Top Questions From Citizens
- Tap in at any MRT or LRT station before 7.45am on weekdays (excluding public holidays) to enjoy lower morning pre-peak fares.
Will there be Public Transport Vouchers (PTVs) disbursed alongside the 2023 Fare Review Exercise (FRE)?
The Government remains committed to provide support for households that may require assistance in coping with the fare adjustment. Therefore, the Government will utilise the Public Transport Fund to make available PTVs worth $50 each to resident households with a monthly household income per person of not more than $1,600. This matches the highest quantum of PTVs that we have given. This will help to cushion the impact of the fare increase on lower-income households.
Commuters who require more help to cope with the fare adjustment may approach their Community Centres/Clubs for assistance, and SimplyGo Ticket Offices/Ticketing Service Centres for information on the various concession schemes available.
Are student and senior citizen concession card users eligible for lower morning pre-peak fares?
All commuters using fare cards, including student and senior citizen concession card users, will enjoy a discount of up to 50 cents when they tap in at any MRT or LRT station before 7.45am on weekdays (excluding public holidays).Why is eligibility for child concession based on height and not age?
All children below 7 years old enjoy free travel on basic bus and train services. Children who are below 0.9m tall and accompanied by a fare-paying commuter can automatically travel for free on basic bus and train services. Children under 7 years old and above 0.9m in height can also travel for free with a valid Child Concession Card.
Why have a fare formula for the annual Fare Review Exercise?
The fare formula is used to determine the amount of fare changes (fare adjustment quantum) for the year during the annual are Fare Review Exercise. It reflects key cost drivers such as manpower costs, energy costs and the general operating costs of providing public transport services. The fare adjustment quantum for the year, as derived from the formula, together with any deferred fare adjustment quantum from previous fare review exercise (if any), will form the maximum allowable fare adjustment quantum that can be granted. PTC puts a cap on the amount fare changes that can be granted each year, ensuring that fare adjustments – if any – are reasonable and protect the interests of commuters and keep pace with cost changes in the industry.
Why is there a need to review the fare formula?
The fare adjustment formula and mechanism are typically reviewed every five years to ensure that they remain relevant and responsive to the changes in the public transport industry and external environment.Are cost increases of operators passed on to commuters?
The fare adjustment quantum is based on a price-cap formula which is pegged to macroeconomic factors. This prevents public transport operators from passing on any of the direct cost increases to commuters indiscriminately.Do monthly concession pass holders enjoy a discount off their pass price if they use it to travel during the morning pre-peak?
Lower morning pre-peak rail fares only apply to commuters paying card fares. There is no change in price to the monthly concession pass, which allows the pass user to enjoy unlimited travel throughout the day.How do multiple rail transfers work under the Enhanced Transfer Rules?
Commuters can make multiple rail transfers (by tapping out and tapping back in to the rail network) within a single journey without incurring any additional boarding charges. Transfers between two different rail stations have to be made within 15 minutes, and 45 minutes for transfers between bus and rail.
How much fare discount am I eligible to when travelling during the morning pre-peak?
Commuters can enjoy a fare discount of 50 cents or the equivalent of the fare for the rail leg of their journey, whichever is lower.
E.g. Commuter who taps in before 7.45am at Jurong East MRT station and taps out at Bishan MRT station
Distance: 16.6kmCommuter Group
Current Fare
Discounted Fare*
*With lower morning pre-peak rail fare
Adult
$1.85
$1.35
Senior Citizen
$0.94
$0.44
Student
$0.65
$0.15
E.g. Commuter who boards bus service 232 at Toa Payoh Lor 7 (opp block 5) and alights at Toa Payoh Bus Interchange, then taps in at Toa Payoh MRT station before 7.45am and taps out at Newton MRT station Distance: 2.2km (bus) + 2.6km (train)Commuter Group
Current Fare
(Bus + train)
Discounted Fare*
(Bus + train)
*With lower morning pre-peak rail fare
Adult
$0.99 + $0.20 = $1.19
$0.99 + $0 = $0.99
Senior Citizen
$0.61 + $0.14 = $0.75
$0.61 + $0 = $0.61
Student
$0.44 + $0.10 = $0.54
$0.44 + $0 = $0.44
What is the penalty for overcharging?
Under the Public Transport Act, a person who is convicted of overcharging will face a fine not exceeding $2,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or both.What should a driver do in the event that he/she encounters a fare evader?
Where possible, the driver should try to retain passenger and trip details (e.g. pick-up and drop-off points, further details provided to the driver through the booking such as passenger's name and phone number) and lodge the fare evasion case with his/her operator.
As a first step, the operator will attempt to contact the passenger to recover the fare, and thereafter reimburse the fare paid to the driver. If the outstanding fare remains unpaid and the passenger's identity can be established, the operator can refer the case to LTA and PTC for investigations.
The driver may also call the police for assistance or drive the passenger to the nearest Police Station, Neighbourhood Police Centre (NPC) or Neighbourhood Police Post (NPP). After lodging the police report, the driver can refer the case directly to LTA for investigation.Why is there a need to have lower morning pre-peak rail fares?
The aim of having lower morning pre-peak fares is to encourage more commuters to start their rail journey before 7.45am. In doing so, commuters will enjoy lower card fares and less crowded rides, while our public transport system will be more efficiently utilised.How does PTC track fare affordability and how does it determine that fares remain affordable?
PTC ensures fare affordability by keeping a close watch over the Public Transport Affordability Indicator (PTAI), which measures the proportion of monthly household income spent on public transport for the second quintile and second decile income groups. On top of that, PTC also monitors public sentiments on affordability by gathering public feedback through public engagement sessions and surveys. PTC also monitors international comparisons on fare affordability
From 2013 to 2022, the percentage of household income spent on public transport for the average income commuter (second quintile income households) and lower-income commuters (second decile income households) has fallen from 3.1% to 2.4% and 2.2% to 1.7% respectively. The PTAI for 2023 is expected to be similar to 2022.
What will happen to the differed quantum of 15.6%?
At every Fare Review Exercise, the PTC takes many factors into account before deciding on the final fare adjustment quantum. These include the deferred fare quantum from the previous exercise, if any, the fare formula output for that year, the economic situation at that point in time, the financial sustainability of the public transport system, and the affordability of public transport fares for commuters.
In general, we should try not to defer fare increases by more than a year, because the reality is that costs have risen, and the bigger the gap between cost and fares, the harder it is for the public transport system to be financially sustainable over the long term. But in these last two years, we have seen very strong price increases, even price spikes. Energy is the most apparent, more than 100% in 2021, and more than 60% in 2022. There have also been strong inflation and wage pressures. So, the PTC has been taking a balanced approach – allowing some cost increases to pass through, but not all such that it becomes unbearable.
In the same way, PTC will have to decide how much of the deferred fare amount to implement in subsequent years. These deferred increases are reflective of actual cost increases that the public transport system has already experienced.