11 September 2007

MEDIA RELEASE

PUBLIC TRANSPORT VOUCHERS

NTUC to help administer $900,000 worth of public transport vouchers

To aid lower-income union members cope financially with the transport fare increase this year, the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) will help the government and public transport operators SBS Transit and SMRT Corporation to disburse $900,000 worth of public transport vouchers to needy union members.

Union members and their families can use the vouchers, worth $30 each, to purchase or top-up their EZ-Link cards or buy monthly concession passes. To maximise the outreach to as many union members as possible, each family will receive one voucher of $30. The vouchers can be redeemed at 42 TransitLink Offices or six TransitLink Card Replacement Offices, and must be redeemed by 30 June 2008. Union members can log on to http://www.transitlink.com.sg (under the icon “Product & Services”) for the full list of TransitLink offices. There is no expiry date, once the value of the voucher has been encoded in the EZ-Link card.

Eligibility criteria for union members

For union members who are applying for the public transport voucher, the family would have to meet the criteria of household income of less than $1,500 or per capita income of not more than $450, with at least one member of the household being a Singapore citizen.

For union members that meet the above income criteria but do not have at least one member of the household who is a Singapore citizen, they can still apply for the $30 transport vouchers. These vouchers will be separately funded by the NTUC Care and Share fund, which is fully contributed by the Singapore Labour Foundation (SLF). The application process will be the same for both Singaporean and non-Singaporean union members.

Application process

NTUC union members from low-income families who are eligible can apply for the public transport vouchers through their unions or through the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) from 17 September 2007 to 16 October 2007.   This is because it is more convenient for them to apply through their unions, which are often located near their workplace. Also, NTUC will be better able to assess the members’ needs and provide assistance for them.

Ordinary Branch union members can apply directly with the respective unions they belong to. As for General Branch union members, they can download the application form from http://www.ntuc.org.sg. They can also obtain the application form from NTUC One-Stop Centre located at No. 1, Marina Boulevard, #B1-01. Enquires may be directed to NTUC Hotline at 6213 8008.

Applicants will be informed of the outcome, and successful applicants will receive the vouchers from 1 November 2007 onwards from their respective unions or the NTUC Customer Service Centre, depending on where they had applied to. Union members will also be briefed by their respective unions on the TransitLink offices they can redeem their vouchers at.

Mr Ong Ah Heng, Director of NTUC Care and Share, shared his view on NTUC’s participation in this year’s public transport voucher handouts. “The disbursement of these vouchers to our needy union members effectively lightens their burden on basic costs such as transport. As a labour movement, we want to help our low-income members and their families in areas where it is most relevant to them.”

Mr Ong Ah Heng
Director
Care and Share
National Trades Union Congress

About National Trades Union Congress (NTUC)

The National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) is a national confederation of trade unions in the industrial, service and public sectors representing 500,000 workers in Singapore. NTUC comprises 63 affiliated unions, 6 affiliated taxi associations, 9 co-operatives and 6 related organisations. NTUC’s objectives are to help Singapore stay competitive and workers remain employable for life; to enhance the social status and well-being of workers; and to build a strong, responsible and caring labour movement. NTUC's vision is to be an inclusive labour movement for all collars, all ages and all nationalities. For more details on NTUC, please visit our website at www.ntuc.org.sg

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