Adult bus and train rides will cost 12 to 13 cents more from 26 December, but the Public Transport Council left every monthly travel pass price unchanged — a split that shifts the household bill toward occasional riders and away from commuters who already buy hybrid passes.
The council announced the 7 percent fare adjustment on 29 September alongside Ministry of Transport changes to voucher income caps. Households with up to S$2,100 in monthly income per person may now apply, up from S$1,800, and each approved home receives S$80 instead of last year's S$60. Officials estimate 60,000 additional households qualify, bringing coverage to about 40 percent of resident homes.
Why passes did not move
Monthly passes for adults, seniors, national servicemen and hybrid work-week riders stay at 2025 prices even as per-trip fares climb. The council said about 110,000 more passengers — roughly 4 percent of the network — could save money by switching from pay-per-ride cards to a monthly hybrid pass after December, with average savings of about S$26 a month for those who cross the breakeven trip count.
That arithmetic matters for households budgeting on a calendar month rather than a pay cycle. A couple each commuting five days a week can still beat per-trip billing with a hybrid pass if they consolidate EZ-Link or SimplyGo top-ups before 26 December. Pass holders who auto-renew should confirm that their bank deductions reference the frozen pass table, not the new per-trip distance fares.
How vouchers hit the statement
Vouchers are not automatic credits on your card. Eligible households must apply through the Ministry of Transport form before the 31 October 2026 deadline for the 2025 exercise. Approved vouchers can top up stored-value cards or offset monthly pass purchases once the fare hike begins.
The Public Transport Fund receives S$23.94 million from SBS Transit Rail and SMRT Trains under the review rules — 30 percent of their expected revenue lift from the hike. That pool, plus disruption penalties, funds the vouchers while the Government adds broader subsidies nearing S$200 million in 2027 to defer part of the allowable fare formula output.
What to do before Christmas travel
If you ride occasionally, expect the 12 or 13 cent increase to show on every tapped trip. If you ride daily, run your October and November SimplyGo history through the Land Transport Authority's trip calculator once the December tables publish. Students and lower-wage workfare concession holders see smaller cent adjustments than adult card users but still benefit from unchanged monthly pass pricing if they are on pass products today.
Keep application receipts for voucher appeals. The income test uses household per capita figures — a raise that pushes a home above S$2,100 per person removes eligibility even if total household pay looks modest on a combined payslip.