| Old
|
New
|
Reason
|
| London
|
| 68A
|
468
|
|
| 77A
|
87
|
|
| Singapore pre-BCM
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 275
|
131M
|
|
| 361
|
941
|
|
| 365
|
945
|
|
| 367
|
947
|
|
| Singapore BCM
|
| 21X
|
456
|
"X" suffix is retired from public buses and have to use "45x" if it is a peak hour service.
|
| 34e/34X
|
44
|
|
| 43M
|
104
|
It now connects two major transport hubs and serves new areas like Northshore, Sumang Lane and Bidadari, it is not a helper. It is a full-fledged trunk service. LTA rules states that a major trunk service should have 3-digit number without the letter.
|
| 70M
|
70
|
Since service 70 is such a major trunk, LTA can be absorbing 70M into 70 and amend the route to serve Suntec route, since service 75 was shortened and there is no bus connectivity after the loss of service 75 (from Raffles Place to Suntec City).
|
| 70#
|
70M
|
It was a legacy from the 1980s and the 1990s. It was not machine readable for the electronic destination displays that were becoming a standard since Scania K230UBs in 2007.
|
| 98A
|
98M
|
98A was a loop variant. Just like alternate trips for 61 go to Tengah, they have to impose it like 61M. It was changed to M to distinguish from the Short Trip services that only go one way.
|
| 103W
|
103M
|
W stands for West Camp Road. LTA abolished regional letters (for instance, 214E and 214W - both of which is in Jalan Kayu) in favour of the M to show that it was a modified variant of service 103 until the Seletar Aerospace Park was being built in 2011 and part of the West Camp Road was being closed, forcing service 103 to rely on the newly opened Seletar Aerospace Drive while the Seletar Camp parts are still within MINDEF.
|
| 107#
|
107M
|
It was a legacy from the 1980s and the 1990s. It was not machine readable for the electronic destination displays that were becoming a standard since Scania K230UBs in 2007.
|
| 123B
|
123M
|
123B was a variant that skipped certain stops or looped earlier. It was upgraded to M to show it was a permanent route variant.
|
| 131M
|
131
|
This was supplementary bus service. They were meant to help the parent route that caused some confusion because they looked like the main bus. LTA withdraws this bus service due to low demand with too many complaints from the former MP for Radin Mas, Sam Tan.
|
| 139M
|
139A, 456
|
This was supplementary bus service. They were meant to help the parent route that caused some confusion because they looked like the main bus. The introduction of this bus service 129 from St Michael's to Tampines Concourse also provides connectivity from Bartley to Tampines after complaints due to lack of bus services plying through Bartley Road East Viaduct that only cars and taxis goes through.
|
| 160M
|
993
|
LTA wants to avoid confusion. If someone sees 160 or 160M, they might think it will go to Johor Bahru. By changing it to 993, they clearly signal that this bus service stays in Jurong East/Bukit Batok area, and they can accept double decker buses without height restrictions. When the service becomes a primary way for the new BTO to get to the MRT station, LTA upgrades it to the standardised 3-digit number.
|
| 162#
|
162M
|
It was a legacy from the 1980s and the 1990s. It was not machine readable for the electronic destination displays that were becoming a standard since Scania K230UBs in 2007.
|
| 163A
|
163M
|
163A was a full loop service from Sengkang to Fernvale. Since it was a full loop and not just a one-way trip, M was the correct label.
|
| 182#
|
182M
|
This was the most famous change. "#" symbol means the bus skipped Tuas Checkpoint, whereas it was not machine readable for the electronic destination displays for those like Scania K230UBs and Volvo B9TLs, including Volvo Olympian 3-Axle (Batch 3).
|
| 188E
|
188e
|
SMRT used "E" to represent Express. LTA standardised to "e" for all limited-stop express services that duplicates trunk. Uppercase is only for those that do not have a parent bus.
|
| 222P
|
222B
|
"P" suffix is banned in public buses. It is just an extra trip for the helper segment.
|
| 240P
|
240M
|
"P" suffix is banned in public buses. It is a full loop shadow, but still a helper.
|
| 265P
|
265A
|
"P" suffix is banned in public buses. It is just an extra trip for the helper segment.
|
| 268P
|
268B, 268C
|
"P" suffix is banned in public buses. It is just an extra trip for the helper segment.
|
| 285P
|
285
|
"P" suffix is banned in public buses. More trips will be added to this bus service instead without the need of adding variants or shortworking trips.
|
| 291P
|
291
|
"P" suffix is banned in public buses. More trips will be added to this bus service instead without the need of adding variants or shortworking trips.
|
| 293P
|
293
|
"P" suffix is banned in public buses. More trips will be added to this bus service instead without the need of adding variants or shortworking trips.
|
| 298X
|
454
|
"X" suffix is retired from public buses and have to use "45x" if it is a peak hour service.
|
| 307P
|
307A
|
"P" suffix is banned in public buses. It is just an extra trip for the helper segment.
|
| 358P
|
358
|
"P" suffix is banned in public buses. More trips will be added to this bus service instead without the need of adding variants or shortworking trips.
|
| 359P
|
359
|
"P" suffix is banned in public buses. More trips will be added to this bus service instead without the need of adding variants or shortworking trips.
