Public Transport Council
Encyclopedia
The Public Transport Council (Abbreviation
: PTC; Chinese: 公共交通理事会, Pinyin
: Gōnggòng Jiāotōng Lǐshìhuì; Malay: Majlis Pengangkutan Awam) is an independent regulatory statutory board
under the Ministry of Transport
of Singapore
, established on 14 August 1987 by the Public Transport Council Act of 1987. PTC regulates the public bus and rapid transit network in areas such as fares and service standards.
PTC is also authorised to issue and do amendments to bus service licences, and advises the Ministry of Transport on areas such as conditions on licensees and imposing of penalties on non-complying licensees. It regulates public land transport, differing in terms of roles from the statutory boards under MOT
, which represent the mode of transport
. PTC was established to develop an integrated public transport network, by assuring quality services and by surveying the fares suitable for the public.
The Council is responsible for setting up the Fuel Equalisation Fund, the Night Bus Scheme and the annual public transport fare regulations.
called for the dissolution of the Council in its 2006 Manifesto
http://www.wp.org.sg/party/manifesto_2006.htm in favour of a not-for-profit corporation in the leadup to the 2006 general elections
. It also has its critics amongst the pro-free market, such as Ngiam Tong Dow who argue the PTC is over regulating the public transport system http://www.todayonline.com/articles/128627.asp.
and SMRT
for an overall increase in bus and train fares of 1.7% . This latest fare adjustment took effect on 1 October 2006. The PTC has justified the increase in fares based on the positive economic outlook in 2006 and a comparison of average public transport fares with the cities of Hong Kong
, London
and New York
.
PTC cited good economic outlook as a justification of fare hike in its 2006 report. Nonetheless, PTC has been criticized for approving past fare hikes in previous years when there was an economic slowdown.
PTC justify the fare hike by comparing the fare of Hong Kong, London, and New York as these cities have higher fare compared to Singapore, but conveniently ignore other cities like KL, Jakarta, Manila and others.
Readers of The Straits Time also question PTC's survey accuracy. The letter is posted in "Is the PTC's survey representative enough?". The PTC than rebutted the reader, saying that the survey is representative as it was carried out by the Singapore Management University using proper methodology . The PTC claimed in the survey http://www.ptc.gov.sg/news17.pdf that "almost three quarters of them (passengers) said their daily expenditure were affordable", and the "interviews were conducted upon immediate completion of their bus trips...", this effectively exclude people that cannot afford to take the bus, and thereby contribute to the bias of the sample.
Abbreviation
An abbreviation is a shortened form of a word or phrase. Usually, but not always, it consists of a letter or group of letters taken from the word or phrase...
: PTC; Chinese: 公共交通理事会, Pinyin
Pinyin
Pinyin is the official system to transcribe Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet in China, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. It is also often used to teach Mandarin Chinese and spell Chinese names in foreign publications and used as an input method to enter Chinese characters into...
: Gōnggòng Jiāotōng Lǐshìhuì; Malay: Majlis Pengangkutan Awam) is an independent regulatory statutory board
Statutory boards of the Singapore Government
The statutory boards of the Singapore Government are organisations that have been given autonomy to perform an operational function. They usually report to one specific ministry.*Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority...
under the Ministry of Transport
Ministry of Transport (Singapore)
The Ministry of Transport is a ministry in the Government of Singapore that administers and regulates land, sea and air transportation within the republic’s jurisdiction....
of Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, established on 14 August 1987 by the Public Transport Council Act of 1987. PTC regulates the public bus and rapid transit network in areas such as fares and service standards.
PTC is also authorised to issue and do amendments to bus service licences, and advises the Ministry of Transport on areas such as conditions on licensees and imposing of penalties on non-complying licensees. It regulates public land transport, differing in terms of roles from the statutory boards under MOT
Ministry of Transport (Singapore)
The Ministry of Transport is a ministry in the Government of Singapore that administers and regulates land, sea and air transportation within the republic’s jurisdiction....
, which represent the mode of transport
Mode of transport
Mode of transport is a term used to distinguish substantially different ways to perform transport. The most dominant modes of transport are aviation, land transport, which includes rail, road and off-road transport, and ship transport...
. PTC was established to develop an integrated public transport network, by assuring quality services and by surveying the fares suitable for the public.
