Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament
Mr Seah Kian Peng, Marine Parade GRC
Question
To ask the Minister for Education whether the Ministry can consider incentivising bus operators to offer cheaper, more flexible bus options to students as a way of encouraging more students to take buses.
Response
1. Students are encouraged to use school buses or public transport to travel to and from school. This builds independence and inculcates environmentally sustainable habits in our students, and also eases traffic flow around school zones.
2. The Government already has measures to help school bus operators keep their operating costs low, which in turn help to keep school bus fares low. For example, school buses are exempted from Certificate of Entitlement requirements. Private Hire and Excursion Bus operators who use their buses to provide school bus services are eligible for a 50% road tax rebate by the Land Transport Authority.
3. In addition, MOE provides a transport subsidy for students from lower-income families who take school bus or public transport. In particular, MOE subsidises 60% of the school bus fares for primary school students receiving financial assistance.