Due to the reduction in the corporate rate tax by 2 per cent, higher ridership, higher fares and higher advertising revenue, SBS Transit reported a 20.4 per cent rise in interim net earnings to $31.16 million.

It has also applied for an increase in fares in the coming exercise and, if approved, will be effective in October.

However, sad to say, it has not correspondingly provided a higher service to bus commuters as reflected in the grouses of readers who wrote to the ST forum pages.

Chin Kee Thou