Singapore’s newest electric buses will soon undergo modifications, following passenger complaints about high steps and raised seating areas.
According to a Shin Min Daily News article (2 Oct 2025), the changes come after complaints from elderly commuters about high steps and raised seating areas. Modifications will be carried out from October 2025.
Passenger Complaints
Passengers interviewed by Shin Min agreed that priority seats on the new buses are hard to access. Many are installed on raised platforms, requiring a tall step that can be difficult for seniors or those carrying items. In one case, a commuter said they saw an elderly man nearly fall while stepping down. The same interviewee observed that some elderly riders simply choose to stand rather than climb onto the raised seats.
The buses in question
The models affected are the BYD BC12A04 and Zhongtong LCK6126EVG. A total of 420 units—300 from BYD and 120 from Zhongtong—were procured by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) in 2023.
Inside, each bus has 12 priority seats in the front section. While four are on the flat floor level, the remaining eight sit above the front wheel wells, requiring passengers to climb a high step.
In the rear section, where another 4 priority seats are located after the middle door, steps can be as tall as 33 cm due to the sloping floor. For comparison, older low-entry buses such as the Scania K230UB and staircases on double-deckers, generally do not exceed 23 cm.
LTA media responses
In response to Shin Min Daily News on 2 October 2025, an LTA spokesperson explained that the raised steps are a result of the buses’ fully low-floor design. To keep the passenger cabin step-free, manufacturers place components such as wheel wells and batteries under the floor, which makes some seating platforms higher.
To address commuter concerns, LTA confirmed that modifications will start in October 2025. The goal is to ensure steps do not exceed 23 cm, in line with current bus designs. This will be done by raising the floorboard height, and in the long term, by improving battery density so smaller batteries can be used.
Further reporting by The Straits Times published on 30 October 2025 added that buses will be taken out of service for one to two weeks each during phased modifications to minimise service disruptions. The article also mentioned that LTA had dropped the mandatory Full Low-Floor Requirement for 660 New Electric Buses.
LTA also clarified that plans to address the step height were already in progress before the report was published in Shin Min on 2 October. It also did not provide the total cost of the modification works when asked.
These adjustments represent a significant redesign for buses already in mass production. Still, the move highlights a willingness to adapt to passenger feedback—especially from seniors who rely on public transport.
Where these buses are deployed
As of October 2025, these electric buses are currently deployed out of the following depots:
- Sengkang West Bus Depot – Deployed on Hougang and Sengkang area services, such as:
51, 80, 86, 102, 107, 112, 113, 115, 116, 151, 153, 159, 163, 324, 325, 329, 371, 372 & 374 - Bulim Bus Depot – Bus services 66 & 77
- Loyang Bus Depot – Bus service 15
- Gali Batu Bus Depot – Bus service 75, 300, 307
In response to press enquiries, the LTA said that about 170 of the 420 electric buses are already on the roads, with the rest expected to enter service by the end of the year.
Interior
External Links & References
- 年长乘客：新巴士座位太高 上下不便险摔倒 – 新明日报 [Accessed 2 Oct 2025]
- LTA to lower step heights on new electric buses | The Straits Times [Accessed 30 Oct 2025] (Photo of modified BYD appeared in print; photo of modified Zhongtong from online article)
Okay la. I have been on an actual bus. SG3442B on bus service 66. 12 pairs of seats are indeed at the higher step. Only 2 pairs of seats are at floor level.
Instead of costly modification, why not just cancel order and return the buses already delivered?
Hopefully these buses come with warranty when they were purchased.
Good idea. Just send all the buses back with a receipt and ask for store credit.
If LTA really keen on 3 door SD/DD, just follow 12.5m length. Our population is already exceeded 6.2m in this tiny Island with all the new citizens and PRs… Even Johor which is many times bigger only has 3.8m.
Why when talking about electric buses, people are so fed up and rude saying that they are lousy where the fact that they are still new, instead of talking about electric buses, why not say about the transport issues in north east and west region, mainly CCK, Yew Tee, Punggol and Buangkok. These places are where transportation is lacking.
I had just taken the actual bus, to see it myself. It’s really quite jialat. The floor board feels as though it’s touching the surface of the road.
And somemore the seats are mostly (12 pairs out of 14 pairs in total) are at high ground.
Might as well just cancel order, and return back the buses already delivered. No need to make costly modification. The money can use for other things more meaningful instead, such as buying new buses that actually functions properly.
How much does the modification cost? Will it add up to more than the cost of other buses?
Really. The MAN NL323F (Euro V) (Batch 3) single decker bus has 14 seats at the low floor portion of the bus.
The Zhongtong N12 (LTA Production Batch) can actually remove 1 of the 2 wheelchair spaces, and add 4 more seats at the low floor portion of the bus. Thereby making it 8 seats at the low floor portion of the bus.
Either way, please don’t use this as an excuse to spend large amount of money.
What ebus…
Just drive, cycle or walk. How hard can it be? Let the world powers deal with all the environment stuff. ESG is just a scam to claim subsidies and green wash. Even if it gets bad, who doesn’t have aircons or air purifiers nowadays?
Oh look a climate change denier!