Train service reliability should not determine public transport fares: Chee Hong Tat

Train reliability should not have bearing on public transport fares: Chee Hong Tat

On Tuesday (15 Oct), Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat addressed public transport fare structures, stressing that fares should not be directly tied to the reliability of train services.

Instead, Mr Chee pointed out that there are “other measures” to ensure service standards are met.

He made these remarks during a ministerial statement, about a fortnight after the six-day disruption that plagued the East-West Line (EWL).

Public transport fares should keep pace with operating costs

Responding to a question by Worker’s Party (WP) Member of Parliament (MP) Gerald Giam, Mr Chee explained that the Public Transport Council (PTC) had previously reviewed the possibility of linking fare reviews to disruptions and service levels.

However, it eventually decided against the approach as there were “other measures in place to ensure service standards were met”. These include meting out penalties where necessary, or not receiving payments under their incentive schemes, he added.

Mr Chee explained that the annual fare review exercise aims to ensure public transport fares are moving in tandem with operating costs.

This helps to ensure that the public transport system remains “financially sustainable”.

The transport minister also warned that if transport fares do not match up with rising operating expenses, this would lead to a “persistent shortfall”, which would then have a long-term impact on service quality and reliability.

LTA will mete out penalties if lapses are found

Addressing the recent EWL disruption, Mr Chee said SMRT would cover all associated costs, regardless of the ongoing investigation’s findings.

These include:

• Costs of free bridging and regular bus services
• Foregone fare revenue during disruption
• Cost of repair works

In addition, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and SMRT staff who worked overtime will be given overtime payment.

Mr Chee did not provide a figure on the sum that SMRT would have to bear.

An ongoing probe into the disruption is slated to end in the next few months.

LTA will mete out penalties if lapses are found, said Mr Chee, adding that the authorities are determined to maintain a high level of reliability, safety, and service quality.

Describing the latest disruption as a “setback”, he said they “will learn from this episode”.

“While we do our best to avoid disruptions, incidents may still happen from time to time. What is important is how we respond to the incidents, and how we learn from them to strengthen our resilience against future disruptions.”

Also read: SMRT checking replaced EWL tracks nightly until confident in stability of repairs

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Featured image adapted from SMRT on Facebook and CNA on YouTube.