NTU student Matz Chan seized an opportunity amidst Singapore’s concert frenzy, starting a bus-sharing service to ferry concertgoers, including NTU students, home
by Coen Sim
It all began just four months ago, when computer science freshman Matz Chan was hanging out with his friends in his room at Hall 16.
“We were wondering how to get back to NTU from the Coldplay concert. That was the very night we came up with Bussin Buses. We even thrashed out the website design and marketing plan on the spot. We were so excited as we knew we had something,” recalls Matz.
For a flat fee of $14.99, inclusive of bottled water and a much-needed lozenge, Bussin Buses tackles a pain point for concertgoers: getting home after attending a sold-out concert.
From the National Stadium, the post-concert buses ply four main routes to the north, south, east and west of Singapore. Depending on riders’ requests, the buses stop at specific MRT stations and even NTU’s Hall 16.
So far, over 900 music lovers have rocked out on these buses, continuing their concert experience aboard with tunes from global superstars like Coldplay or Bruno Mars that they’ve just watched live.
SHAKE OFF THE SETBACKS
To turn the business idea into reality, Matz and his team, including his co-founder and three friends, first researched extensively to identify a reliable fleet of buses. Trials were run with four different bus providers to suss out how punctual each ride was and the condition of the buses. The team also finetuned logistics and recruited eight part-timers to manage operations. All riders are alerted about their pick-up points through a Telegram chat group.
As the business began to take shape, the team ran into challenges. “It was tricky to identify the less congested pickup points near the stadium and to design a smooth boarding process,” says Matz.
Drawing on their experience in non-profit projects, the team stayed flexible, changing their pickup arrangements to avoid roadworks and accidents. They also consulted the authorities on traffic laws.
Putting his computer science skills to good use, Matz even coded a program that pulled data from Google Maps to test the smoothness of different routes at different times.
COLDPLAY: DON’T PANIC
The lead-up to Bussin Buses’ inaugural run for British band Coldplay’s six shows in January was as exciting for the business founders as it was for the concertgoers themselves. Even a sudden downpour on the first night was no damper.
Matz recalls: “We were running around in the rain, ushering customers to the right buses. Even though we were drenched, it was rewarding to get our customers home quickly and safely.”
“My experience with Bussin Buses was great,” says biological sciences student Timothy Neui. “I even caught up with old friends who happened to be on the same bus. Sharing a ride back to NTU with them while blasting Yellow was a vibe.”
TAYLOR SWIFT: GETAWAY BUS
By the time American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift started her Eras Tour concert here in early March, the Bussin Buses team had ironed out operational kinks, thanks to feedback from their first run.
Aerospace engineering student Joshua Balachandran says the guaranteed bus ride home was a boon. “I could relax and not worry about navigating huge crowds or dealing with fare surges and difficulties in booking private-hire cars and taxis, after singing my lungs out for three hours,” he says.
Onboard entertainment such as sing-alongs and the exchange of iconic Swiftie friendship bracelets “contributed to the overall good vibes and camaraderie among concertgoers,” he adds.
BUSSIN’ BRUNO FANS
More recently, in April, the team ferried about 300 concertgoers home over three nights, after American pop star Bruno Mars’ sold-out concerts.
“Although these shows had a smaller audience over fewer nights compared to the previous two concerts, the customer demand for our buses was still impressive,” shares Matz.
On the company’s future plans, Matz says he hopes to see Bussin Buses serve more events and unique communities. With Singapore being the capital of marquee events in the region, that’s not hard to do.
Matz adds: “Building Bussin Buses has been about embracing the chaos and staying adaptable and resilient to find innovative solutions. My partners and I support one another as a team. We haven’t just created a service but brought our dream to life. That’s something we’re really proud of.”
HEY! STUDENT WRITER
Coen is a nocturnal sci-fi fanatic with a sense for wordplay and a knack for creating his own problems.
This story was published in the Mar-Apr 2024 issue of HEY!. To read it and other stories from this issue in print, click here.
