The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has called a tender for the Tampines Bus Package on 19 December 2024, under Contract PT220: Bus Contracting – Tampines Bus Package.
As part of the Bus Contracting Model implemented in 2016, the LTA entered into a Negotiated Contract with SBS Transit to operate bus services under the Tampines Bus Package for an initial 8-year duration, ending in 2024. In November 2021, this contract was further extended for 1 year and 10 months (ending in July 2026), as part of an LTA–SBS Transit Framework Agreement that saw the Downtown Line transition to the New Rail Financing Framework (Version 2).
Bus services under the tendered package term from July 2026 will be operating out of the East Coast Bus Depot, which is expected to be completed and opened in 2026.
Bus Services
In response to queries by Lianhe Zaobao in December 2024, an LTA spokesperson revealed that the tendered package term for the Tampines Bus Package will commence in July 2026.
The package contains 27 bus services: 26 existing bus services, and one upcoming new service to be launched under the Bus Connectivity Enhancement Programme (BCEP) in 2025.
As of December 2024, the 26 existing bus services under the Negotiated Contract (PT207) of the Tampines Bus Package are:
| Service | Route | Type |
| 4 | Tampines ↺ Changi North Way | Trunk |
| 10 |
Tampines ↔ Kent Ridge | Trunk |
| 10e |
Bedok Road ⇄ Shenton Way / Anson Road | Express |
| 18 | Tampines North ↔ Bedok North Bus Depot | Trunk |
| 19 |
Tampines ↺ Airport Cargo Road | Trunk |
| 20 |
Tampines ↺ Changi Business Park Avenue 3 | Trunk |
| 23 | Tampines ↺ Rochor Canal Road | Trunk |
| 28 | Tampines ↔ Toa Payoh | Trunk |
| 29 | Tampines ↺ Changi Village | Trunk |
| 31 |
Tampines ↔ Toa Payoh | Trunk |
| 37 | Tampines ↺ Changi North Crescent | Trunk |
| 38 | Tampines ↔ Bedok | Trunk |
| 39 | Tampines Concourse ↔ Yishun | Trunk |
| 47 |
Changi Business Park ↺ Amber Road | Trunk |
| 65 |
Tampines ↔ HarbourFront | Trunk |
| 69 |
Tampines ↺ Bedok | Trunk |
| 72 |
Yio Chu Kang ↔ Tampines | Trunk |
| 81 |
Tampines ↺ Serangoon Central | Trunk |
| 127 |
Tampines ↺ Tampines Industrial Avenue 5 | Trunk |
| 129 |
Tampines North ↔ Saint Michael’s | Trunk |
| 291 |
Tampines ↺ Tampines Street 81 / Tampines Street 32 | Feeder |
| 292 |
Tampines ↺ Tampines Street 22 | Feeder |
| 293 |
Tampines ↺ Tampines Street 71 / Tampines Avenue 7 | Feeder |
| 296 | Tampines ↺ Tampines North Drive 2 | Feeder |
| 298 |
Tampines North ↺ Tampines Avenue 5 | Feeder |
| 513 | Tampines Avenue 5 ⇄ Shenton Way / Anson Road | Express |
Short Trip & Supplementary Bus Services
These services do not add to the overall service count for the bus package.
| Service | Route | Type |
| 20A |
Simei Street 1 (Blk 148) → Changi South Avenue 1 (Expo Stn Exit B) | Short Trip |
| 29A | Tampines → Tampines Avenue 7 (Blk 497D) | Short Trip |
| 31A | Tampines → New Upp Changi Road (Tanah Merah Stn Exit A) | Short Trip |
| 39A |
Pasir Ris Central (Opp Pasir Ris Stn Exit B) → Jalan Kayu (Aft Seletar Camp G) | Short Trip |
| 39B |
Punggol Way (Blk 220C) → Pasir Ris Central (Pasir Ris Stn Exit B) | Short Trip |
| 72A |
Yio Chu Kang → Hougang Central (Opp Hougang Ctrl Int) | Short Trip |
| 72B |
Yio Chu Kang → Ang Mo Kio Avenue 5 (ITE Coll Ctrl) | Short Trip |
| 127A |
Tampines → Tampines North Drive 1 (Opp Blk 610C) | Short Trip |
| 129A | Tampines Avenue 1 (Temasek Poly East G) → Bartley Road (Bartley Stn Exit A) | Short Trip |
| 129B | Bartley Road (Gambir Ridge) → Tampines Avenue 1 (Opp Temasek Poly East G) | Short Trip |
| 291T |
Tampines ↺ Tampines Street 81 / Tampines Street 32 | Terminating Trip |
| 293T | Tampines ↺ Tampines Street 71 / Tampines Avenue 7 | Terminating Trip |
| 298X |
Tampines North ↺ Tampines Street 86 | Supplementary (Express Feeder) |
Bus routes primarily operate from Tampines, Tampines Concourse and Tampines North bus interchanges, where the awarded operator will likely be the anchor operator.
