According to a report by Lianhe Zaobao earlier this year, the fare increase will take effect this month. Two operators providing Premium Bus Services (PBS), namely SMRT and its subsidiary Bus-Plus, have submitted applications to the authorities seeking fare increases.
Yesterday, when contacted, the Land Transport Authority of Singapore confirmed that the application had been approved.
Details of the fare increase have not been disclosed
A spokesperson stated that the main reason for approval was that the operators were able to demonstrate the necessity of increasing fares; however, the Land Transport Authority is currently unable to release details such as the effective date and the magnitude of the fare increases.
According to regulations, fares for premium bus services must be at least 50% higher than the fares for basic bus services operating on the same routes. The Land Transport Authority had previously stated that operators mainly applied for fare increases due to rising operational costs.
Additionally, the Land Transport Authority pointed out that after approval of the fare increase application, operators may decide when to implement the new fares. However, operators must notify passengers of the fare details at least two weeks in advance.
Currently, there are over 90 premium bus service routes in Singapore, nearly 30% more than two years ago, primarily connecting various residential areas to the Central Business District and Changi Business Park.
More than 20 operators are currently providing related services, with SMRT and Bus-Plus operating 10 and 2 routes, respectively.
