snapp
Arch-Supremacy Member
- Joined
- Jun 24, 2000
- Messages
- 22,704
- Reaction score
- 9,568
Fare increase is 'measured', say experts
Transport analyst Terence Fan from Singapore Management University told TNP that the fare increase is "measured and considerate", noting actual that the increase is well below the ceiling."Many people may not actually experience an increase. They might even register a reduction in the transport fare," Prof Fan said, pointing out that the average commuter may end up paying only a few dollars more each month.
In particular, he emphasised that the price of monthly travel passes will be reduced by six dollars, which has not happened before. "For those who have been using public transport very heavily, it will actually translate into a small reduction in their monthly expense," Prof Fan said.
Walter Theseira, head of the urban transportation programme at the Singapore University of Social Sciences, said that the fare increase is not necessarily about boosting operator profits, but about keeping the cost-sharing balance between commuters and taxpayers stable.
"The fares are too low for operators to make profits from the fare, and today operators receive Government subsidies to cover the difference between fares and costs," said Prof Theseira.
"The money must come from somewhere, and if it doesn't come from your fares, it will definitely come from the taxpayer."
Balancing cost and reliability
Prof Theseira also emphasised the need to balance system costs with reliable service, pointing out that there is an inherent trade-off between the two. Ultimately, commuters and taxpayers pay for cost-ineffective increases in maintenance.He added that an increase in emphasis on quality could explain the rising cost of maintaining the transport system, with the addition of new MRT lines and bus services in recent years, while ridership has not increased by as much.
Prof Fan echoed this, noting that rising energy costs, wages, and retail prices all contribute to the increase in fares.
He added that as the public transport network grows, service disruptions may appear more frequent: "We now have six lines instead of two. So if in the past, we only had one disruption a year, now we should expect one every two months."
Will transport fares continue to increase?
Both experts added that prices are likely to increase in the coming years, although Prof Fan noted that fare hikes are unlikely to rise above 9 per cent."Can we do better? Yes, I think so. But what we have now is already very good," he added.
https://www.tnp.sg/news/5-transport...nd-considerate-say-experts-commuters-dismayed