THE 130,000 transport vouchers meant as a cushion against the new public transport fares taking effect today may not be enough to go around.
Applications were invited on Sept 13, and by last Friday, almost 130,000 people had applied for the $40 vouchers. Most of them did so within a week.
The Transport Ministry and People's Association (PA) told The Straits Times that applications are still coming in.
Since last week, staff at community clubs have been telling applicants their chances of getting the vouchers are slim.
PA said the applications received so far were being assessed to see whether the applicants met the eligibility criteria, and it was still unclear whether there would be enough vouchers to go around.
Whether more vouchers will be made available depends on the outcome of the assessment, said the Transport Ministry.
Ms Alice Thong, 40, a housewife who accompanied a 71-year-old friend known only as Madam Lee to Nee Soon East Community Club last Monday to apply for the voucher, was dismayed when told that her friend may not get one.
She said: 'It was only 10 days after the announcement was made. I didn't think we were that late. I hope they make provisions for people who really need it but didn't get a chance to apply earlier.'
Mr J. Quah, 67, a printer who lives in a two-room flat in Toa Payoh, said he was not told that his chances were iffy when he sent in his application a week after applications opened.
'Now I hear from people that some of us will not get it. I'm worried that I didn't apply early enough,' he said.
Aljunied GRC Member of Parliament Cynthia Phua said she had been approached by constituents who applied late and others who wanted more than one voucher.
'The one-voucher-per-family rule is a policy, so it is unfortunate we cannot help those who want more than one, but if those who applied late genuinely need help, we will find ways to get them the help they need,' she said.
She is making available to Aljunied GRC residents the constituency's own transport vouchers paid for with funds raised by Aljunied grassroots groups.
The $50 vouchers are for families with a polytechnic student and a monthly income of less than $2,500. They are given these vouchers because polytechnic students are ineligible for concessions on their rides and households in the $1,500 to $2,500 income bracket do not qualify for the new transport vouchers.
North West Community Development Council mayor Teo Ho Pin said some of his anxious constituents had also come to him on the matter.
He said: 'There are always avenues to help those genuinely in need, for example, the ComCare fund or funds from the voluntary welfare organisations.'
However, those who miss out on the vouchers because of late applications should not blame the authorities, he said.
'The vouchers are goodwill gestures and there was enough publicity about them... Residents need to take an interest in the news and in what they need to do to help themselves,' he said.
Applicants will find out by mid-month whether their applications are successful. The vouchers will be distributed by grassroots leaders by the end of the month.
Who qualifies for the $40 vouchers
THE $5.2 million worth of vouchers are funded jointly by the Government and the public transport operators. The Government drew $4.75 million from the Public Transport Fund, and the transport operators footed the rest. The vouchers, one each to eligible low-income families, can be used to buy or top up their ez-link cards or to buy the new monthly concession passes. To qualify for a voucher, a commuter should have a monthly income of below $1,500 or be from a household where the per capita income - the total income divided by the number of its members - is not more than $450. Another condition is that at least one household member must be a citizen.
Help for late applicants
"The one-voucher-per-family rule is a policy, so it is unfortunate we cannot help those who want more than one, but if those who applied late genuinely need help, we will find ways to get them the help they need."
Aljunied GRC Member of Parliament Cynthia Phua, who said she has been approached by constituents who applied late and by others who wanted more than one voucher
This article was first published in The Straits Times on Oct 1, 2008.
