Bigger discounts to reduce peak travel

• Commuters can get up to 80% off by shifting travel time, says Chee Hong Tat. Fare discounts will cover more bus services and be extended to rail network. Four new express bus services to CBD for north-east residents during rush hour

- Kok Yufeng

Public transport users who shift their travel schedules to avoid the morning rush hour are set to receive up to 80 percent in fare discounts, in an effort to better manage peak-hour crowding on buses and trains, especially in north-east Singapore, said Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat.

This is part of a planned refresh of the Travel Smart Journeys scheme, which will cover more bus services than it did before.

For the first time, the scheme will be extended to the rail network too, focusing for a start on journeys beginning from the Punggol, Sengkang, Buangkok and Hougang MRT stations on the North East Line (NEL), and the Punggol and Sengkang LRT stations, Mr Chee said in an interview on Dec 3.

Additionally, the scheme will offer incentives to NEL passengers who shift their travel times to either pre-peak-hour or post-peak-hour periods. Today, rail passengers enjoy fare discounts only if they tap in before 7:45am.

The bigger fare rebates, Mr Chee said, are aimed at spreading the peak-hour load on public transport, while sharing the resulting cost savings with passengers.

The Travel Smart Journeys scheme, launched in 2020, has been suspended temporarily since Nov 25 to pave the way for the refresh.

Details of the upgraded scheme will be provided later in December, according to the website of transit ticketing provider SimplyGo.

Under the scheme's earlier format, participants who used seven eligible express bus services between 7am and 9am instead of the congested NEL were awarded points worth $1.50 per eligible trip.

The points could then be redeemed for travel credits, which would have potentially offset more than half of the bus fares paid.

With the refresh, the idea is to provide more impactful fare discounts, at up to 80 percent, to further incentivize passengers to change their travel behaviour, said Mr Chee.