Parliamentary Question: Impact of the Middle East Situation on Singapore

On Protecting Vulnerable Groups from Transport Service Exits Through Impact Studies and Tiered Measures

Ms Denise Phua Lay Peng (Jalan Besar): I think Acting Minister Jeffrey Siow has mentioned that temporary assistance will be provided for those who need them for essential services. Co-funding will be given as well.

For many of these vulnerable groups, for example, the elderly, the disabled, the younger disabled, those who are in special education schools and so forth, they have very few alternatives in terms of transport mode. I worry that if the measures are too blunt or too low even after co-funding, the service providers who chose to provide essential transport services for this group might choose to exit. That is something that we do not want to see because it does create more hardship.

So, I want to ask if the relevant Ministries, for example, the Ministry of Education (MOE), MSF and MOH, who are supporting this group, before they make their final decision and announce them, can you do a more detailed study in terms of the impact and perhaps look at tiering some of these measures before announcing them, and provide a space to have flexibility for those who are truly undergoing hardship or will create hardship, to protect the vulnerable who have few alternatives and also to preserve those service providers who have other alternatives to make money but choose to serve this group of vulnerable people? For your consideration, please.