Ulu Pandan Bus Depot is a bus depot in Ulu Pandan, just off Boon Lay Way and Business Park Drive. The depot is presently leased to and operated by SBS Transit as the successful tenderer of the Bukit Merah Bus Package under the Bus Contracting Model (BCM).
Not to be confused with Ulu Pandan MRT Depot.
| General Information | |
| Name | Ulu Pandan Bus Depot |
| Address | 1 Business Park Drive, Singapore 608506 |
| Depot Information | |
| BCMÂ Route Package | Bukit Merah Bus Package |
| Incumbent Operator | SBS Transit |
| Years In Operation | 2018–Present |
| Catchment | Bukit Merah, HarbourFront, Kampong Bahru, Queen Street, Shenton Way, Marina Centre |
Introduction
Ulu Pandan Bus Depot is the fourth bus depot (after Seletar Bus Depot) LTA had developed and funded. The depot is intended to accommodate additional buses that are being introduced over the years, as the overall bus capacity increases under the Bus Service Enhancement Programme (BSEP) and Bus Contracting Model (BCM). The depot is bordered by Sungei Pandan, Sungei Ulu Pandan and Boon Lay Way, with Business Park Drive bisecting the depot complex.
Phase I (West of Business Park Drive) is an open-air bus park, which was completed in early 2017, while Phase II (East of Business Park Drive) is the main depot building, complete with offices and facilities for day-to-day bus operations. The depot was completed in 1st Quarter 2018, equipped with facilities for daily bus operations, bus repair/ maintenance, bus parking, offices, rest areas for bus drivers and canteen, being able to accommodate 470 buses. Phase I of the Bus Depot has 206 bus parking lots, while Phase II has 264.
Contract RD300 for the design and construction of Ulu Pandan Depot was awarded to Tiong Seng Contractors Pte Ltd for roughly S$70 million. The bus depot spans 8.3 ha and was designed to accommodate about 500 buses. Located close to residential developments of Faber Hills across Sungei Ulu Pandan, a noise barrier wall along its south perimeter was constructed.
Design Features
Ulu Pandan Bus Depot features a solar roof with more than 2,000 solar panels, which generate 702.78 kWp (kilowatt-peak) of electricity. The Depot was also awarded the Building and Construction Authority’s (BCA) Green Mark Platinum for Super Low Energy Building in 2020.
Bus Technical Specialist Certification Centre (BTSCC)
Part of SBS Transit’s bid for the Bukit Merah Bus Package was to set up a new, modern Technical Assessment and Certification Centre at the Ulu Pandan Depot for the Singapore Bus Academy (SGBA). SBS Transit helped to establish the BTSCC at a cost of $2.3 million, tapping on its experienced engineering and training staff to develop its curriculum and certification assessments.
The Bus Technical Specialist Certification Centre (BTSCC) was officially opened on 27 August 2018 as a training facility for SGBA. The BTSCC offers a conducive environment for technical training and certification, with specialised training facilities incorporating innovative technologies, such as augmented reality and tablet devices, to provide an interactive learning experience. The comprehensive training facility creates opportunities for bus technicians’ training to go beyond classroom-based programmes.
The centre is equipped with various bus subsystems for training purposes, such as engines, transmissions, doors and brake systems etc. Several bus chassis are located at BTSCC for training purposes, such as a Volvo B5LH (Euro 6), Volvo B9TL (Euro 5) and MAN A95 (Euro 6).
On Saturday, 27 October 2018, SBS Transit held a carnival at Ulu Pandan Bus Depot. The Bus Depot was also officially opened by Mr Khaw Boon Wan, Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Minister for Transport.
Operational History:
Whilst the main building of Ulu Pandan Depot is still under construction, the completed bus park (across the road from the main depot) was handed over to SMRT Buses for the overnight parking of buses, similar to Bulim Bus Depot (SMRT Buses), Loyang Bus Depot (SBS Transit) and Seletar Bus Depot (SBS Transit). SMRT Buses continued using the depot for parking after SBS Transit moved in as part of the Bukit Merah Bus Package.
