Lui Tuck Yew: Bus, train routes to open to competition soon

iveco SG

Elizabeth Soh

The bulk of a $1.1 billion programme aimed at improving bus services should be completed two years ahead by end 2014, according to Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew (Yahoo! file photo)

[Updated on 13 March 2013 at 3 pm to reflect new Parliament announcements]

The Government is looking into opening up competition for bus routes over the next two years, Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew revealed in Parliament on Wednesday.

Lui said that his Ministry will pursue this possibility to ‘some extent’ before SMRT and SBS Transit’s public transport licences expire in 2016.

Responding to Pioneer MP Cedric Foo, Lui held up London’s bus transport model where seven operators compete to run and operate different routes as an example Singapore could move towards.

He said that the challenge for his Ministry would be in “putting together packages of routes together with the supporting infrastructure like depots and interchanges that will support this contestability framework.”

Lui added that he would not rule out the possibility of competitive routes for train services as well and could be open to inviting foreign players to bid for new lines like the Thomson Line.

"How to do so, in what time frame and the details, we will have to work out,” he said, adding that he hoped to see progress within the next three years.

Yesterday, Lui told MPs that the bulk of a $1.1 billion programme aimed at improving bus services should be completed two years ahead by end 2014.

In addition, buses will be given more priority on the roads, with the Transport Ministry spending about $50 million to extend existing bus priority schemes over the next two years.

Lui said that he had asked the LTA to work with SBS Transit and SMRT to accelerate the Bus Service Enhancement Programme. The programme, which involves 800 new buses being added to Singapore's existing bus fleet, was originally expected to be completed by 2016.

He added that he expects about 280 buses to be delivered by the end of 2013, but how speedy the programme will be completed depends on whether transport operators will be able to recruit enough drivers for the buses.

As for bus priority schemes, Lui said that the current bus lane scheme will be extended, with an additional 30 km of bus lanes expected to be added to the existing 180 km already in place.

The number of bus hubs, he promised, would be quadrupled from 10 to 40. These longer and larger hubs allow more buses to pick up passengers at the same time.

iveco SG

When the contract for SBS and SMB expires in 2016, it is better for Singapore's public bus fleet to be nationalised and rebranded under Transitlink. There are roughly 7 sectors that can be farmed out to individual contractors (SBS and SMB included).

Sembawang contract area (WDL, SBW, YIS routes)

Hougang contract area (HGN, SKG, PGL routes)

East Coast contract area (EUN, SMP, UEC, BDK, TAM, PSR, CGA, CGV, KEM routes)

Tanglin contract area (GL1, STM, QST, MRC, SHW, NBR, BMR, HBF routes)

Ang Mo Kio contract area (TPY, SER, BSH, AMK, YCK & AMDEP routes)

Bukit Batok contract area (BBT, BPJ, CCK routes)

West Coast contract area (KTR, BNV, GHM, CLE, JUE, BNL routes)

For a start, Sembawang and Hougang can remain with their current operators while all others will be put up for competitive tender. The buses will, however, still carry Transitlink livery regardless of who wins.

iveco SG

Sembawang contract area profile:

Preferred operator: SMRT Buses

Bus stations & terminals: Woodlands, Sembawang & Yishun interchanges

Depots: Woodlands, Ang Mo Kio

Routes: 171, 800, 804, 806, 811, 812, 851, 852, 853, 854, 855, 857, 860, 167, 859, 882, 980, 981, 169, 178, 187, 856, 858, 900, 901, 902, 903, 911, 912, 913, 925, 926, 950, 960, 961, 962, 963, 964, 965, 966, 969 (total 41 routes)

iveco SG

Hougang contract area profile:

Preferred operator: SBS Transit

Bus stations and terminals: Kovan City terminal, Hougang, Sengkang & Punggol interchanges

Depot: Hougang

Routes: 27, 51, 89, 107, 112, 113, 116, 132, 151, 153, 161, 165, 325, 115, 80, 87, 156, 159, 163, 372, 34, 43, 62, 82, 83, 84, 85, 119 (total 28 routes)

*For SBST, all minority controlled routes will be given up, while all majority controlled routes will become full control. Hence HG loses 147 (to West Coast contract - BBDEP) but gains 165 despite both routes starting and ending at the same places.

SMB355L SG

Great news. Companies must bid with more new Citaros, Citaro G, Lion City and Lion City G to win~

wsy1234 SG

Ang Mo Kio contract area (TPY, SER, BSH, AMK, YCK routes) will go to PTE company JV with hong kong KMB. So that more DD buses will be on service. Also hope to have more express bus services to be compete with MRT.

SBS2656X SG

Is there a link to the article itself?

SMB145B SG

i'm a little worried ...

later all the smaller bus companies purchase all SD/rigid fleets ...

phillipC SG

LTY is farting

sbst275 SG

parcel tender would do nothing but kill off SMRT…

Usage of bendy bus may end up become a hindrance… cos LTA’s infrastructure dun even bother abt needs of bendy bus…

now they’re the one tendering bus rts out.. lagi best…

SMB228X should start be worried than continuing mumbling trash buying Citaro G fantasy…. Wake up liao…

phillipC SG

When the hell operating licence of the bus services start to expires in 2016? PTC wayang again.

SMB145B SG

parcel tender would do nothing but kill off SMRT…

Usage of bendy bus may end up become a hindrance… cos LTA’s infrastructure dun even bother abt needs of bendy bus…

now they’re the one tendering bus rts out.. lagi best…

SMB228X should start be worried than continuing mumbling trash buying Citaro G fantasy…. Wake up liao…

speaking about this

svc like 190 and 179 will be lol'd if AC, CDG were to gain control

spamming all the SD

sbst275 SG

SMRT will rot on its own la…

Increase the penality can kpkb so much.. when on off peak hrs, even their buses can brunch like crazy…

They got SAF 3 crab as mgmt ppl… but all dunno how to manage things at all..

SJS6638 SG

May be by then in 2016 all current public bus companies will merge to one .......

SMB145B SG

i hope SBST would take up AMK also

carbikebus SG

It's a matter of cost.Do these smaller co have the money for depots,WAB buses,Logistic stuff etc?Unless co like Woodlands tpt/Tong Tar combine..

iveco SG

East Coast contract area profile:

Preferred operator: SBS Transit

Bus stations and terminals: Eunos, Bedok, Tampines & Pasir Ris interchanges, Sims Place, Kembangan, Upper East Coast, Changi Village and Changi Airport terminals

Depots: Bedok North, Upper Changi

Routes: 64, 60, 63, 94, 42, 45, 9, 30, 32, 33, 35, 40, 168, 197, 222, 225, 228, 229, 401, 3, 8, 10, 18, 19, 23, 29, 31, 37, 38, 39, 69, 81, 291, 292, 293, 36, 2, 5, 6, 12, 15, 17, 21, 354, 358, 359, 403 (total 47 routes)

*Route 21 to be given to East Coast contract (UCBP) to ease dead running that would occur if given to Tanglin contract.

iveco SG

Tanglin contract area profile:

Preferred operator: Woodlands Transport

Bus stations and terminals: Bukit Merah & Harbourfront interchanges, New Bridge Road, Shenton Way, Marina Centre, Queen Street, Saint Michael's and Geylang Fringe terminals

Depot: Ayer Rajah

SBS2656X SG

If become like this, messy up max. I'd prefer they either merge or just stay like this. It's going to make more companies to lose money, like SBST losing most of it's routes.

carbikebus SG

Trust me this is all wayang only