The SAD TRUTH about Bus Preservation in Singapore (it's illegal) 

Sadly all we have left are memories

It look functional to you. But they may have broke down many times. You don’t know… so don’t assume.

Yo

For the loud Scanias that go past my house while running service 374, I could hear the roaring of those buses in my own house although I stay a few meters from the bus stop.

@@glitchFan2428 I agree

Stories like this are what should drive the preservation efforts, but with those at the top capable of making decisions unable to relate, nothing is done.

@@glitchFan2428 i also have a similar story like this person, also born in 2006. grew up in pasir ris during the first 7 years of my life, taking the old school buses to preschool everyday i miss it!

Nice

Agreed

Sometimes we look on to the past to see forward into the future...

Not to mention that it's an obscene waste of money to buy new buses as the old ones are in perfect working condition. Now they bought so many new buses to the point they are sitting inside depots completely unused.

glitchFan2428 agree

glitchFan2428 so true, LTA should think more to reliability rather than quality

Will they? The scrap tender seems to include all the trainsets except 2, but smrt did say that some trains were going to SAF for training purposes so don't get your hopes up of any being preserved despite them being the literal genesis of the world class mrt system we are oh so proud of.

@@glitchFan2428 I don't really know though.. I just know that they're gonna preserve 2 C151s XD Even so, tysm for the info! :D

I hope you're right 👍🏻

I do NOT trust 'em so yeh

Glad you like it, you take care too!

It's pretty much a hit or miss, sometimes they accept the letter and sometimes they escalate to superior who then accepts the letter, or they could just straight out call the police only for them to come and declare that no offence was committed. Waste police time sial all these idiots.

Paranoia is normalized in sg~

@@glitchFan2428 Paranoia will cease to exist when Taliban entered Singapore. Once they entered, there will be no victory for Singapore SAF and the SPF.

SEPTA 7300 MBTA 1109 same, how long can they keep it like this!!!!

Same ..

@@glitchFan2428 oh hi,your such an amazing youtuber!

Thanks!

The new seats for me are uncomfortable

Yea same and those good old engine sounds and those door closing sounds To me its so heartbraking seeing them scrapped

I feel you man! I grew up with these buses :(

Haha I bet those were some really good times

Lmao i put my face over there until i was told to stop... good times!

@@glitchFan2428 Definitely! 😅

Yeah but most of them are covered by a cover which was screwed

i know right? those seats were more confortable in the past and i think were more darker at night Lta not preserving 17years+ buses is absolutely a stupid idea Why waste more materials for more digital buses? Just save money! Let the next younger generation see the old buses! Why want to keep them curious about the past of sg buses? Just only change it when the old buses cant be fixed no matter how much work was put into fixing it. Seriously, what is lta doing? Why must they have more digital buses? (well i guess for better and smoother bus travelling) they should just have done the same thing a country mentioned in the video did: keep one old model of every bus. Might also mention about the new tel, where the new platform signs really gave me a complete hate of the 6th mrt line. And to add to this, the new signs are good, but usually uses pictures instead of adding pictures and text next to the icons. Lta must be getting lazy with the new signs as i always see arrows and more icons. Lta better change up their new content or else im really gonna declare the 2020s aa the worst decade of my life. I might prob start getting disagrees and agrees and hate on me for a message showing my opinions

Why isit misleading though, they did actually reply leh. The typical response also highlights their nonchalance which actually helps to strengthen my point :) I hope you enjoyed the video nonetheless

Singlish word = gahmen / leh Gahmen = police officers (gahman for singular)

Agree.. it's nice of them to preserve the playground and solari boards etc but buses are far superior when it comes to a country's historical significance.. which is why abroad bus preservation is a non negotiable thing as it appeals to the majority.

Thank you for the kind words! Indeed, the singapore authorities hate it when people speak poorly of them, especially when it's true! They usually would focus on silencing rather than getting to the root of the problem and solving it. Sorry to hear that you didn't get to see any of the older buses in 2019. As for the Solaris, I'm not sure if they make them in right hand drive. You're always welcome to visit once leisure travel is permitted!

