Supporting SPED Schools and Middle-income Families Affected by Discontinued One-way Transport Services

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong, Hougang

Question

To ask the Minister for Education (a) whether the Ministry has information that some Special Education (SPED) school bus operators will be discontinuing one-way transport services; (b) if so, how will affected SPED schools be supported in monitoring bus operators to prevent forced two-way fare bundling; and (c) whether targeted support will be provided to middle-income families who fall outside means-testing thresholds but face bus fare increases due to the discontinuance.

Response

1. All school bus operators serving SPED schools offer both one-way and two-way transport services. However, such school bus operators may require vehicle retrofitting, specialised vehicles, trained bus attendants, and customised transport arrangements to accommodate their higher needs. These requirements can limit the pool of suitable operators.
2. To manage their overhead costs and maintain a commercially viable service, most operators across mainstream and SPED schools charge only a slightly lower fare for one-way transport than for two-way transport. In some cases, there are operators that charge the same fare for both options.
3. Social Service Agencies (SSAs) operating SPED schools work with their bus operators to set pricing guidelines that balance these constraints while keeping school bus transport service sustainable.
4. MOE recognises the importance of keeping school bus services affordable and regularly reviews assistance schemes to support families in managing transport costs. When financial assistance is needed, eligible SPED students may receive up to 80% subsidy on school bus fee through MSF’s Enabling Transport Subsidy (ETS) and/or apply for school-based financial assistance through their schools. MOE will continue to work with SSAs and relevant agencies to improve the affordability of school bus services over the longer term.