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4 new direct-to-city bus services from northeast S'pore from Jan. 2, 2025
Convenient.
December 06, 2024, 05:00 PM
Four new city direct services will be launched next January to provide residents in the northeast of Singapore another travel option to the Central Business District (CBD).
Services 675, 676, 677, and 678 will serve as alternatives to the North-East Line (NEL) for commuters travelling to and from the CBD, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said in a Dec. 6 release.
The four services, which operate from Yio Chu Kang, Upper Serangoon, and Punggol, will begin operation on Jan. 2, 2025.
They are part of the S$900 million Bus Connectivity Enhancement Programme (BCEP) launched in July 2024 to grow Singapore's bus network.
4 new city-direct bus services
All four new services ply routes that pass through Tanjong Pagar and Marina Boulevard, ending at Temasek Boulevard (Suntec City) during AM peak hours.
The return routes will be in operation during PM peak hours.
Service 675 operates from Yio Chu Kang Road and passes through Hougang, calling at 19 bus stops.
Image via LTA.
Service 676 runs from Upper Serangoon Road and calls at 20 bus stops.
Image via LTA.
Service 677 plies Punggol Road and passes through Sengkang East and Buangkok, with 26 stops.
Image via LTA.
Service 678 starts at Punggol Central, through Punggol North and Punggol East before reaching the CBD, covering 20 stops.
Image via LTA.
Under the BCEP, two other peak-hour express bus services to the CBD were introduced in 2024.
Services 673 and 674 were launched for Punggol and Tengah residents in October and November 2024 respectively.
Currently, there are 20 city direct bus services operating in Singapore.
More improvements and new services in 2025: LTA
LTA said in the release that it will continue to monitor changes in travel patterns and review the bus network in consultation with grassroots advisers.
Commuters can look forward to more improvements and new services in 2025, LTA said.
A new service 967 will be launched in Woodlands on Jan. 12, 2025, to increase connectivity for those along Woodlands Avenue 1, Marsiling and Admiralty.
And for Toa Payoh residents, service 230 will be extended to Toa Payoh Lorong 7 and 8 and Caldecott MRT station.
Extensions to the route for bus sevice 230, to be implemented by February 2025. Image via LTA.
The extension, which improves connectivity from Toa Payoh East to the Thomson East-Coast Line (TEL) and Circle Line, will be implemented by February 2025.
"LTA will continue to review and adjust our bus network where appropriate, to reallocate resources to better serve commuters across different parts of Singapore," the agency said.
Northeast S'pore "one of the focal areas": Chee Hong Tat
Speaking to the press on Dec. 3, Minister for Transport Chee Hong Tat said LTA will enhance the Travel Smart Journeys (TSJ) scheme — which currently offers fare discounts for commuters taking peak hour bus rides to the CBD — to more bus services and with more impactful discounts of up to 80 per cent.
LTA plans to expand the TSJ to the rail network, and provide up to 80 per cent discounts on top of the existing discount of up to S$0.50 for rail journeys started before 7:45am, Chee said.
Chee said commuters who "adjust their travelling times to avoid the morning peak" will have lower fares for journeys from Punggol, Sengkang, Buangkok, and Hougang MRT stations, as well as on Punggol and Sengkang LRT stations.
Chee said this is to "spread the peak load", and said LTA will provide more details on the TSJ enhancements when ready.
Chee noted that the new bus services launched under BCEP will serve estates that are further from town centres and MRT stations, and hence "may not be fully developed" yet.
While noting that ridership might initially be low for such services, Chee emphasised that it is important to provide connectivity for the initial batch of residents in such estates.
Responding to a question on whether the four new city direct bus services are intended to ease congestion on the North-East Line (NEL), Chee said that the northeast region of Singapore is "one of the focal areas" for improving transport capacity, especially given new developments in Sengkang and Punggol.
Chee noted that such buses would improve connectivity for residents not just to the CBD but also to other MRT lines such as the TEL.
"If you provide more options for residents to choose, then you also increase the overall capacity and allow [a] smoother commute for everyone," Chee added.
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Top image from Behold Our Outstanding Buses Singapore/Facebook and LTA
