GEMS (Singapore) has appointed a new external transport provider, Ling Wei Transport Service Pte Ltd for the academic year 2020/21. 

Ling Wei has been a long time transport provider since 1977 serving a wide variety of transportation needs including several local and international schools in Singapore. Ling Wei was selected for the enhanced security measures that they will provide for our bus riders. They offer a dedicated mobile app comprising bus tracking, student attendance management, app notification for parents and operation staff as well as complimentary booster seats for students under the height of 1.35 meters.

Bus attendants on board are there to maintain orderly conduct and ensure the safety of your child during each bus ride. All bus seats are equipped with seat belts. As an additional safety measure, you can track your child’s journey on the school bus with the use of the bus app and a GPS token carried by your child.

Above fares quoted are in Singapore dollars and are subject to prevailing Goods and Services Tax of seven percent (7%). If your child uses this service, you will be billed every semester.

Child Safety Restraint Guidelines

It is the recommendation of the school that children should only travel on the school bus if they are in KG1 or higher grades. If a parent wants their child who is in Nursery and Pre-K to travel on the school bus then they are required to use a government-approved child safety restraint. Please note, that children who are not potty-trained must wear a diaper.

GPS Token and School Bus App

As part of our efforts to further improve the bus service and to ensure the safety of your children travelling to and from school on their own, a GPS token will be issued to the registered student within the first week of school and a new bus app introduced. Features of the bus token and app include:

• Checking to ensure the safety of your children travel to and from school.
• Ensure that every student is accounted for throughout the journey.
• Send notifications via the App should your child be absent, drivers are also able to quickly modify their route and shorten waiting time for other passengers.
• Track the approximate time of arrival of the bus.
• The first token issue is free of charge. However, if lost the replacement will be $25 chargeable to the parent.

Ling Wei also provides an afternoon bus service to predetermined drop-off locations for the students participating in Extracurricular Activities (ECA’s).

Above fares quoted are in Singapore dollars and are subject to prevailing Goods and Services Tax of seven percent (7%).

Drop-off locations

The ECA buses provide service to the following convenient drop-off locations around Singapore:

• Tanah Merah MRT - At Taxi Stand
• Bishan MRT - Point Near Taxi Stand
• Clementi MRT - Blk 322 Clementi Ave 5 Open Space Carpark
• Great World City - Taxi Stand Along Kim Seng Road
• Singapore American Club – Entrance
• Tanjong Rhu - Waterside Condo Bus Stop
• Opposite Vivocity - Harbourfront MRT Station Bus Stop
• Buangkok MRT Station
• Grand Mercure – Bus stop Along Marine Parade Rd - *New*

The parent is required to submit an online School Bus Registration Form to register your child’s details. Please kindly note that you will be required to enter your child’s student ID to process the registration. The student ID can be found in the Admission Offer Letter.

Once registered, the parent will be emailed an acknowledgement of registration to confirm your details. Some parents may receive a phone call from the bus vendor to further confirm details or other reasons pursuant to the registration.

All applications must be received within the deadlines stipulated. The application will take between 2 to 4 weeks to be processed. The seat can only be confirmed when full payment has been received by Ling Wei.

Registration for the Academic Year 2020/21

Registrations for the bus service commencing 11 August 2020 will be accepted until 19 July 2020 (23:59). For registrations received from 20 July 2020 (00:00), bus service will commence on 24 August 2020 or 2 weeks after registration is received, whichever later.

SCHOOL BUS SIGN UP  

GEMS (Singapore) provides a free Shuttle bus service from Yishun MRT daily with the exception of public holidays and school holidays. Please note, this service is very popular among our students and it is provided on a first-come-first-served basis.

Academic Year 2020/21

¹ No shuttle service during Weekends, Public Holidays and School Holidays. Please note that the schedule is subject to change.

Operating Hours

Transport office is located on Level 2 (Main Lobby) next to the Finance Office.

Operating Hours: Monday to Friday, 8:15 am to 4:30 pm

Closed: Weekends and Public/School holidays

Contact Details

For Bus Operations enquiries, please contact:

GEMS (Singapore) Transport Office: +65 6808 7381

Hotline: (65) 9666 6563 (for emergency situations only) - please message via SMS or WhatsApp between 8:00 am - 5:30 pm

E-mail: transport@gwa.edu.sg

For feedback, please contact:

E-mail: opshelp@gwa.edu.sg

Can alternative pick-up and drop-off points be arranged for my child?

