[h=1]LUI TUCK YEW: GOVT IS NOT WILLING TO PROVIDE FREE TRAVEL FOR OLDER SINGAPOREANS[/h]
Post date:
21 Jan 2015 - 3:25pm
[photo credit:The Straits Times]
Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew said that the government is not willing to provide free transport to elderly Singaporeans.
"Given these generous discounts, and the significant additional cost taxpayers and other commuters will have to foot, I am not sure we need or should move to completely free travel for our senior citizens at this time," Mr Lui said yesterday.
He was responding to a question from Member of Parliament Seah Kian Peng who asked what the cost of providing free MRT and bus rides to elderly Singaporeans above 60 years old is and if the government will consider doing so.
However, Mr Lui tried to sidestep the question.
"It is difficult to estimate the costs as the travel patterns of the senior citizen group can vary considerably with different policies in place, and because we only have the data of those who hold the senior citizen concession card, and not that of the entire senior citizen population."
Mr Lui did provide an estimate.
"The annual cost of travel incurred by the 580,000 senior citizen card holders, all of whom are Singaporeans 60 years old and above, is about $200 million annually.
"If we look only at the card holders who are 65 years old and above, and 67 years old and above, the cost is about $125 million and $95 million respectively.
Mr Lui claimed that "the estimates are on the low side".
However, Mr Lui also said that the government is not willing to provide free transport to the elderly because "With free travel, the travel patterns may change and the estimates may rise due to induced travel demand."
It is unbelievable that as a government, the government would actually not have the actual statistics on travel costs. Naturally, the government would need to have these statistics for planning purposes and to be able to project travel demand and costs.
Does it not sound ridiculous that the government would only have estimates and not actual statistics?
Mr Lui also said "Given these generous discounts, and the significant additional cost taxpayers and other commuters will have to foot, I am not sure we need or should move to completely free travel for our senior citizens at this time."
Mr Lui estimated that the cost of providing free travel for all Singaporeans aged 60 years and above is only $200 million.
For a comparison, this is only half of the $400 million that the government gives on scholarships to international students. Surely, if the government has even enough money to spend on foreigners, it should not be an issue when it comes to Singaporeans?
Moreover, even if the government was to only give free travel for Singaporeans aged 67 years and above, it would only cost the government $95 million.
In addition, it is estimated that there are billions of dollars that the government has saved in surplus which it has not declared to Singaporeans. Providing free travel for elderly Singaporeans would make up only 0.01 percent of this undeclared surplus.
If so, for the government to claim that providing free travel would cost more to taxpayers is erroneous since there is more than enough in the government's coffers to provide for free travel and still be able to have a sustainable fiscal situation.
The government's refusal is more indicative of its unwillingness to take care of older Singaporeans, more so than because there is not enough money to do so.
Post date:
21 Jan 2015 - 3:25pm
[photo credit:The Straits Times]
Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew said that the government is not willing to provide free transport to elderly Singaporeans.
"Given these generous discounts, and the significant additional cost taxpayers and other commuters will have to foot, I am not sure we need or should move to completely free travel for our senior citizens at this time," Mr Lui said yesterday.
He was responding to a question from Member of Parliament Seah Kian Peng who asked what the cost of providing free MRT and bus rides to elderly Singaporeans above 60 years old is and if the government will consider doing so.
However, Mr Lui tried to sidestep the question.
"It is difficult to estimate the costs as the travel patterns of the senior citizen group can vary considerably with different policies in place, and because we only have the data of those who hold the senior citizen concession card, and not that of the entire senior citizen population."
Mr Lui did provide an estimate.
"The annual cost of travel incurred by the 580,000 senior citizen card holders, all of whom are Singaporeans 60 years old and above, is about $200 million annually.
"If we look only at the card holders who are 65 years old and above, and 67 years old and above, the cost is about $125 million and $95 million respectively.
Mr Lui claimed that "the estimates are on the low side".
However, Mr Lui also said that the government is not willing to provide free transport to the elderly because "With free travel, the travel patterns may change and the estimates may rise due to induced travel demand."
It is unbelievable that as a government, the government would actually not have the actual statistics on travel costs. Naturally, the government would need to have these statistics for planning purposes and to be able to project travel demand and costs.
Does it not sound ridiculous that the government would only have estimates and not actual statistics?
Mr Lui also said "Given these generous discounts, and the significant additional cost taxpayers and other commuters will have to foot, I am not sure we need or should move to completely free travel for our senior citizens at this time."
Mr Lui estimated that the cost of providing free travel for all Singaporeans aged 60 years and above is only $200 million.
For a comparison, this is only half of the $400 million that the government gives on scholarships to international students. Surely, if the government has even enough money to spend on foreigners, it should not be an issue when it comes to Singaporeans?
Moreover, even if the government was to only give free travel for Singaporeans aged 67 years and above, it would only cost the government $95 million.
In addition, it is estimated that there are billions of dollars that the government has saved in surplus which it has not declared to Singaporeans. Providing free travel for elderly Singaporeans would make up only 0.01 percent of this undeclared surplus.
If so, for the government to claim that providing free travel would cost more to taxpayers is erroneous since there is more than enough in the government's coffers to provide for free travel and still be able to have a sustainable fiscal situation.
The government's refusal is more indicative of its unwillingness to take care of older Singaporeans, more so than because there is not enough money to do so.
