I gong gong think that they are given special priviledge and do not have to pay while taking public transport.
I can’t believe that they are not even given concession on public transport.
sigh..

Often, I notice people just ignore wheel chair bounded passengers when boarding MRT trains. They don’t give way to let the wheel chair bounded to get in first. They don’t give way to let the wheel chair bounded to take the lift first.

I’m also shocked that the disabled are not given any public transport subsidies. surely singapore is wealthy enough to do that.

But why I see disabled people just take bus and then show a pass without paying money? I thought they are subsidized? Or am I wrong?

hongjun

Disabled People Got More Guts than the Retrenched Workers!

MCYS is behind your Back!

@4 hongjun

that only happens if the bus driver is compassionate to waive the boarding fee. the pass they flash is to identify themselves as disabled. it is up to the bus driver to decide whether s/he wants to let the disabled person get on the bus for free or pay the full fare.

“4) hongjun on May 24th, 2009 10.22 am ”

its called 人间有情. The concession is given based only on the driver’s common sense.

Honestly if a 1st world country cannt take care of a minority population of challenged citizens, what makes you think they care about the majority?

those wooden, log-headed mps & lta fuc*ing know how to enforce reserved handicap lot that comes in pair per floor at every congested carpark in spore (btw which are 100% vacant 24/7, 365/yr) but don’t know how to give concession to public trans.

Hongjun,

Those are not concession but compassion of individual bus drivers. It is not company policy to offer discounted fares to the disabled.

4.5 million souls.
60 give a hoot.

wow, even disabled people are more active politically than able Singaporeans. I think its a cause for shame for the majority of us.

What do u xpect from greedy n pathetic company ? And useless MPs? It’s a disgrace !

Aiyo….so embarassing,…..I wonder how these ministers can go overseas….

My meetings overseas must be postphoned because…if and if any of my clients or sponspors read this…they will…just…cringe….and go eeeee….

I too thought that they had free rides…..what is wrong with these companies….what is wrong with the transport/ MCYS and whatever ministries….

I know the authorities would do something now….

and I’m touched by these people …. for not asking for a full-fare concession….just a subsidy….

“These guys” think that people will not wash their dirty linen in public.( asian value)..that is the reason “they” have been going and doing what “they” like…but with life so difficult and different from before…I think such values should take a back seat….

Thanks again to TOC for bringing this shame out

hello? this is singapore inc.
the more u can contribute to the country’s coffers, the more subsidie u are entitled to. not the other way round.

and the govt already told u, ‘no one will be left behind’
- if u are a no one (ie poor, disabled, old) u will be left behind.

i hope everyone in this country can have a sense of proportion like mm said.

lose $4.6 billion with no regrets while people die with electricity/water cut off and hdb reposessing their house.

Give public transport subsidy ….and there’ll be “unnecessary” travels accordingly to Singapapor’s God of No Mercy

There was once I attended a “dialogue” session where a disabled person asked for more disabled friendly buses. The Minister’s response was, “Well if they need to get around, they can always take a cab.” This was not the Minister of Transport, btw. Someone much more senior.

Am not against disabled getting concessions — I think that is good as it signifies societal compassion in a tangible way.

However, let’s not use the income argument. If because of income, one needs to have concessions, then there are many other needy groups who need concessions too, not just disabled. E.g. those out of job, retrenched, those not earning enough to support family, aged parents, etc. The list goes on.

Then we have other needs – medical care, food, lodging, to take care.

Such needy people need targetted help. I think the govt should do so, but it must be sustainable and commensurate with prudent fiscal policy. Because in the end, taxpayer has to pay for govt to finance targetted help.

The cause is a noble one.
One that I believe many Singaporeans will support.
But there is no need to drag in all the irrelevant and negative blame-the-garment for-every-damn-problem-you-got comments.
It does no benefit except to reduce credibilty.
Look at the big picture.
Stay on focus.

#8
reserved handicap lot is by HDB

bus concessions is by bus companies and the Public Tpt Council

but on both counts, you blamed LTA

get your facts right or your are sabotaging this cause

The govt don’t wish or expect the disabled to travel around too much – maybe the occasional trip to the clinic / hospital.

