SINGAPORE: On Monday (13 January), the Ministry of Transport (MOT) announced a measures to assist lower-income households in coping with the recent public transport fare adjustment. Eligible households can now apply for Public Transport Vouchers (PTVs) worth S$60 under the 2024 PTV Exercise.
This initiative follows a 6 per cent fare hike announced by the Public Transport Council (PTC) in September 2024, which came into effect on 28 December 2024.
As part of the adjustment, adult MRT and bus fares increased by 10 cents per ride, while concessionary fares for seniors, students, and people with disabilities rose by 4 cents.
The PTV application window runs from 14 January to 31 October 2025.
Households with a monthly income per person of up to S$1,800 and who did not receive PTVs in the first round of the exercise in 2024 can apply online or at their local community clubs.
Those who need additional assistance but fall outside the eligibility criteria may also submit an appeal through the same channels.
The MOT and People’s Association highlighted in a joint statement on 13 January that households who received PTV notification letters can redeem their vouchers via the SimplyGo app, or at SimplyGo kiosks, ticket offices, or community clubs.
Each eligible household will receive one S$60 voucher, which can be used to top up fare cards or purchase monthly passes. The vouchers are valid until 31 March 2026.
This year’s vouchers are valued higher than the S$50 vouchers issued in 2023, and the income eligibility threshold has been raised from S$1,600 to S$1,800 per person, enabling an additional 60,000 households to benefit.
The first stage of the 2024 exercise concluded in December 2024, with approximately 270,000 households receiving PTVs.
These were distributed to those who had qualified in the 2023 exercise and continued to meet the income criteria.
The fare hike, effective from 28 December 2024, was attributed to factors such as core inflation, wage growth in 2023, and a decline in energy prices from their 2022 peak.
The PTC decided to implement only a 6 per cent increase, deferring the remaining 12.9 per cent of the maximum allowable 18.9 per cent hike to future reviews.
Monthly pass holders were unaffected by the fare hike, as were concession card holders, who saw only a minimal increase of 4 cents per trip.
The MOT’s latest measures aim to cushion the impact of rising transport costs, particularly for lower-income households.
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