Public transport fee hikes: how are they calculated? | Deep Dive podcast

This episode of Deep Dive was recorded on 17 September 2024. ============ Bus and train fares in Singapore will go up by 10 cents per journey for adult commuters from Dec 28. The Public Transport Council (PTC) says it uses a formula which takes into account factors such as wage growth, energy costs and inflation, to set the maximum allowable fare hike. While the formula computed a 18.9% increase in fares in 2024, the PTC opted for a more manageable 6% hike, or 10 cents. The remaining amount is spread over the next few years, allowing for a more gradual adjustment in fares. How does the PTC decide just how much to increase by? And what is the role of government subsidies? Steven Chia and Crispina Robert get Assistant Professor Terence Fan from the Lee Kong Chian School of Business at the Singapore Management University, and Dr Raymond Ong, from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at NUS to explain. Subscribe to our channel here: https://cna.asia/youtubesub Subscribe to our news service for must-read stories: Telegram - https://cna.asia/telegram WhatsApp - https://cna.asia/whatsapp Follow us: CNA: https://cna.asia CNA Lifestyle: http://www.cnalifestyle.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/channelnewsasia Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/channelnewsasia Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/channelnewsasia TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@channelnewsasia