The Council is responsible for setting up the Fuel Equalisation Fund, the Night Bus Scheme and the annual public transport fare regulations.
Controversy
As the public transport fare regulator, the Council has come under public scrutiny on various occasions when it approved fare hike proposals from public transport operators http://www.yawningbread.org/arch_2002/yax-292.htm. It has also come under fire through some policies deemed as pro-operator rather than pro-consumer, such as its actions against fare cheats in 2005 http://tnp.sg/speakup/story/0,4136,96442,00.html. With public transport a key election topic, the Workers' PartyWorkers' Party of Singapore
The Workers' Party of Singapore is a centre-left opposition political party in Singapore. The party currently has six elected seats in Parliament, with the party's Secretary-General Low Thia Khiang, Chairman Sylvia Lim, Chen Show Mao, Muhamad Faisal Manap and Pritam Singh serving as Members of...
called for the dissolution of the Council in its 2006 Manifesto
Manifesto
A manifesto is a public declaration of principles and intentions, often political in nature. Manifestos relating to religious belief are generally referred to as creeds. Manifestos may also be life stance-related.-Etymology:...
http://www.wp.org.sg/party/manifesto_2006.htm in favour of a not-for-profit corporation in the leadup to the 2006 general elections
Singapore general election, 2006
The 2006 Singapore parliamentary general election was held on 6 May 2006. 1.22 million out of the 2.16 million eligible Singaporeans voted for Members of Parliament and elected their next government. The People's Action Party , in its first election under Lee Hsien Loong, won 66.6% of the overall...
. It also has its critics amongst the pro-free market, such as Ngiam Tong Dow who argue the PTC is over regulating the public transport system http://www.todayonline.com/articles/128627.asp.
Fare hike controversy of 2006
On 12 September 2006, the PTC approved applications from local transport operators SBS TransitSBS Transit
SBS Transit Limited is a public transport operator in Singapore. Its major competitor in Singapore's duopoly transport system is SMRT Corporation, which also operates bus, rail, taxi and other transport services....
and SMRT
SMRT
SMRT may refer to:* SMRT Limited, United Kingdom* SMRT Corporation, Singapore* Single Molecule Real Time Sequencing* Silencing Mediator for Retinoid and Thyroid-hormone receptors, thyroid hormone receptors that are affected by nuclear receptor co-repressor 2...
for an overall increase in bus and train fares of 1.7% . This latest fare adjustment took effect on 1 October 2006. The PTC has justified the increase in fares based on the positive economic outlook in 2006 and a comparison of average public transport fares with the cities of Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
PTC cited good economic outlook as a justification of fare hike in its 2006 report. Nonetheless, PTC has been criticized for approving past fare hikes in previous years when there was an economic slowdown.
PTC justify the fare hike by comparing the fare of Hong Kong, London, and New York as these cities have higher fare compared to Singapore, but conveniently ignore other cities like KL, Jakarta, Manila and others.
Readers of The Straits Time also question PTC's survey accuracy. The letter is posted in "Is the PTC's survey representative enough?". The PTC than rebutted the reader, saying that the survey is representative as it was carried out by the Singapore Management University using proper methodology . The PTC claimed in the survey http://www.ptc.gov.sg/news17.pdf that "almost three quarters of them (passengers) said their daily expenditure were affordable", and the "interviews were conducted upon immediate completion of their bus trips...", this effectively exclude people that cannot afford to take the bus, and thereby contribute to the bias of the sample.
See also
- Transport in SingaporeTransport in SingaporeTransport within Singapore is mainly land-based. Many parts of Singapore are accessible by road, including islands such as Sentosa and Jurong Island. The other major form of transportation within Singapore is rail: the Mass Rapid Transit which runs the length and width of Singapore, and the Light...
- Civil Aviation Authority of SingaporeCivil Aviation Authority of SingaporeThe Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore is Singapore's Civil Aviation Authority and a statutory board under the Ministry of Transport of the Singapore Government...
- Land Transport AuthorityLand Transport AuthorityThe Land Transport Authority is a statutory board under the Ministry of Transport of the Singapore Government.-History:...
- Maritime and Port Authority of SingaporeMaritime and Port Authority of SingaporeThe Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore is a statutory board under the Ministry of Transport of the Singapore Government.-History:The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore was established on 2 February 1996 by the MPA Act of...