SINGAPORE PUBLIC PASSENGER TRANSPORT SYSTEM (Unification)

Mr A. P. Rajah asked the Minister for National Development if he will state what steps the Government proposes to take to improve the public transport system in Singapore, and whether early consideration is being given to the unification of the public passenger transport system in Singapore into a single undertaking or other means of improving the public transport System.

Mr Ong Eng Guan: Mr Speaker, a few days after the new Government was formed, I instructed my Ministry to put up a scheme to improve the bus transport system of Singapore, laying particular stress on the rural areas which are either not adequately served or where there are no buses.

As a first step, the Omnibus Licensing Authority has recently been reconstituted with honest and capable persons and since then they have been meeting a few times a week to try and improve the mess left over during the past ten year.

The Government is unable at this stage to make a policy statement regarding the unification of the public passenger transport system in Singapore.

Mr Rajah: Would the Minister state, in view of the existing conditions of national transport, whether the transport system is adequate to meet the pressing needs of the travelling public?

Mr Ong Eng Guan: Mr Speaker, the public in Singapore know that during the past ten years, the passenger transport system which was the responsibility of the City Council and in which the Member for Farrer Park played a leading part, has been completely in a mess, with two or three bus lines serving one route and in other places with no bus routes at all.

We understand the needs of the travelling public as well as the conditions of service of the bus employees. From the first week when the new Government came into being, I was given the authority to look into the matter and certain steps have been taken to try to remedy the situation. Mr Speaker, one of these steps was the reconstitution of the Omnibus Licensing Authority which replaced the corrupt Vehicles Committee of the City Council in the issuing of licences. We have reconstituted the Omnibus Licensing Authority set up in late 1957 with honest and capable persons and since then they have been meeting a few times a week just to try and remedy a little bit the situation left over in the past ten years.

Mr Speaker, the new P.A.P. Government has only been formed for four months and the public of Singapore realise that during the past four months we have been doing as best we could to tidy up some of the mess left over and to start everything fresh again.