Consider this a Christmas gift from the Land Transport Authority (LTA): if you live in the North-East of Singapore, you’ll be glad to know that there are currently free morning MRT rides at selected stations on the purple North-East Line (NEL), as well as the Sengkang-Punggol LRT loops, during off-peak hours till December 27.
The NEL train stations part of this limited-time initiative are: Kovan, Hougang, Buangkok, Sengkang, and the newly opened Punggol Coast MRT station.
To be eligible for the free rides, simply tap in at any of the participating stations before 7.30am, or between 9am to 9.45am on weekdays, excluding Public Holidays. You’ll automatically get your transport fees waived for the first train ride of your commute. Passengers do not necessarily have to exit at one of these stations – you’ll enjoy this perk as long as you meet the tap-in requirements, so the free rides are also applicable if your workplace or destination is located at, say, the CBD.
For those who have flexible working hours, now’s the time to put that to your advantage. And if you’re on a fixed schedule, try taking this chance to get an early start to the day, and grab a hearty breakfast before heading into your office. Our list of best cafés in the CBD might come in handy.
According to LTA, the free morning rides are to “moderate travel demand during the morning peak and improve the experience for commuters”. Concurrently, passengers continue to enjoy a 50-cent reduction in MRT journeys when tapping in at any train station before 7.45am on weekdays.
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