Over 1,100 buses to get brighter, clearer service information displays by end-2028

SINGAPORE – Commuters will be able to read bus numbers and route information more easily when 1,135 double-decker buses are fitted with upgraded electronic display signs by end-2028.

The displays on the front of the buses are being upgraded because they were not easy to read, especially on bright and sunny days.

The display usually contains information like the bus service number, as well as route and destination details.

Of the 1,135 Volvo B9TL double-deckers registered between 2012 and 2017, 676 buses will have their existing signs removed and replaced entirely by new ones, said the Land Transport Authority (LTA) in tender documents published on Government procurement portal GeBiz on Oct 20.

The remaining 459 buses will reuse functional parts from the panels removed from the earlier batch of buses.

LTA said this was the most cost-effective approach. The first of these upgraded buses are slated to be equipped with the new electronic display signs by mid-2027 and works will be completed by end-2028.

The side and rear signs of these buses are still functional, LTA added.

The front signs on some buses now alternate between a screen displaying the bus service number in the centre in larger font – known as the large service number format – and another screen that features route details and the bus service number in smaller text size.

Some commuters raised concerns and said they found it difficult at times to read the route information in one go and to spot the bus service number.

When asked if the sign upgrades are meant to address these concerns, LTA said the new signs will stick to the existing display format, but with improved brightness and clarity.

Buses like the Volvo B9TL, which is the bus model undergoing these sign upgrades, do not require large service number formats since they have larger displays.

The format was introduced to improve the visibility of bus service numbers from a distance, for older bus models equipped with smaller displays, said LTA.

LTA added that it adjusted the display for the large service number format to alternate with another screen that displays the bus service number closer to the kerbside or the left of the bus.

LTA said all new buses since 2018 already have signs with larger displays.

It added that new electric buses will have full-colour rear screens showing service numbers and destinations by default, and can also display safety alerts when stationary.

The tender is expected to be awarded in early-2027, LTA said.

Esther Loi is a journalist at The Straits Times, where she covers transport issues.