The Public Transport Council has requested public transport operators to consider extending student concessions to all full-time students in all tertiary educational institutions, even if the students are receiving some form of income.

Senior Minister of State for Transport Josephine Teo, made the announcement in Parliament earlier today and further added that the operators are considering the request. According to The Straits Times, Ms. Teo was responding to Tampines GRC Member of Parliament Baey Yam Keng, who had asked why students receiving allowances from organisations are ineligible for the Tertiary Student Concession Card.

In her response, she revealed that the students who are receiving some form of income, for example from their employers, have traditionally been deemed to be financially independent and hence not eligible for student concession.

But she added that the Council has requested operators to consider extending concessions to these students, as the numbers are not large. Furthermore, the distinction between students on a payroll and other students who are receiving scholarships or bursary assistance is not always clear.

Prior to this, the Council and operators have been cautious about who should receive concessions as these concessions are crossed-subsidised by other commuters, Ms. Teo explained.