The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has put up the Bukit Merah bus package for tender today. This is the fourth package under the Bus Contracting Model.
2 The Bukit Merah bus package is the first of 11 negotiated packages under the bus contracting model to be put up for tender. The package consists of 18 bus services (including cross-border services to Johor Bahru[1]), with about 340 buses, and will operate from the new Ulu Pandan Bus Depot scheduled to be completed in 2018. This package will primarily serve the Bukit Merah Town and Central Business District (CBD). Bus services will be deployed from Bukit Merah, Harbourfront and Jurong East Temporary Bus Interchanges, as well as Buona Vista, Marina Centre, New Bridge Road, Queen Street and Shenton Way Bus Terminals. (Please refer to Annex A for the geographical location of the package.)
3 The 18 bus services to be included in the package are:
- Bukit Merah Bus Interchange: 5, 16, 57, 131/131M, 198, 272, 273
- Harbourfront Bus Interchange: 93, 123/123M
- Jurong East Temporary Bus Interchange2: 160
- Buona Vista Bus Terminal[2]: 145
- Marina Centre Bus Terminal: 195
- New Bridge Road Bus Terminal: 120, 121, 122
- Queen Street Bus Terminal: 170/170A
- Shenton Way Bus Terminal: 400, 402
4 These bus services will be operated by the successful tenderer for a service term of five years with the possibility of a two-year extension for good performance.
5 The package will start with about 340 buses, growing to about 390 buses by end of the contract, in tandem with new developments and projected growth in ridership.
6 Similar to the first three tendered packages, both local and foreign bus operators may bid for the right to operate the Bukit Merah package. To ensure a smooth transition, the bus services will be progressively implemented in four tranches from the 4th quarter of 2018 to allow sufficient time for the incoming operator to build up its resources, such as recruitment and training of bus captains and technicians.
7 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
8 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[3] 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.
[1] Services 160 and 170/170A
[2] Buona Vista Bus Terminal and Jurong East Temporary Interchange will not be handed over to the incoming operator, because they are assigned to other bus packages and are operated by other operators.
[3] 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, and the four existing public transport operators, was established in February 2014 to provide a platform for engagement and consultation on policies that affect the public transport workforce.
