SINGAPORE - A newly launched premium school bus service, which can help shorten students' commute time between home and school by up to 40 per cent, is seeing strong demand from parents.

The Singapore School Transport Association (SSTA) said on Friday that since it announced the pilot programme at the start of 2015, it has received some 300 enquiries from interested parents.

Some 30 pupils are now using the service, which employs electric cars run by private transportation company HDT (Hold Dreams Together) to ferry the students in groups of no larger than four. The service costs between $300 and $350 per month for each student.

HDT said it is still looking into opening new routes for another 70 pupils. "Our main challenge is finding a match for appropriate students living within the same or neighbouring estates that are going to the same school," the SSTA said.