The iconic orange buses of Singapore Shuttle Bus walked into history on 28 April, as dozens of bus enthusiasts together with former drivers gathered to witness the buses work their last rounds on City Shuttle Service 608. Some of us were at Bukit Merah Bus Interchange from as early as 5pm, armed with cameras and tripods hoping to capture the final moments of CSS 608 in full glory.

Service 608 plied between Bukit Merah and Bedok, passing through significant landmarks such as Chinatown, Shenton Way, the National Stadium and Katong areas. It is the last surviving member of the CSS network, the routes of which had been progressively withdrawn from 2001. Originally scheduled to make its last trip on 31 March, the withdrawal was deferred by a month amidst appeals from commuters and residents along the route.

All through the day, we had busied ourselves camping out at various locations along the route, attempting to capture the final scenes of these buses leaving their mark on the roads and bus stops. Several locations were popular due to their significance, such as the old Supreme Court building in the city centre, as well as the National Stadium in Kallang, which will be torn down by the end of the year. These landmarks form the backdrop of countless photographs showing the buses in their orange livery, which they will soon lose as the vehicles progressively get redeployed in the SMRT fleet.

The moment of historical significance came at 7.33pm, as the final bus of the day, registration number CSS 180 C, pulled up at the berth to pick up passengers headed for Bedok Interchange. (At about the same time, CSS 195 K would leave Bedok Interchange in the return direction). By this time, those amongst us with cameras had already taken up our positions at the berth, hoping to capture the precious moment. As we boarded the bus, we paid cash for tickets instead of tapping our ez-link cards, as these tickets would serve as a final memento of the historical journey.

The bus left the interchange almost fully-seated, out of which more than half of the passengers took the journey end-to-end. Making our way past various landmarks – Havelock, Chinatown, Shenton Way, Suntec City, National Stadium, Katong and Marine Parade, we finally arrived at Bedok Interchange after about 70 minutes. Throughout the journey, bus fans and other passengers alike were busy taking photographs, and for a while, it seemed like the bus was carrying a load of tourists on a sightseeing trip – except that this time, the “tourist attraction” was the bus itself.

As we pulled in at Bedok Interchange at 8.44pm, we took the opportunity to take a group photograph on board the bus. The interchange too was transformed, with the rare sight of photographers lining up near the bus and its berth to take photographs – something which aroused the curiosity of several passers-by.

After signing in at the Control Room, the bus captain kindly allowed us to follow on board as he made his way to the depot at Geylang Lorong 1. To our surprise, we were welcomed by a group of former drivers and staff of SSB, who had gathered at the depot to mark the final day of CSS’s operations. Some of the drivers had been with SSB for its full 32 years – ever since the company was incorporated in 1975, providing “Park & Ride” shuttle services in the city from car parks in the fringe areas. The atmosphere was warm and friendly as these former captains gathered to reminiscence the good old days, when SSB operated as many as 6 routes from the Geylang Lorong 1 depot using its fleet of predominantly-Japanese makes in the distinctive orange livery.

We were allowed to take photographs of the final CSS buses coming into the depot for refueling, before they retired for the day at the parking lots. The drivers also kindly invited us to join in at their reception, and view their collection of historical memorabilia – personal photo albums, notices and posters, newspaper cuttings and other items, which several of the drivers had brought out from their personal collection. From our interaction with the drivers, I was able to feel the passion and camaraderie amongst them, especially those who had been on this job for years and are definitely sad to see these iconic buses go. Most of the drivers would be redeployed within SMRT, of which several were to be posted to Ang Mo Kio depot on other mainstream bus services. The buses would also be driven to SMRT depots for repainting into the SMRT livery, after which they would be deployed on other SMRT routes.

Throughout its 32 years of existence, CSS had remained small in fleet size and service coverage, playing a supporting role in the public transport system. Although it is sad to see the brand dissolve under the SMRT umbrella, I am glad that we were able to give CSS a rousing farewell on its final day of operation. As time moves on and Singapore’s public transport system continues to evolve, CSS will always be remembered for its cheerful orange buses providing a cheap and affordable alternative to city travel.