IN LAST Friday's article, ('After the table tennis storm, an awakening'), Member of Parliament for Ang Mo Kio GRC Lee Bee Wah, cited the Public Transport Council's (PTC) rejection of SMRT's application last year to run a premium bus service (PBS) to serve Springleaf estate at a fare lower than the minimum stipulated under the PBS scheme as 'nonsense'.

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PTC says 'Without the fare guideline, the PBS will cannibalise the ridership of the basic bus services. When this happens, the basic bus operator may apply to the PTC to withdraw the bus services or reduce their frequency on the basis of low demand'.
PTC by insisting on a higher fare is `protectionist and against commuter interest'. The reasons it gave above are far-fetched - since the incumbents refuse to serve Springleaf properly then let others do it cheaper. This is not going to make the main operators threaten to withdraw services cos of low demand. Really unconvincing argument from PTC.
Where it serves its purpose they talk of anti-competitive behaviour but here it is endorsed by PTC who is also supposed to represent commuter interest.

PTC don't want to spoil the market. Otherwise they have to meet more often to look into the transport problems/complaints.

for commuters' sake ?

i read with disbelief this kind of crap reply frpm PTC...if there is not basic bus service there in the first place, what is there to protect ???

Another long-winded letter to tell us what we have long suspected - PTC serves the interest of SMRT and ComfortDelgro (SBS) as a priority, using 'commuters interest' as a convenient self-justification. An utter disgrace.

This Lee Bee Wah woman is no finesse. Crass and crude. No class. What good can you expect from this kind of leader? I give her one more term as MP.

This shows that either their brains are dead or they've got HOLLOW SKULL! Set out a set of guidelines and then just follow.

".....fare that did not comply with the guideline..." so reject the application. Common lah! Study the case first lah. If it's for plying routes that duplicate basic bus routes, of course by all means, reject it. But obviously there wasn't any buses plying that area, that's why the request for the shuttle service!

What rubbish! Looks after commuters' interest??? Wake up! We're living in the 2000s already, don't take us like 'swa-ku' anymore! Many of us are better educated now to be kidded by your lame excuses.

One more point. Why is the service now being implemented huh? Are you honest with your reasoning - "SMRT subsequently took up PTC's suggestion of a point-to-point shuttle bus service which could charge a lower fare than PBS. This was approved and the service was implemented in December last year."??? Haha!!! I think it's more likely because our Lee-der Loong said so!!!

Yes, Mr Looi, Sir.

Everything in S'pore is for the commuters' sake.

Even increasing MIWs salary is for the citizens' sake.

Thank you Sir for giving us such a satisfactory answer. It is definitely heartening to know that PTC constantly have commuters in their hearts when making decisions. I applaud and salute u Sir.

PTC is protectionist.

PTC is encouraging poor service standards and over-inflated bus fare charges.

This is what we call market failure...basic essential services like transport and electricity should not be profit driven...profit be capped at a pre-determined formula.
So, PTC is suppose to look after whose interest. Profit driven organisation or poor consumer like us? PTC cannot stand on 2 grounds. Time to disband PTC!