Sadly if only they had bothered to preserve the buses, maybe it wouldn't just be a distant memory

She thought u could get killed

@@glitchFan2428 I wish lta preserved buses

As mentioned in the video, I think that the higher ups in LTA generally commute by car and hence do not share the same nostalgia as the common folk who depend on the bus to travel

Yea...

Thanks! I hope to visit someday!

I'm exhausted already haha.. I presume you're a car enthusiast so you'll be familiar with the headaches that come with dealing with LTA

Thank you, all the best for your ex Hong Kong bus, apologies for taking so long to reply

That is indeed a valid reason. But we all have to start somewhere, and with buses changing so rapidly, I feel now is the best time to preserve the last of the internal combustion engined buses

@@glitchFan2428 You know, back in 2016, I went back to Singapore from the Philippines just to find TIB832Z with no success. I love the O405 buses so much. I wish they were the ones preserved. Problem is she has already been scrapped. Did the Volgrens suffer the same fate as her?

Yes, every single Volgren O405 and O405Gs have been scrapped

@@glitchFan2428 Is it the same case for the Habit? There is a chance I will visit SG again this April or May. If they still exist, one last snap wouldn't hurt.

Yes there is nothing wrong with taking photos of videos of buses. You're very welcome :)

Oh 😊

Same man, same.

Thanks man!

@@glitchFan2428 Which vid is the Volvo Olympian section shown in 4:23 from? Just asking bcos I also like the Volvo Olympian 3 axle bus, thx!

Ľ kxv vkc

Love the 0405Ns in Perth and the OC500LE CNGs,

Donovan Lim Ive never experienced buses in perth

I definitely plan to drop by soon :)

AlphaDraco 1 🛫 $$$$$$

Speaking of Australia, in 1994 the Gov't ordered hundreds of buses from Volgren and then assembled here, they last very long in service, only retired in 2017 I think, thankfully the bus company preserved one of them

No use

LTA doesn't listen to people

LTA money sucker only

It's a reality for Singaporean bus enthusiasts sadly

I hope so too. I grew up with those sounds as well

I'm glad that this video served it's purpose, to relieve old memories that the elites simply don't care about. It's rather unfortunate that the culture here is as such, and there's really very little we can do to change that. Maybe one day I'll probably outgrow this hobby as well since buses are making the move to the hybrid and electric phase which simply don't sound as good.

I'm glad the video resonated with you

LTA usually not that receptive to public feedback sadly

sg5135a Good point...

Exactly

Yeah, until 2018 I would see a 20+ years old bus run to the ground still carrying passengers to the suburbs in Jakarta

Strider will always be my favorite SG bus.. all scrapped sadly

(GONE SEXUAL)(ALMOST DIED)

*emotional*

Thank you! Filming these old buses has been a hobby of mine since I noticed nothing was being done to preserve them for future generations.

Thank you, I hope I was able to give you that tinge of nostalgia with this video

So far 0 :D

IWEX123 Yeah for now but wait a few weeks later.

IWEX123 2 already liao

Now 6 dislikes

Thank you! I'm glad I was able to bring back the memories that the govt failed so badly to preserve.

Exactly, it's not about space constraints, it's about the willingness... although even in HK preserved buses are rarely allowed to be registered for daily use I think, I see many on trade plates

Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed watching the video!

They are even better in my opinion

The wind 😁

Reminds me of the Leyland and Volvo Ailsa buses that used to roam the streets of Jakarta and Other big cities from the mid 70s up to the late 90s, they are already extinct when I was born

I guess this video does just that

Sorry to hear what happened, I think Singapore in general is quite a closed minded society and will be quick to dismiss anything they don't understand as crazy :( As you get older and people around you mature, I promise it will get better

SMRT indeed had a farewell video for the last O405 (TIB832Z) but there was no tribute tour done when it was due to retire. In addition, the very last trip of the O405 went completely unannounced, so I had to take it on multiple occasions in a row as any day might be it's last. A decade or so ago however, members of the public were allowed to charter public buses and hence could create their own tribute tours. This was not initiated by SMRT as far as I know, but definitely had their support. Now the chartering of public buses is not allowed unless for an employee funeral.

@@glitchFan2428 Ah ic. So those "tribute tour" in 2011 was more of a charter service.

Yes it was. Back in the day when chartering public buses was still allowed.

