MRT, bus fares for adults to increase by up to 10 cents from Dec 27

Train and bus fares for adult passengers will increase by nine or 10 cents a journey, depending on the distance travelled, as overall public transport fares climb by 5 per cent.

- Kenneth Cheng Assistant News Editor and Lee Nian Tjoe Senior Transport Correspondent

Concessionary fares for seniors, students, people with disabilities and low-wage workers will rise by three or four cents, the Public Transport Council (PTC) said on Oct 14 following its annual fare review.

The 5 per cent rise in 2025 is gentler than the increases in 2024 (6 per cent) and 2023 (7 per cent).

PTC added that it has adopted a new reference period for future fare adjustments. This change allows cost factors, such as energy prices and wages, to be considered with a shorter lag, thus reducing the delay between operators experiencing cost changes and new fares taking effect.

From Dec 27, adult card fares will go up by nine cents for trips of up to 17.2km, while those who travel farther will pay 10 cents more.

For example, an MRT ride from Tanah Merah to Tanjong Pagar, which are 14km apart, will cost $2.02 - up from $1.93.

The same adult passenger heading to Jurong East — a 26.2km ride - will pay $2.42 instead of $2.32.

For the two million or so people in the concessionary groups, fares will rise by three cents for journeys of between 3.3km and 7.2km, and by four cents for longer trips.

This means a senior riding the MRT from Tanah Merah to Paya Lebar, which are 6.1km apart, will pay 94 cents instead of 91 cents. The same passenger going to Jurong East will pay $1.07, up from $1.03.

Concessionary fares for journeys of up to 3.2km will be unchanged.

More than a third of concessionary trips are 3.2km or less, and keeping fares level for such trips will benefit concession-card holders who make short trips, said PTC.

Passengers taking express buses, which charge a premium over basic bus services, are also set to pay higher fares.

The fare difference between express and regular bus services has not changed since distance-based fares were rolled out in 2010.

Express buses, including City Direct Services, cut travel times from the heartland to city areas and key employment centres.