SINGAPORE: An incentive scheme to manage congestion on public transport during the morning rush hour will be expanded to more bus services and to parts of the MRT network.
The Travel Smart Journeys programme will also provide greater discounts of up to 80 per cent of the fare. This is on top of the existing 50-cent discount for MRT rides that start before 7.45am.
The expansion of the scheme was announced by Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat during an interview with the media on Tuesday (Dec 3).
The programme currently gives incentives to North-East Line (NEL) commuters who usually take the MRT but switch to taking certain buses between 7am and 9am on weekdays.
Commuters receive 150 points per ride upon reaching their destinations in Tai Seng, MacPherson, Paya Lebar, Parkway Parade, Shenton Way or Marina Boulevard.
The points can be redeemed in 500-point blocks, equivalent to S$5 (US$3.70), on the SimplyGo app.
From early January next year, more bus services will be included in the initiative.
Commuters who start their journeys from Punggol, Sengkang, Buangkok and Hougang MRT stations on the NEL or Punggol and Sengkang LRT stations can get up to 80 per cent of fare discounts if they shift their travel times to avoid the morning peak.
“We hope this can help to spread the peak load on the system,” Mr Chee told reporters. “It is a win-win outcome for everyone, so … we want to share some of the cost savings with our commuters.”
He said the Land Transport Authority will announce further details when ready.
The Travel Smart Journeys scheme is not available from Nov 25 to early January next year for a system upgrade.
RECOVERY AT CHANGI, GROWTH AT PORT
Mr Chee also shared updates on Singapore’s aviation and maritime sectors.
In 2024, traffic at Changi Airport recovered, and is projected to exceed pre-COVID levels next year, he said.
The airport is connected to 165 cities as of December, with 16 of those cities added this year, including Brussels in Belgium, Iloilo in the Philippines, Guiyang in China and Vancouver in Canada.
A Changi Airport Group spokesperson said the airport handled 61.2 million passenger movements from January to November this year, up 15 per cent from a year ago.
“The steady growth throughout the year has been driven by several developments such as the visa-exemption arrangement between Singapore and China,” the spokesperson said.
