Bus and train fares to be reduced by 4.2 percent from 30th December
27 Oct 2016|833 views
Bus and train commuters will enjoy an overall fare reduction of 4.2 percent from 30th December, the Public Transport Council (PTC) announced on Thursday, 27th October. For adults using travel cards, this will translate to savings of between one to 27 cents for a journey. Senior citizens will have their fares lowered by one to seven cents, and students by one cent across the board. As part of the 4.2 percent reduction, the fare structure will be simplified, the PTC said.
Fares for fully-underground rail lines, such as the North-East Line, Circle Line and Downtown Line, will be lowered to be the same as those of above-ground lines, such as the North-South and East-West Lines.
Trips on the fully-underground lines currently cost five to 25 cents more for adult commuters, but this differential - to reflect higher operating costs such as air-conditioned station platforms - will be removed. "This will benefit commuters further as more new fully-underground lines are opened in coming years," said PTC Chairman Richard Magnus.
From 30th December, train fares will also be calculated based on the shortest path between the commuter's origin and destination. Currently, they are calculated based on the fastest travel path, which may not always be the shortest in term of distance. "Commuters will enjoy more flexibility in choosing the most convenient travel path, without worrying that they have to pay more because the journey is routed through a fully-underground line," the PTC said. This will result in commuters always paying the lowest fares possible, the council added.
The PTC is guided by a fare adjustment formula for its annual fare review. While falling energy prices in 2015 resulted in an allowable fare reduction of 5.7 percent, the PTC decided to grant only a 4.2 percent cut for prudence. The remaining 1.5 percent reduction will be rolled over to next year's fare adjustment exercise, it said. Mr. Magnus said, "A prudent and balanced approach is however necessary to ensure the longer term sustainability of our public transport system. We will continue monitoring this closely."
The 4.2 percent reduction in fares will mean a cut in revenue of $8.9 million for SBS Transit and $34.6 million for SMRT. Revenues for bus fares, which now go to the Government under the bus contracting model, will drop by $35.6 million. The combined reduction of public transport fare revenues is about $79 million.
Bus and train commuters will enjoy an overall fare reduction of 4.2 percent from 30th December, the Public Transport Council (PTC) announced on Thursday, 27th October. For adults using travel cards, this will translate to savings of between one to 27 cents for a journey. Senior citizens will have their fares lowered by one to seven cents, and students by one cent across the board. As part of the 4.2 percent reduction, the fare structure will be simplified, the PTC said.
Fares for fully-underground rail lines, such as the North-East Line, Circle Line and Downtown Line, will be lowered to be the same as those of above-ground lines, such as the North-South and East-West Lines.
Trips on the fully-underground lines currently cost five to 25 cents more for adult commuters, but this differential - to reflect higher operating costs such as air-conditioned station platforms - will be removed. "This will benefit commuters further as more new fully-underground lines are opened in coming years," said PTC Chairman Richard Magnus.
From 30th December, train fares will also be calculated based on the shortest path between the commuter's origin and destination. Currently, they are calculated based on the fastest travel path, which may not always be the shortest in term of distance. "Commuters will enjoy more flexibility in choosing the most convenient travel path, without worrying that they have to pay more because the journey is routed through a fully-underground line," the PTC said. This will result in commuters always paying the lowest fares possible, the council added.
The PTC is guided by a fare adjustment formula for its annual fare review. While falling energy prices in 2015 resulted in an allowable fare reduction of 5.7 percent, the PTC decided to grant only a 4.2 percent cut for prudence. The remaining 1.5 percent reduction will be rolled over to next year's fare adjustment exercise, it said. Mr. Magnus said, "A prudent and balanced approach is however necessary to ensure the longer term sustainability of our public transport system. We will continue monitoring this closely."
The 4.2 percent reduction in fares will mean a cut in revenue of $8.9 million for SBS Transit and $34.6 million for SMRT. Revenues for bus fares, which now go to the Government under the bus contracting model, will drop by $35.6 million. The combined reduction of public transport fare revenues is about $79 million.
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