Seletar Bus Package put up for tender

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has called a tender for the 2nd Tendered Package Term for the Seletar Bus Package on 30 October 2023, under Contract PT219: Bus Contracting – Seletar Bus Package.

Under the Bus Contracting Model (BCM), bus routes were bundled into bus packages, consisting of a single bus depot, several bus interchanges, the bus routes and the buses themselves. With all bus infrastructure belonging to the Government, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) would select a bus operator to run the bus package (through a competitive tendering process), and lease these assets to the new operator.

As part of the gradual transition which commenced in September 2016, all existing bus services in Singapore (previously operated by a long-standing duopoly between SBS Transit and SMRT Buses) were divided into 14 route packages. These existing routes remain operated by their incumbent operators under a negotiated contract model until their respective Bus Package has been tendered out.

Seletar Bus Package was awarded to SBS Transit in April 2017 as part of an open tender. SBS Transit was previously also the incumbent operator for 14 of  the 26 bus services then under a negotiated contract since the start of the BCM in September 2016.

The first tendered package term began on 11 March 2018, with the handover of the remaining bus services operated by SMRT Buses under the previous negotiated contract completed by 25 March 2018.

In May 2022, SBS Transit announced within its 1st Quarter 2022 Business Update report that it had accepted LTA’s offer for a two-year extension for the Seletar Bus Package commencing on 11 March 2023.

As such, the new tendered package contract is expected to commence in March 2025.

Bus Services

Existing bus services covered by the Seletar Bus Package as of December 2023 are:
Services 24, 70/70M, 71, 76, 130, 133, 135, 138, 162, 261, 262, 265, 268, 269, 652, 668, 800, 803, 804, 805, 806, 807, 811, 812, 850E, 851, 851e, 852 & 860 (29 bus routes).

Bus Service 162M was withdrawn in December 2023 as part of the Thomson-East Coast Line 3 Bus Service Rationalisation with the amendment & shortening of Service 162 to loop at Sin Ming Drive. As such, Service 162M will not be part of the new package term come March 2025.

Tender Details

The tender closed on 4 March 2024, after an extension of a few days from the initial planned tender closing date on 29 Feb 2024.

Bidding Procedure

According to tender details as published on government procurement portal GeBIZ, bids were submitted by 5 hopeful operators. namely:

Tender Award

Main Article: SBS Transit retains Seletar Bus Package for a Second Tendered Term

On 19 July 2024, LTA awarded the contract to SBS Transit Ltd.

Reference

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