Singapore’s public transport will switch to distance-based fares from tomorrow, 03 July 2010. The following is the National Solidarity Party’s press release on the change.
We are greatly disappointed by the new fare system that the PTC intended to implement on 3rd July 2010. Our recent research on SMRT as well as LTA Public Transport websites shows that almost all the MRT fares that we have checked from different lines have increased quite substantially.
Please refer to the following table for our findings:
We are not able to do a complete table on the various fare comparisons for all possible rides but from our sample findings, it shows that fare increase resulted from the new Distance Fare system ranges from 3.75% to more than 7%.
The PTC has not made such straight forward indications when they try to convince Singaporeans that most of them will enjoy lower fares for their daily travels on public transport. The PTC should stop misleading Singaporeans with its assertion that most Singaporeans would benefit from this new fare system. PTC should be more truthful upfront by publishing the whole matrix of comparisons between fares for MRT rides between all possible combinations.
Any fare increase more than 2% in such simple straight forward MRT rides is totally unacceptable as wage increase for many of the lower wage earners who utilize public transport most do not have much increment on their wages.
Many Singaporeans rely on MRT for their travelling needs and there is little alternative to MRT rides without wasting great amount of time in interchanging between buses and being trapped in traffic jams. Such enormous outrageous hike in fares is totally unacceptable for a monopoly like SMRT.
On the other hand, it is impractical to expect bus commuters to waste time changing buses during peak hours just to “enjoy” any lower fares. Such “lower fares” may only be lower in comparison with the new long haul trunk services.
We believe that even with such “lower fares”, it will still be higher than the old fares for long haul rides. PTC should present to Singaporeans the comparison between NEW and OLD fare structures for some main trunk services.
We strongly condemn PTC for its attempt to implement such a fare system which is in fact an outrageous hike in fare in disguise.
Goh Meng Seng
Secretary General of the 13th CEC
HELP keep the voice of TOC alive!
If you like this article, please consider a small donation to help theonlinecitizen.com stay alive. Please note that we can only accept donations from Singaporeans. Thank you for your assistance.Do you have a flair for writing? Volunteer with us. Email us your full name and contact details to theonlinecitizen@gmail.com
transport quality has decreased, no breathing space in the carriage, long waiting time, serious congestion at station platform… it’s outrageous to pay more for worse transport quality
No need to complain. Just quietly migrate.
alamak, gov eat our money again.
Bt Panjang feeder service 69 cts to 71 cts now.
PTC obviously had done a bad job. I don’t think the Singaporeans could trust the PAP government anymore. Voting out PAP is the only solution for a better Singapore.
lavender mrt to tg pagar mrt last time 80 cents… now 91 cents… aiyoh…..
WHen I boarded the train I could smell sweat, medicated oil, etc…sometime it makes me want to vomit. ANd now with higher fare it is not worth taking the public transport. Better migrate to another country and say bye-bye to our blood sucker Lee Kuan Yew the Bastard of the Century.
ceo: it is only cents la….., that also you don’t let me eat??
Students have to pay 58 cents instead of their 44 cents if they travel more than 10 bus stops…
The use of Deception – are they not Cheats then?
I am sure many singaporeans are very disappointed and dishearten to know this.
Transport companies need to make profit mah.U ppl don’t know ah?
Trsnsport companies lose money.Who want their shares?Share prices go down, how?
U think they want to increase fares?Boh bian lah!
now lets all start using bicycles
I commute a short distance to work every day. Previously, my fare to work is $0.69 and back from work also $0.69. Total: $1.38.
Under the new distance-based charges, my fare to work is $0.71 and the return trip costs $0.92. Total: $1.63.
The total increase in fare for me is $0.25. That means that in a month in which I commute to work for 20 days, the increase is $5, or an annual increase of $60!
In this way, All the CEOs can get 400 million pay, same as SingTel !
why tok so much for wat?
just do wat u need to do come GE lor.
i used to support them. now i am getting pissed.
Took an MRT today from Tampines to Braddell. An increase from $1.57 to $1.75. A whopping 11.46% increase.
More good years ahead.
Most people are pissed off the new bus fare. People thought badly of the government especially the PTC this time. The PTC is not doing a thorough job and easily deceived by the transport operators.
“Mahesh”,
You are right.Short distance such as feeder service can cycle.Some people even walk home.Ways to save money!
After taking MRT and if one takes feeder bus,does he pay less now than before?
I am a senior citizen, took a bus to Lucky Plaza, Orchard Road, this morning at 9:30am. Used to cost me $0.69 but it now cost me $0.81. This is a $0.12 or a hefty 17.4% increase. PTC said two-third should see savings and one-third should see small increases. This is an ingenious caveat for who knows which third you fall into and by the way a 17.4% increase cannot be considered small. Can TOC come up with a public poll to take a measure of the validity of PTC’s claim? PTC used the term abolishing “transfer penalties” when you make transfers, it used to be called “transfer rebates”, obscured semantics. Mr. Goh Meng Seng, I really appreciate you for bringing the case to the front. Retirees like us bear the brunt of this change.
