Now I am not surprised that the rubber-stamp agency that is the Public Transport Council (PTC) decided to approve a 1% increase in public transport fare. Like most Singaporeans, I fully expected this once SMRT and SBS Transit submitted their applications to increase the fare price.
So why am I unhappy about the announcement? I’m unhappy because the PTC sure didn’t take their time with it. SMRT and SBS Transit submitted their applications to the PTC on 11/7. The application was supposed to be pending as the PTC is suppose to calculate the new fare adjustment using a complex formula that takes into account the consumer price index, wage index, productivity gains etc of Singapore.
This complex formula can’t be that complex because the PTC approved the increase on 5/8, less than a month after SMRT and SBS filed their applications. Most Singaporeans have questioned the 1% increase but frankly I think they are barking up the wrong tree. I’m more interested in how they got to this 1% figure after just than a month of “consultation”. To me, that’s a bigger issue than the exact fare hike.
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