Fast Forward Services

Fast-Forward Services (also abbreviated as FFW) are limited-stop express routes introduced by SBS Transit and introduced since 2005, charging Express fares.

Fast-Forward services reduce travel time by skipping bus stops along selected stretches of their parent route, occasionally plying different stretches of road within their express sector for faster journeys. They also charge Express fares, which are more than Basic fares due to their specialised catchment areas and hence decreased total passenger loading compared to a non-express route. However, many passengers are willing to pay a premium for added convenience, reduced travel time, and reduced passenger loading (in general) on these services.

On 12 August 2018, as part of a renaming exercise to consolidate Express routes, all of SBS Transit’s Fast-Forward Routes were rebranded as Express Routes with no change in operational details. The renaming exercise brought an end to the Fast-Forward category of bus services.

Brief History:
The first route, Fast-Forward 97e, was introduced on 3 January 2005. More routes were introduced in same the following year, bringing the total to 9 FFW services. Fast-Forward routes are designated with the lowercase letter “e” suffix at the back of the parent route number.

Although some trunk routes also contain limited-stop sectors (such as 128), Fast-Forward bus services fall under a different classification.

For distinction, SBS Transit uses a stylised Fast-Forward label on their plastic route destination plates and front electronic displays.

On 12 Jun 2016, Fast-Forward 97e was transferred to Abellio Bulim under the Bulim Bus Package, subsequently dropping the Fast-Forward branding. Branded as a limited-stop express service, the route and timings remained unchanged.

On 12 Aug 2018, the Fast-Forward branding was dropped and the services renamed as Express Bus Services.