Due to safety reasons, we are unable to offer this option for ALL students. Your child will only be picked up and dropped off at the designated pick-up and drop-off points.

Why are there changes to the bus assigned to my child and/or in the pick-up and/ or drop-off times?

The buses are required to arrive at school on time. Similarly, buses will also leave the school compound shortly after dismissal. Depending on the number of students taking the bus and the number of additional students joining the bus service during the course of the term, the pick-up and drop-off timings may change.

How do you determine the order in which each child would be picked-up and dropped-off?

The routings for each bus are arranged such that each driver will take the best route based on distance, timing, the traffic condition and the number of people on the bus. We will determine the order by which students are to be picked-up and dropped-off based on the best route for the trip. The last person to board the bus in the morning may therefore not be the first person to alight in the afternoon.

Our child lives nearest to the school. Why is it that our child is not the last student to be picked up and the first student to be dropped off?

Please refer to Question 3 above.

Why does the bus take longer to get to school than if we were to travel by car?

The buses serve many families travelling to school and there are several stops along the way to pick up students. The speed limit for buses are also normally lower than for cars. Therefore it does take longer to travel to school on the bus than in a car. In the afternoon, buses leave the school up to 20 minutes after dismissal time to allow all students sufficient time to board the bus and be seated safely.

Why is the travel time longer than last year?

It could be that the route is different from last year, or the number of stops from the time your child is picked up may have increased. In addition, traffic in Singapore has become heavier in recent years.

Our family is living in a condominium. Where is the designated pick-up and drop-off point for our child at our condominium?

Pick-up and drop-off locations for students living in condominiums are usually at the guardhouse or the gate barrier. We will inform you of the designated drop-off or pick-up location on confirmation of the bus routes. Our buses are unable to pick up and drop off the students directly at their blocks as this may compromise the safety of the bus as it manoeuvres around the tight compound of the condominium. This would also increase the travelling time.

Our family is living at a landed property. Where are the designated pick-up and drop-off point for our child?

The pick-up and drop-off point are normally at the gate of their house. However, some houses may be situated along a narrow road or a road with a dead end. In such cases, the designated pick-up and drop-off point will be a place that is convenient, practical and safe for the student and the bus.

Can our child be picked up and dropped off permanently from another address?

Yes, he can, as long as you inform us at least 2 weeks in advance to allow us to make changes to the existing bus system.

Can our child take another bus operated by you when he goes for a "sleepover" or a "playdate" at his schoolmate's place?

No, we are unable to accommodate such request. Cross-travels between our buses will complicate the routing of the bus and compromise our bus service system efficiently and the students’ safety.

Why are the buses sometimes late?

Traffic conditions are unpredictable. We are therefore unable to accurately time the arrival of the bus. This is especially so in traffic congestions, bad weather or roadworks.

What determines the size of the bus used for each route?

This is determined by the number of students taking the bus, the number of pick-ups and drop-off points and the estimated travelling time for the route.

Is my child provided with insurance coverage while travelling on the bus?

Yes. Singapore transport law requires every bus owner to maintain Third-party Vehicle Insurance coverage. No bus is permitted to carry passengers on the road without this coverage.

Are the buses safe for our children to travel on?

Regular inspections of the safety items of the buses, including seat belts, fire extinguishers and first-aid kits are conducted. In addition, mechanical checks of buses are mandatory and must be done every year at an independent government-approved inspection centre, to certify that the bus is safe for travel on the road.

Who will take care of my children while on the bus?

On every bus, there is a bus aunty on board to supervise the students. Their primary duties are to ensure the safety of the riders and maintain discipline in the bus. Bus aunties follow safeguarding guidelines and are advised to speak in a moderate tone to misbehaving students. Behavioural issues encountered during bus journeys are referred to the Transport Manager, who will in turn advice the School and parents accordingly.

How and when do we make payment of the bus service charges?

Ling Wei accepts payment via Bank Transfer, Giro, cheque or cash. Invoices are issued to parents twice yearly and are payable before the stipulated due date. Payment reminders increase our administrative costs and we, therefore, ask parents to respect the due date for payment. Ling Wei reserves the right to impose late charges on payments that are not received on time. Further, parents should be reminded that a seat on the bus is confirmed only after payment is received.

My Company is paying for bus service charges. How do I arrange for the invoice to be sent to my Company?

Please indicate when registering that your company should be invoiced. We will then take this as the standing instruction and invoice accordingly until we are further notified in writing by you.