SBS Transit Bus Service 186 is a trunk route between from Shenton Way Terminal and St. Michael’s Terminal, passing through Telok Ayer, Ganges Avenue, Queenstown MRT, Farrer Road, Whitley, Balestier and St. Michael’s Estate.
186
Notes:
- Bus Service 186 towards both Saint Michael’s and Shenton Way duplicates along Jalan Bahagia. Check the bus destination before boarding.
– Buses displaying the Red 186 Plate head towards Shenton Way
– Buses displaying the White 186 Plate head towards Saint Michael’s - No alighting at Shenton Way Ter
| Route Overview | ||||||||||||
Route  |
Shenton Way Bus Terminal ↔ Saint Michael’s Bus Terminal | |||||||||||
| Passes Through | Havelock Rd, Alexandra Rd, C’wealth Ave, Queensway, Farrer Rd, Dunearn Rd / Bukit Timah Rd, Balestier Rd, Jln Bahagia | |||||||||||
| Route Length | Towards St. Michael’s: 18.4 km | Towards Shenton Way: 17.5 km | ||||||||||
| Travelling Time | 75 mins | |||||||||||
| Operator Information | ||||||||||||
| BCM Route Package | Bishan–Toa Payoh Bus Package | |||||||||||
| Current Operator | SBS Transit Ltd | |||||||||||
| Current Depot | Braddell Bus Park (BRBP) | |||||||||||
| Current Fleet | Single Deck Bus: – Mercedes-Benz Citaro – Scania K230UB |
Double Deck Bus: – MAN A95 – Volvo B9TL |
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| Operating Hours | ||||||||||||
| Departure Times from Shenton Way |
Daily | |||||||||||
| 06:00 – 00:00 | ||||||||||||
| Departure Times from Saint Michael’s |
Daily | |||||||||||
| 06:00 – 23:45 | ||||||||||||
| Operating Frequency | ||||||||||||
| From Shenton Way |
6:30am–8.30am | 8.31am–4.59pm | 5.00pm–7.00pm | After 7.00pm | ||||||||
| Mondays – Thursdays | 15 – 17 mins | 11 – 18 mins | 11 – 14 mins | 12 – 24 mins | ||||||||
| Fridays | 15 – 17 mins | 11 – 18 mins | 11 – 14 mins | 12 – 24 mins | ||||||||
| Saturdays | 16 – 20 mins | 15 – 20 mins | 20 mins | 18 – 24 mins | ||||||||
| Sundays / Public Holidays | 14 – 15 mins | 15 – 18 mins | 18 mins | 18 – 22 mins | ||||||||
| From Saint Michael’s |
6:30am–8.30am | 8.31am–4.59pm | 5.00pm–7.00pm | After 7.00pm | ||||||||
| Mondays – Thursdays | 9 – 14 mins | 12 – 18 mins | 14 – 19 mins | 17 – 25 mins | ||||||||
| Fridays | 9 – 14 mins | 12 – 18 mins | 15 – 18 mins | 17 – 24 mins | ||||||||
| Saturdays | 16 – 17 mins | 16 – 19 mins | 17 – 20 mins | 17 – 23 mins | ||||||||
| Sundays / Public Holidays | 14 – 15 mins | 17 – 19 mins | 17 – 18 mins | 17 – 23 mins | ||||||||
| Fare Information |
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| Fare | Charges regular distance fares |
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Service 186 connects St. Michael’s Estate, Balestier, Farrer and Queenstown with the City areas of Havelock, Telok Ayer and Shenton Way. Demand is moderate to low during offpeak hours, but heavy during the peak hours as residents commute to and from the City.
From St. Michael’s, Service 131 offers a faster route to Shenton Way by not going via Queenstown.
Service 186 serves the same bus stops along Jalan Bahagia in both directions. Commuters should check the bus destination signage before boarding the bus. Shenton Way bound buses will display a red Service 186 plate while Saint Michael’s bound buses will display a white Service 186 plate.
MRT Stations Served
- EW15 Tanjong Pagar
- TE19 Shenton Way
- DT18 Telok Ayer
- NE4DT19 Chinatown
- TE16 Havelock
- EW19 Queenstown
- CC20 Farrer Road
- CC19DT9 Botanic Gardens
- DT10TE11 Stevens
Special Departures
- Whitley Rd (Bef Stevens Stn Exit 4) → Shenton Way Ter
Weekdays: 05:55 & 06:08
Saturdays & Sundays / Public Holidays: 05:55
- Ganges Ave (Blk 79) → Shenton Way Ter
Weekdays: 08:00, 08:41 & 08:49
Gallery:
Operator History:
- 1993 – 2001: Singapore Bus Services Ltd
- 2001 – Present: SBS Transit Ltd
The Bus Service Operating License (BSOL) for this route will be renewed in 2026 under the Bishan – Toa Payoh Route Package.
History:
- 1993 (03 Jan): Introduced between Shenton Way Ter and Farrer Rd (Loop) under TransitLink Network Integration Exercise Phase 11
- 1993 (04 Apr): Extended to St. Michael’s Ter under TransitLink Network Integration Exercise Phase 12
- 2000: Serves new bus stop after Shenton Way along Palmer Rd
- 2004: Skips abolished bus stop outside Nanyang Pr Sch along Farrer Rd
- 2011 (04 Sep): Serves new bus stop outside Botanic Gdns Stn along Bt Timah Rd
- 2012 (30 Sep): Designated wheelchair-accessible bus route ( WAB)
- 2014 (27 Apr): Serves new bus stop outside Queens Condo along Commonwealth Ave
- 2017 (25 Jun): Amended to relocated Shenton Way Ter
- 2023 (23 Jul): Temporarily amended along the new slip road due to the closure of the PIE Exit 17D slip road to facilitate the North South Corridor construction works (no bus stops affected)
Past Routings
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