Plunging oil prices have not helped consumer

Even without the benefit of hindsight, the report “Public transport fares may drop next year: Lui” (Jan 20), could have been taken as a hint that there will be no drop for the present.

In the event, it was reported that “Public transport fares to rise by 1 to 10 cents” (Jan 22).

The report mentioned that fares will stay unchanged for more than 1.1 million commuters, presenting the corollary that the remaining others will pay more.

In the context that the hike is 2.8 per cent from April 5, it may be poor consolation that fares could fall by about 1 per cent next year.

Any such revision would still result in higher fares than at present, the steep fall in oil prices notwithstanding.

While experts see no apparent anomaly in the situation, many commuters may wonder, at a basic level of understanding, how the Bus Service Enhancement Programme is beneficial here. (“Increases expected as costs still weigh on operators, say experts”; Jan 22)

The projected subsidy appears not to have trickled down to commuters. At nearly all levels, end users in Singapore may feel that the short end of the stick has been reserved for them.

The present-day oil price of S$50 has not translated into comparable reductions of scale in pump prices to benefit motorists, while bottled gas for homes is priced the same as it was when oil prices were around S$115.

That trite phrase, consumer is king, sounds hollow when there are aces to trump him.