Route fixing by school bus operators?

I RECENTLY moved from the north to the east of Singapore. I enrolled my child in a nearby kindergarten and started looking for a school bus operator.

The school provided only one name and claimed it had always recommended the person to handle parents' requests for transportation services.

This is very different from schools in the north which typically recommend several companies based on their level of service and feedback from parents.

Nonetheless, I called the man and was left with the impression that he acts more like an agent who coordinates the arrangements with several school bus operators.

He gave me a verbal quotation which was almost 60 per cent more expensive than what I used to pay. I wanted to do a check on pricing and found a bus company which operates for another kindergarten in the same area, a few kilometres away from my son's new school.

When I called, the person in charge gave me a price which was about 40 per cent cheaper than the first quotation. But when he learnt about the location of my child's school, he rejected my request and claimed he was 'not allowed' to run that route.

It is surprising that in this industry there is such an arrangement where service providers collude to have certain providers monopolise the routes and leave consumers with no choice.

Is this a widely known practice that I am not aware of?

Lok Chun Hao

ditzy

11 Jun 10, 07:49

Yes, this is the so called corruption that is so called not to exist in singapore.

Clivebenss

11 Jun 10, 07:54

must be an exclusive school with exclusive rights.

sbst275

12 Jun 10, 00:30

dunno..

but i suspect it's getting into schools simply engage 1 co-ord or operator to do the school bus service.

Even in any case e old days independent ones also got 'routes' indirectly.

Clivebenss

12 Jun 10, 00:36

Originally posted by sbst275:

dunno..

but i suspect it's getting into schools simply engage 1 co-ord or operator to do the school bus service.

Even in any case e old days independent ones also got 'routes' indirectly.

Could be certain schools allocate only certain operators that cause the monopoly. Security concerns might be cited.

sbst275

12 Jun 10, 00:37

Originally posted by Clivebenss:

Could be certain schools allocate only certain operators that cause the monopoly. Security concerns might be cited.

probably.

but looking at a broader view, e old day independent or the so called 'co-ord' either way e indv route is monopolised..

it's only how 'legal' the method used is.