Dan Townend* Shuttle services offered by Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) and Marina Bay Sands – which take thousands of customers every day to the resorts – were halted after a directive from regulators. The resorts, which introduced the buses three months ago to ferry residents and visitors to the resorts to boost business, called the move a “knee-jerk reaction.” RWS vice-president of resort operations Noel Hawkes said: "We thought we’d have a bit more time to inform our guests. What we’re really concerned about is our guests…to cut it off just like that is a bit blunt. "The deterrent of a $100 casino levy is onerous. I think a free bus ticket is not going to make any difference." A Marina Bay spokeswoman said the resort had "voluntarily suspended its licensed paid bus routes.” She added that its free shuttles to various hotels had also been stopped but that an airport shuttle service, for its own hotel guests, remained in operation. The spokeswoman added: "The goal of Marina Bay Sands’ bus services has been to service international tourists." The suspension caused confusion over the weekend, with many residents and visitors waiting at stops unaware that the service had finished. Last week the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports said it was investigating the resorts’ free shuttle services – saying that the integrated resorts operators "will not be allowed to target the local market or provide incentives in any form for Singaporeans to patronise the casinos." The move prompted RWS and Marina Sands to announce they were suspending some of their services, including downtown and to the heartlands district. Then on Friday a spokesman for the Casino Regulatory Authority (CRA) said it had "directed RWS and Marina Bay Sands to cease all their shuttle bus services with immediate effect." The directive instructed both resorts to cease all services with the only exceptions being for buses to the airport and hotels. One of the reasons for the ban on the buses is understood to be that the Casino Control (Advertising) Regulations 2010 only allows advertising in specified destinations such as the airport or hotels. It is believed that the shuttle services will not be allowed in the future even if the resorts agree to charge passengers. MP Liang Eng Hwa, who had filed a Parliamentary question on the issue of free shuttle buses, said: "When I initially raised this, I had asked the resorts to voluntarily withdraw the services, which they did. I think it’s good because they have listened to the concerns on the ground." The suspension of the services also raised concerns from bus operators, some of who have invested in new vehicles and staff. Neo Tiam Beng, managing director of Transit Network Consortium which runs 18 buses for RWS, said he may have to lay off workers if the services were not resumed. "We bring the guests to the resort, not to the casino,” he said. “There is other entertainment here like the theme park and restaurants." The Resorts World shuttle service had been in operation since June, serving 19 locations across the island 15 to 33 times a day. Some services operated past 2am on Fridays, Saturdays and the eve of public holidays. It had been ferrying an average of 2,500 passengers daily – although the company estimate 60 per cent of them were not going to the casino, but to Universal Studios or other attractions. RWS spokesman Robin Goh said the services were put on because of "the age-old perception that Sentosa was too far and inaccessible." A spokesman for the National Council on Problem Gambling said it viewed the free shuttles with "great concern." The suspension is the latest example of the stringent control the Singaporean authorities are trying to impose on the resorts. Tough rules have already been imposed on junket operators. *Exclusive GamblingCompliance/Macau Business
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