The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has called a tender yesterday to expand two bus interchanges and a terminal, which are approaching full capacity. It wants to add more space for buses at Upper East Coast Bus Terminal and the interchanges at Hougang Central and Punggol.

The expansion will make room for four to five new bus services to be introduced at each of these facilities.

An LTA spokesman told The Straits Times, "The expansions are necessary to complement the bus operations and commuter needs at the existing bus interchanges and terminal, which are reaching full capacity".

Since rolling out its $1.1 billion Bus Service Enhancement Programme in 2012, the Government has added 550 new buses to new and existing routes - with a further 450 buses to come by 2017.

The project will see the current Upper East Coast Bus Terminal increase in size by nearly 60 percent, adding 15 new parking spaces to its current 27.

At the Hougang Central interchange, which serves 13,000 commuters with 16 bus services, a further 11 parking spaces will be added to the current 48.

Commuters can looks forward to an expanded concourse, along with new boarding berths and toilets at Punggol interchange. Some 20,000 commuters use this interchange, which has 12 bus services at the moment.

Construction will start after the project is awarded in the third quarter of the year. LTA said the bus interchanges and terminal will remain operational.