By Jake Chng

A BUS driven by a Santa Claus, with a Santarina giving out chocolates and sweets to passengers, will ferry people from three locations to tourist attraction The Jewel Box at Mount Faber, as part of Christmas celebrations there.

The Santa Bus, which began plying the roads early this month, is decorated with miniature reindeer toys and Santa Claus hats.

It is equipped with a built-in audio system playing Christmas tunes and a TV set that shows past Christmas celebrations at The Jewel Box.

The free bus service was created to give visitors a fairy-tale Christmas experience on their way to The Jewel Box, said Mount Faber Leisure Group, which runs the attraction that houses restaurants, a souvenir shop and a cable-car station currently undergoing upgrading.

Up to January next year, those heading to Mount Faber can board the bus at International Plaza on weekdays at 7pm, and at Pasir Ris MRT station on weekends and public holidays at 6pm. The bus will also shuttle between VivoCity and The Jewel Box from 7pm to 10pm on weekends and public holidays.

Freelance events organiser Daphne Hi, 26, who boarded the bus yesterday, said: "The bus...gives a very strong Christmas feel and ambience."

Other highlights at The Jewel Box include a 16m-tall Angsana tree dressed up with energy- saving lights that change colour in time with music, a 61m-tall artificial Christmas tree and a "snow show" where artificial snow will fall at 8pm daily until early January next year.

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