View source for Bedok

'''Bedok''' is a planning area and matured residential town located in the East Region of Singapore. It has a land area of about 21.69 km<sup>2</sup>, Bedok ranks the 7th, 1st & 7th in terms of size, population & density respectively. Bedok New Town is the fifth Housing and Development Board (HDB) new town; its development started in April 1973 and continued over some 15 years.  The planning area, an urban planning zone under the Urban Redevelopment Authority, encompasses the Bedok New Town itself, the low-rise private residential areas along Upper East Coast Road, and in the districts of Kembangan, Siglap and Telok Kurau, and the high-rise private condominium developments in the eastern part of Marine Parade. 

Bedok is located at the southeastern part of Singapore's east region and is made out of 8 subzones, namely, Bayshore, Bedok North, Bedok Reservoir, Bedok South, Frankel, Kaki Bukit, Kembangan and Siglap. It is bounded by [[Paya Lebar]] to the north, [[Hougang]] to the northwest, [[Tampines]] to the northeast and east, [[Geylang]] to the west and [[Marine Parade]] to the southwest.

==Etymology and early history ==
"Bedok" seems to be a very old place name. In the 1604 Manuel Gomes de Erédia's map of Singapore, there is a reference to the Bedok River called ''sune bodo'' (Sungei Bedok).

Bedok is one of the early native place names in existence around the time of Sir Stamford Raffles. In the first comprehensive map of Singapore Island completed by Frankin and Jackson and reproduced in John Crawfurd's 1828 book, the place name appears on the south-east coast of the island as a river, Badok S. (Sungei Bedok), around the "small red cliff", a part of present-day Tanah Merah. 

The Malay word ''bedoh'' refers to a type of slit drum made from a large hollowed log for calling people to a mosque for prayers or to sound the alarm in the days before loudspeakers.  There was a prominent mosque in the 1950s at Jalan Bilal that still used the drum about five times a day. The "h" in the word ''bedoh'' was replaced with a "k", and, as with most Malay words that end with a "k", it is pronounced with an inaudible glottal stop.

A less popular version refers to an equally uncommon Malay term of ''biduk'', a small fishing boat like the sampan, or more likely, a dugout canoe, as the east coast was dotted with many fishing villages.

== Bedok New Town ==
Bedok New Town covers a land area close to 9.4 km² with some 42% occupied for residential use. It was formerly a hilly region and hence the focal point of orientation of the town is the special landscaped park and sports complex built on the higher ground of the town. The residential blocks as well as the industrial area are planned based on the neighbourhood concept.

=== Residential development ===
There are some 58,000 units of flats built by the HDB in Bedok New Town. As one of the older towns, the majority of the flats are 3-room or 4-room. There are also some 2,700 and 583 units of executive and Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDC) flats. It provides housing for some 200,000 residents.

==Notable Structures==
===Education===
{| class="toccolours"; "wikitable" border="1" cellpadding="3" style="border-collapse:collapse; text-align:left"
|-
!style="color:black;background-color:#f5f5dc"|Primary Schools
!style="color:white;background-color:#f4a460"|Secondary Schools
!style="color:white;background-color:#A52A2A"|Tertiary & Other Institutions
|-
!
*Bedok Green Primary School
*CHIJ (Katong) Primary School
*Damai Primary School
*Fengshan Primary School
*Opera Estate Primary School
*Red Swastika School
*St Anthony's Canossian Primary
*Temasek Primary School
!
*Bedok Green Secondary School
*Bedok South Secondary School
*Bedok View Secondary School
*Damai Secondary School
*St Anthony's Canossian Secondary School
*[[St. Patrick's School]]
*Temasek Secondary School
*[[Victoria School]]
!
*[[Temasek Junior College]]
*[[Victoria Junior College]]
|}


{| class="toccolours"; "wikitable" border="1" cellpadding="3" style="border-collapse:collapse; text-align:center"
|-
!style="color:white;background-color:#000000"|''Defunct Schools''
!style="color:black;background-color:#FFFFFF"|Notes
|-
!Bedok North Secondary School
|Merged into Damai Secondary School in 2018
|-
!Ping Yi Secondary School
|Merged into Bedok Green Secondary School in 2016
|}

===Transportation===
*{{Stn|Bayshore| MRT station}}
*[[Bedok#Bedok Interchange|Bedok Bus Interchange]]
*{{Stn|Bedok| MRT station}}
*{{Stn|Bedok North| MRT station}}
*{{Stn|Bedok Reservoir| MRT station}}
*''{{Stn|Bedok South| MRT station}} (Opening in 2026)''
*{{Stn|Kaki Bukit| MRT station}}
*{{Stn|Kembangan| MRT station}}
*{{Stn|Marine Terrace| MRT station}}
*{{Stn|Siglap| MRT station}}
*''{{Stn|Sungei Bedok| MRT station}} (Opening in 2026)''
*{{Stn|Tanah Merah| MRT station}}
*[[Bedok#Upper East Coast Terminal|Upper East Coast Bus Terminal]]

===Government-related===
*Bedok Community Centre
*Eunos Community Club
*Fengshan Community Club
*Heartbeat@Bedok
*Kampong Kembangan Community Club

===Shopping Centres/Malls===
*Bedok Mall
*Djitsun Mall (Bedok)

