1. The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has put up the third bus package in Seletar for tender today.
2. The Seletar bus package comprises 24[1] existing services and two new services which will be announced closer to the commencement date. The bus services will be operated from Ang Mo Kio, Yio Chu Kang and Yishun Bus Interchanges, and will be supported by the new Seletar Bus Depot located off Yio Chu Kang Road, which is scheduled to be completed by the third quarter of 2017.
3. The package consists of about 420 buses, growing to about 500 buses in 2023 in tandem with new developments and projected growth in ridership.
4. The bus services will be operated by the successful tenderer (the “Operator”) for a service term of five years with the possibility of a two-year extension for good performance.
5. The Operator will also operate, manage, and maintain Ang Mo Kio Bus Interchange, Yio Chu Kang Bus Interchange and Seletar Bus Depot.
6. Both local and foreign bus operators may bid for the right to operate the Seletar package. All tender submissions will be evaluated through a two-envelope process for quality and price with more weightage given to the quality proposals submitted by the tenderers.
Safeguarding the Welfare of Workers
7. Each new tender or change in contract for bus services may result in the movement of bus employees from one employer to another. To promote sound employment practices by public bus operators, the Public Transport Tripartite Committee[2] chaired by Senior Minister of State for Transport Mrs Josephine Teo had issued a set of Guidelines on Good Employment Practices in the Public Bus Industry in September 2014. The Committee will continue to engage the various stakeholders to safeguard the welfare of bus sector employees during the transition.
Ensuring a Smooth Transition
8. To ensure a smooth transition, the implementation of the bus services in the Seletar bus package will be carried out in two tranches from the first half of 2018 to allow sufficient time for the Operator to build up its resources, such as recruitment and training of bus captains and technicians.
Annex: Details of Seletar Bus Package
[1] The existing services in this package are: 24, 70, 76, 130, 133, 135, 138, 162, 261, 262, 265, 268, 269, 800, 803, 804, 805, 806, 811, 812, 850E, 851, 852 and 860.
[2] The Public Transport Tripartite Committee (PTTC), chaired by Senior Minister of State for Transport Mrs Josephine Teo and comprising representatives from LTA, Ministry of Manpower, National Transport Workers’ Union, SBS Transit and SMRT, was established in February 2014 to provide a platform for engagement and consultation on policies that affect the public transport workforce. The two new bus operators, Tower Transit Singapore and Go-Ahead Loyang have since joined the PTTC as members.
