Tower Transit Singapore has been awarded the Bulim and Sembawang-Yishun Bus Packages, as announced by the Land Transport Authority on 30th September 2020.
With this award, Tower Transit will succeed SMRT Buses as the operator of 27 bus services in the Sembawang and Yishun areas, operating from the new Mandai Bus Depot. In addition, Tower Transit secures a further five-year extension of its 29 existing bus routes in the Jurong East, Clementi and Bukit Batok areas. The two contracts will commence progressively from 2Q 2021.
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Under the Bus Contracting Model, bus routes are bundled into bus packages, consisting of a single bus depot, several bus interchanges/terminals, the bus routes and the buses themselves. With all bus infrastructure belonging to the Government, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) would contract out the bus package, select a bus operator (through a competitive tendering process), and lease these assets to the new operator.
The Bulim Bus Package was first awarded to Tower Transit in May 2015, while the Sembawang-Yishun Bus Package had been operated by SMRT Buses under a negotiated contract since September 2016. Combined under Contract PT217, the packages combine 56 bus routes with the maintenance and operation of two depots, five interchanges, one terminal, and over 700 buses.
Tower Transit’s bid won out over other participating tenderers such as SBS Transit, SMRT Buses, Go-Ahead, and Guangzhou Public Transportation Group No.3 Bus Co., Ltd. A list of services is enclosed below.
Bus Depots:
Bus Interchanges & Terminals:
- Jurong East Bus Interchange
- Bukit Batok Bus Interchange
- Sembawang Bus Interchange
- Yishun Bus Interchange
- Lorong 1 Geylang Bus Terminal
- Jurong Town Hall Bus Interchange (Future)
Bus Services:
- Bulim Bus Package: Commencing from 29 May 2021
41, 49, 66, 77, 78, 79, 96, 97, 97e, 98/98M, 106, 143/143M, 173, 177, 183, 189, 282, 284, 285, 333, 334, 335, 651, 653, 657, 663, 941, 944, 945, 947 & 990 - Sembawang-Yishun Bus Package: Commencing from 5 September 2021
167, 167e, 169, 171, 656, 663, 825, 853/853M, 854, 854e, 855, 856, 857, 858, 859/859A/859B, 882, 883/883M, 963, 963e, 963R, 965, 966, 969, 980, 981, N1 & N2
Remarks: Bus Services highlighted in red are to be transferred from SMRT Buses to Tower Transit. Bus Services N1 & N2 are upcoming bus services to be announced by LTA. Service 167e was withdrawn in December 2020. Service 651 continues to be operated by Tower Transit as of 29 May 2021 and Service 663 is slated to be transferred over to the Sembawang-Yishun Bus Package upon its commencement in September 2021.
The contract commencement dates were announced in a press release by SeaLink Travel Group Limited, which wholly owns Tower Transit Singapore Pte Ltd. Bus Services operated by SMRT Buses will progressively be transferred to Tower Transit in tranches from the commencement date.
The actual commencement date for Bulim Bus Package was changed to 29 May 2021 with the takeover of Bus Service 944 by Tower Transit on that date. The press release by SeaLink Travel Group stated it was on 30 May 2021 back in September 2020.
Buses:
- Bulim: 324 buses
Fleet: Alexander Dennis Enviro500, MAN A22 (Euro V), Mercedes-Benz Citaro, Volvo B9TL (Wright), Yutong E12, Yutong E12DD - Sembawang-Yishun: 409 buses
Fleet: TBC
Note: The projected fleet is as of tender submission and does not account for changes to existing bus services thereafter. The actual number of buses will vary.
Bid Prices:
| No. | Company | Bulim only: Bid Price (5 years) |
Sembawang-Yishun only: Bid Price (5 years) |
Bulim + Sembawang-Yishun: Bid Price (5 years) |
| 1 | SBS Transit Ltd (Alt)* | $443,133,709 | $567,294,369 | $1,003,089,771 |
| 2 | SBS Transit Ltd (Base) | $446,227,073 | $569,935,356 | $1,008,839,217 |
| 3 | Tower Transit Singapore Pte Ltd | $482,432,845 | $582,062,354 | $1,025,102,939 |
| 4 | The Go-Ahead Group Plc | $477,534,701 | $591,490,758 | $1,057,664,162 |
| 5 | SMRT Buses Ltd | $540,964,300 | $695,945,217 | $1,189,635,606 |
Notes:
- The price for five years comprises one-off pre-operation costs, as well as the total service fee and lease charges for assets provided by LTA (excluding any adjustment for inflation, change in wage levels and fuel costs, service variation or incentive payment during the contract period).
- *SBS Transit’s alternative proposal differs from the base proposal by having fewer bus captains and lower non-revenue mileage, to be achieved by launching buses from other bus depots under its negotiated contracts. This is similar to SBS Transit’s existing arrangements at Ulu Pandan Bus Depot.
- Guangzhou Public Transportation Group No.3 Bus Co., Ltd was not shortlisted for the tender award. It did not meet the quality pre-qualification requirements as part of Singapore’s bus contracting model (#BCM) two-envelope process.
If everything is SBST then whats the point of the BCM?110 might be going back to SKG-HGN package so does 974 which will be back to CCK-BPJ package.Unless SMRT win the SKG-HGN package.
Tampines Int for sure will have all 4 operators serving.CDS 663 & 665 will sure to he based at Mandai depot.
IMO, TTS operating Bulim services is already a great example of longer waiting time and slow moving buses even though clear road.
Seeing on the base pricing, SBST idea of launching bus services from other depots is a good idea as not only may get different fleet of buses but also ease the last bus drivers to drive to the nearest depot if it is dual control.
Best example:
Svc 167/963: Can be dual controlled by Mandai & Ulu Pandan Depot
Svc 169: Can be dual controlled by Ang Mo Kio/Seletar & Mandai Depot
Svc 856: Can be dual controlled by Mandai & Seletar Depot
Buses such as Svc 966 still need to travel back to WLDEP currently when its last few buses are terminating at Parkway Parade. If it was to be won by SBST, Svc 966 maybe can be deployed by AMDEP or even HGDEP which is nearer to Parkway Parade..
To me, it is a wrong move but what to do, just see how the operations like and we will take it from there…
Tower Transit taking over 858 in 2021 would mean that the Changi Airport Bus Terminal will see all four operators, with SBS Transit’s 24, 27, 53, Go Ahead’s 34, 36/A, SMRT’s 110 and Tower Transit’s 858.
Also, Tower Transit taking over 858 will see Tower Transit operating Bendy Buses from 2021, as 858 can only use Bendy Buses as high capacity buses (instead of double decker buses) due to the height restrictions of the Changi Airport Bus Terminal.
Woodlands will became the third Interchange with 2 operators after Clementi and Yishun.I am hoping Sengkang-Hougang will goes to either SMRT or Go-Ahead!
Hougang and Loyang better off under one single operator. Good for 136 as HG can take major responsibilities for it. Think how Tower Transit runs Canning/Southern River and Claremont/Marmion/Joondalup in Perth. They have a central command that practises global running in those areas. Helps to cut down on dead mileage.
Congratulations TTS
In future Bedok no longer have all 4 operators serving but cut to 3.SMRT 854 will became TTS 854.
On a side note we have Tampines Int which all operators serve there,SBST,SMRT 67,GAS 3 & 68 as well as TTS 969.
Wonder if 66 and 143 will have any input from Mandai. Or will Bulim have some duties of 855 and 963.