Overcharging of Fares due to Errors Involving Card Readers on Buses

88 Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye asked the Minister for Transport (a) over the past 10 years, how many cases of feedback has LTA received annually regarding the overcharging of bus fares due to errors involving card readers on buses; and (b) what steps has LTA taken to resolve such issues.

Mr Chee Hong Tat (for the Minister for Transport): Bus operators are required to maintain bus equipment regularly, and the Land Transport Authority (LTA) audits their maintenance regimes twice a year. Operationally, bus captains are trained to check that the bus stops are accurately reflected on the card reader and to surface any discrepancies. LTA also tracks commuters’ claims for over-deduction and works with bus operators to investigate buses with higher frequencies of claims.

These measures have been strengthened over the years and have proven to be effective; 0.0005% of all bus trips had over-deduction claims in 2014. This has halved to 0.0002% in 2022.