Rationalisation of Bus Service Operations (2019 – 2024)

Downtown Line 3 Bus Service Rationalisations

See also: Controversy over Downtown Line 3 Bus Rationalisation

Bus service rationalisations for the Downtown Line 3 took effect on Sunday, 12 December 2021.

  • Service 22 was amended from Ang Mo Kio ↔ Tampines to Ang Mo Kio ↔ Eunos
  • Service 66 was amended from Bedok ↔​ Jurong East to Jurong East ↺ Upper Bukit Timah Road (loop)
  • Express 506 was amended from Jurong East ↔ Upper East Coast to Jurong East ↔​​​ Serangoon

In addition, Bus Service 65 was amended to ply Tampines Avenue 4 instead of Tampines Avenue 1 to cover lost sectors of Service 22.

Short Trip Service 66C was withdrawn with the amendment of Service 66 to loop at Beauty World.


Reduction in Trips for Express Bus Services – Express 12e, 851e & 960e

The frequency for Express Services 12e, 851e & 960e during weekday peak hours were reduced from 20 mins to 30 mins effective 4 January 2021.

These services will thus operate 4 fewer trips every weekday (2 city-bound trips & 2 heartlands-bound trips removed).


Express 167e

Operating hours for Express 167e were shortened in February 2020, where it was reduced from operating daily to only on Weekdays (except peak hours). In addition, on operating days, trips from Sembawang was reduced to operate till 1830hrs, while trips from Anson Road start from 1230hrs instead.

With the constant low demand for this service, it was withdrawn on 14 December 2020. The last day of operations was on 11 December 2020.


Downtown Line 2 Bus Service Rationalisations

Main Article: Controversy over Downtown Line 2 Bus Rationalisation

Bus service rationalisations for Downtown Line 2 took effect on Sunday, 30 August 2020.

  • Service 171 shortened from Yishun to loop at Bukit Panjang MRT
  • Service 700 & 700A withdrawn

The LTA initially planned to amend Bus Service 972 to Newton MRT, inheriting lost sectors of Bus Service 171. All bus service changes were initially due to take effect on 16 August 2020. However, in response to negative public sentiment and discussions with community representatives, the LTA backtracked on its decision to amend Bus Service 972, and delayed all bus service changes to Sunday, 30 August 2020, with the additional changes:

  • Express 971E converted into a Trunk Service 971 and amended to ply along Pending Road, Petir Road and Dairy Farm Road from Monday, 31 August 2020, with extended operating hours.
  • New Service 972M to be introduced, to ply the planned Service 972 amended route via Dunearn Road / Bukit Timah Road and Scotts Road.
  • Peak hour frequency enhanced for Service 973. to benefit residents of Petir Road

Bus service 971 would later be merged with 972M and discontinued from Monday, 4 April 2022.

Bus Services 700 & 700A

Bus Services 700 & 700A were withdrawn as planned. The last day of service was on Saturday, 29 August 2020 for both services 700 & 700A.

Bus Service 171

Bus Service 171 from Yishun Bus Interchange was shortened to loop at Bukit Panjang MRT as planned, no longer serving Bukit Timah, Orchard and Marina Centre.

Bus Service 972

Bus Service 972 was initially planned to be amended to serve Newton MRT Station via Dunearn Road / Bukit Timah Road and Scotts Road from 16 August 2020.

In response to public feedback, this amendment was scrapped. Instead, a new Bus Service 972M was introduced on 30 August 2020 to serve Newton MRT Station via Dunearn Road / Bukit Timah Road and Scotts Road.


Bus Service 128

Bus Service 128 was formally withdrawn on 2 June 2020. The service was suspended since 8 April 2020 as part of the Singapore COVID-19 Circuit Breaker Measures.


Short Trip Service 117B

Service 117B was withdrawn on 30 March 2020, while additional trips were added to Short Trip Service 117A introduced on the same day.


Rationalisation of Full-Day Express services

See also: Reduction in Operating Hours for Express 12e, 167e, 851e, 960e & Withdrawal of Express 147e

All five full-day Express bus services introduced in 2018 were subject to rationalisation as follows:

  • Shortened operating hours for 12e, 167e, 851e and 960e:
    From heartlands: 0600hrs-1830hrs; from City: 1230hrs-2330hrs
  • No operation on Sundays and Public Holidays for 167e
  • Withdrawal of 147e

Services 7A & 7B

SBS Transit Short Trip Bus Services 7A & 7B were introduced in February 2018 to supplement Bus Service 7, operating daily for the entire day.
In addition to Service 7A & 7B, buses would return back to Bedok & Clementi bus interchanges by operating on Service 7 from Orchard & Dhoby Ghaut respectively.

