SINGAPORE: The recently launched free shuttle bus service for Marine Parade residents costs S$1 million to operate annually, with most of the funding
SINGAPORE: The recently launched free shuttle bus service for Marine Parade residents costs S$1 million to operate annually, with most of the funding sourced from private donations, Minister for State for Culture, Community and Youth Alvin Tan disclosed in Parliament on August 6.
Tan was responding to queries regarding the shuttle service’s funding and the potential for similar initiatives in other regions of Singapore. Launched as a one-year pilot program on June 30 by the advisers of Marine Parade GRC, MacPherson SMC, and Mountbatten SMC, the service is managed by the People’s Association (PA) and the South-East Community Development Council (CDC).
Running during non-peak hours on weekdays and excluding public holidays since July 8, the shuttle covers all seven divisions in the Marine Parade cluster.
Supporting the Elderly Community Tan explained that the service was proposed by grassroots advisors to enhance public transport connectivity for residents, particularly seniors. He noted that much of the area consists of “older estates with narrow roads” that are “difficult to serve with large public buses.”
The shuttle bus follows designated routes and stops at key locations such as polyclinics, neighborhood centers, and MRT stations. Since its inception, over 10,000 residents have registered for the service, with more than 40% of participants aged 65 and older. Approximately 1,000 residents have utilized the shuttle each week over the past three weeks.
Tan also stated that PA consulted the Land Transport Authority (LTA) to ensure that the shuttle services do not disrupt existing public bus operations at shared bus stops.
Funding and Community Support In response to inquiries from Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh and Progress Singapore Party (PSP) Non-Constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP) Hazel Poa about the funding, Tan clarified that the pilot costs around S$1 million annually, equating to about S$150,000 per division.
He mentioned that the South East CDC contributed a one-time seed grant of S$200,000, sourced from government matching grants available for community-driven initiatives. “The majority of the funding has been raised through donations from the CDC and grassroots organizations,” Tan added.
When asked if similar funding could be extended to other constituencies, he noted that the initiative is “largely privately funded,” primarily by donors within the Marine Parade cluster. He encouraged Singaporeans with similar ideas for community initiatives to approach their local CDC or the SG Partnerships Office.
Potential for Expansion Singh further inquired whether the LTA would consider implementing similar cluster services in other areas. Minister for Transport Chee Hong Tat clarified that the Marine Parade shuttle bus is a “pilot community initiative,” separate from the public transport network. He reiterated LTA’s commitment to enhancing connectivity for residents by investing up to S$900 million to improve bus services over the next eight years.
Tan mentioned that other divisions have experimented with similar bus services in the past, including routes to local mosques during Ramadan and transportation for seniors to vaccination sites. However, many of these previous initiatives were discontinued due to low utilization or concerns over financial sustainability. The Marine Parade shuttle pilot will be evaluated after one year to determine its suitability for other divisions in Singapore.
Recognizable Branding Non-Constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP) Leong Mun Wai and Aljunied GRC MP Gerald Giam questioned the decision to include images of grassroots advisors on the buses. In a written parliamentary reply, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong explained that the buses feature illustrations of Marine Parade landmarks and caricatures of local grassroots advisors, as residents are familiar with them. This branding aims to help residents easily identify the buses and promote their usage for transportation.
Overall, the Marine Parade shuttle bus initiative represents a community-focused effort to enhance mobility and accessibility for residents, particularly the elderly, while navigating the challenges of funding and sustainability.
COMMENTS