A bus breakdown caused severe disruption at Boon Lay Bus Interchange on Friday (7 March 2025), with waiting times at the interchange and nearby bus stops stretching to 45 minutes.
Buses formed long queues in the area as traffic came to a standstill.
Bus Breakdown Causes Major Delays
On 7 March 2025, a bus breakdown led to traffic disruption at Boon Lay Bus Interchange, reported Lianhe Zaobao.
Some commuters faced waiting times of up to 45 minutes, while bus drivers asked passengers to alight early and walk to the interchange.
Li, a 28-year-old accountant, alerted Lianhe Zaobao at 8am about buses being stuck near the Boon Lay Bus Interchange.
According to the tip, long queues formed, with waiting times at the interchange and nearby bus stops extending to 40 minutes.
Photos provided by Li showed an SMRT bus with front damage and its bumper removed.
The disabled bus was stuck at the junction where buses exit the interchange, believed to be the main cause preventing other buses from entering or leaving.
He added that there were also many maintenance works around Boon Lay, with many roads reduced to one-way traffic. However, the congestion made traffic even slower and the taxi stand was overcrowded.
SMRT’s Response
Social media posts indicated commuters noticed buses “gathering” at the junction as early as 6am, with all buses struggling to enter or exit. Some buses had to let passengers alight two or three stops early to walk to the interchange.
In response to Lianhe Zaobao‘s inquiry, SMRT said that at about 6:15am on Friday, bus 187 broke down on the slip road from Jurong West Central 3 to Jurong West Street 64, affecting traffic flow near Boon Lay Bus Interchange.
Temporary bus diversion plans were diverted for bus services 172, 178, 179, 180, 187, 240, 241, 251, and 252.
Additional staff were deployed to coordinate bus operations and assist affected passengers.
SMRT towed away the faulty bus, and traffic flow returned to normal at around 8:50am.
“We sincerely thank all affected passengers for their patience and understanding,” SMRT stated.