Early birds in city-state get free metro rides
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Commuters were still weighing the idea of starting work earlier, as a year-long trial offering free and discounted train rides to early birds kicked off yesterday in a bid to ease the peak-hour crush.
As part of a government trial announced in April, early starters who travel into the city area’s 16 stations before 7:45am on weekdays will get free train rides.
Those who get off trains there between 7:45am and 8am will enjoy a 50 per cent discount on fares.
The Singapore government is expected to fund the incentives with S$10 million (Bt242.9 billion), to spread peak-hour crowds on city-bound MRT stretches.
The government and private sector already allow their employees to start and finish work earlier and expect more to do so.
While some say they are willing to give the free MRT rides a try, others are hoping their bosses offer more flexible work arrangements for them to benefit.
Accountant Amanda Lee will wake up half an hour earlier to catch a train at 7am from Khatib to Tanjong Pagar, if her managers agree.
“I wouldn’t mind waking up a little earlier, so long as I can start and finish earlier and get more free time to do other things in the evening,” said Lee, 28.
Some 14,000 civil servants who work in the 40 or so public agencies in or around the Central Business District area can take advantage of the free train rides.
The Public Service Division’s career development and management director Tan Hoe Soon said that besides part-time work and working remotely, these officers have been allowed staggered work hours for several years. Figures for the number of those who have switched to flexible work arrangements are unavailable.
