SINGAPORE: Two to three times a week, Mountbatten resident Madam Mak, 80, would take a free shuttle bus service to buy groceries at the market, have lunch nearby, and most importantly, to get to a polyclinic for health checkups.
But earlier this week, when the Marine Parade grassroots organisations that ran the free shuttle bus service announced that the service is set to end on Nov 20, Mdm Mak was dismayed by the news.
“I would have liked the service to last longer, it felt like it was only here for a short while,” said Mdm Mak, who has mobility issues and sometimes uses a wheelchair. She declined to give her full name.
“It’s not convenient for us old folks to move around.”
She said that to get to Geylang Polyclinic from her HDB Block at Cassia Crescent, she would have to walk or be pushed on a wheelchair by her daughter 450m to the nearest bus stop, and change buses once.
This can take up to one hour. But when the free shuttle service was first announced in July 2024, Mdm Mak was overjoyed that the service cut short her commuting time to the polyclinic to just 15 minutes.
Speaking to CNA while accompanying Mdm Mak, daughter Shirley Hong said her mother was flummoxed by the decision to withdraw the free service, which stopped by SingPost Centre and Dakota MRT station as well.
“The shuttle bus was very convenient for the old folk, I’m not sure why they had to cease the service,” said Ms Hong, 50.
The impending stoppage of the free shuttle service, which was announced on Monday (Oct 13), had stirred online debate with many commentators opining that the free service itself was introduced for political reasons before the recent General Election.
The service started in July 2024 on an initial one-year pilot for residents of the then-Marine Parade Group Representation Constituency (GRC), as well as MacPherson and Mountbatten Single Member Constituencies.
Prior to the General Election, the MacPherson ward was absorbed into the new Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC.
Political factors were far from the minds of the 15 residents of the ward who CNA spoke to since the cessation announcement.
Instead, their main concerns were the impact the cancellation has on their daily commutes, with many hoping the service could continue operating.
There were also other residents who believed that the free service had to end eventually because it did not appear to be sustainable, rather than due to political factors. Some observed that the shuttle had starkly different ridership levels across its seven routes, which they thought was the chief reason for its cessation.
Then-Minister of State for Culture, Community and Youth Alvin Tan said the pilot cost about S$1 million (US$770,000) to operate, with S$200,000 coming from a seed grant from the South East Community Development Council, and the rest from donations.
In a Facebook post, the grassroots organisation that initiated the project said they have decided not to renew the contract after considering feedback and other factors in their most recent review. Resources would be redirected “in a more targeted manner”.
Responding to queries, Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC MP Tin Pei Ling said that the “more targeted programmes” are related to transport.
She added that volunteers have been engaging residents in the days since the announcement, and will assist those who are affected by the service withdrawal.
She said she is “heartened” to hear that residents have been using the service and found it useful.
“That’s why you have these sentiments. To us, it shows that it’s not a wasted effort,” she said.
“But at the same time, we have been regularly monitoring this, actively observing ridership, and soliciting feedback from those who used it, as well as others who have not used it.”