I thought Singapore public transportation is world class? I think regardless of whether one travel onboard a bus or SMRT, it is easy to just use the EZlink card to pay for fares right? Singapore is so wired up these days, I think it is not difficult for public transport companies (those buses and SMRT) to issue free pass to the less-able fellow citizenry. Yes? No? Oh don’t you worry, they can register to get it if you guys (those public transportation think tank) are worried over abuse. Oh I see, you mean you guys invested million of dollars in a system that cannot identify free pass issue? Difficult to change the software programs that runs the check? That is weird, wonder who works in the planning department. I used to take world class transportation in different countries, some are less world class but this is some news to me let alone this happen to my beloved country Singapore. Really feel shameful to tell my Hong Kong and foreign friends that this is how my country treats her fellow less-able citizenry. I think the only excuse I can make up is “they did not think of that to begin with”. Wow, that is such a good excuse.

Look guys, this is just way too much. Where is the spirit of an inclusive society? You guys had let ou rPM down. You guys have given Singapore first world and world class status a bad name. Don’t you worry about the shareholders, they can understand that this is a good cause and it actually does more good to the company share value than harm. So, please get to work and go issue those free passes to our less-able fellow citizenry.

Gerald,

Wow. I’m not surprised that they lack empathy, but I’m surprised that they are incompetent enough to blatantly reveal their lack of empathy.

The “mean test” should be appiled in such subsidies to prevent the buffet syndrome.

In the same spirit as when social aid is dished to the community, the deserving must be the one who receiving. Then the deserving will get more.

Remember people grabbing free textbooks in Merc?

The cases where the rich dump their aged parents into subsidised homes. Then the poor have less places.

It is not statistically possible that all disabled are from poor background, and those who are from well off families need to be subsidised. In fact these families should start a movement (like in TOC) to help the poor disabled, like starting a charity from their own donations, as they would have even greater empathy for them. Then the rest of the citizens will sure to support.

First World we are, so the Gov’t claimed. Zero empathy and zero compassion, that is the mentality of our leaders. Just loose more money thru Temasek and collect your million dollars paycheck.

Gerald, I cannot believe the transport minister said that…

Known fact that there is no free lunch and every thing is Pay And Pay…..so what subsidy you are talking when the transport companies must look after sharholders stake and enhance shareholders value yr. on yr. rather than look after the handicaps…..so tough luck………try getting a sponsors elsewhere !!!

This is another way how our stingy government have accumulated such a large foreign reserve over the past 50 years of PAP’s rule by spending less for our unfortunate fellow citizens. The government make the poor and homeless beg from their MPs so that they will be beholden to the PAP and do the right thing during the GE when many of these cases can be solved by the relevant government departments. As a result, there are long queues at PAP’s MPS.

The PAP considered money spent for the disabled as welfare consumption and can be wasteful while infrastructure development are tangible and productive which are politically rewarding. Recently, the government threw a party at Hampton Court in London for our citizens working overseas at a cost of $500 per participant. If the government were to grant just half of this amount as transport subsidy to the disabled it would last them a year instead of one day of enjoyment for our very fortunate citizens in Europe.

It’s simple. If the ministers could forego their pay increases, it’ll be more than enough to subsidise these disabled folks.

Do singaporeans feel that by being UnInterested in the PLIGHT of the less Fortunate like the Disabled and Retrenched, what kind of signal are they sending out?

Is it wise and does this Prove the society is not Caring or Vocal or Apathetic to the plight of others?

With turnouts of between 20 – 60, would the message be sent across or back fire?

#2 >>
It is quite sad that after so many years of education, the Singapore Society in general would still turn a blind eye to the disabled.
This is so obvious in the many MRT rides that i’d taken.
Is it really so hard to give a little way?

It is good to see the disabled standing up for their own rights.
To stand up for yourself, i guess, is something one has to do if u dun fit in the mainstream.

This is so sad. I guess the Singapore govt looks upon the mentally and physically challenged a waste of time, and money.

In Spore, if you do not have above average IQ, you are already considered a waste of space by the Govt. MERITOCRACY, remember? Its the super rich and super well and super able that get the most help from the Govt, eg, Scholars incl Lee Hsieng Loong.

PAP supporters will tell you that they don’t want the Govt to give any sort of welfare. They will tell you the disabled, elderly poor or the sick & poor should depend on charity.

