How to Ride Singapore Buses — Stops, Tapping & Live Arrivals
The MRT gets the attention, but Singapore's buses go where the trains don't — the zoo, Sentosa, the east coast — and they're air-conditioned, frequent and tracked live. Here's how to use them without a local's know-how.
Find your stop
Every bus stop has a five-digit code on its sign (for example 03371 for Gardens by the Bay). Type it into an arrivals app and you'll see every bus due there. Stops near MRT stations are usually named after the exit, such as "Bayfront Stn Exit A".
Board, tap, tap again
- Board at the front door and tap your card or phone on the reader.
- Press the bell before your stop.
- Tap again on the reader at the rear door as you get off.
The second tap matters: forget it and you're charged as if you rode to the end of the route. Not tapping when you board can bring a S$50 penalty. Cash works on buses, but only the exact fare and at a higher price — tapping is cheaper. Fares and the foreign-card fee are explained in our fares guide.
How busy is it?
LTA's arrival feed tells you how full each approaching bus is — seats available, standing room or crowded. The live tracker shows this for every bus due at a stop, so you can let a packed bus go and catch the emptier one behind it.
Buses visitors actually use
| Route | Runs | Stops | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 123 | Bt Merah Int (Bt Merah Ctrl) ↔ Beach Stn Ter (Beach View) | 43 | Stops & times |
| 138 | Loop from Ang Mo Kio Int (Ang Mo Kio Ave 8) | 59 | Stops & times |
| 400 | Loop from Shenton Way Ter (Shenton Way) | 21 | Stops & times |
| 927 | Loop from Choa Chu Kang Int (Choa Chu Kang Loop) | 33 | Stops & times |
- 123 — into Sentosa (normal fare, no monorail entry fee).
- 138 — to the Singapore Zoo and Mandai from Ang Mo Kio MRT.
- 400 — to Gardens by the Bay from Tanjong Pagar.
- 927 — to the zoo from Choa Chu Kang MRT.
The quickest way to the zoo is the dedicated M2 Mandai Khatib bus from Khatib MRT (S$2.50; it takes cards and phones but isn't part of the normal fare system).
Late nights
Singapore no longer runs regular overnight buses — the NightRider and Nite Owl services were withdrawn in 2022. Most buses and trains finish around midnight, with later trains only on some public-holiday eves and during big events. After that, it's a taxi or ride-hailing.
Crossing to Johor Bahru
Several buses cross the Causeway into Malaysia — 160, 170, 170X and 950, plus the Causeway Link CW services. See our Johor Bahru ↔ Singapore guide for which goes where and the arrival cards you need.