Operating hours for these two Short Trip Services were rationalised from 22 December 2019 to only operate during weekday morning and evening peak hours, while ending earlier with the last buses departing at 2100hrs on Weekends & Public Holidays.


Service BPS1

Bus Parallel Service BPS1 was peak hour bus route introduced in 2011 as a measure to reduce peak hour crowding on the Bukit Panjang LRT network by providing an alternative travel route for residents at Segar, Jelapang and Senja to Choa Chu Kang. It was withdrawn on 10 November 2019.

As part of the Bukit Panjang LRT Overhaul, Bus Service 976 was introduced on the same day to complement the Bukit Panjang LRT network.


Post On-Demand Public Bus Trial Rationalisation

With the end of the On-Demand Public Bus trials in June 2019, several bus services were changed.

Service 402

Service 402 was integrated with Service 400 and withdrawn on 16 June 2019, with Service 400 serving Marina Barrage, Marina South Pier and Marina Bay Cruise Centre.

NightRider NR7

NightRider NR7 was suspended from 4 January 2019 to facilitate the operations for On-Demand Public Bus (CBD to Bedok / Tampines). After the end of the trial, NR7 was permanently discontinued.


Service 163M

Service 163M was withdrawn on 10 February 2019, with Short Trip Service 163A introduced on the same day to operate at night from Sengkang Interchange to Fernvale Lane. More trips were added on Service 163 to make up for the withdrawal of Service 163M during its former operating hours.


City Direct Services

Since April 2017, City Direct bus services were progressively transferred from private bus operators to public bus operators. In addition, several City Direct bus services were also withdrawn in 2018 & 2019.


 

33 thoughts on “Rationalisation of Bus Service Operations (2019 – 2024)

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  • 30 December 2021 at 1:10 AM
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    Honestly, if people do not want to use buses, the data will be reflected into LTA and they will find new ways to make it more cost-saving…. So go and convinced more people to take the buses and keep those route alive ….

    Reply
    • 16 February 2022 at 11:05 PM
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      Hence, may end work from home, more funding for public transport operators, free rides for the elderly on public transport, free rides on MRT in the city area.

      Reply
  • 28 December 2021 at 6:53 PM
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    Wah lta is getting worst and worst. This crap has to come to a stop. Why the hell reduse 851e frequncey to 1 hour. 851e has gd loading most of the time. Why why why why. Has the world gone mad and blind.

    Reply
  • 26 November 2021 at 10:46 PM
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    Other than my previous opinion, let’s take a look at the possibility:

    1) Bidadari ITH & Buangkok ITH are under construction. Together with Punggol North ITH is in the pipeline.
    – I would foresee Express 506 is a temporary amendment to Serangoon Interchange. I may foresee this service will either shorten its terminating point or extend its terminating point to either 1 of the ITH.

    2) Service 66 looping at Upper Bukit Timah Road (Bukit Timah Plaza).
    – Since Beauty World ITH is in the pipeline, Service 66 may be amended to terminate at the ITH. However, there is another alternative service from JE (Service 41). Till the ITH is ready for operations, we shall see which bus services would be amended to terminate there.

    3) Service 22 terminating at Eunos.
    – IMO, a wrong move to let it terminate at Eunos as the route from Eunos to Ubi already covered by Service 61/63/63M. Should have allow it to terminate at Bedok Interchange replacing amended Service 66.

    Reply
    • 3 December 2021 at 11:08 AM
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      for 41, we can make it start from Beauty World ITH loop at Jurong Gateway Rd like 79. And for 66, maybe can just extend to Ang Mo Kio

      Reply
      • 28 December 2021 at 2:59 PM
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        Why extend 66 to AMK? From Bukit Timah there’s already 74 and 852 to AMK.

        Reply
    • 3 December 2021 at 11:43 AM
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      Agreeeee, sv 22 should go Bedok instead, they straight away remove 3 service around bedok reservoir area. LTA always like to made people live difficult, and planning always suck.

      Reply
    • 26 December 2021 at 11:24 AM
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      Do not forget 22 now duplicates the following bus services other than 61,63,63M from eunos link to eunos MRT station that are:15,25,51,55,93,94,854.

      Reply
    • 12 January 2022 at 7:04 PM
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      What do you think of 22 covering the lost sectors of 66 from Ubi Avenue 2 to Bedok, & 22M replacing 228? Is it a good idea?

      Reply
  • 24 November 2021 at 9:43 AM
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    If bus 66 is going to be amended, I suggest introducing a new bus service (maybe 44) from Gali Batu Terminal to Bedok Interchange entirely duplicating the lost sector of bus 66

    As for bus 506, Maybe can amend Bus 109 to Upper East Coast Terminal and Bus 29 to cover lost sectors of bus 506 and 109

    Reply

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