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No More Free Bus Ride to Sentosa in Heartlands
- Thread starter MarrickG
- Start date
hardly think that is the case...freaking mrt still packed like sardines
MRT doesn't go to SENTOSA & the nearest station to MBS is MARINA BAY....you have to walk...
After 2 months when RWS & MBS sales reports are out they will demand the SPG gahment ( both operators are foreign owned , remember ? ) to reinstate the shuttle bus service.
Or it could be sometime after the GE.
Gahment may "appoint" some well known organization to ply the route thus making sure the right hand pass some moolah to the left hand.
It's just simple mathematics , every punter that goes to either casino will have to fork out a $100 "entrance fee".
If the receipts of the "entrance fee" decline , gahment "sales" also affected hence no moolah going to their coffers.
Why cunt the gahment bar all Sillyporeans from either casino ? Moolah
Or it could be sometime after the GE.
Gahment may "appoint" some well known organization to ply the route thus making sure the right hand pass some moolah to the left hand.
It's just simple mathematics , every punter that goes to either casino will have to fork out a $100 "entrance fee".
If the receipts of the "entrance fee" decline , gahment "sales" also affected hence no moolah going to their coffers.
Why cunt the gahment bar all Sillyporeans from either casino ? Moolah
I thought there's a mono rail train from Harbor Front to Sentosa
I often see students at the Harbour Front station with their beach gear.
Regulator puts immediate brake on IR shuttles
Passengers, transport firms caught off guard; RWS recalls 100 staff
by Ong Dai Lin
05:55 AM Sep 11, 2010
<SCRIPT type=text/javascript> var fontIndex = 2; var fontSize = new Array('0.63em', '0.69em', '0.75em', '0.88em', '1em', '1.13em'); </SCRIPT>
SINGAPORE - The integrated resort was expecting a directive from the authorities, but the notice still caused a surprise when it came on Friday around noon directing that its free shuttle services to housing estates be stopped with immediate effect.
And so Resorts World Sentosa (RWS), which had been planning to end the shuttle services at 11pm on Sunday, had to recall 100 staff on a public holiday. It was also ordered to stop immediately its other free shuttle buses plying the Central Business District, Orchard and Marina areas.
At its 19 pick-up locations, would-be passengers continued to turn up, unaware of the Casino Regulatory Authority's (CRA) order - which also applied to the Marina Bay Sands (MBS) - until they saw the signs hastily put up by RWS employees or were apprised of the situation.
Calls were made to the five bus operators running the services to say that their drivers had to stop work. And surprise turned soon to worry for the likes of Transit Network Consortium managing director Neo Tiam Beng, who had spent $2 million to buy new buses and hire 25 Singaporeans and foreigners to drive the 18 buses for RWS.
If the services are not resumed, he may have to retrench the drivers, he told reporters. He called the announcement unfair and said: "We bring the guests to the resort, not to the casino. There is other entertainment here like the theme park and restaurants."
RWS' free shuttle service has been running since June, with signboards put up, brochures distributed and the service touted on its website. Why the suddenness of the authority's move?
At a media briefing, RWS vice-president of resort operations Noel Hawkes called the decision a "knee-jerk reaction". "We thought we'd have a bit more time to inform our guests. What we're really concerned about is our guests ... to cut it off just like that is a bit blunt," he said. "The deterrent of a $100 (casino levy) is onerous. I think a free bus ticket is not going to make any difference."
On Thursday, one day after the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports said it was investigating the IRs' free shuttle services, RWS had said it would voluntarily end its heartland shuttle services by this weekend.
An MBS spokeswoman said on Friday it had "voluntarily suspended on (Thursday) midnight its licenced paid bus routes serving Orchard Road and Central Business District/Chinatown as well its free shuttles that serviced certain hotels. Our airport shuttle service, which is free only for our hotel guests, remains in operation".
The spokeswoman added: "The goal of Marina Bay Sands' bus services has been to service international tourists."
When contacted by MediaCorp on why it is acting only now or why RWS had not been alerted in the planning stages for the services, CRA would only say it "has directed RWS and Marina Bay Sands to cease all their shuttle bus services with immediate effect".
The statutory board cited the Casino Control (Advertising) Regulations 2010, which allows advertising only in specified destinations such as the airport or hotels. Prior approval of the CRA must be obtained.
MediaCorp understands the shuttle services to the heartlands will not be allowed even if the IRs want to charge passengers.
Holland-Bukit Timah GRC MP Liang Eng Hwa had filed a Parliamentary question on the issue of free shuttle buses serving the heartlands. He told MediaCorp he did not anticipate CRA's action, though.
