School bus operators in Singapore are allowed to add a temporary fuel surcharge of up to 20% on fares for July and August amid rising fuel costs, the Ministry of Education (MOE) announced on June 25 [1, 2, 3].
Several operators, including RS Transport Services, Liberty Transport Services, and Shanz Transportation Services, will impose surcharges between 10% and 20%. These affect schools such as St Andrew’s School Junior, St Stephen’s School, and Meridian Primary School [1, 2, 3]. RS Transport Services plans an 11% surcharge for St Andrew’s School Junior, raising monthly fares from $200–$280 to $222–$310.80 [1, 2, 3]. Liberty Transport Services will apply the full 20% surcharge on fares for St Stephen’s School students [1, 2, 3].
Other operators like Sky Transport Services and Keomin Bus Service have chosen not to increase fares [1, 2]. The MOE said students who receive financial assistance will not pay more out-of-pocket as subsidies will cover the fare hikes [1, 2, 3, 4]. Students not qualifying for financial assistance can seek help from their schools [4].
The MOE said, "Operators are discussing any fare adjustments with schools and communicating these to parents during the June school holidays, so that parents can plan their transport arrangements when the school term starts" [4]. St Stephen’s School added via a circular that "the school will keep parents or guardians informed of any further adjustments accordingly" [3].
The government provided temporary support to school bus operators from April through June, increasing subsidies from 13% to 20% of fare revenue in May 2023 to ease the impact of fuel price surges [4]. The MOE is monitoring fuel price developments linked to geopolitical events affecting oil supply through the Strait of Hormuz, even after a US-Iran ceasefire agreement on June 17 [1, 2, 4].
The MOE will review the fuel surcharge cap in August to decide on surcharges for September and October [3].
