2 new late-night bus services to operate from Jan 27

Commuters staying out late over the weekends may no longer need to worry about paying for a private-hire car or taxi ride.

From Friday (Jan 27), two new private bus services by A&S Transit, NS-1 and NS-2, will provide one-way routes from Shenton Way to the heartlands.

NS-1 will pass through the Central Business District (CBD), Orchard Road, Little India, Ang Mo Kio and Sengkang before ending in Punggol. NS-2 will pass through the CBD, Clarke Quay, Orchard Road, Newton, Yishun, Sembawang, Woodlands, Marsiling and end its service at the bus stop outside Woodlands Train Checkpoint.

These services will operate on Fridays, Saturdays and the eve of public holidays.

The private bus charter company said that the two new late night services will cater to the recovering nightlife scene and provide commuters with budget-friendly options to get home.

Both buses will operate on the MAN A22 diesel buses, which can accommodate up to 43 passengers and are not wheelchair accessible. It will run at 45-minute intervals, with the first bus leaving Shenton Way at 11.30pm and the last at 2.30am.

Mr Dexter Ang, spokesperson for A&S Transit, revealed that the late night bus services are driven by a team of 10 local youth bus captains aged 21 to 25.

“We hope our services will show commuters that young Singaporeans are not hesitant to take on the role of a bus captain.”

He added that it hopes to expand its services to the west side of Singapore in the future, given the strong demand for service in the region.

Passengers who pay using their e-z link cards will be charged a flat fee of $4.50 while those who pay by cash will be charged $5.

Prior to the pandemic, the Singapore Mass Rapid Transit (SMRT) and the Singapore Bus Services (SBS) operated the now defunct Nightrider and Nite Owl services from the city to various housing estates across Singapore.

Both services were suspended in April 2020 amidst the pandemic and later discontinued in 2022 due to low ridership.