"When I initially raised this, I had asked the resorts to voluntarily withdraw the services, which they did. I think it's good because they have listened to the concerns on the ground," he said.
Those taking the services were unhappy, though.
Retiree Serene Tan, 52, said: "They just want to deter the minority gamblers from coming here, but the whole heartlanders group is affected as well."
Dr Derek da Cunha, author of Singapore Places its Bets, told MediaCorp that while the cessation of the shuttle services "may not lead to an appreciable drop in the number of people going to RWS, the main issue is that if left to run, they could encourage new and novice gamblers curious about casino gambling to hop onto the buses".
He said: "Gamblers are known to scrimp every single cent, even on transport costs, for their gambling stake."
Passengers, transport firms caught off guard; RWS recalls 100 staff
by Ong Dai Lin
05:55 AM Sep 11, 2010
<SCRIPT type=text/javascript> var fontIndex = 2; var fontSize = new Array('0.63em', '0.69em', '0.75em', '0.88em', '1em', '1.13em'); </SCRIPT>
SINGAPORE - The integrated resort was expecting a directive from the authorities, but the notice still caused a surprise when it came on Friday around noon directing that its free shuttle services to housing estates be stopped with immediate effect.
And so Resorts World Sentosa (RWS), which had been planning to end the shuttle services at 11pm on Sunday, had to recall 100 staff on a public holiday. It was also ordered to stop immediately its other free shuttle buses plying the Central Business District, Orchard and Marina areas.
At its 19 pick-up locations, would-be passengers continued to turn up, unaware of the Casino Regulatory Authority's (CRA) order - which also applied to the Marina Bay Sands (MBS) - until they saw the signs hastily put up by RWS employees or were apprised of the situation.
Calls were made to the five bus operators running the services to say that their drivers had to stop work. And surprise turned soon to worry for the likes of Transit Network Consortium managing director Neo Tiam Beng, who had spent $2 million to buy new buses and hire 25 Singaporeans and foreigners to drive the 18 buses for RWS.
If the services are not resumed, he may have to retrench the drivers, he told reporters. He called the announcement unfair and said: "We bring the guests to the resort, not to the casino. There is other entertainment here like the theme park and restaurants."
RWS' free shuttle service has been running since June, with signboards put up, brochures distributed and the service touted on its website. Why the suddenness of the authority's move?
At a media briefing, RWS vice-president of resort operations Noel Hawkes called the decision a "knee-jerk reaction". "We thought we'd have a bit more time to inform our guests. What we're really concerned about is our guests ... to cut it off just like that is a bit blunt," he said. "The deterrent of a $100 (casino levy) is onerous. I think a free bus ticket is not going to make any difference."
On Thursday, one day after the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports said it was investigating the IRs' free shuttle services, RWS had said it would voluntarily end its heartland shuttle services by this weekend.
An MBS spokeswoman said on Friday it had "voluntarily suspended on (Thursday) midnight its licenced paid bus routes serving Orchard Road and Central Business District/Chinatown as well its free shuttles that serviced certain hotels. Our airport shuttle service, which is free only for our hotel guests, remains in operation".
The spokeswoman added: "The goal of Marina Bay Sands' bus services has been to service international tourists."
When contacted by MediaCorp on why it is acting only now or why RWS had not been alerted in the planning stages for the services, CRA would only say it "has directed RWS and Marina Bay Sands to cease all their shuttle bus services with immediate effect".
The statutory board cited the Casino Control (Advertising) Regulations 2010, which allows advertising only in specified destinations such as the airport or hotels. Prior approval of the CRA must be obtained.
MediaCorp understands the shuttle services to the heartlands will not be allowed even if the IRs want to charge passengers.
Holland-Bukit Timah GRC MP Liang Eng Hwa had filed a Parliamentary question on the issue of free shuttle buses serving the heartlands. He told MediaCorp he did not anticipate CRA's action, though.
"When I initially raised this, I had asked the resorts to voluntarily withdraw the services, which they did. I think it's good because they have listened to the concerns on the ground," he said.
Those taking the services were unhappy, though.
Retiree Serene Tan, 52, said: "They just want to deter the minority gamblers from coming here, but the whole heartlanders group is affected as well."
Dr Derek da Cunha, author of Singapore Places its Bets, told MediaCorp that while the cessation of the shuttle services "may not lead to an appreciable drop in the number of people going to RWS, the main issue is that if left to run, they could encourage new and novice gamblers curious about casino gambling to hop onto the buses".
He said: "Gamblers are known to scrimp every single cent, even on transport costs, for their gambling stake."
Real Hardcore gambler would not be bothered by the bus ride. They will still travel there to get their gambling addiction fixed.
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