News| Free off-peak MRT, LRT rides for commuters in north-east S'pore from Dec 27 to ease morning crowds

[snapp]

• Free rail rides will be offered from selected NEL stations and the SPLRT before 7.30am or between 9am and 9.45am on weekdays, starting Dec 27.
• The Travel Smart Journeys programme's eligibility criteria will be removed and rebates tweaked, with five new City Direct Services by mid-December 2025.
• Acting Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow announced the plans to ease morning peak travel, alongside the official opening of the Punggol Coast Bus Interchange.

Passengers in Singapore’s north-east will soon not pay anything for their first rail ride, if they tap in at six stations on the North East Line (NEL) or the Sengkang-Punggol LRT (SPLRT) system during morning off-peak hours.

This is part of the Government’s latest push to reduce train congestion during the morning rush hour.

From Dec 27, the free rides will apply to passengers who enter the NEL’s Punggol Coast, Punggol, Sengkang, Buangkok, Hougang or Kovan stations or the SPLRT before 7.30am, or between 9am and 9.45am on weekdays, excluding public holidays.

It will also be easier to join the Travel Smart Journeys (TSJ) programme - an existing rewards scheme encouraging north-east passengers to change their travel modes or times to avoid the morning peak.

The move to nudge passengers to avoid the rush hour via free train rides is meant to ease the load on the crowded NEL so that other commuters will see “fewer missed trains”, said the Land Transport Authority (LTA) on Oct 18.

Announcing the moves at Punggol Coast Bus Interchange on the same day, Acting Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow said it will operate as a pilot scheme for at least a year and the results will be evaluated.

Passengers do not need to register for the free rail rides, as long as they tap in and out using the same fare card or payment mode, said LTA.

The authority told The Straits Times the Government will fund the scheme fully, and that it will not contribute to future fare increases. The cost of the scheme will depend on the extent passengers adjust their travel patterns, LTA said.

It is also separate from the upcoming public transport fare changes announced recently, added LTA.

Continue reading: https://www.straitstimes.com/singap...east-spore-from-dec-27-to-ease-morning-crowds

 

[haoren]

nothing is free. it was factored into the recent fare increment.

 

[Shion]

 

[W1n7f1r3]

Break down of rail dun discriminate free rides

 

[euro2012]

before 730 or after 9.. go fly kite thx

 

[boredom2012]

Give chicken wing take back whole chicken

 

[orpisia]

6.1m already need to do like that

10m how

 

[bakasora]

Their mitigation is to entice people to wake up earlier to get free rides?

 

[footi3]

no wonder up fares

 

[twosix]

Is to make you change your commute patterns.

 

[Sumimasen]

Only for purpur line tat few stations

Extend to all colors then talk

 

[062692J]

Is the Human traffic quite bad over there?

 

[accucore12]

make half of singapore work at night lor.

 

[sango65]

so tell your boss to start work at 10am cos you want to take MRT at 9am (not crowded)?

maybe can ask LTA civil servants to set example to take MRT at 9am and reach office only at 10am.

 

[skai_11]

Their mitigation is to entice people to wake up earlier to get free rides?

this mitigation is because too many kpkb the fare hike so they chut this freebie to appease them.

i feel they already have this in plan. keep in pocket see how's the reaction of fare hike then chut this if necessary.

 

[euro2012]

so tell your boss to start work at 10am cos you want to take MRT at 9am (not crowded)?

maybe can ask LTA civil servants to set example to take MRT at 9am and reach office only at 10am.

precisely.. no brainer one

 

[nasfieldjohn]

jinx jeff goin to have maor mrt faults soons?

 

[standarture]

Sinkies to rich to care.

 

[enimen]

Losing money liao still wanna offer free rides? Later increase fares again ah

 

[snapp]

Pic from AsiaOne