SINGAPORE — Six more bus interchanges across Singapore are set for upgrading works from 2027, bringing new accessibility features, improved commuter facilities and more energy-efficient systems to some of the island’s well-used transport hubs.
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) announced on Aug 18 that the Bishan, Bukit Batok, Bukit Merah, Eunos, Punggol and Tampines bus interchanges will undergo phased enhancement works.
The programme is aimed at making public transport facilities more comfortable, family-friendly and inclusive, while also improving energy efficiency and conditions for frontline transport workers.
What will change?
Among the planned improvements are upgrades to air-conditioning, ventilation and lighting systems, which LTA said will improve both commuter comfort and energy efficiency.
The interchanges will also receive enhanced facilities designed to better serve passengers with different needs.
These include:
- Priority queue zones
- Additional seating
- Baby-care and family washrooms
- Wheelchair-accessible toilets
- Commuter care rooms
- Tactile guided paths
- Braille signs on handrails
Priority queue areas are intended to provide more convenient boarding arrangements for groups such as seniors, pregnant commuters, families with strollers and people with disabilities.
The improvements will not only be aimed at commuters.
LTA said passenger service offices and staff lounges will also be refurbished to provide better facilities for frontline public transport workers.
Works will be phased to minimise disruption
For commuters who rely on these interchanges every day, one of the biggest concerns will likely be whether the upgrading works will disrupt bus operations.
LTA said the works will be carried out in phases to minimise disruption to bus services.
The authority also appealed for commuters’ patience and understanding while the improvements are carried out.
That approach follows the way earlier interchange upgrades were handled.
In August 2024, LTA announced a separate upgrading programme covering Ang Mo Kio, Bedok, Boon Lay, Clementi, Sengkang, Serangoon and Toa Payoh bus interchanges. Those works began in 2024 and are expected to be completed by 2027.
The earlier programme included many of the same accessibility and family-friendly features now planned for the six newly announced interchanges.
A wider push to refresh Singapore’s ageing transport infrastructure
The latest announcement is part of a broader effort by Singapore authorities to refresh older public transport infrastructure.
In 2025, Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat said existing bus interchanges had increasingly become community hubs and that older facilities would be refreshed to improve commuter comfort and experience.
At the time, the Ministry of Transport said commuters at Bishan, Bukit Merah, Eunos and Tampines could look forward to measures including new rain screens, additional benches and fans.
The latest LTA announcement expands that improvement effort to six interchanges, adding Bukit Batok and Punggol to the list.
Singapore is also adding newer air-conditioned interchanges
The upgrades are happening alongside the opening of newer transport facilities.
MOT said in 2025 that Singapore was preparing to open integrated, air-conditioned bus interchanges at Woodleigh, Pasir Ris and Punggol Coast, while older interchanges would continue to be upgraded.
This means commuters are seeing two approaches develop at the same time: new transport hubs being built to modern standards, while existing interchanges are progressively refurbished rather than simply left to age.
The Straits Times reported that the earlier seven-interchange programme involved about S$105 million in upgrading works and is on track for completion in 2027.
Why the announcement matters to commuters
For many Singapore residents, bus interchanges are more than places to catch a bus. They are daily transfer points connecting homes, MRT stations, schools, workplaces, shopping areas and community facilities.
That makes accessibility particularly important as Singapore’s population ages.
Features such as tactile paths, Braille signage, wheelchair-accessible toilets, priority waiting areas and family facilities can make relatively small infrastructure changes significantly more useful for seniors, persons with disabilities and families with young children.
The move also reflects the Government’s broader emphasis on making public transport more user-friendly and inclusive. MOT has described a longer-term approach to improving transport nodes through better design, accessibility, wayfinding and commuter facilities.
The six interchanges to watch
The six facilities scheduled for upgrading from 2027 are:
Bishan Bus Interchange — serving a major residential and transport node in central Singapore.
Bukit Batok Bus Interchange — an important western interchange serving Bukit Batok and surrounding neighbourhoods.
Bukit Merah Bus Interchange — serving the mature Bukit Merah estate and surrounding southern areas.
Eunos Bus Interchange — an established eastern transport node connected to the Eunos MRT area.
Punggol Bus Interchange — serving one of Singapore’s rapidly developed northeastern towns.
Tampines Bus Interchange — a major eastern interchange serving one of Singapore’s largest residential and commercial hubs.
What commuters should know now
The announcement does not mean all six interchanges will immediately close or be rebuilt.
Instead, LTA says upgrading works will begin from 2027 and will be carried out in phases to reduce disruption to bus services.
The exact construction arrangements and temporary commuter measures will therefore be important as individual projects progress.
For commuters, the bigger picture is clear: Singapore is continuing to modernise its existing bus network while simultaneously building new transport hubs.
And for residents who use these six interchanges every day, the changes could eventually mean more seats, better ventilation and lighting, improved accessibility, family facilities and a more comfortable waiting experience — without requiring the entire interchange to be replaced.
The upgrades are scheduled to start in 2027, so the biggest changes are still ahead.
Leave a Reply