New Fare Hike

COMMUTERS complaining about the new distance-based fares for buses and trains have been urged by Second Minister for Transport Lim Hwee Hua to think again.
Instead of looking at the extra sum they are paying for each trip, Mrs Lim called on them to examine their overall travel pattern in a week.
She also advised them to take the longer-term view, pointing out that more MRT lines are being built and bus routes amended 'to provide maximum choice and flexibility for commuters'.
'In due course, with more choices to come, I'm sure they will benefit as well,' she said at a dialogue with Bukit Gombak residents on Sunday, after a ministerial walkabout.
Under the new fare system introduced about a week ago, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) estimates that one-third of commuters will pay 31 cents more a week on average, while two-thirds will save 48 cents.
At the dialogue, a resident pointed out most commuters on a short journey to work are paying more. It prompted Mrs Lim, who is also Second Minister for Finance, to reiterate why the Government introduced distance-based fares. It is to have a fairer system where passengers are not penalised for transferring to a bus or train.

-Strait times.