On 3 July 2010, Singapore’s public transport system switched to distance-based charging. Bus and train fares are now calculated based on distance travelled and the type of service taken to get to a destination.

REACH contributors have expressed doubts over the benefits of Distance Fares. Some wondered why there are commuters, including senior citizens, who had to pay higher fares and why the new fare system penalises those making direct trips. There were also suggestions to allow commuters to work out their preferred route.
 
The Public Transport Council (PTC) and Land Transport Authority (LTA) have responded to these concerns.

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Members discussed their views on the recent report of a 33-year old Swiss national breaking into the MRT depot and vandalised MRT train with garish graffiti. They were very concerned that the MRT personnel were still unaware of the vandalism and allowed the train to begin its daily route for an unknown period of time, in full view of commuters.

Mrs Lim Hwee Hua, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office and Second Minister for Finance and Transport recently shared at a community dialogue the Land Transport Authority (LTA’s) plan to enhance its hub-and-spoke system to give public transport commuters a better travelling experience.

The issue of the weighting of the Mother Tongue Language (MTL) in the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) had elicited strong reactions from the public over the past few weeks, following Education Minister Ng Eng Hen’s comments on the over-emphasis on exams in the teaching of MTL.

The issue of affordability of public housing has been a hot topic amongst Singaporeans on REACH’s feedback channels for some time now. Concerned contributors point out that while HDB resale prices have skyrocketed in recent years, household incomes have not moved in tandem.