Amendments to service 3 from October 2003

off_service SG

Hi all,

It is mentioned in the Chinese News Paper (Zaobao) that service 3,
currently plying between Tampines and Pasir Ris, will be amended
next month to Punggol. SBST officials stated that the change will
kick off in October, but the specific date is yet to be released.

SBS9816E SG

Hmm, I wonder if Sv 3 would be MORE circutous after the extension. By looking at the present route of Sv 3. it’s already so circutous that the driver feels so ‘intolerable’ when driving this route. It goes in and out of Tampines, and then goes in and out of Pasir Ris, and now it has to go in and out of Punggol! I must salute to Sv 3’s drivers.

SBS9818A SG

What about Sv. 51 leh? Wind through Hougang, through Eunos / Geylang, through town and Chinatown, Commonwealth area, Bukit Merah, Alexandra, Pasir Panjang, Clementi West, Teban Gardens before finally reaching Jurong East? Those drivers can be driving for 2+ hours. I wonder how they keep their bladders and stomachs controlled. So for one shift of 8 hours they can only do three trips.

tranquilice SG

The current service 51 is the result of integration of 2 services (Service 51: Jalan Eunos - Labrador Villa terminal and Service 192: former Jurong interchange - South Canal terminal) in the 1980s. It was later amended and extended to Jurong East and Hougang South to become the current long route.

AntiDennisLance SG

Agreed. 61 should be canned or split up into two or three services. 61 was known as the "Bus from Hell" during my poly days because some peeps were duped into taking it from Eunos hoping to reach Ngee Ann faster than 154 because they thought it would avoid the macpherson jam.. ended up taking a round island ride and appearing one hour late for lecture.

tranquilice SG

Avoid the Macpherson jam? Service 61 ply Macpherson too.

AntiDennisLance SG

Yeah peeps didnt used to know that 61 runs to macpherson too. Really could have been a nightmare... go macpherson, serangoon, then orchard (by that time should be anxiously looking at watch), then some more go chinatown, telok blangah, pasir panjang, turn circles in tanglin (oh dear already very late), then some more go holland and ulu pandan before winding up at Ngee Ann, super super late and butt ache.

That time was the SBS DM Volvo MK II's some more, lagi worse, bumpy and slow. And the lazy-sounding middle mounted MK II engine adds to the anxiety of a passenger in a real hurry too.

SBS9818A SG

Not suprisingly, Sv. 61 takes the cake for being one of the longest routes, as in you wind round Singapore, same for Sv. 51 as well. Sv. 61 winds through Ubi, Macpherson, Geylang Bahru, town, Chinatown, Telok Blangah, Alexandra, Queenstown, Commonwealth, Tanglin Halt, Holland V and Ulu Pandan before reaching NYP. Those buggers must have suffered quite a fair bit!

Services to be split up are Sv. 51, Sv. 61, Sv. 143 and Sv. 166, as these services just bring you on a tour of Singapore.

Superbus SG

It's NP, not NYP. It's OK, you are forgiven. Wink

Cheers and warm regards

SBS9818A SG

Sorry lah. Was rushing while typing it.

oliver_yuen87 SG

Pity those drivers who drove the 61 Atlenteans... what bus did 51 use last time? also a super long route

PT21 SG

Hi,

Service 51 was using the LOs 2 axle the very last time.

Yusry SG

Service 51 mainly used the Mercedes Benz MB O305. I also recall some single deck Mercedes Benz front-engined buses with the Soon Chow bodywork plying on Service 51.

Yusry SG

Just to add on. Before 51 was extended to Hougang South (or known simply as Hougang back then), there was Service 54, plying between Hougang and Eunos. When 51 was extended, Service 54 was terminated.

SBS9818A SG

Sv. 51 used O305s and OF1417s according to your description “front-engined Merc with Soon Chow body”. They also used 2-axle LOs back in it’s non air-con days.

tranquilice SG

Service 3 will be extended to loop at Punggol MRT station via Pasir Ris Dr 12, TPE, Punggol Rd, Punggol Field Rd, Punggol East and Punggol Central, from Sunday 19 Oct 03.

SBS9818A SG

Wonder if there will be any fanfare.

SBS9810X SG

My late father worked as a tibs driver last time before being a SBST driver.He said that he hated svc 61 because of little india that has many indians there and made the bus crowded and becuase svc 61 route was darn long.