Vouchers to help lower-income households with fare hike
Singaporeans can expect to cough up a bit more for their rides starting Dec 28.
A 6 per cent fare increase for public transport is on the cards, but the Public Transport Council (PTC) decided against passing on the full allowable fare adjustment, instead settling on a figure that's less than a third of the maximum 18.9 per cent.
While the Ministry of Transport (MOT) acknowledges the rising cost of living is a concern, it's also keen to maintain the quality and reliability of our public transport system.
In the past year, the rail network grew even bigger with the addition of seven new stations on the Thomson-East Coast Line. To make buses even more convenient, there's the Bus Connectivity Enhancement Programme – a $900 million investment over eight years to improve bus services island-wide.
The Government is looking to keep public transport costs affordable for Singaporeans in a few ways.
They're dishing out an extra $250 million in subsidies to help soften the blow, on top of the usual $2 billion they put into keeping our public transport system running smoothly. That adds up to more than a dollar for every journey taken.
They're also keeping the fare increase for our concession card holders – students, seniors, lower-wage workers and the differently-abled – to 4 cents per trip.
Then there are the Public Transport Vouchers (PTVs) – $60 each for lower-income households, which is more than last year's $50.
An extra 60,000 households will qualify for the vouchers as they will be available to resident households with a monthly household income per person of not more than $1,800, up from $1,600.
The PTC has extended concessionary fares for graduating students for another four months, benefiting 75,000 students and their families annually.
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