWDEP.
A22 depends.
All I know is that the new BYD electric buses are already launched on Go-ahead bus service 15 right now from the Loyang Bus Depot. Maybe before the end od 2025, the new BYD and ZHONGTONG electric buses will be deployed to bus services at Tampines bus interchange. By the time Go-ahead Singapore takes over as the new operator of the Tampines bus package, electric buses will be seen. As for the Volvo b5lh buses, I think they will be under Go-ahead Singapore as well. The Volvo b5lh buses are quite new and they are just launched on bus service 298 in May last year. The Volvo B9TL, Man single and double deckers,Mercedes benz Citaros wii stay.
Finally Go Ahead gets its (expected) expansion.
Wonder what’s the reason they chose to spend an additional 50 million on GAS instead of choosing SBS
Because Loyang future replacement depot is ECID as well.
Makes it easier for a sole bus operator rather than 2 operator coming out of ECID.
That said, Loyang tender don’t need say when it expires next year. They will be the winner regardless of the bid amount.
SBST is likely keeping just UPDEP (Due to cross border issues 160 170), SWDEP (Extended all the way till 2029) and Serangoon Eunos package (Lorong Halus)
Kim Chuan (Bishan Toa Payoh) is likely to be tower transit.
Loyang replacement is Lor Halus which is nearer to off service to both Pasir Ris and Punggol… And also to North side for 85.
LTA also study feasible land for Bedok North replacement in future. Bedok North is more than enough to sustain Bedok package.
Predictions true!