Public bus operators' profits plunge

SBS3688Y SG

Mature comments please -
First was SMRT Buses. Now in today’s newspaper article mentions SBST profit plunges. I guess the main reasons are conversion to Distance Fares, rising operating and maintenance costs and extension of Senior Citizens concessions to full day, expansion of bus fleets to boost frequency.

Conversion to Distance Fares is good. In order to keep fares artifically low enough for oridinary citizens and yet not strangling our bus operators till they can’t breathe, our govt is going towards a positive direction through the $1.1 billion package. This alone may not be enough to address these problems and more should be done to address the future and long term problems.

Some surplus revenues from high COEs and ERPs should be chanelled to fund public transport. And are our bus operators sometimes spending unnecessarily? Look at the SBST Volvo MK4 buses and SMRT MB O405 buses; they are retiring and yet they are spending money to refurbish them. Why? I don’t understand! If money is used to refurbish mid-lifespan buses; its understandable. And I find several routes running at low demands during off-peak and weekends. Should there be another round of route rationalisation exercise to cut down wasteful duplications?

SBS2601D SG

You dont wait till the floorboards fall apart under your feet before you do something do you?

And what are those "several routes" you refer to?

sbst275 SG

actually... SBST's losses is partly to w/ the impact of e BC's wage increment... Had not been for the wage adjustment, I think SBST would have least broke even marginally last Qtr.. But least, BCs get a better takehome pay now...

actually, the problem w/ bus rts now is patched up network and worst no one is willing to say 'let's rationalise' w/ the new towns development and new industrial devt...

vicamour SG

Most likely there will be another round of fare increase this year, due to these higher operational costs and expansion of operations.

The cause the problems: artifically increase of population outpaces the pace of increase of capacity of infrastructure.

sbst275 SG

also wat's interesting is SMRTB's losses has been higher than SBST's...

SBS2601D SG

Most likely there will be another round of fare increase this year, due to these higher operational costs and expansion of operations.

The cause the problems: artifically increase of population outpaces the pace of increase of capacity of infrastructure.

I wonder if you know anything about the fare hike formula...

mancha SG

Profits only plunge, but takings rise.

They should see where the money is going to.

http://www.smrt.com.sg/Portals/0/PDFs/About%20SMRT/Investor%20Relations/Annual%20Report/2012_SR.PDF

buses[IN]gapore! SG

SBS profit plummets as fuel and staff costs rise - 12 May 2012

www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/.../STIStory_798116.html

link does not exist anymore.

No_10_Tomas SG

c'mon lah..why are they even lamenting that bus operation are incurring deficits

public transport should be a public service subsidized by government

just like healthcare and education

you ever see hospitals declaring their profits??

Y_Shun SG

You know profits plunge means they are still earning profits? Just that the shareholders get lesser dividends.

Y_Shun SG

Honestly, I personally think moove media can do alot more for SBS NEL/Bus to increase their revenue via advertising.

The model is there... just copy SMRT can already.....

TIB 501 D SG

I would like to withdraw service 275(not the user).

1. Duplicating 131

2. Horrible Frequency

3. Only One Bus(should add that bus to 272 or 273 instead)

4. Low ridership

service_238 SG

I would like to withdraw service 275(not the user).

1. Duplicating 131

2. Horrible Frequency

3. Only One Bus(should add that bus to 272 or 273 instead)

4. Low ridership

Please write in to Sam Tan Chin Siong for that request.

Alternatively please visit him at:

1. Blk 70A Redhill Close, #07-01 on the second and fourth Fridays of the month at 8.00pm

2. Blk 21 Telok Blangah Cres #01-52 on the first, third and fifth Fridays of the month at 8.00pm

3. Blk 106 Jalan Bukit Merah void deck on the first Wednesday of the month at 8.00pm.