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SINGAPORE - From Sept 30, public transport users travelling from Punggol East to Ang Mo Kio via Sengkang will be able to tap a new “short trip” bus service on weekday mornings. Service 50A, operated by SBS Transit, will serve 32 bus stops, starting at the bus stop after Punggol Field, located opposite Gospel Light Christian Church, and terminating in Ang Mo Kio Avenue 8, at the bus stop before Ang Mo Kio MRT station’s Exit B. It will run only during morning peak hours on weekdays, and will not operate on weekends or public holidays. There will be four trips each weekday, scheduled to start at 6am, 6.36am, 8.18am and 8.39am. The bus will stop outside Sengkang MRT station, Anchor Green Primary School, Layar LRT station and Fernvale Primary School, and opposite Seletar Hills estate and ITE College Central. SBS Transit said on Sept 16 that the new route will better serve the needs of those travelling towards Ang Mo Kio Avenue 8. According to its website, “short trip” services are variants of existing bus services that ply only a certain section of the existing route, instead of the whole route. Such services are meant to cater to stretches with high passenger demand, such as areas that are near MRT stations or schools. Unlike normal bus services, “short trip” services do not end at the terminating interchange or terminal of their parent bus services, and they can be identified by the letter after the number of their parent bus service – for example, those ending with an “A” or “B”. SBS Transit said these shorter services allow it to deploy buses in high-traffic areas more efficiently, instead of running empty buses after these heavy stretches. In Singapore, all public bus routes are planned by the Land Transport Authority, with bus operators bidding for contracts to run a package of routes for a fee. Apart from service 50A, 11 other “short trip” bus services have been introduced in 2024 that operate only during peak periods. These services include , which serve residents in Simei, Changi, Pasir Ris and Punggol, and , which ply Jalan Kayu, Yio Chu Kang and Ang Mo Kio.