Debated in Parliament on 7 Oct 2014.
Mr Chen Show Mao asked the Minister for Transport (a) what is the percentage of eligible senior citizens who have senior citizen transport concession cards; (b) when is the peak usage by senior citizens, according to day and week; and (c) if the Ministry will consider (i) a further fee reduction or free travel during certain periods of the day or week and (ii) conducting a study to quantify the benefits of giving seniors cheaper public transport and to assess if further lowering the fares for senior citizens will more than pay for itself in terms of other economic benefits.
Around 84% of senior citizens have senior citizen transport concession cards today. From analysis of usage data, senior citizens tend to travel at all times of the day, with no distinct period of peak usage.
Currently, senior citizens enjoy discounts of 25% to 55% off trip fares, depending on the distance of the journey. Since April 2014, senior citizens who travel frequently can also buy a monthly concession pass, which limits their monthly spending on public transport to a maximum of $60, half the price of an adult monthly concession pass.
The Public Transport Council reviews public transport concessions regularly. It will continue to do so.
PAPERCUTS