Glad to have helped bring in the nostalgia

I am also a Tamp resident,man those old SBS buses are legend.Even the Tampines Sports Hall is so nostalgic.

@@axan50transportproductions I only went to Tamp Sports Hall once as a child,and I still prefer it over Our Tamp Hub

@@reapanomin899 Me too,miss those days.There was also a hockey stadium behind it,which I frequented as a young child.

It's nice to see that Hong Kong at least has ways to keep the buses alive, although with restrictions. In Singapore there's almost no way to keep the bus running, even in other countries and the bus companies themselves don't hold auctions or sales, and even reject us when we approach them directly.

@@Hiswh3i89 indeed. So many new depots built with thousands of lots...

I would say it's better than being scrapped, and the engine is still intact too! Presumably it can still be driven with a trade plate?

@@glitchFan2428 Test plate you mean? The bus can run as testing vehicle and the limitation of passengers amount is strict as heck. The only exception is a Daimler “Jumbo” Fleetline 30ft registered as SF15/SV60 and 5 passengers are allowed as it is registered as Special Purpose Bus. The bus even become one of the greenest pre EU emission standard Bus lmao.

@@glitchFan2428 I'll never know the situation of preserving retired buses is even worse than in HK without this video. Most of the retired HK buses CANNOT be carrying public passengers even under the 'T plate'. The only exception is CD1446, reregistered as a 'Special Vehicle'. You might tell that is a good start of the bus preservation, but even with the Special Vehicle License, they still got lots of 'challenge' from the Transport Department until now. Anyways, glad to see 9844 didn't end with scrapping. I once went to Singapore just only for the Voith B10TLs and I really enjoy them. I really wish I can hear their sound once again.

@@KagamiHihara sad to hear that the buses cannot be used freely like those in the UK, I think that the main difference between SG and HK is that HK bus companies support preservation. But both our transport authorities don't support it :(

@@glitchFan2428 Still bureaucracy bullshit here. Hong Kong got shitlike Environmental policy, and SG? Safety lmao Considering safety, seems like the Enviro500 is much fragile then Routemaster lololol.

Now all the old bendies are gone :(

:(

Thank you!

I hope that you had a really good holiday! Although please be careful as I've heard many stories of the security threatening young 10-13 year old kids as well :(

That's nice of them!

Same

Yes plane spotters are another group that are being criminalized for their interests. Other countries built designated spotting areas and have special openings in fences to let people take photos of planes more easily. SG just outright bans it. Welcome to paranoia!

I wondered why those buses recently disappeared. Then I found out they were on sale... again. I've actually been on one of those. Edit: Yup, 999U. Also in case you're wondering, they disappeared roughly at the start of 2021.

I'm glad the video brought you back to the past :)

That's the problem with having too much power, opinions of others simply don't matter regardless of how obvious the benefits are

Thank you for the support! Although there's really only so much I can do as a member of the public, and I feel I've exhausted most of my options at this point 😶

Btw, mind if I share your video to a HK bus fan page?

Please go ahead! 👍🏻

Indeed, like what I said in the video, it's not feasible to preserve the entire fleet. No country in the world does that 😅. But small scale, one unit per model at least is a pretty standard thing to do. I don't think space constraints is an issue because ultimately, very few people would take up the duty to preserve buses anyway when compared to like the space that a private bus fleet takes up for example. Ultimately, with the 20 Scanias going to Changi village, there is at the very least less wastage of buses, although there is little or no historical meaning behind it

@@glitchFan2428 Yep that's true as well. It does make sense to keep at least one unit per model in service. It is also true that there are very few bus enthus in Singapore(probably a couple hundred) and even fewer that are keen on chipping in to preserve and maintain these old buses. Not to mention that there aren't any, it is just that some enthus will also give up this hobby for something else in their lives. The 20 KUBs going to the resort is a good thing to hear, but just like 9817C or 2988M, it isn't being preserved for its heritage value. So idk lah really.

I'm glad you enjoyed the videos! 😁

Yes, really sad that no more Leyland buses are running on our roads

That's so nice that you got to ride on all those ex SG buses. Lots of SG bus enthusiasts would have loved that

@@pegamationproductions6062 this is the last time I will reply to you spamming the same comment multiple times (which will eventually get you banned). It's a well known fact that RU-vid automatically deletes comments containing links to other websites. It's very annoying and there's nothing I can do about it. RU-vid also automatically deletes comments if it detects you posting the same thing over and over and I have no control over that as well.

