Public Transport Council Chief Exec outrightly says more fare hikes in next few years to come, as fees for adults increase from December

SINGAPORE: The latest bus and train fare increases will see adult commuters paying 10 to 11 cents more per journey, the Public Transport Council (PTC) said on Monday (Sep 18).

In a press conference on Monday, PTC chair Janet Ang said that the council had decided not to grant the full allowable fare adjustment of 22.6 per cent to keep public transport fares affordable in the higher cost environment, fueled by core inflation, strong wage growth, and a hike in energy prices.

She said that the 7 per cent increase means that the remaining 15.6 per cent will be deferred to future fare review exercises. This was also confirmed by PTC chief executive Tan Kim Hong, who said “Yes” when asked if the rolled-over numbers indicated more fare hikes in the next few years.

“If we had done the full maximum allowable fare increase of 22.6 per cent, it will translate to about 30 cents per journey for all commuters”, Mr Tan said.

The Singapore regulator for public transport fares, the PTC, announced an overall fare increase of 7 per cent following the annual fare review exercise. The fare hikes will take effect on Dec 23. The latest increases are more than double last year’s hike, which saw a 4 to 5-cent increase per journey.

Netizens online complained about the yearly increase in social media comments. Here’s what they said:

Adult card fares will increase by 10 cents for up to 4.2km and 11 cents for distances above that, while adult cash fares – used for bus rides – will increase by 20 cents. Adult monthly travel passes will remain at S$128.

A lower increase will be implemented for concession card fares for students, seniors, low-wage workers and people with disabilities. Fares in this category will increase by 4 to 5 cents per journey, depending on the distance travelled. The PTC said that concessionary cash fares for bus rides will increase by 10 cents.