Take-Up Rates for Public Transport Vouchers

Written Reply to Parliamentary Question

Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked the Acting Minister for Transport

a.          what are the Public Transport Voucher take-up rates since January 2020;

b.          how is its effectiveness in offsetting commuting cost pressure evaluated; and

c.           whether there are plans to further enhance transport affordability support beyond the current $60 voucher benefit.

Reply by Acting Minister for Transport Jeffrey Siow:

1.          In the exercise that concluded in October 2025, about 360,000 Public Transport Vouchers were issued, which is 72% of the 500,000 eligible households.

2.          To improve take-up rates, we have enhanced the application process in recent years. First, we no longer require past beneficiaries to re-submit an application each year – their household receives Public Transport Vouchers as long as they remain eligible based on the criteria for that year. Second, for newly eligible households or those who had not applied for Public Transport Vouchers in the past, we have introduced online applications so they can submit applications almost year-round, either online or in-person as preferred. We have further enhanced the online application process such that eligible households that apply online are immediately informed of their successful application and can redeem the vouchers more quickly after receiving them via SMS.

3.          Public Transport Vouchers cover roughly half a year of fare increases for a typical household of two adults and two concession cardholders. Households who require more support can request additional vouchers through their Community Centres or Clubs.

4.          In addition to Public Transport Vouchers, the Government provides over $2 billion in annual subsidies to fund bus and train services. In recent years, the Government has also provided additional subsidies of $200 to $300 million, which has allowed the Public Transport Council to defer the bulk of the fare increases in recent years. Discounted fares and monthly passes are also available for concession groups, including Workfare recipients. Our public transport fares are one of the lowest in the world and have become more affordable over the past decade. For lower-income households, the proportion of household income spent on public transport has fallen from 3.1% in 2015 to 2.4% in 2024. For average public transport users, the figure has also fallen from 2.2% in 2015 to 1.7% in 2024.