NATIONALISATION OF SINGAPORE TRACTION COMPANY AND OTHER BUS COMPANIES (Request for statement on Government policy)

Inche Mohd. Ali Bin Alwi asked the Deputy Prime Minister whether he will make a statement on the policy of the Government with regard to the nationalisation of the Singapore Traction Company and/or other bus companies in Singapore.

Dr Toh Chin Chye: Mr Speaker, on principle, it is the policy of the P.A.P. Government to nationalise public road transport. When and how nationalisation of the bus companies will be brought about must depend on the ability of the Government to meet the financial problem of compensating the bus companies. In this respect, I would like to remind the House that there are other and more important claims to the financial resources of the State.

We are not committed within the next five years to bring about this nationalisation, as this has not been declared as par of our Five-Year Plan. Nonetheless, it will be our intention to organise and train an administrative and managerial staff to form the nucleus for a future Road Transport Authority which will effectively take over the control of public transport. This is a prerequisite, as the complicated machinery of running public transport is not within the capability of any Government department at the moment, or, for that matter, of any statutory body that can be created in the immediate future.