Certainly a hike and I do not think its a savings to 2/3 of the commuters. I think 100% of the commuters will see an increase in the fares.
For short distances commuters, 69cts to 71cts at the most minimum (could probably walk in this case) – but more likely to be 69cts to 81cts for any reasonable short distances.
I initially thought maybe the system increases fees for short distance folks to subsidize the longer distance commuters – but from the comments here, doesn’t sound like it!
This is a combined table of Old and new fare tables(for North Eat Line) for Adult fare. The distance ranges are different in the two tables of old and new fares, so had to combine it this way:
North East Line
Distance OLD NEW Diff %
up to 1.0 73 76 3 4.11
1.01 to 2.0 78 81 3 3.85
2.01 to 3.2 83 86 3 3.61
3.3 to 4.2 95 96 1 1.05
4.3 to 5.2 95 106 11 11.58
5.3 to 5.6 105 116 11 10.48
5.7 to 6.2 115 116 1 0.87
6.3 to 6.4 115 124 9 7.83
6.5 to 7.2 125 124 -1 -0.80
7.3 to 8.0 135 140 5 3.70
8.1 to 8.2 145 140 -5 -3.45
8.3 to 9.2 145 146 1 0.69
9.3 to 10.2 145 150 5 3.45
10.3 to 10.4 145 154 9 6.21
10.5 to 11.2 155 154 -1 -0.65
11.3 to 12.2 155 158 3 1.94
12.3 to 12.4 155 162 7 4.52
12.5 to 13.2 160 162 2 1.25
13.3 to 14.1 160 166 6 3.75
14.11 to 14.2 160 166 6 3.75
14.3 to 15.2 160 170 10 6.25
15.3 to 16.2 166 174 8 4.82
16.3 to 16.5 166 178 12 7.23
16.6 to 17.2 171 178 7 4.09
17.3 to 18.2 171 182 11 6.43
18.3 to 18.6 171 186 15 8.77
18.7 to 19.2 177 186 9 5.08
19.3 to 20.2 177 189 12 6.78
Notice that it is mostly increases in the fares.
I hope it shows up well after posting. If u want I can give you the excel :)
Sorry the table didnt come out as I intended…but the data is all there.
If anyone knows of some better way that I can post the table, pls let me know…thanks.
The hike is outrageous. I was shocked to see my fare on express bus 502 jump from $1.96 to $2.39. An increase of almost 22%! On another day I took bus 99. Last time for a few stops I was charged only 68 cents. Now it’s 81 cents! Hike of 19%! They seem to encourage us to make more transfers to reach our destination but who would enjoy waiting for buses? More good years! Let’s move on la! It’s just an honest mistake and don’t blame the minister, LTA, SBS, SMRT and the mainstream media for all these please
I think:
If u reached your destination direct without transfer in the past, u would pay MORE now if u do the same and u would pay MORE if u make transfer now.
If u made transfers to reach your destination in the past, u would pay LESS now if u do the same and u would probably pay LESS if u don’t make transfers now.
It seems there is no one third of passengers who pay the same fare as mentioned by PTC.
I do agree that this so call meter based fare is just another simple hike in fare prices which the PTC is implementing. The only reason they dun call it a hike is so people who are not so observant will not realise it. The truth is , its just a simple hike in far. Why can’t the PTC be more honest and call an apple an apple instead of disguising the hike. Well done, once again the rich ministers just keep getting richer with bigger bonuses while the poor just keeps getting poorer with an average of $100 more on public transport every month. Looks like the PTC chief is in line for huge bonuses too….Well done….kudos to you all,
These past two days I realised I am paying more for bus and train travels. i am a senior citizen. And the increase come to 17 to 23% increased. From toa Payoh interchange I took bus no.8 to bedok reservoir Blk 123, it cost me 86 cents now. Only needed to pay 69 cents before increase. Big liars !!
Let us all, (especially senior citizens) hold a protest with placards at SBS transit office or Smrt office to voice our dissent. And if we are being round up we can enjoy free meals in ‘Changi palace’
Anyone game to, can post on the onlinecitizen and we do a big one against the lies of PTC backed by the government. We will decide the date when we have at least 200 people or more.
Hand over all your money!!!!!!!
People who pay more are not happy.
People who pay less don’t speak up.
Its a fare hike in disguise, no doubt about it. My fare is higher than it use to be.
