Public transport fares to increase by 4-5 cents for adults, 1 cent for concession card holders from Dec 26

Public transport fares are set to increase by up to five cents from Dec 26, announced the Public Transport Council (PTC) in a press release on Wednesday (Oct 12).

This increase, which is part of the 2022 Fare Review Exercise, is due to “increased energy prices, coupled with the increase in manpower costs and inflation”.

For this year’s review, the PTC has indicated that the maximum allowable fare adjustment quantum under the Fare Formula is 13.5 per cent.

However, given concerns over the rising cost of living, the PTC has decided to grant a fare increase of 2.9 per cent for this year’s review. The remaining 10.6 per cent will be carried over to future reviews.

To shield commuters from the brunt of the fare increases, given the cost of living concerns, the Government will provide an additional subsidy of about $200 million in 2023, on top of the current subsidies of more than $2 billion annually to run bus and train services.

After factoring in the additional subsidy, adult fares will increase by four cents for journeys of up to 8.2km and five cents for journeys longer than 8.2km. Concession card fares will be capped at one cent so as to keep fares lower for students, senior citizens, lower-wage workers and Persons with Disabilities (PWDs).

Additionally, the price of the adult Monthly Travel Pass will remain unchanged at $128. Similarly, the price of the Monthly Concession Pass for PWDs will remain unchanged at $64.

Lower to lower-middle income households will receive further assistance for public transport costs. About 600,000 Public Transport Vouchers (PTV) under the 2022 PTV Exercise will be given to resident households with a monthly income of not more than $1,600. 

Each PTV is worth $30 and can be used to top up fare cards or buy Monthly Travel or Concession Passes.

“Ensuring a high-quality and financially sustainable public transport system is a shared responsibility across different stakeholders.

“While the Government will continue to support public transport operating costs with subsidies, as users of public transport services, commuters will also need to bear a fair share of operating costs,” said the PTC.