Mr Lui rebutted a call by the opposition Workers' Party (WP) to nationalise public transport. -- ST PHOTO: ALPHONSUS CHERN
THE Ministry of Transport (MOT) has weighed in on expected fare hikes later this year, saying a process is already in place to ensure that transport operators do not maximise profits at commuters' expense.
Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew also rebutted a call by the opposition Workers' Party (WP) to nationalise public transport.
In a Facebook post on Wednesday evening, he said such a move would likely result in taxpayers and commuters paying more for poorer service.
Transport operators SBS Transit and SMRT Corp announced on Monday that they are seeking a fare increase.
That has sparked noisy debate, with some people asking why the companies are allowed to do so even though they are still making profits.
This year, the two operators have applied for an increase that will work out to a 2.8 per cent rise in total fares collected. That is the maximum allowed.
Read the full story in Thursday's edition of The Straits Times.
