Singapore Shuttle Bus

'''Singapore Shuttle Bus Pte. Ltd.''' (SSB) was introduced in 1975. It operated the City Shuttle Service (CSS), which plied from the fringe carparks to the CBD zones. In 1976, CSS services were extended to the public housing estates. Throughout its operation, SSB provided regular bus services to and from the housing estates through the CBD. It ceased operation after 28th April 2007 when CSS 608 was withdrawn and all of its SSB assets were transferred over to SMRT.

History
Singapore Shuttle Bus (SSB) was incorporated on 15 May 1975 under the "Park and Ride" scheme introduced by the government. The "Park and Ride" Scheme was aimed at reducing city traffic congestion by encouraging car owners to park their vehicles at allotted fringe carparks and make use of the CSS services plying between the fringe carparks and the Central Business District. This, however, proved unpopular with the car owners and was abandoned in 1976. With the abolition of this scheme, SSB was called upon to provide regular bus services from the housing estates like Bedok, St Michael’s, Queenstown, Bukit Merah, Holland and Sin Ming to the CBD and vice versa and its route were reduced to 6 from an initial of 7 services.

When it first started in 1975, there were 11 services initially and had a different routing system for AM Peak, PM Peak & Off Peak, serving 16 fringe car parks, 7 city area terminus and 49 selected key bus stops. SSB operated 7 out of a total of 11 CSS services, while the latter, NTUC Comfort, operates the remaining 4 CSS services. Until when the services are under-utilised within the first few years of operation, then CSS was made to extend its route to the various housing estates. Starting with an initial fleet of sixty single-door 25-seater buses on 8 services (later reduced to 6 services), its fleet was slowly replaced by larger and more spacious buses in 1985. This also saw the trial of the first air-con service on CSS 8 at the same year.

On 12th March 1987, SSB was acquired by Trans-Island Bus Services Ltd. CSS 9 was withdrawn on 25th June 1988, citing high maintenance costs on CSS buses served by SSB & NTUC Comfort and low ridership on CSS 9.

On 3rd November 1997, with the subsequent implementation of the Travel Information System by the authority, the CSS services were renumbered to CSS 602, 603, 605, 607 & 608.

TransitLink Farecards were accepted on CSS buses since 1995 and the roll out of Partial Air Con (PAC) Services was started on CSS 8, when the new batch of Nissan Diesel U31RCN (OAC) entered into CSS in 1993. CSS 5 was the first to receive the PAC status on 9th December 1996, when the TIBS DAF Hispanos, Hino HT238K & Nissan Diesel (OAC) were acquired by CSS, followed by CSS 2 & 7 in January 1997. Later on, when some of the NAC buses were retiring, CSS 3 was the last service to become PAC.

At the end of 2001, when CSS 602 was withdrawn, the NAC buses were then abolished and the entire CSS fleet were all air-conditioned till the end of operation, despite the down-scaling of buses followed by the constant withdrawal of the CSS services.

On 9th July 2001, SMRT had announced for the proposal of the acquisition & merger of TIBS & SSB and at the end of 2001, TIBS & SSB became a subsidiary of SMRT.

SSB provided public transport from the housing estates to the CBD areas. Services operated from interchanges and terminals like Bedok & Bt Merah Interchanges and Holland Dr, St. Michael's & Sin Ming Rd Terminals. The services used to operate from 6.30am to 7.30pm and does not operate on Sundays and Public Holidays. With the closure of Holland Dr Terminal, CSS 602 was re-routed to start from Shenton Way Terminal and loop at Holland Dr.

SSB’s only bus depot was at Lorong 1 Geylang (GLDEP). The central workshop was at Ang Mo Kio Depot (AMDEP) which handled all the preventive maintenance, repair works and major component overhauls.

Services
(As of time of withdrawal)
 * 602 - Shenton Way Ter to Holland Dr (Loop)
 * 603 - St. Michael's Ter to Upp Cross St (Loop)
 * 605 - Sin Ming Rd Ter to Bt Merah Int
 * 607 - St. Michael's Ter to New Bridge Rd (Loop)
 * 608 - Bedok Int to Bt Merah Int

The services also served places that was exclusive to CSS services only, such as:
 * 603 - Chancery Lane & Balmoral Rd
 * 605 - Armenian St
 * 608 - Marine Cres (Blk 15), Maxwell Rd (Aft MND Bldg) & Havelock Rd (Blk 29 & Blk 50)

Fleet (CSS178K onwards)

 * Old CSS178K: Hino BX321
 * Old CSS179H: Nissan Diesel UA20 Demonstrator
 * Old CSS180C - CSS229U: Hino BX341E
 * New CSS178K - CSS187J: Nissan Diesel U31RCN (OAC)
 * New CSS188G - CSS211Y: Nissan Diesel U31RCN (CAC)
 * CSS230S - CSS246Y: Hino RK176 (NAC)
 * CSS247U - CSS266P: Nissan Diesel R87 (NAC)
 * CSS267L - CSS268J: Nissan Diesel U31SCN (OAC)
 * CSS269G: Hino HT238K (OAC)
 * CSS270B - CSS289Z: DAF SB220LT
 * CSS290T - CSS293K: Hino HT238K (OAC)
 * CSS294H: Nissan Diesel U31SCN (OAC)
 * CSS295E - CSS300Z: Hino HT238K (OAC)
 * CSS301X - CSS309A: Hino HT238K (NAC}
 * CSS310U: Dennis Lance 245

Withdrawal



 * Last day of operation: 28 Apr 2007
 * Last SSB bus departing from Bedok Int: CSS195K
 * Last SSB bus departing from Bukit Merah Int: CSS180C

Related Articles

 * CSS Routes in 1975
 * City Shuttle Services Guide 1981