SINGAPORE — Six well-used bus interchanges across Singapore are set for major upgrades from 2027, promising more comfortable, accessible and family-friendly facilities for commuters.
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) announced on Aug. 18 that upgrading works will be carried out at Bishan, Bukit Batok, Bukit Merah, Eunos, Punggol and Tampines bus interchanges.
The improvements will target some of the everyday pain points faced by commuters, including ventilation, lighting, seating, accessibility and facilities for families and passengers who need additional assistance.
More comfort, better accessibility
Among the planned improvements are upgrades to air-conditioning and ventilation systems, as well as lighting systems designed to improve both commuter comfort and energy efficiency.
The interchanges will also receive more inclusive facilities, including:
- More seating areas
- Priority queue zones
- Baby-care and family washrooms
- Wheelchair-accessible toilets
- Commuter care rooms
- Tactile guided paths
- Braille signs on handrails
Priority queue zones are intended to provide designated waiting areas closer to boarding berths for groups such as older commuters, pregnant women, families with strollers and persons with disabilities.
The upgrades will not be limited to passengers.
LTA said passenger service offices and staff lounges will also be refurbished, with the aim of improving facilities for frontline transport workers serving commuters every day.
The catch: commuters may have to put up with disruption first
While the planned improvements could significantly improve the commuter experience, there is a trade-off.
LTA said the works will be carried out in phases to minimise disruption to bus services.
This means commuters using the six affected interchanges should expect some changes as upgrading works progress, although LTA has not announced a detailed construction schedule or completion timeline for each interchange.
The authority has asked commuters for their patience and understanding while the works are carried out.
It is part of a much bigger bus-interchange refresh
The six newly announced interchanges are not the first to receive this treatment.
LTA previously began upgrading seven other bus interchanges — Ang Mo Kio, Bedok, Boon Lay, Clementi, Sengkang, Serangoon and Toa Payoh — in August 2024.
Those projects, which were announced as a roughly S$105 million programme, are progressing and are expected to be completed in 2027.
The broader push comes as Singapore continues to invest in its public-transport network and improve the commuter experience across both existing and newer transport hubs.
Singapore has also expanded its network of integrated transport hubs. LTA says Punggol Coast Bus Interchange, which opened in June 2025, is integrated with Punggol Coast MRT station and Punggol Coast Mall, while other newer integrated interchanges are being developed to improve connections between buses, trains and surrounding developments.
More changes are already coming to Singapore’s bus network
The interchange upgrades come alongside broader efforts to improve bus connectivity.
Under LTA’s Bus Connectivity Enhancement Programme, launched in 2024, the authority said it had introduced 27 new or extended bus services and enhanced 62 existing services by February 2026.
LTA said about 244,000 commuters benefit each day from these improvements, which include new express services, limited-stop routes and other connections designed to provide more travel options and shorter journeys.
Tampines, in particular, is already seeing changes to its bus network. LTA introduced plans for new peak-period services, including Service 460, aimed at providing residents along Tampines Boulevard with a faster connection to Tampines MRT station.
The operator of Tampines’ bus network has also changed. Go-Ahead Singapore took over the operation of 27 Tampines bus routes from SBS Transit on July 5, 2026, under a five-year contract worth an estimated S$646 million.
What commuters should watch for
For residents and daily commuters in Bishan, Bukit Batok, Bukit Merah, Eunos, Punggol and Tampines, the headline is straightforward: their bus interchanges are scheduled for a significant refresh beginning in 2027.
But the bigger question is how the upgrades will be carried out without disrupting the thousands of commuters who rely on these interchanges every day.
LTA has confirmed that the projects will be phased, but detailed work schedules and specific completion dates for each interchange have yet to be announced.
For now, commuters can expect the transformation to focus on comfort, accessibility, energy efficiency and facilities for families and vulnerable passengers — while potentially having to navigate temporary changes once construction begins.
And with the current round of interchange upgrades expected to continue into 2027, Singapore’s bus hubs could look very different by the time the next wave of improvements is completed.
Leave a Reply