The Public Transport Council approved a 7 percent fare adjustment on 29 September that will lift adult card fares by 12 to 13 cents per bus or train trip from 26 December, while deferring the remaining 7.7 percentage points of the allowable quantum to future reviews.
Chairing the annual fare review exercise, the council said the hike follows a formula output driven largely by energy costs between July 2025 and June 2026, when Middle East supply disruptions pushed power prices higher across the network. The adjustment is expected to add about S$176.9 million in annual fare revenue, with concession groups receiving smaller cent increases than adult card users.
What Parliament's transport arm deferred
The council could have moved up to 14.7 percent after carrying forward deferred quantum from prior years. It instead granted 7 percent — comprising 5.3 percent from the formula and 1.7 percent drawn from deferred balances — and asked the Government to cover nearly S$200 million in subsidies in 2027 to hold back the rest. Ministry of Transport statements on 29 September framed that split as balancing commuter affordability against operator sustainability after fares were held steady while fuel costs spiked.
SBS Transit Rail and SMRT Trains must contribute 30 percent of their expected revenue gains from the hike, a combined S$23.94 million, into the Public Transport Fund. The Ministry of Transport said vouchers for lower-income households will draw on that pool alongside existing penalties paid after major disruptions.
Voucher rule changes land the same week
Separately, the ministry widened public transport voucher eligibility so resident households with up to S$2,100 in monthly income per person can apply — up from S$1,800 — and raised each voucher to S$80 from S$60. Officials estimate about 60,000 additional households qualify, lifting the share of homes eligible to roughly four in ten nationwide.
Applications for the 2025 voucher exercise remain open through 31 October on the Ministry of Transport portal. Households may use credits to top up SimplyGo cards or buy monthly passes once the December fare table takes effect.
What riders should expect on 26 December
Adult commuters paying by card will see the largest cash increase in recent review cycles, with short trips rising 12 cents and longer journeys 13 cents under the published tables. Cash fares and student concessions move by smaller amounts. The council's media briefing stressed that monthly travel passes for adults, seniors and hybrid users stay at prior-year prices, a political choice meant to keep frequent riders on passes rather than per-trip billing.
Operators must publish updated fare tables before the effective date. Commuters with auto top-ups should check SimplyGo balances the week before Christmas travel, when airport and bus interchange volumes typically climb.