No fare increase request from rail operators amid higher fuel costs, fares reviewed yearly: PTC
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The Public Transport Council said it will aim to strike a balance when assessing the fare adjustment for 2026.
ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG
- Rail operators SBS Transit and SMRT have not requested fare increases despite rising fuel costs due to conflict in Iran.
- PTC considers affordability and operators' costs, including energy prices, for fare adjustments; last increase was on Dec 27, 2025.
- Rising fuel prices are impacting transport, with airlines and ferry operators adding surcharges, but Singapore's fuel supply is stable.
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SINGAPORE – Rail operators SBS Transit and SMRT have not requested to increase fares amid rising fuel costs due to the ongoing conflict in Iran, said the Public Transport Council (PTC) on March 27.
Fares are reviewed on a yearly basis, and energy prices are among the considerations during the exercise, it added, in response to The Straits Times’ queries.
When assessing the 2026 fare adjustment, the council said it will aim to strike a balance between commuters’ concerns over affordability and the increasing costs faced by public transport operators.
The annual fare review, which is typically announced in the second half of the year and takes effect in end-December, also looks at factors such as changes in core inflation and wages.
Unlike bus fares, which are collected by the Government, train fares go directly to the rail operators.
The last time public transport fares increased was on Dec 27, 2025, when overall public transport fares climbed by 5 per cent.
The latest revision has seen adults paying nine to 10 cents more per journey if they use contactless bank cards, SimplyGo cards or ez-link cards.
Since the United States and Israel launched air strikes on Iran on Feb 28, global fuel prices have risen, driven by escalating conflict and disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz – a key route that carries about a fifth of the world’s oil and gas.
Consumers in Singapore have been feeling the squeeze, with various transport options becoming more expensive.
At fuel pumps, prices increased over nearly three weeks, surpassing highs set during the outbreak of the Ukraine war in 2022.
As at March 27, the cost of 95-octane petrol at SPC is $3.41 a litre, while Shell charges $3.40, according to data from price comparison platform Price Kaki.
As at March 26, Caltex, Esso and Sinopec charged $3.42 a litre.
Cnergy charges the least, at $2.48 a litre.
The same grade of petrol used to cost $2.88 a litre at most petrol stations before Feb 28.
Some airlines like Hong Kong carrier Cathay Pacific and Thai Airways International have begun to raise fuel surcharges and ticket prices. Airspace restrictions and longer flight routes to avoid the Middle East have also driven up fares.
Ferry and cruise operators too have started to impose fuel surcharges.
For ferries, since March 12, these range from $6 for one-way trips departing from Singapore, to $12 for a return trip between Singapore and Bintan.
Cruise operators StarCruises and Dream Cruises both said they will impose a fuel surcharge of $15 a person for each night. The surcharge applies to guests aged two and above, and is included in new bookings made on or after March 20.
On March 26, Acting Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow said the country’s fuel supply is currently stable. “Currently, the fuel market is liquid. Our stockpiles are also not being eroded, and our supply lines remain open,” he added.
The Government is monitoring the situation to see if there is a need for it to intervene, he said.
