Who is paying for the new community shuttle bus service with PAP MPs faces printed on them?

Residents of Marine Parade GRC, MacPherson SMC, and Mountbatten SMC will soon benefit from a new free shuttle bus service, aimed at enhancing local connectivity by providing access to key amenities such as polyclinics, hawker centres, and MRT stations.

This initiative, announced jointly by the South East Community Development Council (CDC) and the People’s Association (PA) on Sunday, 30 June, marks Singapore’s first cluster-wide community shuttle bus service.

Registration for the shuttle bus service began on Sunday, with operations scheduled to commence on 8 July as part of a one-year pilot project.

The service will run on weekdays from 10am to 4pm, excluding public holidays. Buses will operate every 45 minutes to an hour, each accommodating up to 22 passengers. The routes were developed through resident engagement sessions, including the recent Forward Singapore exercise.

The South East CDC and PA anticipate significant demand for the service, projecting over half a million rides during the pilot year. This initiative aims to address the needs of residents, particularly the elderly, who have found it challenging to access essential services despite Singapore’s efficient overall connectivity.

Ms Choo Pei Ling, purportedly the new candidate from the People’s Action Party to replace former Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan Jin in the upcoming General Election, appeared at the launch on Sunday, together with the current MPs for the GRC and two SMCs.

Marine Parade MP and Minister for Culture, Community, and Youth Edwin Tong emphasized the service’s role in enhancing last-mile connectivity.

“The Marine Parade cluster, like the rest of Singapore, has an ageing population. While the overall connectivity to the island is efficient, some residents have shared that they are finding it harder to close the distance to these key amenities,” he said in a Facebook post.

Fellow Marine Parade MP and Manpower Minister Tan See Leng highlighted the service’s potential to boost local businesses and improve access to essential services. He noted that the seven routes are designed to facilitate easy transfers between overlapping routes, enhancing connectivity within the cluster.

The shuttle buses feature photos of the MPs from the ruling party representing Marine Parade GRC, Mountbatten SMC, and MacPherson SMC.

Question of funding for the “free shuttles”

The new service has sparked discussions about public transport and funding policies. Workers’ Party former NCMP Yee Jenn Jong expressed curiosity about the initiative’s implications on his Facebook page on 2 July.

He questioned the funding source for the service and whether it should be integrated into the public transport funding mechanism.

“Singaporeans have often been told there is NO free lunch. Someone pays. Who is paying for the services? PA and CDC? Or the MPs (whose images are on the buses)?” wrote Yee. He further questioned, “If there is a need for the services or other gaps in connectivity, then shouldn’t it come under the public transport funding mechanism?”

Yee also raised concerns about the sustainability of the service, drawing parallels to a similar but short-lived initiative in Tampines in 2016.

He noted, “This is not the first time a community had tried improving connectivity on its own. Tampines tried it in 2016, initiated by its then MP. The difference though, was that it was a private initiative with a fare of $1 to ply between HDB neighborhoods and the Tampines Round Market. The initiative did not last long.”

Mr Yee, who previously contested in Marine Parade GRC after his near-win in Joo Chiat SMC in 2011, also commented on the new service’s operational transparency and neutrality.

“Why restrict to only Marine Parade residents for free usage, if indeed it is paid from the national funds? Do the PA and CDC need more manpower for their own internal operations for this? Good as the intent may be, is it sustainable?”

Gutzy’s cursory search on the GeBiz portal found no tenders awarded for the shuttle service, either by PA or CDC, leaving it unclear who contracted and is paying for the service.

This lack of transparency raises further questions about whether public money is being used for political campaigning, as the buses prominently feature images of the MPs.