Five new City Direct bus routes will be launched from Febuary

Five new City Direct bus services will be launched progressively from February next year, reported The Straits Times.

The new routes will run from Ang Mo Kio, Bedok, Clementi/ Dover, Punggol, and Yishun to the Central Business District (CBD) during morning peak hours, and return from the city in the evenings.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has awarded two-year contracts to two private bus operators, Tong Tar Transport Service and BT&TAN Transport, to run these services.

With the five new routes, there will be a total of 20 City Direct services operating island-wide.This is part of the Government's $1.1 billion Bus Service Enhancement Programme started in 2012.

City Direct services offer commuters an alternative to the train during the peak hours. The LTA said more trips will be added if there is higher demand. The response to City Direct has been positive, the LTA said, with an average ridership of around 40 to 50 passengers per trip.