New Pasir Ris Bus Interchange, delayed Woodleigh Bus Interchange to open in late April
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The underground Woodleigh interchange, located in the Woodleigh Village integrated development, will be operated by SBS Transit.
PHOTOS: LTA
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SINGAPORE – The long-delayed Woodleigh Bus Interchange in the Bidadari housing estate will open to the public on April 20, while a new bus interchange at the integrated transport hub in Pasir Ris will welcome passengers on April 27, said the Land Transport Authority (LTA).
In Bidadari, there will be amendments to bus service 146 and the addition of new service 148, which will both call at the new Woodleigh Bus Interchange, added LTA on April 3.
For starters, these two bus services will operate from Woodleigh Bus Interchange, which can accommodate up to seven services, said LTA.
Service 146 will be modified to operate from the new bus interchange and ply both directions on Bidadari Park Drive, serving four more bus stops along Bidadari Park Drive and Upper Serangoon Road. The service also covers Bartley Road.
The new service 148 will be a loop service between Woodleigh Bus Interchange and Potong Pasir, connecting residents to amenities in the Bidadari and Potong Pasir estates.
These include Woodleigh Mall, Woodleigh Village Hawker Centre, Bidadari Community Club and the upcoming Bidadari Polyclinic, as well as schools such as Maris Stella High School and St Andrew’s Secondary School.
It will ply Bidadari Park Drive, Sang Nila Utama Road, Upper Aljunied Road, Potong Pasir Avenue 1 and Avenue 3, as well as Upper Serangoon Road.
Originally slated to be completed by 2021, Woodleigh Bus Interchange was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic and significant engineering challenges
Bus operator SBS Transit will manage the underground interchange located in the Woodleigh Village integrated development, which comprises 330 Housing Board flats and a hawker centre.
Linked to Woodleigh MRT station, the Build-To-Order housing project was launched for sale in November 2016, and its final blocks were completed in November 2022.
The Woodleigh district, which comprises 2,685 flats across three BTO projects, was the first in Bidadari to have all its flats completed.
Over in Pasir Ris, all 17 public bus services operating from the existing Pasir Ris Bus Interchange will be relocated to the new interchange. There will be no change to their routes or stops, noted LTA.
A dedicated pick-up and drop-off point for a shuttle bus serving Singapore Armed Forces servicemen travelling to and from the SAF Ferry Terminal in Changi will also be relocated next to the new interchange. This shuttle service is for servicemen heading to the Basic Military Training Centre on Pulau Tekong.
All 17 public bus services operating from the existing Pasir Ris Bus Interchange will relocate to the new interchange.
PHOTO: LTA
The new Pasir Ris Bus Interchange is located within an integrated development connected to Pasir Ris Mall
Managed by bus operator Go-Ahead Singapore, the Pasir Ris Integrated Transport Hub will eventually provide access to three MRT lines – the current East-West Line, the future Cross Island Line (CRL), and the Punggol Extension of the CRL.
The existing Pasir Ris Bus Interchange, which started operations in 1989, sits on land that has been zoned as a reserve site, based on the Urban Redevelopment Authority’s masterplan.
A reserve site is a plot that has no specific land use determined yet and can be used for other purposes in the interim.
LTA said it is seeking commuters’ understanding that the bus operators may need some time to familiarise themselves with the operations of the new bus interchanges.
Both interchanges will have inclusive features that cater to families with young children, seniors and those with mobility challenges, noted LTA.
These features include barrier-free access at key entrances, dedicated priority queue zones with seating at all boarding berths, baby care rooms and a commuter care room for those who may need a quiet and calming space.
Both interchanges will have inclusive features that cater to families with young children, seniors and those with mobility challenges.
PHOTO: LTA
There are also dedicated staff facilities, such as a canteen and staff lounge, at both interchanges.
LTA said temporary wayfinding measures will be in place at the two interchanges. This is because works on the underpass between Woodleigh Bus Interchange and Woodleigh MRT station are in progress, while construction on Pasir Ris Town Plaza and the upcoming Pasir Ris MRT station on the CRL is under way.
The authority said it will work with bus operators to guide commuters along temporary routes connecting the new bus interchanges with the MRT stations.
Bidadari resident Reuben Chew, 33, said he is glad that the new bus service 148 from Woodleigh Bus Interchange will offer a more direct route home for residents on rainy days, as it stops near his Woodleigh Hillside estate.
When it rains now, the tax practitioner needs to walk through a “labyrinth of shelters” for up to 30 minutes between Woodleigh MRT station and his home.
Pasir Ris resident Sabrinna Ali, 36, said she will ride buses more often after the new Pasir Ris Bus Interchange opens. The human resources manager said the existing interchange is rundown and extremely hot, so she looks forward to waiting for buses at the new air-conditioned interchange.
