Forum: Consider capping fares for public transport
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According to a recent parliamentary reply on the use of the adult monthly travel pass, about 23,500 of those passes were sold in April.
In the same month, about 56,000 adults who did not buy the pass spent more on public transport than what the pass would have cost them.
Fare capping should be introduced here. For instance, once an adult has spent $122 – the cost of a monthly travel pass – on public transport in a month, the rest of his rides for that month should be free. The same could be extended to other monthly concession passes, such as those for seniors and students.
Functionally, fare capping has the same desired outcome of limiting one’s public transport expenses. Making commuters buy a concession pass is an artificial hurdle to reaping travel savings.
I believe the technology to implement fare caps already exists. Perhaps it is time for Singapore to get on board.
Constance Lau
