Bus and train fares go up on Saturday 26 December, and the size of the increase depends on how you pay and how far you ride. The Public Transport Council granted an overall increase of 7 per cent at this year’s Fare Review Exercise on 29 September, which is less than half of the 14.7 per cent the formula allowed.
For an adult tapping a card, that works out at 12 cents more per journey on trips of 3.2km or less, and 13 cents more beyond that. Paying cash costs 20 cents more.
Who pays what from 26 December
Students, seniors and people with disabilities pay 5 cents more on card fares, and 10 cents more when paying cash. Card fares for lower-wage workers on the Workfare Transport Concession Scheme do not move at all, and the Government is absorbing that increase itself.
Monthly pass prices stay where they are for every category. That matters more than it sounds: with card fares rising and passes frozen, the council estimates 110,000 more commuters could save by switching to a monthly hybrid pass, at an average of S$26 a month. There are 126,000 monthly pass users now. The SimplyGo app shows your monthly spend, which is the quickest way to work out whether a pass beats tapping.
The numbers behind the 7 per cent
The fare formula produced 5.3 per cent this year, up from last year because energy prices climbed between July 2025 and June 2026 during the Middle East conflict. Add the deferred adjustment carried over from earlier exercises, 9.4 per cent, and the maximum allowable increase came to 14.7 per cent. The council granted 7 per cent and deferred 7.7 per cent.
The Government covers that deferred portion with close to S$200 million in subsidies for 2027. The council has also required SBS Transit Rail and SMRT Trains to put 30 per cent of their expected revenue increase into the Public Transport Fund, a total of S$23.94 million, split S$8.07 million and S$15.87 million.
Vouchers widen and grow
Public Transport Vouchers rise from S$60 to S$80 per household, and the income ceiling moves from S$1,800 to S$2,100 per person in the household. The council expects 4 in 10 households to qualify, which is 60,000 more than before. Households that need more help can go to their Community Club or Community Centre.
Why passes were left alone
Monthly passes are the one part of the fare structure that does not move, and the council made that choice knowing heavier users would otherwise absorb the full increase. With card fares rising and pass prices frozen, the gap between the two narrows for anyone who already travels most days.
The council also kept the fare formula’s full output off this year’s bill: the formula produced 5.3 per cent, but the deferred adjustment carried over from earlier exercises meant the allowed maximum was 14.7 per cent, and 7.7 per cent of that was pushed into future exercises.
Concession applications and eligibility questions go to 1800-2255-663 or SimplyGo.