Tender Details
The contract listing in GeBIZ states a contact delivery date of 4 July 2031. Given a 5-year base period for BCM tendered contracts, this indicates a likely contract start date sometime in July 2026.
Similarly, East Coast Bus Depot is also projected to open in 2026. The multi-storey bus depot is part of the East Coast Integrated Depot site and can accommodate over 500 buses, including the capacity to charge about 240 electric buses.
LTA later confirmed the July 2026 start date, and that buses would be based at East Coast Depot.
The tender will close on 17 April 2025.
Tender Evaluation
In addition to the usual quality factors, LTA will also consider the bidders’ plans for operating an electric bus fleet, as revealed by the LTA spokesman to Lianhe Zaobao. The considerations include:
- Optimising the deployment of electric buses
- Maintenance of assets such as the electric buses and infrastructure
- Ensuring the safe operation of the electric buses
1st:SBST retain
2nd:TTS win because of their 360 degree cam initiative and their EWT excellence among 4 operators.
3rd:GAS but again they will lose Loyang and bag CCK-BPJ in 2026.
SMRTB will lose CCK but win Sengkang-Hougang and I got a feeling SBST/RATP will bag Cross Island too.
Tbh, I don’t think LTA will allow SMRT to lose Choa Chu Kang and Woodlands because KJDEP and WLDEP both belong to SMRT. Unless Gali Batu is being taken in by CCKBPJ, then SMRT has a chance to lose CCK.
Aside from that, Sengkang-Hougang should be taken in by either SBST or SMRT. No TTS or GAS please.
To be frank with you Gali Batu is the replacement depot for CCK/KJ…If LTA want to award to other operators then it’s their decision and just look at Jurong West who would have thought SMRT can bag it?For Woodlands yes I believed its because of the APAD things.Sengkang I believed LTA can just award to SMRT,TTS or GAS should they have made the decision to award SBST the cross island line.Anyway it’s already majority LTA property and for Non-LTA depots like BN,KJ,WL or even BB LTA has leased a sum of fee to the respective operators and not long before they’re being replaced by new depots in future…And of Course SBST will be the majority no doubt.I also believed should LTA award Cross Island to SMRT believe me CCK will goes to other operators and this is how it works.
I hope that Tampines Bus Package will win GAS and retain Loyang Bus Package in 2026.
I thought Bedok going to utilise the depot but Tampines heck..Meaning Bedok got extension of more than 3 years.
I think SBST should retain this package and maybe lose Sengkang-Hougang package. If another operator were to win this im hoping SMRT. Maybe TTS im not sure but i think SMRT better. SK-HG maybe SMRT & GAS. Honestly if GAS doesnt win anymore package, they should pack up and leave SG. This package has quite alot of bus svcs and many of them are money making ones unlike most on the jurong west package. If SBST doesnt win, i hope the future operators wont screw things up especially on services like 31/A with all the ITE students or the Tampines Feeders
Better not SMRT,If they win then CCK has to go to GAS.
Just look at TTS West Side can based at Bulim while North/Northeast and Eastern can join Mandai.If SMRT win also an advantage for svc 61/67/961/985 partly park here rather than Woodlands Temp Int.But again gibe the foreign operator especially GAS a chance.
Did you know SBST also screw lot of Seletar svc and SMRT screw Jurong svc?All mostly go unreported unlike what TTS & GAS encountered last time.Dont be so biased can?
GAS can win meh? They screwed up Punggol services so much, spent 27 mins waiting for a bus 136 to come! Better ask them to pack and go la, useless company.
I do hope either TTS or SBST wins this, SMRT can take Sengkang-Hougang instead.
Considering SBST operates DTL at Tampines, whereas SMRT operates EWL at Tampines, and currently GA only have one package whereas the other foreigner TT got two packages, this time GA got hope of getting a second package already.
Yeah 2026 we got a few bus package to be bid as well.I hope GAS win CCK retain Loyang..TTS win Tampines,Retain Bulim & Sembawang-Yishun.SMRT can take Sengkang-Hougang instead.
Where got Bias? Never said SBST nvr go screw up their packages before. GAS & TTS arent any better in anyways. You should stop being bias to GAS & TTS as well. I think you would like foreign companies to take over majority of the packages. Sooner or later foreigners will take over singapore and you seem to rather like it right? Dont be so Bias can?
Then what the use of BCM like that?Like it or not foreigners already take your position in SG.Both SBST & SMRT already have rails so why not GA & TT take 30% of the packages?If not for TT & GA raise the basic salary of BCs in SG I’m sure both SBST & SMRT also remain stagnant.
The market for public bus operators in Perth also stagnant because same 3 operators for almost 30 years.