RushOwl Sungei Kadut Eco Bus (R70) from Yew Tee MRT Station to Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve Visitor Centre

The RushOwl Sungei Kadut Eco Bus (R70) is a new bus service connecting Yew Tee and Kranji MRT Stations to Sungei Kadut Industrial Estate and the Kranji Countryside, operating daily. Compared to a regular shuttle bus service, the RushOwl Sungei Kadut Eco Bus (R70) operates with pre-booking via the RushTrail app, available for download on iOS and Android mobile devices.

Here’s my experience on using the RushOwl Sungei Kadut Eco Bus (R70) from Yew Tee MRT Station to Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve Visitor Centre.

How to book RushOwl Sungei Kadut Eco Bus (R70)

Booking for the RushOwl Sungei Kadut Eco Bus (R70) is done via the RushTrail app, available for download on iOS and Android mobile devices.

Bundle Deal > Single Ticket

A Single Ticket for the RushOwl Sungei Kadut Eco Bus (R70) costs S$2.00 per passenger, regardless of the distance, and the Bundle Deal on offer goes for S$15.00 for 10 rides, or S$20.00 for 20 rides. Bundle Deal tickets are open-dated and you can use it at any time and on any RushOwl Sungei Kadut Eco Bus (R70) route.

If you are travelling in a group (within Safe Management Measures please), or will use the RushOwl Sungei Kadut Eco Bus (R70) often, you should consider picking up a Bundle Deal.

Payment is made directly on the RushTrail app by credit card.

Booking the Journey

The interface is pretty self-explanatory. You can tap on either the map or the list of stops to choose your pick up and drop off points.

Once done selecting the route and departure time, select payment type.

As compared with the LTA On-Demand Public Bus (ODPB) trial, the RushOwl Sungei Kadut Eco Bus (R70) isn’t exactly on-demand per-se, but a fixed departure window with the route assembled 10 minutes before the departure window starts. As such, pick the departure time earliest to you, but don’t expect the bus to arrive earlier than scheduled, or even on schedule.

Bookings close 10 minutes before the departure window starts.

I learnt this the hard way when I started my booking process 10 minutes before a departure window only to not be able to select it, leaving me with a 30 minute wait at Yew Tee MRT Station.

When booked with credits, the confirmation for my ride was instant.

Yew Tee MRT Station Pick Up / Drop Off Point

The RushOwl Sungei Kadut Eco Bus (R70) uses Yew Tee MRT Station Pick Up / Drop Off Point. The Yew Tee MRT Station Exit A Pick Up / Drop Off Point is shared with the taxi stand.

My estimated departure time is assigned about 6 minutes before the departure window begins, and the live location of the RushOwl Sungei Kadut Eco Bus (R70) can be tracked on the RushTrail app.

RushOwl Sungei Kadut Eco Bus (R70) 12-Seater Van

The RushOwl Sungei Kadut Eco Bus (R70) operates with 12-seater vans, more than sufficient to cover each 20-minute departure window.

On boarding, tell the driver your boarding code, or show your RushTrail app ride screen.

The interior of the RushOwl Sungei Kadut Eco Bus (R70) 12-seater van.

The RushOwl Sungei Kadut Eco Bus (R70) takes the entire length of Sungei Kadut Drive to travel from Yew Tee MRT Station to Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve Visitor Centre. Most parts of Sungei Kadut Drive are not served by public transport.

Crossing Kranji Dam on Kranji Way.

Looking over to Johor Bahru from Kranji Dam.

If taking SMRT Bus Service 925 from Kranji MRT Station to Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve Visitor Centre, the nearest bus stop serving Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve Visitor Centre is Bus Stop 49199 Kranji Reservoir Pk B located outside the side gate of Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve Visitor Centre.

Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve Visitor Centre

RushOwl Sungei Kadut Eco Bus (R70) serves Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve Visitor Centre directly.

Turning into the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve Visitor Centre Pick Up / Drop Off Point.

The ride from Yew Tee MRT Station to Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve Visitor Centre took 12 minutes.

There is a map of Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve at the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve Visitor Centre Pick Up / Drop Off Point.

Official Map of Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve from NParks

Click on the image to enlarge. Map from NParks.

The Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve Visitor Centre is just up ahead.

Here, there is a bigger, clearer map of Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve and the attractions in it.

NOTE: A section of the Coastal Trail is closed from 16 August 2021 for maintenance. This divides Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve into 2 separate sections. Expected completion date is 31 March 2022. Click here for more information.

Conclusion

Despite having just launched on 11 September 2021, there are already passengers using the RushOwl Sungei Kadut Eco Bus (R70) on a weekday afternoon. I see a good potential for the RushOwl Sungei Kadut Eco Bus (R70) to be quite popular once COVID-19 restrictions are further eased. While it’s not truly on-demand, but more like a ride-share, the departure frequency of 20 minutes during operational hours is quite good for a leisure bus route.

However, the RushOwl Sungei Kadut Eco Bus (R70) currently operates in 3 distinct windows:

Morning: 7.00 am to 9.00 am
Afternoon: 11.30am to 2.30pm
Evening: 6.30 pm to 9.30pm

This schedule looks more geared towards staff working in Sungei Kadut Industrial Estate and the Kranji Countryside, rather than being for visitors. With a lack of public transport in Sungei Kadut Industrial Estate and the Kranji Countryside, this schedule looks fine for a weekday, but for weekends and public holidays, this is still a significant gap in service.

With this gap in service for quite a big chunk of the afternoon, there are still no other transport alternatives, as taxis and Grab are unwilling to travel to the Kranji Countryside even with surge fares. I know because I’ve tried booking a Grab from Kranji Marshes for 45 minutes before, to no avail, until the NParks Pilot Loop Shuttle Bus Service showed up anyway.

It is crucial for the RushOwl Sungei Kadut Eco Bus (R70) to close up the gaps in the morning and afternoon on weekends and public holidays to ensure connectivity to the Kranji Countryside when the demand is the highest.