Ang Mo Kio Bus Interchange Explained

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Ang Mo Kio Bus Interchange
宏茂桥巴士转换站
Pertukaran Bas Ang Mo Kio
Type:
Public Bus Interchange
Address:53 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3, Singapore 569933
Country:Singapore
Owned:Land Transport Authority
Operator:SBS Transit Ltd (ComfortDelGro Corporation)
Bus Stands:6 (Boarding)
3 (Alighting)
Bus Operators:Main Operator: SBS Transit
Tower Transit
Go-Ahead
Bus Routes:14 (SBS Transit)
1 (Tower Transit)
1 (Go-Ahead)
Connections: Ang Mo Kio
Structure:At-grade
Accessible:Accessible alighting/boarding points
Accessible lifts
Accessible public toilets
Graduated kerb edges
Tactile guidance system
Opened: (Old)
(Temporary)
Closed: (Old)
(Temporary)
Years:10 April 1983
Events:Commenced operations
Years1:24 March 2002
Events1:Operations shifted to temporary interchange
Years2:28 April 2007
Events2:Operations shifted back to new and air-conditioned interchange

Ang Mo Kio Bus Interchange is located in Ang Mo Kio Town Centre, Singapore. The interchange is within AMK Hub which is in turn linked to Ang Mo Kio MRT station via a pedestrian underpass below Ang Mo Kio Avenue 8. The interchange was opened by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

The interchange is the third to be fully air-conditioned in Singapore after the Toa Payoh Bus Interchange and the Sengkang Bus Interchange, and similarly features automated sliding doors at each of its six berths that will open only when the bus reaches the berths.

History

Original interchange

Plans for the bus interchange were first announced in March 1979, as part of the Singapore Bus Service's (SBS) efforts to rationalise the Singapore bus system. Constructed by the Housing and Development Board (HDB), the bus park of the interchange was completed in 1979.[1] In January 1980, bus services that previously terminated at a bus terminus along Ang Mo Kio Avenue 6 were amended to the interchange, but passengers were not allowed to board or alight at the interchange.[2] Due to concerns over the interchange's small size making it unsafe for commuters, in August 1980, SBS announced that it would be replacing the interchange with a larger facility. To facilitate the interchange's construction, the HDB granted permission to SBS to utilise half of a plot of land beside the interchange and another plot then occupied by a carpark.[3]

Work on the replacement bus interchange commenced in January 1981,[3] and operations at the new interchange commenced on 10 April 1983. Covering an area of more than 14000m2 and with 36 berths, the bus interchange included features such as swing gates and turnstiles to handle commuter traffic, along with safety railings and walls to ensure commuters' safety.[4]

Current interchange

In 2001, the government announced plans to redevelop the bus interchange to form part of an integrated development,[5] and to make way for the development, the interchange was moved to a temporary location along Ang Mo Kio Avenue 8 in March 2002.[6] Construction of the integrated development was delayed by a dispute between the developer and the government over the price of the land parcel,[7] only beginning in March 2005.[8] Subsequently, the new bus interchange within the integrated development started operations in April 2007.[9]

Bus contracting model

See also: Bus contracting model of Singapore. Under the new bus contracting model, all the bus routes were split into 8 route packages. Bus Service 136 is under Loyang Bus Package, Bus Service 22 is under Serangoon-Eunos Bus Package, Bus Service 25 is under Bedok Bus Package, Bus Service 169 is under Sembawang-Yishun Bus Package, Bus Service 86 is under Sengkang-Hougang Bus Package, Bus Service 166 is under Clementi Bus Package, Bus Service 73 is under Bishan-Toa Payoh Bus Package and the rest of the bus services are under Seletar Bus Package.[10]

Currently, Bus Service 136 (Loyang Bus Package) is operated by Go-Ahead Singapore. Bus Service 169 (Sembawang-Yishun Bus Package) is currently operated by Tower Transit Singapore. All remaining bus services are operated by the anchor operator, SBS Transit.

List of routes

!Operator!Package!Routes
Go-Ahead SingaporeLoyang136
SBS TransitBedok25
Bishan-Toa Payoh73
Clementi166
Sengkang-Hougang86
Seletar24, 130/130A, 133, 135, 138/138A/138B, 261, 262, 265, 269/269A
Serangoon-Eunos22
Tower Transit SingaporeSembawang-Yishun169

Notes and References

  1. News: Plan for 3 more bus interchanges . . Singapore . 14 March 1979 . 19 December 2020 . NewspaperSG . 10 .
  2. News: Terminal's last day at Ang Mo Kio . The Straits Times . Singapore . 4 January 1980 . 19 December 2020 . NewspaperSG . 16 .
  3. News: Teo . Edmund . 18 August 1980 . Ang Mo Kio to get 63-bay bus exchange . The Straits Times . Singapore . 19 December 2020 . NewspaperSG . 6 .
  4. News: More routes for AMK commuters . The Straits Times . Singapore . 1 April 1983 . 19 December 2020 . NewspaperSG . 9 .
  5. News: Hui Min . Neo . 29 August 2001 . Ang Mo Kio gets $200m revamp . The Straits Times . Singapore . H1.
  6. News: Teo . Ginnie . 25 March 2002 . Ang Mo Kio to get new interchange . The Straits Times . Singapore . H3.
  7. News: Lee . Han Shih . 5 November 2002 . Delay of Ang Mo Kio project hurting many . Business Times . Singapore . 6 .
  8. News: . 28 March 2005 . Work to start on Ang Mo Kio mall . The Straits Times . Singapore . H2 .
  9. News: . Quick News . The Straits Times . Singapore . 11=.
  10. Web site: Calling of Tender for Third Bus Package under the Bus Contracting Model . Land Transport Authority . 2016-06-07.