Many forgot that disability can happen to anyone at anytime. It should not only be the disabled campaigning for Govt subsidy. Every single person should be doing it for your own safe guard just in case anything happens to you. Its not a curse, its a fact.

8) toiletmatter on May 24th, 2009 12.18 pm

you know why? Our government assume that all disabled are rich and can afford to drive or take taxi. Or heck, they assume everyone are drawing high salary in singapore…

Well, i saw a minister take a first class flight from Paris to Singapore for a trip related to the Youth Olympics.

Not sure if the Olympic Council paid for this, or it was from tax payers money. i was just wondering to myself if Business Class would have sufficed, or he really really needed the extra legroom and champagne on a higher class of travel.

and here we are, the disabled having to beg for a transport subsidy. the price difference between Biz and First Class could probably have provided a couple of trips to the clinic for physiotherapy session for a few disabled citizens for a year!

This issue + Marxist conspiracy = Cruel and heartless PAP government!

35) Tin on May 25th, 2009 5.51 pm

remember, its the people who enabled them to do what they did.
By this, i am not saying they did anything wrong or cruel or heartless.
you all should know.

Kudos to TOC for highlighting this matter.

The government doesn’t give a fig because people, until now, have not made their opinions clear on the issue. Govt apathy stems from citizen apathy, IMHO.

As citizens, as able-bodied, educated citizens we must make it very clear we won’t stand for crap like this. The subsidies are minuscule — these guys are not asking for the moon.

This govt brushes off a $5 billion share market loss as nothing, but yet it can be bothered to give subsidies that would total in the low six-figure range for all OUR disabled citizens.

We have a pandering lame-duck MSM that’s too scared to hold the govt accountable on matters like these (the pseudo-civil servants are petrified of losing their – lo! – $3,000 monthly salary), so it up to the us, the civic citizenry to pick up the cudgels and fight.

We must keep this under spotlight and shame the MPs into doing something.

oops little typo in my above post.

The sixth line should read as follows: “This govt brushes off a $5 billion share market loss as nothing, but yet it CAN’T be bothered to give subsidies that would total in the low six-figure range for all OUR disabled citizens.”

Thank you.

Loads of money to lose but little for those you need the subsidies. Is this what we want Singapore to be ??

Some Singaporeans are sooooo proud of their filthy rich Singapore, a country which squeeze its poorest citizens dry. To these, you won’t be so proud anymore if you lose a limb. Such issues concerns every single Singapore citizen, it is not just a campaign for the disabled.

10 years on and sama sama.
Its fair for me to assume that based on the low turnout (out of 4.5million),
the people , in general , do not want to seriously pursue subsidy for the disabled.

As said by a reader, why are some people still championing for them when clearly, the majority somehow are not interested to help the less fortunate and all let it AUTO-Pilot. Why spend time fighting when you know the majority are not interested or boh chap?

Able-bodied people like us are only given 2 cents discount, you think they will give better discount to disabled people? Fat chance!

“concession fares are cross-subsidized by full-fare paying passengers with no direct subsidy”

I’m so tired of this crap. What SMRT/Temasek is basically telling you is that even if it DOES give subsidies, the subsidy comes from increased fare from other passengers, thereby protecting its original profit margin.

SHAME on SMRT

[...] Read: 10 years and still no public transport subsidy for disabled. [...]

[...] Read: 10 years and still no public transport subsidy for disabled. [...]

This issue has been there for so many years, our transport companies are driven by profits.As long as you have $$$. Caring Singapore? When they lose a few more seats, it might happen.

The dividends declared by SBS and AMRT are risk free profits which if returned to public, will be more than enough to subsidize all the disabled and some needy people.

These dividends are for the shareholders.

hongjun

This type of attitude from the obscenely highest paid politicians in Singapore towards such a small group of people really angers me……I will inform all my friends and relatives how cruel, and callous the Minister in charge and the PTC are……I am sure many will chane their votes to opposition in the next GE.

The Country spends more than a hundred million $$ to feed these fat cat politicians and senior civil servants but they will not life a finger to help a few hundred disable citizens….real disgrace.

The government’s silence on the matter proves their ignorance on it.