Keeping bus services that duplicate MRT lines will mean higher costs and, in turn, higher fares.
SINGAPORE – Even as the Government injects resources into buying more buses and hiring more bus drivers, it needs to carefully manage trade-offs between providing greater convenience for the public and keeping overall costs affordable as resources are finite, Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat said.
“If we continue with all these bus services, which is certainly the most popular thing to do instead of bus rationalisation, it will translate to higher costs for the entire system and, in turn, higher fares for commuters and a larger burden on taxpayers,” said Mr Chee, who is also Second Finance Minister.
Mr Chee said the Government then took the first step in the 1970s to consolidate the bus industry and tighten regulatory oversight. By the early 2000s, there were two major public bus operators, with the industry running on a largely privatised model. With concerns about profitability, operators were constrained in upgrading their fleets ahead of demand and plying low-demand routes, he said.was introduced in 2016, with the Land Transport Authority owning bus assets, planning routes and collecting fares, and operators being contracted to run services.
The Government, as the central planner, has also been able to respond more quickly to evolving needs, he added.in July as the latest example, Mr Chee said it will improve access for residential areas that are now less connected and farther from existing transport nodes. But he acknowledged that the Government needs to handle resistance from affected residents who would naturally prefer to have new MRT lines and existing buses if possible.
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