What are you getting out of the Makan Bus?

SINGAPORE — A new hop-on-hop-off shuttle service, Makan Bus, was launched last week, allowing tourists and foodies to explore heartland eateries at one go. An initiative by online travel platform MeGuideU and supported by the Singapore Tourism Board’s Experience Step-Up Fund, Makan Bus has 10 specially-curated stops, with the route beginning at Orchard Gateway and venturing into areas such as Bishan, Toa Payoh and Thomson.

However, the price of a one-day Makan Bus pass (S$28) does not include the price of food. Passengers still have to pay for their own meals.

When asked, John Ng Pangilinan, the Singaporean founder and chief executive officer of Makan Bus, said the ticket does not include food as they “understand that the taste and preferences of each guest is unique”.

“We don’t go for the same type of food all the time. Hence, Makan Bus offers our passengers the flexibility to choose what they want to eat, when they want to eat it,” he added.

So what exactly can you get with S$28?

ACCESS TO A MYRIAD OF HAWKER FOOD

The bus takes passengers to various drop-off/pick-up points near places of interest. For instance, at Ang Mo Kio, the bus will stop at the Jubilee S11 bus stop near the Ang Mo Kio Market & Food Centre. Once there, passengers have to navigate their way to the recommended food options. In this case, they could try food from stalls such as Ching Teng Dessert (#01-34) and Fried Kway Teow (#01-28). Other pit stops include the Toa Payoh Polyclinic bus stop and the bus stop before Balestier Plaza.

Ng said the highlighted hawker stalls were decided after its staff had done extensive research online. “We looked at what Singaporeans and tourists are saying about our local food, must-visit places and other exciting hot spots,” he said.

A TOUR GUIDE

Makan Bus passengers will get an introduction from Singaporean tour guides, who will be on board the bus. The guide will kick off the tour and introduce passengers to the many cuisines they can expect at each stop. For instance, at the Thomson area, the guide will talk about food available in that area. In this case, it would be Bak Chor Mee, prata and dim sum. Passengers with special dietary requirements can also check with the guides for recommendations. Note: The tour guides will not alight with passengers.

CUSTOMISED MAPS

Each passenger will be given a customised map that states the food and sightseeing recommendations at each pit stop. Other details provided on the map include stall names, opening hours, addresses and bus stop numbers they will be alighting at.

A FUSS-FREE JOURNEY

According to Ng, Makan Bus gives people an experience of the heartlands, and offers a hassle-free mode of transport to locate local food haunts unknown to many. “Compared to public transport like buses or the MRT, Makan Bus aims to give passengers a fuss-free journey, without wondering where or how they should go to next,” said Ng.

Passengers are also free to decide whether they wish to alight at each stop. For those who have alighted and wish to go to the next stop, there is a 20-minute interval between each bus.

GETTING TO FAR-FLUNG PLACES

Besides the current route, which focuses mainly on the north-central areas of Singapore, Ng said they are planning to come up with new routes to other parts of the island, including the East and West of Singapore, which will be ready in the later part of this year.

THEMED JOURNEYS AND CUSTOMISATION

You might get to enjoy a thematic experience, with the journey catered to special occasions such as Christmas and Chinese New Year. Ng said that they might “explore creating routes that cater to that particular festive holiday”. For locals, “it can be a fun and unconventional way to spend their holidays”, and for tourists, “it allows them to get a glimpse of what we typically do here in Singapore during holidays such as Chinese New Year or Hari Raya”, he added.

In addition, through a Makan Bus app — which is currently in the pipeline — users can upload photos and rate the food that they have experienced, and they will also be allowed to recommend alternative food stops they wish to see in the routes. This crowd-sourced information will allow the team to develop new routes to cater to the community, said Ng.

For more information on Makan Bus, go to http://www.makanbus.com