The second government bus contract has been awarded to a foreign public transport operator, The Go-Ahead Group from Britain, with local incumbents SBS Transit and SMRT missing out yet again, reported The Straits Times.

Go-Ahead will operate the Loyang package of 25 bus services in Pasir Ris and Punggol, including three new routes, in two phases from the third quarter of 2016. These bus services are currently run by SBS Transit. Go-Ahead will also manage the existing Pasir Ris and Punggol bus interchanges as well as the new Loyang Bus Depot. This will be handed over to the company in December.

Go-Ahead beat seven other shortlisted bidders, including three local companies, three other foreign players, and a Singapore-South Korea consortium.

This is Go-Ahead's first bus contract outside Britain, where it has a fleet of around 4,600 buses. It is the largest bus operator in London with a market share of 24 percent and a fleet of 2,300 buses.