Public transport fares to go up come 26 December

Those that ride our public trains and buses can expect their transport costs to go up come 26 December 2021.

Those paying via adult fare cards can expect to pay $0.03 more per trip if their journey is less then 14.2km long, and $0.04 more a trip if their journey is longer than that.

Those commuting via student fare, senior citizen fare, persons with disabilities fares, and workfare concession fares cards meanwhile, meanwhile, will see an increase of $0.01 per journey, regardless of distance travelled.

Monthly concession/travel pass prices will remain unchanged, as are cash fares for buses and single trip ticket for trains.

The latest fare increase, the Public Transport Council (PTC) states, has been granted, in lieu of the increased cleaning and disinfecting regimes that public transport operators have had to conduct, increasing their operating costs.

It additionally cites the fall in public transport ridership levels, especially after DORSCON Orange was announced in February 2020, which has continued to remained low compared to pre-COVID-19 levels.

It also states that operators have also been facing rising cost pressures from increasing energy prices, which it states have risen by over 30% for the first half of this year. 

The PTC also states that the Government will provide support for households to cope with fare adjustment by tapping on the Public Transport Fund to make available 600,000 Public Transport Vouchers (PTVs).

To date, this is the largest number of PTVs set aside with the broadest household coverage, in recognition of the COVID-19 situation. Each PTV is valued at $30 and will help eligible households cushion the impact of the fare adjustment.