Scope and Rationale of Public Transport Voucher in Offsetting Recent and Cumulative Fare Increases

Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim asked the Acting Minister for Transport (a) whether the Public Transport Voucher is intended to offset only the most recent fare increase or also cumulative fare increases since 2020; and (b) if not, what is the rationale for not covering cumulative increases.

Public Transport Vouchers (PTVs) are provided in years where public transport fares are increased to cushion the impact of the immediate cost increase on lower-income households. The PTVs are not intended to offset cumulative fare increases over time.

There are other structural support measures in place to keep public transport affordable. The Government provides over $2 billion in annual subsidies to fund bus and train services. In recent years, the Government has also provided additional subsidies of $200 to $300 million annually, which has allowed the Public Transport Council to defer the bulk of fare increases. Concession groups, like students, senior citizens, Person with Disabilities (PWD) and Workfare recipients, also enjoy discounts of up to 70% off adult per-journey fares.