@@glitchFan2428 Okay, fine. I'll delete all the copied messages.

@@pegamationproductions6062 for your own good please. Hate the way free speech is being moderated here. It's supposed to be a platform of expression where anyone can justify and be challenged for their opinions.

I hope the LTA considers about keeping the old buses despite their old age.

Space constraints is one of the key reason why they don't preserve buses.

Most countries have bus museums, it's normal

Singapore should built a All In 1 Big Transport Museum Building that house all the Singapore Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) Trains, Light Rail Transit (LRT) Trains, Changi Airport SkyTrains, Sentosa Express Train, Sentosa Beach Trams, Mororail, Coaches, Buses And Taxi Cars, like what Japan, London UK, Sydney and Other Countries that have presrve All their countries Old And New Trains, Old And New LRT Trains, Old And New Trams, Old And New Coaches, Old And New Buses And Old And New Taxi Cars inside their Countries Tranaport Museum, What every one can see insides The Singapore Only All In 1 Big Transport Museum are All Singapore SBS Transit Old To New Trains and Old To New Buses, Small To Big Buses, Old To New SMRT Trains and Old To New Buses, Small To Big Buses (Also Know As Trans Island Bus Services [TIBS]) and Old To New Taxi Cars, Small To Big Taxi Cars, Changi Airport Old To New SkyTrains and Chani Airport Old To New Free Shuttle Buses, Small To Big Buses, Sentosa Old To New Express Train, Small To Big Express Train and Sentosa Old To New Free Beach Tram, Small To Big Beach Trams, Sentosa Old To New Free Shuttle Buses, Small To Big Free Shuttle Buses, ComfortDelgro Old To New Coaches, Small To Big Coaches and Old To New Taxi Cars, Small To Big Taxi Cars and Other Private Coach Company Old To New Coach, Small To Big Coaches and Private Company Old To New Taxi Cars, Small To Big Taxi Cars inside the All In 1 Transport Museum Building and the Trabsport Museum can be call Singapore Only All In 1 Big Transport Museum and all you need is to buy the 1 Whole Day Ticket that can be reused from The Day it was perches to XX Days and cannot be reused after the XX Day is over or pass, to get inside the Transport Museum and once you are done looking at everyting you can go to the Give Shop to buy Any Transport Toy Train Model, Toy Trams Model, Toy Choach Model, Toy Bus Model and Toy Taxi Cars Model in 1 Is To 50 Scale or 1 Is To 32 Scals and all Models will be made from Diecast Metal or Diecast Steel with other small materials on it, like Plastic for the Wheels with Opening Doors on All The Models and every one can also buy other transport related items in the Give Shop.

@@minghonglim9255 I lost braincells reading this. Do you think LTA gives a flying fuck about preserving buses? All they care is money only. And they blame it on their age and want the money only. PROFIT to them is more important than reliability. Utterly disgusting.

That's a Volvo Super Olympian, more information in the description

Did not know, thanks for the info

Well, they are running a business after all and unfortunately they can charge whatever they seem fit based on supply and demand

That's a nice recount of the local history in your area! Not really a fan of new buses though, especially since I heard most 69 plate buses onwards are slated to be hybrid or electric.

@@glitchFan2428 Yeah that is true I like the older buses we had because of the turbo whine the Mercs had at speed. The last new bus i went on was never cause they have never really been new just refurbished. Fun Fact all electric and hybrid vehicles will have a green plate on the front and rear in the UK

They can focus on the present, but not allowing us to preserve the bus using our own resources is what ticks me off. Sure , you don't want to contribute to the cause because you have more important things to worry about (like a billion dollar deficit) but not allowing us to even export and operate the bus abroad simply because they are lazy to do the paperwork is something else. Singapore has one of the best public transport networks in the world in terms of area covered. It's just a shame that we don't appreciate it enough when it's time to say goodbye.