The arrangement for the parking of SMRT Buses at Ulu Pandan Bus Depot ended on 26 September 2021.
Operator History
- 22 Apr 2017 – 26 Sep 2021: SMRT Buses Ltd (Bus Park)
- 29 Jul 2018 – Present: SBS Transit Ltd
Bus Contracting Model (BCM)
Under the BCM, Ulu Pandan Bus Depot is bundled together with several bus services as part of the Bukit Merah Bus Package. These routes operate mainly from Buona Vista, Bukit Merah, HarbourFront, Kampong Bahru, Queen Street, Shenton Way and Marina Centre Bus Interchanges and Terminals, with the Depot handling the operations of most buses operating on these routes, as part of SBS Transit’s winning alternative bid.
Dual Depot arrangement
As part of SBS Transit’s awarded alternate tender for the Bukit Merah Bus Package, several bus services are dual-depot controlled to reduce dead mileage. SBS has been using dual-depot schemes since 1979.
These bus services are:
- Dual-control with Bedok North Bus Depot
5, 16 & 93 - Dual-control with Ang Mo Kio Bus Depot
57, 131, 145 - Dual-control with Soon Lee Bus Park
198
In addition, several SBS Transit bus services from other Bus Packages also garage at Ulu Pandan Bus Depot. These bus services are 10, 33, 65, 80, 95, 132, 151 & 201.
Additional dual-depot services
As part of the handover of Jurong West Bus Package to SMRT Buses in September 2024, several non-Jurong West Bus Package services which had dual-depot operations with Soon Lee Bus Depot were transferred to Ulu Pandan Bus Depot in phases.
Affected services at Jurong East bus interchange (51, 52, 105, 197 & 506) were transferred on 2 June 2024.
Some affected bus services at Boon Lay bus interchange (154 & 157) were transferred on 11 August 2024
Tower Transit Layover
Buses on Tower Transit Bus Service 78 perform layover at the bus depot from 6 December 2020 till 25 November 2023.
This was due to the lack of layover space available with the relocated of Jurong East Bus Interchange on 6 December 2020, where Service 78 was amended to start and terminate along Jurong Gateway Road.
With the opening of the Jurong Town Hall Bus Interchange on 26 November 2023, Service 78 was extended there and now has proper layover facilities. As such, the layover arrangements at Ulu Pandan Bus Depot was ceased.
Bus Models
SBS Transit currently houses the following models of buses in Ulu Pandan Bus Depot:
Single Deck Buses
Double Decker Buses
Depot Facilities Gallery
Gallery (October 2018)
Gallery: (December 2017 | Completed)
Gallery: (Apr 2017)
Gallery: (Feb 2017)
External Links & References:
- New bus depot at Ulu Pandan to support bus fleet expansion under BSEP – LTA
- Certification for bus technicians launched as part of Skills Framework for Public Transport – ChannelNewsAsia
- Launch of Bus Technical Specialist Certification Centre and Certification for Technical Specialist (Bus) – LTA
- Ulu Pandan Bus Depot – SolarGy
See Also:
There will be reshuffled after SMRT move out once Ang Mo Kio Depot svc shifted to Mandai Depot.Buona Vista & Ghim Moh Clementi’s svc like 32,48,74,91,92/M,100,111,191 & 200 will park here.Kent Ridge svc like 10,33,95,151 & 201 will park back at Bukit Batok.
Change 145 with 124, please… 145 go Bishan TPY, 124 go Bukit Merah, cause service 124 like a piece of shit
SBS Transit just won Seletar, I don’t think you should insult them like that.
What’s more 145 has to be tendered out one day, likewise for 124
In the meantime LTA should expand Ayer Rajah.This depot can given to Clementi package instead while Bt merah take Ayer Rajah
I feel that 160/170 should stay with Clementi and take 174/174e and 48 instead.
I might think Clementi will use Ulu Pandan instead..Bt Merah might use Bbdep/Arbp for the time being.