Privacy Policy

This policy explains what information SmartCommute collects when you use www.smartcommutesg.com, why we collect it, and what choices you have. SmartCommute is a free web tool for checking Singapore bus arrival times. There are no user accounts, and you never need to give us your name, phone number or email address to use it.

The short version

• We do not ask you to register, and we do not store a profile about you.
• Your GPS location is used in your browser to find nearby stops and is never stored on our servers.
• Your bookmarked stops are saved in your own browser, not in our database.
• We use Google Analytics to understand aggregate usage, and Google AdSense to show ads on our written guides.
• We do not sell personal information.

Location data

When you tap Locate Nearest Stop, your browser asks for permission to share your coordinates. If you allow it, those coordinates are sent to our server once, purely so we can calculate which bus stops are closest to you, and the result is returned immediately. We do not log, store or associate your coordinates with any identifier, and we cannot see your location history.

Location access is entirely optional. If you decline the permission prompt, every other part of the site still works — you can search for any stop by name, road or stop number instead. You can revoke location permission at any time in your browser's site settings.

Data stored in your browser

SmartCommute uses your browser's localStorage to remember your bookmarked bus stops under the key busApp_bookmarkedStops. This data stays on your device. It is not transmitted to us and it is not readable by any other website. Clearing your browser's site data removes it permanently.

Analytics

We use Google Analytics to understand how many people use the site, which pages are popular, and which devices and browsers we need to support. Google Analytics sets cookies and collects information such as your approximate location (derived from IP address, at city level), device type, browser, referring page and the pages you view. IP addresses are anonymised by Google before storage.

We use this only in aggregate to improve the service. You can opt out across all sites using the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.

Advertising

SmartCommute displays ads from Google AdSense on our written guides and articles. We deliberately do not place ads on the bus arrival and stop search screens.

• Third-party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve ads based on your prior visits to this and other websites.
• Google's use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve ads to you based on your visit to this site and/or other sites on the internet.
• You may opt out of personalised advertising by visiting Google Ads Settings.
• You can opt out of third-party vendor cookies for personalised advertising at aboutads.info/choices or youronlinechoices.com.
• Google's own practices are described in the Google Privacy & Terms page.

If you are visiting from the European Economic Area or the United Kingdom, you will be shown a consent message before personalised advertising cookies are set, and you can change your choice at any time.

Third parties we rely on

• LTA DataMall — the Land Transport Authority of Singapore supplies the bus stop, route and real-time arrival data. When you request arrivals, we query DataMall with only the bus stop code. No information about you is sent.
• Cloudflare — hosts and serves the site. Cloudflare processes request logs (including IP addresses) for security and delivery, as described in its own privacy policy.
• Google — Analytics and AdSense, as described above.

Data retention

We do not operate a user database. There is nothing tied to you to retain, export or delete on our side. Analytics data is retained by Google according to our configured retention period, and advertising data is governed by Google's own policies.

Children

SmartCommute is a general-audience transport tool and is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children.

Your rights

Singapore's Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) and, where applicable, the GDPR give you rights over personal data held about you. Because we do not maintain accounts or user records, the practical routes are the opt-outs listed above. If you believe we hold data about you and want it addressed, email us and we will respond.

Changes to this policy

We will update this page if our data practices change, and we will revise the "last updated" date at the top. Material changes will be noted on the homepage.

Contact

Questions about this policy can be sent to smartcommutesg@gmail.com, or via our contact page.