@@glitchFan2428 I believe it can be done. I think the commubity just need to find the right person/organisation, the right place for it. I think starting a petition might help for a start. What is needed is support. How big is the transport community(those that are deeply passionate in buses and trains)

There's around 500+ I guess? Those really on and passionate about buses. Not counting those that just enjoy bus rides all. In the past I feel we really exhausted all our resources already so if we can get a fresh perspective it would be nice. Petition wise I think people have done it in the past with no success.

@@glitchFan2428 Social media is all buzzing. I think it can spread well. You never know there are people who may not be that so much interested like this community but yet like the idea of a meuseum to house the retired buses. The (ok and chill) people who are generally interested and curious. I remember joining my friend who likes buses to an open house at the bus depot between khatib and yishun(if im not wrong). Was pleasantly surprised by the no. of people who turn up at the event. There are curious people out there who may not be like that of my friend who i think is pretty hardcore but are just generally interested. The kids especially. I may not be an enthu but i know that when i was young, i loved the trains. Looking at the opposite tracks was satisfying to me(idk why lol) the colors of the trains as well. Those C751Bs were new and a rare sight back then so i always liked that new train since it was the only one with black and red paintings. It lookes nicer to me. Smells nice too lol. Mum would always made sure i dont go too near to the tracks as there were no platform screen doors on above ground stations back then. Dont want to see your child fall into the tracks and worst still get crushed by a train. Oof Back to the issue. If there is one issue i feel if whatever organisation were to tasked on building a meuseum for preservation, it would be space. Size will be a big issue imo. There are alot of bus models that have served from different bus operators. As time goes by, you will get more buses or trains looking at the rapid pace we are evolving. It is good but i think a dilemia. I think it is not possible to house every single model of buses. Idk how many models that have join the fleet for the past 20 years since the turn of the century but i think it is alot. You can preserve some but not every model will have its place. I feel. Location is important as well. I myself am into defence related developments. I have been to the army and airforce meuseum. Not yet for navy lol. At changi naval base there it is far. They cant display their entire past military equipment that were part of their orbat. Realistically no. Given the size of the organisation. Some just cant fit. The Kc 135 stratotankers are huge for that. I was like no way they can store it. Size is a problem. I was hoping to see a F5 s/t but none at the airforce meuseum. Their gallery was nice though. Location is not so convenient. Changi naval base and the army meuseum at joo koon(the other end) beside singapore discocvery centre. You dont get many visitors. Singaporeans can go for free thats for sure. If a meuseum were to be open, it is really a loss. For me all in the name of education, history and national pride perhaps? . Which i see no difference for a transport meuseum. It is build as a reminder of the past. Local meuseums for our context do not make revenue and is not for profit unlike fancy exhibits and gallerys at the art science meuseum or others. Their location is critical in attracting the no. National gallery is a good location. Not thay it was built there. It was converted from an old courthouse hence it wasnt meant to be there in the first place but was repurposed which is good use. Sitting at the heart, it is perhaps the only local meuseum that sees many visitors. I think the next will be the founder's memorial. Location, size plays a role. Putting a transport meuseum at somewhere not visited by many could render it out of commision due to low visitor rates. Not being use for profit is fine but not being able to attract the attention of visitors for education is worst as it serves no purpose by not reaching out to vast majority.

@@Benjamin-wy4dj honestly on the popularity of a potential bus museum, there's little way to get hard data on how it might fare. I actually can't relate much to the contents of most museum visits as most of which focus on singapore history before I was born. Buses on the other hand are things that almost everyone has in some way or other grown up with. Bus carnivals in the past have had rather healthy attendance, reinforcing the fact that the "ok and chill" people are somewhat interested in buses.

I think the faulty speed limit thing can only be enjoyed on empty roads when everyone is seated properly. Not swerving in and out of traffic, that's just dangerous haha

Yea true

Yup I think it's also quite hard in HK but it's actually possible unlike SG. I'm aware of that bus, CTB 633 if I remember correctly. Hope to be able to see it someday in HK.

Thankfully they announced both boards will be preserved, one will be donated to the national heritage collection (I've never heard of it), and the other moved to another location in the airport

Unfortunately buses is one thing that no one here wants to bat an eye on when it's about to be gone. Majority of Singaporeans don't really respect their buses, they only see it as a tool.

It's not that no one wants to preserve it, it's the style of government here (I'm at the top, I don't have to listen to you peasants) combined with the people at the top not being able to relate to buses