CCS Issues Proposed Infringement Decision Against Express Bus Agencies

16 June 2009

(View Media Release in PDF)

1. The Competition Commission of Singapore (CCS) has today issued a Proposed Infringement Decision (PID) against the Express Bus Agencies Association (EBAA) and 16 companies* for fixing the prices of express bus tickets from Singapore to various destinations in Malaysia from 2006 to 2008.
   
   
2. Price-fixing is considered a serious infringement of the Competition Act**. When businesses collude to fix prices, they are in fact agreeing to stop competing and gain financially at the expense of the customers. CCS takes a serious view of such harmful anti-competitive practices.
   
   
3. The PID is a written notice setting out the facts on which CCS makes its assessment and its reasons for arriving at the proposed decision. It is issued to give the parties involved an opportunity to put forth their arguments to CCS and submit information that they wish CCS to consider.
   
   
4. In this regard, the EBAA and the 16 companies have six weeks from the receipt of the PID to make representations or argue the case set out by CCS. As CCS will need to consider the merits of the parties’ representations before finalizing its decision on whether there has been an infringement of competition law, CCS will not release further details of the case at this stage. A press release will be issued after the final decision has been made by CCS.

Appendix

List of Parties Involved:

1. Alisan (S) Pte Ltd
2. Express Bus Agencies Association
3. Enjoy Holiday Tour Pte Ltd
4. Five Stars Tours Pte Ltd
5. GR Travel Pte Ltd
6. Grassland Express & Tours Pte Ltd
7. Gunung Raya Travel Pte Ltd
8. Konsortium Express & Tours Pte Ltd
9. Lapan Lapan Travel Pte Ltd
10. Luxury Tours & Travel Pte Ltd
11. Nam Ho Travel Service (Singapore) Pte Ltd
12. Regent Star Travel Pte Ltd
13. Sri Maju Tours & Travel
14. T & L Tours Pte Ltd
15. Transtar Travel Pte Ltd
16. Travelzone Network Services Pte Ltd
17. WTS Travel & Tours Pte Ltd

*Please refer to above Appendix for the list of the 17 parties involved.

** Section 34 of the Competition Act prohibits agreements between undertakings, decisions by associations of undertakings or concerted practices which have as their object or effect the prevention, restriction or distortion of competition within Singapore.