|
| 811P
|
811
|
"P" suffix is banned in public buses. More trips will be added to this bus service instead without the need of adding variants or shortworking trips.
|
| 812P
|
812
|
"P" suffix is banned in public buses. More trips will be added to this bus service instead without the need of adding variants or shortworking trips.
|
| 853#
|
853M
|
While SBS had removed this in 2008, TIBS/SMRT had still used it in Sunday-only routes until the opening of Yishun Bus Interchange in September 2019. Having 853 and 853# is confusing in a digital apps and is essentially a ghost from the era of plastic plates. If the bus follows a different route on Sundays, it is now legally a M bus.
|
| 854E
|
854e
|
SMRT used "E" to represent Express. LTA standardised to "e" for all limited-stop express services that duplicates trunk. Uppercase is only for those that do not have a parent bus.
|
| 868
|
868E
|
868 was a peak hour bus service that skipped stops but do not have the "E". LTA adds the "E" to signal to commuters - "This bus charge Express fares". It prevents a passenger from boarding and being shocked that it is 60 cents higher than the normal bus.
|
| 871X
|
452
|
"X" suffix is retired from public buses and have to use "45x" if it is a peak hour service.
|
| 900A
|
|
|
| 903P
|
903M
|
"P" suffix is banned in public buses. It is a full loop shadow, but still a helper.
|
| 912M
|
967
|
912M was only a peak period bus service. It only came out during peak hours to relieve overcrowding on service 912. LTA upgrades the route to operate full day, and provides connectivity from Marsiling MRT Station to Woodgrove, Woodgrove MRT Station to Woodgrove and as well as providing connectivity to Singapore Sports School. It was no longer just a shadow, and 90x/91x is reserved for feeders (looping back quickly).
|
| 912P
|
912M
|
"P" suffix is banned in public buses. It is a full loop shadow, but still a helper.
|
| 925#
|
925M
|
While SBS had removed this in 2008, TIBS/SMRT had still used it in Sunday-only routes until the opening of Yishun Bus Interchange in September 2019. Having 853 and 853# is confusing in a digital apps and is essentially a ghost from the era of plastic plates. If the bus follows a different route on Sundays, it is now legally a M bus.
|
| 961#
|
961M
|
While SBS had removed this in 2008, TIBS/SMRT had still used it in Sunday-only routes until the opening of Yishun Bus Interchange in September 2019. Having 853 and 853# is confusing in a digital apps and is essentially a ghost from the era of plastic plates. If the bus follows a different route on Sundays, it is now legally a M bus.
|
| 963E
|
963e
|
SMRT used "E" to represent Express. LTA standardised to "e" for all limited-stop express services that duplicates trunk. Uppercase is only for those that do not have a parent bus.
|
| 979A/979#
|
979M
|
Legally, the "A" route must be a subset of the parent route. It must follow the exact same path but stop short (like 972A). 979M is not a subset. It used the KJE to reach Choa Chu Kang North 5, while the parent 979 did not go there yet (it was stuck plying Choa Chu Kang Crescent). Because the route is a Modified variant that went to the place where the parent does not reach, the law required the M suffix. The "#" suffix was phased out by 2016. SMRT's fleet all used digital destination displays. The system was standardising "#" into M by all operators. To create a new service with a # in 2016 would have been moving backward in time. LTA wanted all "Sunday-style" or "temporary variant" routes to be part of the M family. In the Singapore bus dictionary, a full-day loop variant is almost always an M. "A" suffixes are usually reserved for peak-hour helper trips or "one-way" trips back to the depot/MRT. SMRT and LTA cannot use the A or # because they will be lying about service function.
|
| 979X
|
455
|
"X" suffix is retired from public buses and have to use "45x" if it is a peak hour service.
|
| 991C
|
451
|
"X" suffix is retired from public buses and have to use "45x" if it is a peak hour service.
|
| 992X
|
453
|
"X" suffix is retired from public buses and have to use "45x" if it is a peak hour service.
|
| Fast Forward
|
Express
|
This was a legacy SBS Transit brand. LTA wants to retire the name because they want a uniform government brand. "Fast Forward" become "Express".
|
| Intra-Town
|
Feeder
|
SMRT and TIBS calls this brand for dual-loop buses. They decided that the bus must be called the exact same thing because the government owns both. They choose the most generic name - Feeder. By renaming it to Feeder, LTA make the product neutral. Any company can operate a Feeder service without legal or branding issues. In the 1990s, "Townlink" was special because it used air-conditioned buses while regular feeders did not. Every bus is air-conditioned since 2008, has a wheelchair ramp and uses distance-based fares. Since there is no longer a difference in quality or fare between a Townlink and Feeder, keeping two names is an unnecessary data noise by commuters.
|
| Townlink
|
Feeder
|
SBS calls this brand for dual-loop buses. They decided that the bus must be called the exact same thing because the government owns both. They choose the most generic name - Feeder. By renaming it to Feeder, LTA make the product neutral. Any company can operate a Feeder service without legal or branding issues. In the 1990s, "Townlink" was special because it used air-conditioned buses while regular feeders did not. Every bus is air-conditioned since 2008, has a wheelchair ramp and uses distance-based fares. Since there is no longer a difference in quality or fare between a Townlink and Feeder, keeping two names is an unnecessary data noise by commuters.
|