Four new bus services will be launched in December as part of Singapore's five-year plan to ease the peak-hour squeeze and improve connectivity, reported The Straits Times. They will serve areas including Sembawang, Bukit Panjang and Changi. Three of the services - 47, 117 and 118 - will start on the 20th of December, while the fourth - loop service 979 - will begin operations on the 27th of December, the same day the Downtown Line 2 opens.
The 20th of December will also see a new bus terminal at Changi Business Park begin operations. Service 47 will serve commuters travelling to and from Changi Business Park and Marine Parade. It will stop at key amenities such as Parkway Parade, Victoria School and Changi City Point. Service 117, which will operate from Punggol Bus Interchange and Sembawang Bus Interchange, will pass areas including Picadilly, Jalan Kayu and Canberra Link. Service 118's terminal stations are at Punggol Bus Interchange and Changi Business Park Bus Terminal. It will go to Changi General Hospital, Temasek Polytechnic and Simei Avenue, among other stops.
Loop service 979 at Bukit Panjang Temporary Bus Park will traverse Upper Bukit Timah Road, Petir Road and Jelebu Road. At the terminal, commuters will be able to switch to the Downtown Line that will connect Bukit Panjang LRT to Beauty World, Little India and Bugis. Service 47 will start at 6:00am and end at 11:45pm daily while services 117 and 118 will operate from 5:45am to 11:30pm daily. Loop service 979 will ply the roads between 5:45am and 11:45pm. The statement also said that service 983, which currently operates from Choa Chu Kang Bus Interchange and loops at Choa Chu Kang Avenue 5, will be extended and it will turn around at Bukit Panjang.
The extended route includes new housing areas in Keat Hong and covers more of Choa Chu Kang. Its operating hours will be between 5:45am and 11:45pm. Under the Bus Service Enhancement Programme, 54 new and amended bus services and routes have been rolled out since 2012.
