PRIVATISATION AND DEREGULATION OF BUS SERVICES IN BRITAIN : LESSONS FOR SINGAPORE

Abstract

Public bus provision in Singapore has arrived at a milestone. Its qualities are comparable to the best practices around the world. The motivation of this study is to examine whether privatisation and deregulation can be the instrument to achieve a higher level of quality service provision given the prevailing transport operating and policy climate in Singapore. In the study, a general overview of the bus industry and the associated regulatory considerations are discussed. The research proceeds with an evaluation of the two broad categories of reform; deregulation and competitive tendering, with some inferences drawn from international experiences. An analysis specifically on the British experience and its applicability to Singapore is performed against an established base case. Findings suggest that the imperatives for regulatory restructuring are not strong. However, some merits for moderate application of competitive tendering and use of minibuses were found.