Go-Ahead Singapore to take over Tampines bus package from July 2026 under S$646 million contract AURORATOTO GROUP

SINGAPORE: From July 5, 2026, commuters in Tampines will see a new operator running their buses. The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has awarded the Tampines bus package to Go-Ahead Singapore (GAS) under a S$646 million contract that will run for five years, with the option of extending it for up to another five.

The contract covers 27 routes, which are currently managed by SBS Transit. Under the new arrangement, Go-Ahead will operate out of the East Coast Integrated Depot and oversee services at Tampines Bus Interchange, Tampines Concourse, Tampines North, and the Changi Business Park Bus Terminal. Specifically, the 27 routes covered by this contract includes Service 4, 10, 10e, 18, 19, 20, 23, 28, 29, 31, 37, 38, 39, 47, 65, 69, 72, 81, 127, 129, 291, 292, 293, 296, 298/298X, 299, and 513.

A competitive tender

The tender, which was called in December 2024, attracted bids from all the major players. SBS Transit submitted a base bid of about S$596 million. SMRT came in at around S$613 million, while Tower Transit submitted three alternatives ranging from S$610 million to S$617 million. Go-Ahead’s winning alternative bid of S$646 million may not have been the cheapest on paper, but it scored the highest overall because of the quality of its proposal.

LTA emphasised that quality was given greater weight in this round of evaluation, especially with the large-scale deployment of electric buses under this package. Go-Ahead’s track record overseas, since it runs the largest fleet of electric buses in London, worked in its favour.

What Go-Ahead is bringing to the table

For commuters, Go-Ahead has promised some thoughtful touches. Expect to see “Caring Corners” at interchanges for those who need assistance, along with “Baby on board” badges for pregnant passengers. Behind the scenes, the company will use AI-driven tools to help Service Controllers manage bus intervals, which will hopefully help reduce the dreaded bus bunching that often frustrates commuters.

For the industry, Go-Ahead will partner with the Singapore Bus Academy to set up a satellite training centre, building up local expertise in electric bus operations. This will be an important step as Singapore works toward a cleaner, greener public bus fleet.

What about the workers?

One big question whenever contracts change hands is what happens to the people on the ground. LTA stressed that employees currently under SBS Transit will be protected by the Public Transport Tripartite Committee’s guidelines. This means they must be offered jobs with Go-Ahead on terms that are at least no worse than their current ones.

Go-Ahead has also committed to keeping pay competitive, while those who prefer not to switch may be redeployed within their existing company.

Why this matters

For Tampines residents, this isn’t just a change in operator logo. It’s about whether buses come on time, whether services keep up with demand, and whether their daily rides are comfortable and reliable. The added focus on electric buses means that commuters here will be at the front line of Singapore’s push toward more sustainable transport.

Since Go-Ahead plans to make use of AI tools and commuter-friendly initiatives, Tampines could potentially become a testing ground for LTA’s next phase of public bus improvements. If these changes work, they may eventually ripple out to the rest of the island.

The contract may have been won with numbers, but its success will be measured by something far more familiar to commuters: whether they can trust that the bus will get them where they need to go smoothly and on time.

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