SBS SEASON BUS PASS CONCESSION (Extension to commuters on frequent transfers)

Mr Teo Chong Tee asked the Minister for Communications and Acting Minister for Culture whether he will request the Singapore Bus Service (1978) Ltd to consider extending the seasonal bus pass facilities, which are presently enjoyed by SBS shareholders, school children and some other categories of persons, to commuters who have to change buses several times on a single trip to and from work.

Encik Sidek bin Saniff (for the Minister for Communications and Acting Minister for Culture): Mr Speaker, Sir, my Ministry has taken up with SBS from time to time the subject of providing season bus passes to commuters who have to make several transfers to and from work. The difficulty, it seems, is not that these passes cannot be provided, but at what price.

SBS shareholders and school children who currently enjoy the use of such passes do so at a concession rate. They pay much less than what they would normally have to pay, i.e. they are subsidised. Since SBS is a privately-owned company, this subsidy must come from bus fares paid by other commuters. It is therefore not possible to extend these concession passes to ordinary bus commuters without somebody having to pay more.

Mr Teo Chong Tee (Changi): Sir, may I ask the Hon. Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Communications whether he would further request the SBS to look into other measures to lighten the burden of these bus commuters who not only suffer from the inconvenience of having to change two or more buses for a single trip but also have to pay a high cost in bus fares as a result of the several changes which they have to make for a single trip?

Encik Sidek bin Saniff: Sir, as far as the service is concerned, I would say that the SBS would look into the matter and improve the service. As for the concession, one way out for them is to buy a minimum of 500 SBS shares using part of their CPF money, so that they can travel at the concessionary fare of $24 a month.

Mr Rohan bin Kamis (Telok Blangah): Sir, would the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Communications request SBS to consider extending the use of season bus passes for school children during school holidays, because school children still have to go to school during school holidays for their extra-curricular activities?

Encik Sidek bin Saniff: Sir, as of now, the answer is no. For the information of the hon. Member, with the concession rates that are being given, we have to take from the kitty of the SBS a subsidy to the tune of several million dollars.