Policies
The Public Transport Council (PTC) regulates public transport fares and ticket payment services. Public transport fares are reviewed annually based on a fare formula that protects the interests of commuters to ensure that fare adjustments are kept affordable for commuters.
Introduced in 2010, the distance-based fare structure requires commuters to pay fares according to distance travelled from origin to destination, for up to 5 transfers made within a journey.
Learn more about the chronology of fare adjustment.
It is important to have a financially sustainable public transport system. The public transport system is underpinned by Government subsidies and commuter fares. Neither can be raised beyond the ability of taxpayers to bear nor commuters to pay. Operators have to be incentivised to be efficient and to make productivity improvements to turn in viable revenue streams, rather than rely solely on fare increases to cover operating costs.
PTC conducts a Fare Review Exercise annually to ensure that fare adjustments will not overburden commuters, while taking into account operators’ needs. It is guided by a fare formula which protects the interests of commuters by capping the fare adjustment, rather than allowing operators to pass on full operating costs to commuters to bear.
Learn more about the Fare Regulation Framework.
Concession schemes take the form of free travel, lower trip fares, or a cap on monthly public transport expenditure through monthly concession passes. In 2014, the Government introduced two concession schemes for Lower-Wage Workers (LWWs) and Persons with Disabilities (PWDs). In 2019, PTC extended student concessionary fares to polytechnic and other diploma students.
Learn more about the Fare Structure.
Commuters can save up to 50 cents when they board trains before 7.45am (except Public Holidays). This scheme, introduced in December 2017, encourages more commuters to travel before the morning peak hours to spread out the passenger load.
Learn more about the Morning Pre-Peak Fares.
Launched in 2019, this payment system also known as SimplyGo, allows commuters to travel by tapping their contactless bank cards (MasterCard/Visa/NETS ATM) or mobile wallets on the bus fare readers or train fare gates, without the need for top-ups.
EZ-Link adult cardholders may also choose to convert their existing EZ-Link cards to account-based EZ-Link cards to enjoy additional benefits such as remote top-ups and convenient tracking of travel spending and card balance through a mobile application. The conversion to account-based EZ-Link cards can be done at ticketing machines. Alternatively, new account-based EZ-Link cards can be purchased from TransitLink Ticket Offices.
Learn more about the Account-based Ticketing Payment.
In years of fare increases, the Government will draw from the Public Transport Fund (PTF) to disburse Public Transport Vouchers to help households cope with fare adjustments. Operators have to make a one-off contribution to the PTF in the years when fare increases have been approved, which constitutes a portion of the increased fare revenue these operators will collect. The Government will also supplement the PTF with State subsidies.
