Bulim Bus Depot

Bulim Bus Depot is a bus depot along Bulim Avenue and Jurong West Avenue 2. The depot is presently occupied by Tower Transit Singapore under the Bus Contracting Model (BCM), as the successful tenderer of the Bulim Bus Package.

SBS Transit also utilises Bulim Bus Depot as a Tenant Operator from Dec 2024, taking over the space vacated by former tenant operator SMRT Buses.

Bulim Bus Depot was the first depot that the Land Transport Authority (LTA) had developed and funded, in contrast to previous bus depots which were owned by bus operators. As part of enhanced structural assistance provided by the Government to the bus industry (as announced in the Committee of Supply (COS) 2012), new bus depots would be constructed with government funds to accommodate additional buses that are being introduced over the years, as the overall bus capacity increases under the Bus Service Enhancement Programme (BSEP).

Contract RD258 for the design and construction of Bulim Depot was awarded to KTC Civil Engineering & Construction Pte Ltd at S$87.5 million. The depot was designed to park and maintain 550 buses. Construction was completed in mid-2015.

Operational History:

Whilst the main building of Bulim Depot was still under construction, the completed bus park of Bulim Depot was opened on 17 August 2014 for overnight parking of SMRT Buses, making SMRT Buses Ltd the first operator to occupy Bulim Depot. The bus park relieved overcrowding at Kranji Depot and the extensive use of overnight parking at its interchanges. However, SMRT buses based at Bulim have their maintenance and refuelling carried out at Kranji Depot. A regular employee shuttle service to Bukit Batok Interchange (and limited departures from Choa Chu Kang) brought about increased accessibility for SMRT staff. The depot exit was converted to a two-way access road leading from Bulim Ave to the bus park within the depot.

The completed bus depot was handed over to new bus operator Tower Transit Singapore on 31 Jul 2015, who was awarded the tender to operate the Bulim Bus Package. As part of the transitioning into the Bus Contracting Model, the early handover allowed sufficient time for the new Operator to build up its resources, such as recruitment and training of bus captains and technicians, for a smooth transition before the implementation of the first tranche of bus services.

Tower Transit’s Engineering Centre of Excellence is also situated at Bulim Depot, providing professional accreditation and international qualifications for vehicle technicians in the automotive industry. It offers diplomas from the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) and is the only place outside the UK where vehicle technicians can be assessed for an irtec licence.

SMRT Buses ended its tenancy at Bulim Bus Depot in December 2024, with SBS Transit taking over as the tenant operator. This shift occurred as part of the realignment of operations between the two companies, where SBS Transit, which had been operating as a tenant operator at Soon Lee Bus Depot since September 2024, swapped spaces with SMRT Buses. SMRT Buses moved the garaging of its buses from Bulim to Soon Lee Depot, while SBS Transit shifted its remaining fleet from Soon Lee to Bulim.

Operator History:

• Aug 2014 – 30 Jul 2015: SMRT Buses Ltd
• 31 Jul 2015 onwards: Tower Transit Singapore Pte Ltd

Electric Bus Charging Infrastructure

As part of the 60 Electric Buses that LTA procured in 2018, NARI has installed 14 charging piles at Bulim Bus Depot, along with a new shelter to facilitate charging for the Yutong E12 & E12DD buses.

https://www.facebook.com/publictransportcouncil/photos/pcb.2531942033589138/2531948263588515/?type=3&theater

Private Bus Operator Usage Trial

As part of a six month small-scale trial, private bus operators Tong Tar Transport & Leisure Frontier were allowed to use the electric vehicle chargers in Bulim Bus Depot from February 2024 & End-March 2024 respectively to charge their buses when they are not used by the public bus operators.

Bus Contracting Model (BCM)

Under the BCM, Bulim Bus Depot was bundled together with the Bulim Bus Package. These routes operate mainly from Bukit Batok, Jurong East and Clementi Bus Interchanges, with the Depot handling the operations of all buses operating on these routes.

As part of Tower Transit’s successful bid for Contract PT217: Bus Contracting – Bulim and Sembawang-Yishun Bus Packages, bus services under these bus packages may be garaged at either Bulim Bus Depot or Mandai Bus Depot.

Bus Models

Tower Transit currently houses the following models of buses in Bulim Bus Depot:

Single Deck Buses

• MAN A22
• Mercedes-Benz O530 Citaro
• Yutong E12

Double Decker Buses

• Alexander Dennis Enviro500
• Volvo B9TL
• Yutong E12DD
• MAN A95 (3-Door)

Bulim Bus Depot Open House

Tower Transit held an Open House for the Bulim Depot on Sunday, 6 December 2015. The event provided a platform for Tower Transit Singapore to showcase its new depot, while educating the public on what to expect when the BCM came into effect in the following next year. In addition, static display buses were open to public viewing, and job-seekers could sign up for job opportunities with Tower Transit.

Read our main article on the Open House, A Bulim Carnival Day.

Gallery:

Gallery: (Year 2014 / SMRT use)

SMRT previously used Bulim Bus Park for the overnight parking of buses, while the rest of Bulim Bus Depot buildings were still under construction.

Depot Facilities:

Photos taken during the Bulim Depot open house. Check out A Bulim Bus Carnival Day for more photos.

Artist’s Impression:

External Links & References:

• RD258 – Proposed Bus Depot at Wenya – KTC Group
• New Bus Depot to Support Bus Fleet Expansion Under BSEP – LTA
• Private electric buses using chargers in Bulim public bus depot in trial – The Straits Times

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