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A woman holds a placard to protest against fare hikes on public transport in Singapore on Jan. 25.
SINGAPORE—About 400 people protested on Saturday against what they said were unjustified increases to public-transport fares in Singapore, marking the first major show of public dissent here this year.
Protesters gathered at Hong Lim Park in central Singapore, the only place where demonstrations are allowed here, to criticize a state-appointed panel’s decision last week to approve a 3.2% increase to public bus and rail fares that will take effect in April. Their rally comes amid growing public disquiet over perceived inadequacies in public transport, and follows a series of disruptions to subway services in recent weeks.
Turnout at the protest, however, paled in comparison to a series of anti-immigration rallies last year that drew out thousands of citizens in what became the largest acts of public dissent here in decades. Political analysts say the lower attendance on Saturday, despite widespread discontent with public-transport services, could point to fizzling support for more rancorous forms of dissent.
At Saturday’s demonstration, a group of speakers – including protest organizer Gilbert Goh, an unemployment counselor – criticized the government for allowing public-transport fares to rise despite what they say are substandard services. Some protesters carried placards scrawled with slogans that read, “Why pay more for lousy train service” and “We demand no fare hike.”
“Why is the government allowing the fare hike now, when it should first tackle the ongoing problems with our trains and buses?” said Dennis Khew, a 41-year-old sales executive who joined the protest.
Public transport in Singapore has become a hot-button issue in recent years as immigration-fueled population growth has stretched the city-state’s transportation network. Citizens say they’ve grown frustrated with rising fares and what they say are subpar services from SMRT Corp. and ComfortDelGro Corp., two publicly listed companies that are the city-state’s main operators of buses, trains and taxis.
Subway networks run by SMRT Corp. and SBS Transit, a unit of ComfortDelGro, have been plagued by repeated service disruptions, including severe breakdowns in December 2011 that stranded hundreds of thousands of commuters for hours. Citizens have also complained of overcrowding on buses and trains, as well as what they say is an inadequate taxi industry that doesn’t provide sufficient cabs for commuters during peak hours.
“People are angry,” Mr. Goh told reporters after Saturday’s protest. “I hope the [transport] minister will take note of our anger and our frustration here.”
Bus and rail fares in Singapore are regulated by the government-appointed Public Transport Council, which reviews transport fares yearly and decides on incremental price increases using a formula that factors in inflation and average wage levels.
The council has defended its latest decision, saying fare increases and train breakdowns are separate issues. It has also argued that transport operators must be given financial stability, through regular fare revisions, to allow them to maintain reliable services. The council wasn’t immediately available to comment on Saturday’s protest.
SMRT and ComfortDelGro spokespersons also weren’t immediately available for comment. Both companies have, in the past, pledged to remedy shortcomings, particularly in their rail services, which have come under close public and media scrutiny since the December 2011 breakdowns.
Mr. Goh, 52 years old, first emerged as a vocal critic of government policies last year, when he organized three demonstrations to challenge a government population plan that would keep immigration as a key tool for shoring up low birth rates and growing Singapore’s economy.
The first two protests each drew more than 3,000 people, making them the largest demonstrations seen here in decades. But turnout fizzled in the third protest, which drew roughly 500 people at its peak, due to what some analysts say is a rejection of Mr. Goh’s confrontational approach.
At Saturday’s protest, Mr. Goh said he had planned to burn an effigy of Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew, but decided against it after receiving police warnings that such an act could be illegal. The effigy was instead subjected to verbal and physical abuse by some protesters.
“Singaporeans desire more space and channels to make their voices heard by the government… [but they] have a sense of proportion and propriety,” said Devadas Krishnadas, a risk consultant and former civil servant. “This natural sense of limits is antiseptic to the near demagogic behavior of the organizers” of Saturday’s protest.
Mr. Goh didn’t say on Saturday if he plans to stage more protests. He also denied that he and his fellow protesters had gone overboard, but acknowledged that their rhetoric may have alienated some Singaporeans.
Singapore Transport Fare Hike Draws Protest
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