SINGAPORE: Adult passengers will need to pay 10 cents more for each train and bus ride from Dec 28, when a public transport fare hike of 6 per cent kicks in.
Meanwhile, seniors, students, people with disabilities and low-wage workers enjoying concessionary fares will need to pay four cents more for each journey.
These increases apply if passengers pay by debit, credit or fare cards.
There will be no increase for fares paid in cash on buses. The cost of adult monthly travel passes and monthly concession passes will remain unchanged too.
The fare changes are part of the Public Transport Council’s (PTC) yearly fare adjustment exercise in 2024, and were previously announced on Sept 9.
PTC, which regulates fares and ticket payment services, had said that the 2024 adjustment of 6 per cent was driven by the growth in core inflation and wages in 2023.
But the adjustment was moderated partially by a drop in energy prices from their peak in 2022.
The council added that as the cost of living remains a concern for Singaporeans, it decided to grant the 6 per cent hike to “cushion commuters from the full fare increase”.
With the 6 per cent increase being less than a third of the maximum allowable increase of 18.9 per cent for 2024, the remaining increase of 12.9 per cent will be rolled over to future fare review exercises.
To soften the blow of the fare increase, the Ministry of Transport and the People’s Association said the Government will provide public transport vouchers worth $60 each to lower-income resident households with a monthly income of up to $1,800 per person.
Students entering their next phase of education or the workforce will be able to continue paying concessionary fares on public buses and trains for four months after their studies. This is expected to benefit about 75,000 students every year, according to PTC. - The Straits Times/ANN