@ VoteForChange
I find this fare hike deceptive and disquieting. Can the CEO of SMRT explain how a fare is charged from Tanjong Pagar to Sengkang via Raffles City/City Hall route from a different route commencing Tanjong Pagar via Outram interchange to Sengkang. SMRT fare is BLIND of knowing the commuter actually travelled via Raffles Place/City Hall way or Outram Interchange way. Since the distance would be different – WHAT IS THE CORRECT FARE charged to commuter OTHER THAN VIA DECEPTION OF NO VALID DISTANCE MEASURE??
Is it a distance-based charge or it is a PUBLIC HOAX of fare hike deception in disguise? I need a truthful answer please!!!!!!!!!!
If SMRT cannot explain this anomaly of blind knowledge in fare charging via different route from Tanjong Pagar to Sengkang, I have compelling apprehension that SMRT is obtaining financial advantage by deception. It is your opportunity to prove your commuter’s judgement wrong.
we can complain for all we want, but will it ever be resolved (meaning the price go down)? it may go down, say 1 cent, in the near future, but soon they’ll hike it even higher the next time! bleah. this is the lta we know.
Let me quote another example
sv196 from Suntec to Mountbatten Rd[Assn for the deaf ] is 0.81.
However, the same pair of bus stops from Mountbatten Rd[Opp Assn for the deaf] to Suntec is 0.71
Strange rite, wrote to so many agencies, everyone is passing the buck to answer or giving me a standard reply.
Furthermore, Straits Times is not even answering/replying to my queries on this “fare reduction”
They just PREDICTED the gain and loss.It is not very accurate.Obviously,they were likely hike the fare higher as a precaution — just in case they would lose money.Next adjustment of fares would be lower if this time they earn more.
I urge those IT savvy bloggers to set up a PETITION template, hence the public could send their unhappiness views to LTA, SBSTransit, SMRT and PTC, as so many people have been affected with INCREASED Distance fare ! I have heard so many complaints from the public and the government is not bothered.
My daily bus fare to work has also been increased by $0.10 cent each trip.
I felt it is a smoke screen of this NEW DISTANCE FARE to increase the bus and train fares. And it is all these transportation companies going to benefit with BIGGER PROFITS. We, the commuters are going to suffer with even heavier transportation cost.
This evening, 9 July 2010 (Fri), at around 5.30 pm, I heard from radio Capital958, a female officer from LTA explained the logic for the increase in fare of the Distance Fare, was to help those commuters who require to switch few rounds of tranport within one journey. I totally could not understand the rationale behind it.
As an individual, my only concern is my INCREASED daily transportation cost. Who is going to help me pay for the increased fare and make ends meet?!
So the above contributor admits that he is very selfish and thinks only about his self interest.How can he see the big picture?
@Boh Bian
But there are a lot of others like me who hardly use public transport but unhappy seeing the politics of mass deception even in public transport. It is an issue of PUBLIC INTEREST essential cost-of-living concerns AND TRANSPARENCY IN CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY.
U people want cheap cheap cheap!Cheap service got quality or not?Why don’t u all complain about the quality of the service?
bus fare increase on 3rd july 2010-totally unacceptable. Before 3.7.10 I took 2 bus stops from Joo Seng (Cost $0.69), then walk to upper serangoon road to take another 2 bus stops (2nd trip with rebates) to potong pasir, the bus fare only cost ninety something cents, less teh $1. After 3.7.10, 1st trip $0.71, change bus on 2nd trip $0.71 total cost $1.42 THIS IS A 40% INCREASE
Boarding and alighting from the SAME bus stops but of different bus no. charges different fares!
For reaching the same destination Sinagpore communters now has NO freedom to board any number that arrive first at the bus stop!
He had to die die wait for the bus that travels the lesser distance to arrive!!! Else you pay more lor! Sucks! Cheater system!
If LTA dares, we urge you to set up a POLL on Yahoo Main page to reveal on the % who saves on the new fare system.
Else, wait and see the PAP polling results this year!
@Boh Bian
High quaility should not translates to high cost.
Visit China city to see cheap, quality and effective bus, train transport system.
Having Train guides on station platforms? China have them many years back while we only implement it this year.
China commuters also have vast bus numbers to choose from to reach their destinations, at equal pricing. Compare.
Low cost with good service; that’s what we call HIGH PRODUCTIVITY!
The commuter pays for the total distance he is travelling regardless of how he gets there… making transfers or not doesn’t matter in the fare calculation. So people who currently HAVE TO transfer to get to their destinations will benefit, whilst those who DON’T HAVE TO transfer will have to fork out more. Transferring for the sake of transferring will not save you money (but may save time), UNLESS the route involving a transfer leads to a reduction of distance travelled.
http://www.smu.edu.sg/news_room/smu_in_the_news/2010/sources/ST_20100821_2.pdf