This article documents the transition of SMRT Buses’ new livery, from pre-debut to eventual fleet-wide repainting
Pre-Debut:
In mid-November 2013, several SMRT Buses were spotted with a new corporate livery within SMRT’s Woodlands Bus Park.. Doing away with the traditional red and white livery in use since 2004, the new livery applies red, yellow and black patterns on a silver base color.
The new color scheme has a yellow feel and is reminiscent of the Trans-Island Bus Services era, while featuring pixel patterns over the wheel arch. The launch of the new livery is expected to be in full swing in 2014, the tenth anniversary of SMRT’s merger with TIBS.
It is worth noting that the sequential yellow, red and black lines is an inverted color arrangement of the German flag. Coincidentally, almost all of SMRT’s fleet comprises of German buses, from the Mercedes-Benz O405 and O405G buses inherited from TIBS, to the more recent Mercedes-Benz OC500LE, Citaro and MAN NL323F buses.
2014 Debut:
On Sunday, 12th January 2014, SMRT’s first fleet of 31 repainted buses entered revenue service. Comprising of 29 MAN NL323F, one Mercedes-Benz OC500LE and one Mercedes-Benz Citaro, they were deployed to Services 190, 700A and 960.
Some of the newer A22s had been delivered with the new livery while others were repainted. Currently, SMRT is subcontracting a part of its repainting works to Liannex Corporation to speed up its fleet-wide repainting process.
Buses deployed on 12 Jan 2014:
- SMB30Z – 190
- SMB140P – 700A
- SMB3015Z – 190
- SMB3016X – 190
- SMB3017T – 190
- SMB3018R – 960
- SMB3019M – 960
- SMB3021E – 700A
- SMB3022C – 700A
- SMB3023A – 700A
- SMB3067Z – 960
- SMB3078S – 700A
- SMB3100K – 960
- SMB3101H – 190
- SMB3102E – 190
- SMB3103C – 190
- SMB3104A – 190
- SMB3105Y – 190
- SMB1408L – 700A
- SMB1409J – 960
- SMB1410D – 960
- SMB1411B – 960
- SMB1412Z – 700A
- SMB1413X – 190
- SMB1414T – 190
- SMB1415R – 190
- SMB1416M – 700A
- SMB1417K – 700A
- SMB1418H – 700A
- SMB1419E – 700A
- SMB1420A – 190
In total:
190: 13 buses
700A: 11 buses
960: 7 buses
SMB30Z and SMB140P had the privilege of being the first repainted Mercedes-Benz OC500LE and Citaro respectively.
In the following months, repainting works have expanded to several more MAN NL323Fs. In March, SMRT mentioned that not all buses will receive the new livery, but only buses which require a new coat of paint.
SMRT had also opened a tender calling for the supply of material and skilled labour to respray around 1000 buses over the next two years. This includes all of its existing Mercedes-Benz OC500LEs and Citaros, as well as new MAN NL323Fs, MAN NG363Fs and Alexander Dennis Enviro500s.
In October 2014, SMB179D became the second Citaro to bear the new livery.
 OC500LE (New Livery) – Offside |
 OC500LE (New Livery) – Nearside |