Commuters in Singapore's northeast to get up to 80% off fares before and after morning peak hours
This is part of the expanded Travel Smart Journeys programme, which will now incentivise people to take the train earlier or later to avoid the peak travel period on weekday mornings.
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SINGAPORE: Commuters in the northeast region of Singapore who start their journeys before 7.15am or between 8.45am and 9.45am will be able to get discounts of up to 80 per cent on their fares from Jan 2.
This is part of the expanded Travel Smart Journeys programme, which aims to manage congestion on public transport during the morning rush hour in the region.
It previously focused on encouraging commuters to take buses instead of the MRT trains, but will now also incentivise people to take the train earlier or later to avoid the peak travel period on weekday mornings. Those who do so will be awarded points that can be converted into e-vouchers.
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) also adjusted the enrolment criteria for the scheme though those who have been active participants will not need to re-register. The programme has been unavailable since Nov 25 for a system upgrade, but will come back online on Jan 2.
WHO CAN REGISTER?
To earn points through Travel Smart Journeys, commuters have to first register through the SimplyGo app and add travel cards to their accounts. The cards will be used to determine their eligibility, and points will be awarded based on journeys made using the cards.
The criteria to be eligible are:
- Travel between 7.15am and 8.45am for at least six weekdays out of the last 30 days, excluding public holidays
- Tap in at Punggol Coast, Punggol, Sengkang, Hougang or Buangkok MRT stations, or Sengkang or Punggol LRT stations
- Tap out at any MRT or LRT station excluding stations on the Punggol and Sengkang LRT lines
Those who are eligible will be informed within 72 hours of registration, and will be able to view the Travel Smart Journeys dashboard on the SimplyGo app. Concession cardholders can also be eligible for Travel Smart Journeys.
The rewards can be redeemed in 500-point blocks and credited to travel cards.
BENEFITS ON ELIGIBLE BUSES
Commuters who switch to eligible bus services during morning operational hours will get points equivalent to an 80 per cent discount on their fares.
For example, an adult commuter travelling from Damai LRT station to Promenade MRT station who takes a bus instead would pay S$2.96 (US$2.18) for the journey. But the commuter would be awarded 237 points, which are worth S$2.37.
After redeeming the points, the commuter would have effectively paid 59 cents for the journey.
The eligible bus services are: Bus 43e and City Direct Services 654, 660, 666, 671, 672, 673 and 660M. City Direct Services 675, 676, 677 and 678 – which start on Jan 2 – will also be included in the programme.
Morning operational hours for Travel Smart Journeys eligible buses are from 6.20am to 9.30am.
PRE- AND POST-PEAK-HOUR BENEFITS
Those who shift their travel times to before or after the morning peak period will get either a 40 per cent discount or an 80 per cent discount, depending on the timing.
Commutes that start at Punggol Coast, Punggol, Sengkang, Buangkok and Hougang MRT stations or any station on the Punggol and Sengkang LRT lines will be eligible for the rewards.
Those who tap in before 7.15am will get points equivalent to an 80 per cent discount.
Between 7.15am and 8.45am, no discounts will be given under Travel Smart Journeys, though anyone who taps in before 7.45am will get a 50-cent discount under a different scheme that applies throughout the MRT network.
The percentage discount on Travel Smart Journeys will be calculated after the 50 cents is deducted from the original fare.
For example, a commuter travelling from Sengkang MRT station to Raffles Place MRT station before 7.15am would get 50 cents off the original fare of S$1.93. He or she would then be awarded 114 points worth S$1.14, and the journey would effectively cost 29 cents.
From 8.45am to 8.59am, commuters who begin their journeys at eligible MRT or LRT stations will get a 40 per cent discount.
Between 9am and 9.30am, the discount increases to 80 per cent, before dropping back to 40 per cent between 9.31am and 9.45am.
Previously, commuters would receive points worth S$1.50 per eligible trip.
From March 2023 until it was recently suspended in November 2024, about 21,400 commuters were eligible for the Travel Smart Journeys scheme, LTA said, adding that about 1,240 commuters benefitted from incentives totalling around S$66,000 by adjusting their journeys.
"The new re-timing incentive hopes to encourage more commuters who are able to switch their travel away from the peak period, in line with Travel Smart Journeys' objective to optimise the use of our public transport capacity by distributing morning peak period demand," LTA said in response to CNA's queries.
"By offering a smaller discount before and after the main incentive period between 9am and 9.30am, commuters do not have to either rush or deliberately delay their journeys further, which may cause crowding and reduce the effectiveness of the programme."
