The Land Transport Authority (LTA) of Singapore has reported that public transport ridership in the country has fallen to 60 per cent of pre-pandemic levels. Amid the tightened movement restrictions, this has been the lowest recorded ridership in more than a decade.
Bus ridership declined by 30 per cent to 2.88 million passengers per day on average, the lowest level since 2006. Ridership on the mass rapid transit (MRT) has decreased by 40 per cent to 2.02 million passengers per day, the lowest level since 2009. The fall in ridership has resulted in lower income and has challenged the public transportation system’s financial viability.
The government of Singapore currently spends over SGD2 billion annually for subsidising bus and train operations. The Public Transport Council (PTC) has decided to not raise fares in 2021 to encourage the use of public transport and mitigate the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.