Singapore Expats

Just wondering, do you have to pay in exact change every time you use the bus or MRT, or is there such a thing as a monthly pass which you pay once when you buy it, and then all you have to do is show it to the driver/conductor when you get on the bus/train?

I'm trying to figure out a budget for us, but I don't know how to calculate our bus/MRT fare properly. We won't have a car, so that's all we'll use (plus taxis when necessary).

Thanks in advance

Buy an ez-link card from any MRT station.For use on buses and trains.As for taxis you can get Cashcard from 7-11.Do note that not all taxis accept cashcard.Must ask 1st.

Thanks for the tip about ez-link.

so if I understood it correctly, you're still paying for each trip you take (as opposed to a monthly pass where you pay a flat fee for a month of unlimited travel), only that with the card, it'll take the money off the stored value, and you don't have to pay cash.

Sounds like a good enough deal to me

By the way, does anyone have an idea of how much a typical, average person without a car will spend on bus/MRT fares in a month? Just a ball park figure, but i have no clue how many stages or kilometres I would be going, so it's hard to figure out an amount.

Oh, and one more. How often do the buses and trains run? As in, there's a bus coming to a certain stop about every 5 to 10 minutes, or more like two buses per hour? And do they run on a set schedule or more of a 'I'll be there whenever i get there' kind of policy?

Thanks again!

There's no monthly rate that you can get a discount on. All commuters get the same rates, unless you're a student. Basically, you just top up your ez-link card once it runs low. Always remember to tap your card b4 you leave the bus, otherwise they deduct the amount of $2+ for that one trip. Totally not worth it!

The buses and trains here run quite frequently. About 10-15 min at the most, some special services that run express (less stops) have a schedule at the bus stop itself. Otherwise, check out www.sbstransit.com.sg to find out how often the bus service runs. Click on travel guide.

The trains during peak hour are about 1-7 min apart, otherwise the interval could be about 10 min off peak.

no car wrote: By the way, does anyone have an idea of how much a typical, average person without a car will spend on bus/MRT fares in a month? Just a ball park figure, but i have no clue how many stages or kilometres I would be going, so it's hard to figure out an amount.

For that, even average person travel differently for work. Of course the futher your house is from the workplace. The most you have to pay for the transport and it also depends on the number of bus changes you have to make. Basically just use one month as a test, so by the end of the month you can add up what you have top up in your ez link card and get an estimation for the month. For me, i spent about 100 plus on transport each month, can be more if i go out more often during weekends.