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
I got a strong feeling that GA will lost Loyang to either SMRT or TTS and will bag CCK-BPJ instead.I don’t think LTA will allowed local-foreign operator to have such near operation base. I expect SBST will either just maintain their current contracts or lose one more package and bag Cross Island Line instead.
SBS Transit will maintain Bedok, Sengkang-Hougang, Bukit Merah,Seletar and Bishan-Toa Payoh
SMRT will maintain Jurong West, Woodlands and probably will win either Loyang or Serangoon-Eunos.
Tower Transit will sustain Bulim, Sembawang-Yishun and win either Serangoon-Eunos or Loyang.
Go-Ahead will maintain Tampines, Choa Chu Kang-Bt Panjang and likely win Clementi.
For Rails SBST and RATP will win Cross Island Line, maintain JRL beside DTL, NEL and both Punggol Sengkang LRT.
SMRT Trains will maintain NSL, EWL, CCL and TEL beside BPJ LRT.
SMRT should stay in West so probably retain CCK-BPJ and WDL and they also need to dual depot control 178 180 187. I really hope SMRT retains CCK-BPJ.
Loop around Bedok North Street 5*
I wonder how Bus Service 18 will be… Since it starts/ends at Bedok North Bus Depot, which is under SBS. Unless it makes a loop around Ave 5 to go back to Tampines.
Maybe with the transition to the new East Coast Bus Depot, bus service 18 will amend the route to terminate at East Coast Bus Depot instead of the Bedok North Bus Depot. We will see what will happen after Go-ahead Singapore takes over from SBS TRANSIT.
Go_Ahead Computerised deployments will enhanced the services
So it means that maybe gas will operate scania kubs and ADL 3doors?
3-doors ADL maybe. But KUBs seem unlikely. They would prefer the newer diesel buses and e-buses
Yeah given that the KUBs under SMRT’s JWBP didn’t last a year before being transferred back to SBST lol
Linker,ADL 3-Doors,Citaro,A22,A95 and Volvo B9TL as well as over 270 electric buses… 400 plus buses..
They should take 5 Linkker for 38 then other 5 leave under BNDEP for 40
Alexander Dennis 3-door, Volvo B9TL, Mercedes Benz Citaro, MAN A22,A95 buses will still be operated by Go-ahead Singapore except the Scania K230UB buses. I think they will be sent for scrap or transferred to other bus depots for continuous operation. Since the SCANIA K230UB buses have already reached the lifespan of more than 17 years, they are to be replaced by the new BYD and Zhongtong electric buses once they arrive at the new East Coast Bus Depot.