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Public Transport Council

Fare evasion for bus & rail

Learn about fare evasion rules for bus & rail.

Last updated 5 January 2026

Regulatory framework

Fare Evasion is an offence.

It is an offence if you do not pay the correct fare when travelling on public transport. Although each instance of fare evasion may seem small, when taken collectively, such fare evasions can result in significant fare leakage.

Together with our partners - the Land Transport Authority, SimplyGo and the public transport operators - a penalty fee system was introduced in 2008. The aim of this system is to provide the necessary safeguards to prevent fare leakage and revenue loss, which in turn protect the majority of commuters who pay the correct fares.

Under the penalty framework, commuters who are caught for acts of fare evasion will face the corresponding penalty fees:

Forms of fare evasion and it's penalty amount

Forms of fare evasion

Penalty Amount

Non-payment of fare

$50

Non-tapping in / out of smartcard

$50

Non-entitlement to concession

$50

Invalid ticket (under-payment)

$50

Invalid ticket (misuse of non-transferable ticket)

$50

Public Transport Officials are personnel authorised to carry out enforcement against fare evasion. They may inspect a passenger's ticket to ensure proper fare payment and impose a penalty fee for fare evasion. They may also obtain passenger's particulars to issue a Notice to Pay Penalty Fee and retain invalid or misused tickets.

Commuters who are caught evading fares will be required to pay a penalty fee. Commuters imposed with penalty fee can lodge an appeal with PTC, if they feel that they have valid grounds for such appeals. All appeals must be submitted in writing to the Public Transport Council, Penalty Fee Section c/o mTower, 460 Alexandra Road #05-01A, Singapore 119963.

Alternatively, please click here for the penalty fee appeal form.

All appeals will be carefully evaluated and investigated by the PTC.

Public Transport Official uses a prescribed 3-in-1 Notice to Pay Penalty Fee (NTPF) document that comprises (i) white copy for recipient; (ii) pink copy for official use and (iii) blue envelope for retention of invalid ticket.

Payment can be made by (within 14 days):

  • eNETS/Credit Card: SimplyGo Portal (https://go.gov.sg/paypf) and SimplyGo Mobile app

  • NETS: At SimplyGo Kiosks and Assisted Service Kiosks (ASK) located at most MRT stations and bus interchanges. For information on location listings, please visit https://go.gov.sg/paypflocations.

From 17 July 2023, SimplyGo Ticket Offices will no longer be accepting cash payment for the settlement of penalty fee. For more information on the penalty fee system, please visit https://go.gov.sg/pf-faq.

Important Note: PTC does not request for payment of penalty fee via SMS.

Public education

Do you know if you are currently paying fares correctly? To ensure correct fare payment, commuters should:

On public buses

  • Payment using smartcard i.e. contactless smartcard, bank card

    • Take the card out from wallet/bag and tap it on the card reader when boarding and alighting. If you have tapped the card correctly, the card reader will emit light and a beep tone. The display will also show that the card is read with no error message. Please use the same card for tapping in and out of the bus to avoid duplicate charge.

  • Payment in cash

    • Check what is the correct fare before boarding.

    • Check that ticket is printed with the correct fare amount and keep the ticket throughout your journey as a proof of payment

On the MRT/ LRT

  • Take out the card from wallet/bag and tap it on the card reader of the entry fare gate

  • Tap the same card at the card reader of the exit fare gate.

For Mobile Wallet users

  • Switch on device and set to default or the preferred card (if the device is tagged to more than one card)

  • Tap in device when boarding the bus/entering the fare gate at MRT/LRT

  • Tap out device when alighting the bus/exiting the fare gate at MRT/LRT

  • Do not place a travel card on the mobile device to avoid duplicate fare charge

For Concession Card holders

  • Use a concession card that belongs to you. Concession cards are not transferable, and it is an offence to use someone else’s concession card

  • If you are paying concessionary cash fare for bus rides, you should inform the driver and tap your concession card at the card reader to verify the validity of the card, before you drop your cash into the fare box

  • If you are using a monthly concession pass, you need to tap your card when boarding and alighting from buses

  • If you did not bring your concession card or if your concession card has expired, please pay the adult cash fare or use a valid smartcard

For more information, you may also refer to the following:

Appeal form

Please click here to file appeals against the imposition of penalty fee for underpayment and non-payment of bus and train fares, and misuse of concession cards.

Effectiveness

Since the introduction of the penalty fees in 2008, the fare evasion rate on buses has stayed consistently low, showing that such regulation has effectively deterred acts of fare evasion. In 2016, the penalty fee was increased for commuters who underpay or fail to pay their fares. PTC will continue to review the effectiveness of the current penalty fee framework and will introduce enhanced measures where necessary.