Skip to main content

Advertisement

Advertisement

Free, discounted off-peak MRT rides could be made ‘permanent’

SINGAPORE — An ongoing trial offering free or discounted rail travel to nudge more commuters to take public transport during off-peak hours could be made permanent.

The Public Transport Council is evaluating whether tiered fares that nudge commuters to take public transport during off-peak hours should become permanent. TODAY file photo

The Public Transport Council is evaluating whether tiered fares that nudge commuters to take public transport during off-peak hours should become permanent. TODAY file photo

Follow TODAY on WhatsApp

SINGAPORE — An ongoing trial to nudge more commuters to take public transport during off-peak hours by offering free or discounted rail travel could be made permanent.

Public Transport Council (PTC) chairman Richard Magnus wrote in a blog post on Thursday (Oct 19) that the council has been asked by the Ministry of Transport to assess if such “tiered fares” should be made permanent, on top of an earlier request in June to review the effectiveness of the trial.

The council is expected to announce its recommendations by the end of the year, along with its yearly review of public transport fares.

The “free pre-peak travel” scheme was introduced in 2013, offering free or discounted rail travel for commuters going to selected stations in and around the Central Business District during morning pre-peak hours.

Another initiative, the monthly “off-peak pass” scheme, was rolled out in 2015, allowing unlimited travel on rail and basic bus services during designated off-peak hours.

Both schemes have been renewed several times — most recently in June to extend the trials until the end of this year. Last year, there were signs that the proportion of commuters changing their travel pattern had stagnated.

Responding to TODAY’s queries, a Land Transport Authority (LTA) spokesperson said more than 65,000 commuters now benefit from free or discounted travel by exiting at the 18 city stations before 8am on weekdays. More than 15,000 commuters have shifted from peak to off-peak travel daily — the equivalent of 10 trainloads of passengers, she said.

An average of 13,000 off-peak passes have been sold monthly since the trial began in July 2015.

In his blog post, Mr Magnus noted that major cities like London and Sydney have introduced similar moves with “some success”.

“The council is, therefore, evaluating travel patterns to determine how a differential fare mechanism can best help smoothen travel demand,” he wrote, adding that concentrating travel within a few hours daily is “resource-intensive and inefficient”.

The PTC chairman also noted the Government’s heavy investments in public transport, saying that the council could not “turn a blind eye” to the rising costs involved.

For instance, the Government will spend S$20 billion over the next five years on new rail infrastructure, on top of the S$4 billion to renew, upgrade and expand Singapore’s rail operating assets.

While these investments are necessary to improve commuter experience, they increase operating costs and place a “heavy cost burden on taxpayers”. The council will have to ensure the viability of the public transport system is sustained”, Mr Magnus added.

He cited a Singapore University of Social Sciences study which supported the “relative affordability” of public transport fares here. The Republic’s rail fares, for instance, are among the lowest in Asia, and considerably lower than cities in Australia, Europe and the United States, he added.

“We must, and will, continue to keep the voices of our commuters firmly at the forefront, even as we consider the rising costs,” Mr Magnus assured.

Transport analysts said travel patterns are not likely to shift significantly with permanent off-peak fares, unless changes are made to the scheme.

If the scheme is expanded islandwide, for instance, the travel patterns of more commuters could change, said Professor Lee Der-Horng, a transport researcher with the National University of Singapore.

Many workers who travel to the central areas are white-collar professionals who may not respond to the incentives, he observed.

Another issue is the sustainability of such perks. Permanently free pre-peak travel will impose a heavier cost burden on the Government, said Prof Lee.

The LTA has said the pre-peak travel scheme cost S$32 million from June 2013 to June 2016, and another S$10 million between July 2016 and June this year.

The off-peak pass scheme has cost the LTA more than S$5 million since it was introduced in July 2015.

However, there is still value in having peak and off-peak fares, and the quantum should be “significant enough” to distinguish between the two, said Prof Lee.

Instead of taxpayers bearing an even greater burden of the cost of offering low off-peak fares, Singapore University of Social Sciences transport economist Walter Theseira said raising peak-period fares could be a more appropriate solution.

He does not expect travel patterns to shift dramatically if off-peak fares become permanent. “Employers expect them at work at a certain time. And if (commuters) can afford it, they’re going to go to work at that time,” he said.

A commuter, who gave his name only as Mr Jumat, 24, starts work at 9am and rides the MRT from Pioneer to Raffles Place.

He has not considered heading out early just to enjoy lower fares. “The discounted price is not really that much, unless it’s long-term or cumulative … For someone who doesn’t have to be in the office before 9, it doesn’t make any sense to do it,” said the content specialist.

Bank associate Cindy Wong, 26, who commutes from Simei to Raffles Place daily, said she would not be able to knock off early even if she reaches her office an hour earlier.

“I have work that can be done only in the late evening … It’s no use reaching the office so early,” she explained.

In order to get more Singaporeans to use trains and buses, the public transport system has to be robust and reliable and convenient, the transport analysts said. 

Read more of the latest in

Advertisement

Advertisement

Stay in the know. Anytime. Anywhere.

Subscribe to get daily news updates, insights and must reads delivered straight to your inbox.

By clicking subscribe, I agree for my personal data to be used to send me TODAY newsletters, promotional offers and for research and analysis.