For many people out there that are wondering how do we
get cameo spotting easily, here's a few tips :
1. Bus not in perm service.
This is the most basic type of cameo spotting. Prefably for feeder
services like 325. It only has SBS920X, SBS948S, SBS973T, SBS1937S,
SBS1997T and SBS2656X. Whenever you see a bus not in there, example
SBS2665Z, it is a cameo. Watch out for crossovers though, SBS964U
and SBS2666S crossovers to 325 every weekdays during AM/PM peak. If
those buses appear on non-peak timing, it is a cameo.
2. Bus with advertisement.
This is also another easy way of spotting. Easiest to spot for
services that has no ads or have only a few buses with ad. For
example, serivce 101. It does not have any bus with ads. if you
spot a bus with ad, it is guranteed cameo, like SBS6088J on 101.
Then you double-check with SgWiki, the bus may be perm 101 and
received an ad though. The second way is to spot a bus with a
different type of advertisement. For example, servicd 325 [ again!
]. It currently only has SBS2656X which bears a rear advert. If you
spot any bus with full body ad or skyliners, it is a cameo. Colour
too makes the difference. Like SBS2677K, it's rear ad is black-blue
in colour while SBS2656X's ad is red and yellow. Still, watch out
for SBS2666S which bears a full body SDIC ad and crossovers to 325
every weekday during AM/PM peak.
3. Model not present in fleet.
This is the easiest way to spot demonstrator buses and debuts.
Services like 101, 112 and 325 does not have a single KUB in it's
fleet. When you spot a KUB on it, it is a cameo. Likewise for
demonstrator buses. But when they are spare, whenever you spot it
you immediately know it is a cameo, for SBS8030L and SBS8033D,
which are both SLBP SP. Since they are spare, whenever they cameo
on a certain service, it is 100% cameo unless it permed some other
service.
4. Single-bus services.
This only applies to services with 1 bus only, excluding
crossovers. Services 11, 84 and 115. Cameos are easily spotted, for
they only have 1 model of bus on it. 11 and 84 got crossovers too,
a KUB and a Strider respectively. Best time to spot a cameo is
during off-peak hours. Just combine tip no. 1, 2 and 3 and you have
it.
5. Newly registered buses.
This applies to new buses, the MAN A22, the citaros and the wright
Batch 2B, though the registration of the citaros have paused
currently for the time being. New buses, are also easily spotted
for it's shiny livery and especially it's reflecting rims. Do note
that SMRT's MAN A22 buses sometimes undergo washing which makes
it's rims still shiny, like KJDEP'S SMB200A. You can too help to
spot perm depot too, except for certain services like 147 and 165,
which are dual-depot controlled and can be only be confirmed depot
control either via bus timetable or you wait it to cameo on other
service that is sole-depot controlled. Like SBS3110Y, newly
registered and cameoed on 165. It is easily said to be HGDEP when
it cameoed on 62, since servicd 62 is HGDEP
controlled.
6. Depot transfer.
This is only applicable to people who have recongnised most of the
buses in a certain depot or demonstrator buses being transferred.
This is somewhat a easy/hard cameo spotting. As we all know, SLBP
and HGDEP is currently trading buses. If you spot a bus that is
controlled by SLBP, like SBS2788Z, cameoing on 153, which is not
controlled by SLBP, it is a depot transfer to HGDEP.
7. Perm stix confirmation.
This also too is an alternative way of tip no. 1. When you board
the bus, you look into the BC's cabin. For older model buses there
should be a white paper with a certain number or ''SP'' imprinted
on it, can be found near the BC window area. For newer buses, like
the citaros and some KUBs, the perm stix is stickied behind the
coin box. It is harder to spot. But for wrights, its perm stix can
be either on the BC's window pillar or on the EDS control panel on
the ceiling of the BC cabin. For example, you happily board a bus
on 88, prefably a vo3x, and you spot ''157'' perm stix, and you
immediately know it is a cameo since a 157 bus is cameoing on 88.
This is not applicable for ARBP, since they do not or rarely uses
perm stix and they use markings instead to show that it is a ARBP
bus.
For SMRT bus spotting tips, please
post here too. I'm only a junior of SMRT spotting and not skilled
yet. Please post any tips about buses here too!