Up, up and away~~~!

I really have no idea why they even bother to check with those commuters. Typically what will happen next is a group of good writers will have their letters published on the ST Forum, voicing their dissent against the price hike.

A few days later PTC,SBS,SMRT will reply and insist that the formular is fair, the oil prices are going up, etc.

Next, everyone still have to fork out that extra few cents. And there will surely be a few(ST will make it seemed like the majority) who actually favour the hike.

I really hope they could just do away with these yearly event. Please, save us the time and trouble. Just one time jia lat jia lat one. Sure, it will be more painful but at least it's only once.

Yah, people will make bigger noise but so? As if our "noise" has ever affected any decision.

Postnote: As I predicted, the first letter came out, titled "No reason to raise fare". Got reason what. The reason is to make more money lor.

SBS Transit and SMRT apply for bus, train fare hikes

It is confirmed. Both SBS Transit and SMRT have applied to the Public Transport Council to increase their bus and train fares.

The application came just hours before the deadline to do so expired at the end of Tuesday.

The proposals for the fare hikes, if accepted by the PTC, will be announced next month and will kick in by October.

This year, there has been a slight change in the dates.

The deadline to apply for adjustments was pushed back from May to August because the PTC said it needed time to implement changes to the Act, such as introducing new service standards.

Fuel costs have been rising for the two big bus companies, by as much as over 40 percent just in the last year.

SBS Transit says that diesel is its second biggest cost item after manpower.

So it has decided to ask for a fare increase after much deliberation.

With the formula imposing a 1.7 percent cap, SBS Transit says that most adults travelling on its buses and trains would see a one-cent to two-cent increase in fares.

If the maximum is approved, that will yield SBS Transit almost $10 million a year.

SMRT is also planning an increase averaging two cents, affecting mainly adult and senior citizen stored-value EZ-Link cards.

In many ways, the fare increase was widely expected.

When the new formula for calculating fare increases kicked in last year, the government said small and regular increases were preferred to big jumps every few years.

So, fare adjustments will probably be annual affairs now.

And both SBS Transit and SMRT have already hinted they would do so.

Both companies also say that they are mindful of the problems the fare increase would impose on the not so well off.

Hence student fares and concession passes will be unaffected.

Both companies will also have funding schemes for the lower income groups to offset any burden posed by fare increases.

But will commuters accept these arguments?

"They have the reason for raising their fares. Because of the oil.....they have to have a coverage. So I think it is ok," said a commuter.

"First, it was the oil price increase, and then the bus fares, and then the taxi fares. It all came so suddenly. It's not the amount, it's like all at once. It kind of adds up for us," said another.

"What will be, will be. But when fare increases, there will be upgrading of services and it's useful for upgrading," said a third commuter.

"Students, older people and the poor people would probably need more help," said a fourth.

The new head of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Transport, Cedric Foo, told Channel NewsAsia that the companies should also consider discounted rates for poor school children, off-peak rates for retirees and issuing a limited number of free passes for the unemployed who need to commute for job interviews. - CNA/ir