🇸🇬🚍 Singapore's LTA will introduce 660 new electric buses from late 2026, offering improved accessibility, safety and comfort for commuters. The move supports plans for half the public bus fleet to be electric by 2030 and all buses to use cleaner energy by 2040. www.lta.gov.sg/content/ltag...
— CLondoner92 (@clondoner92.bsky.social) November 4, 2026 at 11:05 AM
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Here is the list of improved features from the LTA press release:
i. No Steps along main passageway: With advances in battery technology, bus manufacturers are now able to achieve a full low-floor design with no steps along the main passageway, while keeping seating platforms low with step heights generally capped at 230mm (300mm for seats above the wheel arches). This makes boarding, alighting and movement within the bus easier for all commuters.
ii. Passenger capacity: Single- and double-deck buses will also provide up to 32 and 67 fixed seats respectively, with additional foldable seats at the wheelchair bays.
iii. Rear Visual Alerts: New full colour rear Electronic Display Systems (EDS) will display the bus service number and destination by default. The EDS can also provide advance alerts to surrounding road users through clear, real-time visual indications of the bus captain's intentions, including when the bus is stopping, moving off, or when passengers are boarding and alighting. These advance alerts will help other road users better anticipate the movement of the bus and encourage safer, more considerate interactions between buses and other road users. These advance alerts will be activated in 2027.
iv. Green/Red lighting on staircases in double-deck buses: New staircase lighting provides clear visual cues to commuters. A red light indicates that the bus is moving and commuters should avoid using the stairs where possible, while a green light indicates that the bus is stationary and the stairs may be used safely.
v. Driver assistance systems: The buses will be equipped with onboard CCTV surveillance, collision warning and surround view functions, a driver anti-fatigue monitoring system, and a camera mirror system. Together, these systems will help bus captains maintain situational awareness and respond to potential road hazards.
vi. Batteries that last longer: Advances in battery technology give the new electric buses longer operating ranges of up to 310km for single deck buses and 240km for double deck buses, up from 280km and 215km respectively, supporting more flexible and efficient bus operations.
Read more
🚌 Our electric buses are getting even better! ✨ We've been listening to your feedback and making improvements! 🟢🔴 Illuminated staircases to guide you on when it’s safe to use the stairs. ✅ Clearer displays to help other road users anticipate bus movements https://t.co/FaRYsx4oCp
— LTA (@LTAsg) November 4, 2026
My Analysis of the New Features
A step-free main passageway is not entirely new for a double-decker bus. It was originally featured on the three-door, two-staircase hybrid bus, famously known as the New Routemaster and built by Wrightbus. I previously suggested that step-free passageways should be made standard for brand-new buses in the UK as part of my proposal for a common bus specification across the UK and Ireland.
Foldable seats in wheelchair bays were previously used on London’s buses during the 2000s, most notably on the Alexander Dennis ALX400 fleet, before being phased out in 2008.
Addressing why they were removed, the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, explained during Mayor's Question Time in 2017:
"The tip-up variety were removed because of people falling when they flipped up too early and as they could occasionally fail to pop up, encroaching on the bay area. Space for wheelchair users and buggies also has to be balanced with priority seating for customers who are less able to stand. All priority seating is on the lower deck of the bus, to allow for easier access for those that need it.
Manoeuvrable seats on tracking are not suited to busy bus services as they need to be unclipped and pushed into position, which the driver does not have time to do. A more flexible approach is possible for bespoke like Dial-a-Ride vehicles."
The addition of green/red lighting on staircases in double-deckers highlights a missed opportunity for TfL to adopt it on new and existing buses by updating their New Bus Specification, version 2.7 of which I reviewed during the summer of 2026.
The rear electronic display system is another excellent safety addition to alert road users and cyclists, especially to tell them when the bus has opened its doors for passengers boarding and alighting, whilst also making cyclists aware of disabled passengers using wheelchairs.
Should TfL Demonstrate Singapore’s New Buses in London?
I believe they should. Although Singapore’s standard wheelchair bay dimensions are slightly smaller, the space could easily be extended for London operations.
Wrightbus recently unveiled a three-door, two-staircase tri-axle electric bus for Singapore Urban Mobility Week (SUMW) 2026 at the Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre. I will comment about it in due course. Meanwhile, at the Euro Bus Expo at the NEC Birmingham, Wrightbus showcased their UK-spec StreetDeck Electroliner 2.0.
This creates a prime opportunity for TfL to collaborate with domestic manufacturers like Alexander Dennis and Wrightbus to trial a Singapore-specification bus featuring two wheelchair bays, three doors, and two staircases on suitable high-capacity London routes. Gathering feedback from passengers, accessibility groups, and key stakeholders during a trial would provide invaluable data to help refine future revisions of TfL’s New Bus Specification.
I have long advocated for TfL to trial buses fitted with dual wheelchair bays, a layout already successfully operating across other regions in the UK and Ireland on dual-door vehicles. This trial concept should also be explored by growing franchised networks, such as Greater Manchester and the Liverpool City Region, as well as publicly owned transport operators across the country.
I have reached out to TfL's press office to seek clarification on dynamic staircase lighting, rear visual alerts for cyclists, and historical wheelchair bay seating specifications. I will update this article as soon as I receive a response.
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