Public sector agencies support free rail travel into city area before 0745h

Flexi-work practices in place for staff to take advantage of this as well as discounted travel between 7.45am and 8am

Public sector agencies welcome the Land Transport Authority’s (LTA) one-year trial from 24 June 2013 to provide free rail travel for commuters ending their journey before 7.45am on weekdays, at 16 designated MRT stations in the city area. Commuters leaving these stations between 7.45am and 8am will enjoy a discount of up to 50 cents.

More than 40 public agencies located near these 16 MRT stations support this trial to spread morning peak hour crowds. They include ministries and departments such as the Ministry of Finance, Public Service Division, Ministry of Health, Immigration & Checkpoints Authority as well as statutory boards such as the National Library Board, Singapore Workforce Development Agency, Economic Development Board, Monetary Authority of Singapore and Singapore Tourism Board.

The initiative comes as good news to some 14,000 public officers working in these agencies who can opt to start work early (i.e. before 7.45am) under the staggered work-hours policy to tap on the free or discounted rail travel. Many of these agencies also offer their officers the flexibility to start work later, depending on the nature of work, as long as service to the public is maintained and they put in the required hours a week.

Many other public agencies outside the city area also offer the option of staggered work-hours. This is part of the Public Service’s range of flexible work practices, which include part-time work and telecommuting, to help public officers better manage their work and personal commitments.

“With the LTA trial, we expect more officers to opt to start work earlier. For this to work, we need to be more accepting of flexible work practices. Managers must be mindful that officers who start work earlier should, correspondingly, be able to leave the office earlier. Work routines, such as meetings, will also have to factor this in,” said Mr Tan Hoe Soon, Director, Career Development and Management, Public Service Division, Prime Minister’s Office.

“The Public Service will foster a more flexible work culture, one that ensures good work outcomes and a high level of service. It requires trust and a sense of responsibility from both the supervisor and the officer. Ultimately, workplace flexibility is about helping our officers to give their best at work to better serve the public. We believe it can be done and we will help our officers transit into this future of work,” said Mr Peter Ong, Head of Civil Service