===Parks===
*Bedok Reservoir Park
*Bedok Town Park
*Telok Kurau Park

==Bus Interchanges/Terminals==
===Bedok Interchange===
{|class="wikitable"  style="text-align:center;"
|-
!Service
!Destination
!Notes
|-
!class=SBST|{{Bus/7}}
|Clementi
|rowspan="9" {{N/A}}
|-
!class=SBST|{{Bus/9}}
|↺ Changi Airfreight Centre
|-
!class=SBST|{{Bus/14}}
|Clementi
|-
!class=SBST|{{Bus/16}}
|Bukit Merah
|-
!class=SBST|{{Bus/16|a=M}}
|Bukit Merah
|-
!class=GAS|{{Bus/17}}
|Pasir Ris
|-
!class=GAS|{{Bus/17|a=A|l=17}}
|Bedok North Avenue 4
|-
!class=SBST|{{Bus/26}}
|Toa Payoh
|-
!class=SBST|{{Bus/30}}
|Boon Lay
|-
!class=SBST|{{Bus/30|a=e}}
|Pasir Panjang Road
|Weekday AM Peak<br>Express Service
|-
!class=SBST|{{Bus/32}}
|Buona Vista
|rowspan="2" {{N/A}}
|-
!class=SBST|{{Bus/33}}
|Kent Ridge
|-
!class=SBST|{{Bus/35}}
|↺ ALPS Ave
|rowspan="2"|Alternate Operating Hours
|-
!class=SBST|{{Bus/35|a=M}}
|↺ Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal
|-
!class=SBST|{{Bus/38}}
|Tampines
|rowspan="2" {{N/A}}
|-
!class=SBST|{{Bus/40}}
|↺ Merpati Road
|-
!class=SBST|{{Bus/60}}
|Eunos
|rowspan="2"|Looping point
|-
!class=SBST|{{Bus/69}}
|Tampines
|-
!class=SBST|87
|Sengkang
|rowspan="6" {{N/A}}
|-
!class=SBST|155
|Toa Payoh
|-
!class=SBST|{{Bus/168}}
|Woodlands
|-
!class=SBST|{{Bus/196}}
|Clementi
|-
!class=SBST|197
|Jurong East
|-
!class=SBST|{{Bus/222}}
|↺ Chai Chee Drive
|-
!class=SBST|{{Bus/225|a=G}}
|rowspan="2"|↺ Bedok North Street 3
|Clockwise loop
|-
!class=SBST|{{Bus/225|a=W}}
|Counter clockwise loop
|-
!class=SBST|{{Bus/228}}
|↺ Bedok Reservoir Road
|rowspan="2" {{N/A}}
|-
!class=SBST|{{Bus/229}}
|↺ Bedok South Road
|-
!class=SBST|{{Bus/401}}
|↺ Fort Road
|Weekends & Public Holidays
|-
!class=TTS|854
|Yishun
|{{N/A}}
|-
!class=TTS|854e
|{{N/A|Alighting only}}
|Weekdays AM Peak<br>Express Service
|}

''For bus services that '''do not start or end''' at this interchange but layover in this interchange''
{|class="wikitable"  style="text-align:center;"
|-
!Service
!Boarding Point
!Destination
!Notes
|-
!class=SBST|{{Bus/14|a=e}}
|{{BS84211}}
|Orchard Road
|rowspan="2" |Weekdays AM Peak<br>Express Service
|-
!class=SBST|{{Bus/196|a=e}}
|{{BS93049}}
|Shenton Way
|-
|}

===Upper East Coast Terminal===
{|class="wikitable"  style="text-align:center;"
|-
!Service
!Destination
!Notes
|-
!class=SBST|{{Bus/13}}
|Yio Chu Kang
|rowspan="7" {{N/A}}
|-
!class=SBST|{{Bus/25}}
|Ang Mo Kio
|-
!class=GAS|{{Bus/43}}
|Punggol
|-
!class=SBST|{{Bus/45}}
|Ang Mo Kio Depot
|-
!class=SBST|{{Bus/46}}
|Pasir Ris
|-
!class=SBST|{{Bus/55}}
|Bishan	
|-
!class=SBST|137
|Sims Place
|-
!class=TTS|853M
|Yishun
|Sundays & Public Holidays
|}

==Roads==
[[List of Roads in Bedok]]
==Politics==
{| class="toccolours"; "wikitable" border="1" cellpadding="3" style="border-collapse:collapse; text-align:center"
|-style="color:white;background-color:#0052A1"
!Incumbent
!Role
|-
! style="color:white;background-color:#0052A1" colspan="2"|North East CDC
|-
!Desmond Choo
|Mayor of North East CDC
|-
! style="color:white;background-color:#0052A1" colspan="2"|South East CDC
|-
!Mohd Fahmi Aliman
|Mayor of South East CDC
|-
! style="color:white;background-color:#93B3D4" colspan="2"|Aljunied GRC
|-
!Gerald Giam
|Member of Parliament for Bedok Reservoir-Punggol
|-
!Muhamad Faisal Manap
|Member of Parliament for Kaki Bukit
|-
![[Pritam Singh]]
|Member of Parliament for Eunos
|-
! style="color:white;background-color:#0052A1" colspan="2"|East Coast GRC
|-
!Cheryl Chan
|Member of Parliament for Fengshan
|-
!Heng Swee Keat
|Member of Parliament for Bedok
|-
!Maliki Osman
|Member of Parliament for Siglap
|-
!Tan Kiat How
|Member of Parliament for Kampong Chai Chee
|-
! style="color:white;background-color:#0052A1" colspan="2"|Marine Parade GRC
|-
!Edwin Tong
|Member of Parliament for Joo Chiat
|-
!{{N/A|Vacant<sup>1</sup>}}
|Member of Parliament for Kembangan-Chai Chee
|}
*<sup>1</sup>: Tan Chuan Jin has resigned his position as Member of Parliament on 17 July 2023.

==References==
*Victor R Savage, Brenda S A Yeoh (2003), ''Toponymics - A Study of Singapore Street Names'', Eastern Universities Press, ISBN 981-210-205-1

==Links==
{{Planning Area}}