THEY are free and, in Singapore, that is a magic word.
So, free shuttle bus services attract opportunists who may crowd out commuters genuinely in need of such services during peak periods.
There are more than 40 such services here, their purpose being to make it more convenient to shop at retail outlets, or to go to hospitals and leisure spots.
But not everyone who hops aboard has the intention of ending up at such places.
Khoo Teck Puat Hospital in Yishun, for instance, started a free shuttle bus service in March last year. But the hospital has noticed that there are passengers who take the free bus because they want to get to the hospital's vicinity or to a place the shuttle makes a stop at, rather than the hospital itself.
'As a result, patients who really need the service may have to wait longer,' a spokesman said.
-- ST
ST ran an article a few years ago on how you could get from one end of sg to the other all on free shuttle busses.