SBS Transit's Golden Jubilee: Championing Sustainability and Inclusivity for the Future of Public Transport
“SBS Transit has come a long way since its humble beginnings, 50 years ago. It was a merger of three private bus companies to form Singapore Bus Service (SBS). The merger, as some of you may know was at the instigation of the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew who had the vision of amalgamating all the private bus companies in Singapore with the aim of improving efficiency and commuter service. Today, we have gone one full circle and we now have four bus public transport operators in Singapore, although they are much more efficiently run under the oversight of the Land Transport Authority (LTA),” said Mr Bob Tan, Chairman of SBS Transit.
From non-airconditioned buses to pioneering air-conditioned, wheelchair-accessible vehicles, launching the first ASEAN eco-friendly Euro 4 buses, and leading the way with two hybrid electric bus trials in Singapore, we continue to break barriers and conquer new milestones on our path to an even greener and more efficient future. Today, our fleet boasts electric trains, 31 fully electric buses, and 25 diesel-hybrid vehicles in collaboration with the LTA.
As we celebrate our 50 years of travelling together with Singapore, we're not merely reminiscing about our past achievements; we're propelling into the future with a renewed commitment to our passengers and the communities we serve.
At the SBS Transit 50th Anniversary Dinner, we did not just pay tribute to our staff and partners, we also honoured our community such as our partners who have supported us through our journey for the past half a century and Social Service Agencies who have worked closely with us with initiatives such as 'Find Your Way,' 'Travel Buddy,' and 'Waymap-SG' to empower passengers with special needs to navigate public transport confidently.
The dinner also heralded the beginning of a new chapter for SBS Transit. In our commitment to fostering a more progressive public transport industry, SBS Transit inked partnerships with four organisations – Community Chest (ComChest), Enterprise Singapore, SG Enable and Singapore Land Authority. The partnership will leverage their expertise and networks to co-create innovative solutions, shaping a more accessible, sustainable, greener and smarter public transportation. The signing ceremony took place during SBS Transit's 50th anniversary dinner celebrations (Please see annexes A to D). Guest-of-Honour, Acting Minister for Transport, Mr Chee Hong Tat graced the dinner and said that the Memorandum of Understandings (MOUs) “will help SBS Transit continue playing a crucial role in making our public transport more future-ready, and more accessible to commuters with different needs.”
The dinner also marks the tail end of our fund-raising campaign in support of ComChest, where we have committed to raising at least $320,000 for communities in need. We presented the donation cheque of $350,000 to ComChest at the dinner. Members of the public can continue to contribute by making a donation at: www.giving.sg/campaigns/50yearsoftravellingtogether until 30 November 2023, and SBS Transit will match it dollar for dollar (up to $75,000).
Mr Chee Hong Tat, Acting Minister for Transport said: “Over the past five decades, SBS Transit has grown along with our public transport system, and built up a strong reputation for providing safe, reliable and inclusive public transport services. I am especially glad to see that SBS Transit is taking the opportunity not just to look back, but also to look forward – to lay the foundations for another five decades of innovation and growth.“
Annex A: Factsheet on collaboration between SBS Transit and Community Chest
Annex B: Factsheet on collaboration between SBS Transit and SG Enable
Annex C: Factsheet on collaboration between SBS Transit and Singapore Land Authority
Annex D: Factsheet on collaboration between SBS Transit and Enterprise Singapore