More rides ahead for commuters
SINGAPORE: Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew has said
adding significant capacity to the transport system will be very
high on his to-do list.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday at the start of
tunnelling works for the Downtown Line 2, Mr Lui said he intends to
focus on improving the bus system first as increasing capacity for
trains has a longer gestation period.
He added that the government would also be working
more closely with transport operators to address bottlenecks in the
transportation network and inject capacity in a more timely
manner.
Tunnelling works for Downtown Line 2 (DTL2), which runs along the
Bukit Timah corridor towards the city, have officially begun.
It will take about 18 months for 19 tunnel boring machines to
complete the 16.6-kilometre stretch of DTL2 that will have 12
stations and one depot.
Since taking on the transport minister portfolio less than three
weeks ago, Mr Lui has been taking bus and train rides.
He said: "My feel is that if you compare, for example, aviation and
maritime, we tend to add capacity ahead of demand. ... For land
transportation - trains and buses - we probably are adding capacity
not ahead of demand, maybe not even in tandem with demand.
"If left to the operators alone, I think they will take a
relatively cautious and gradual process ... so it is necessary for
the government to work together with the operators so that we can
inject this capacity in a very timely fashion, and particularly
over the next three to four years before we see the materialisation
of the Downtown Lines 2 and 3 and future projects."
Mr Lui said there could be social costs if capacity is not given a
boost.
DTL2 is expected to be completed by 2015. Mr Lui noted that rail
projects to increase capacity have long gestation periods, given
the complexities involved.
He said: "Getting a train in can take three to four years, getting
a new line in place can really be seven to eight years, simply
because of the complexities involved."
So a faster measure to alleviate transportation woes would be to
boost the capacity of bus services. This may include introducing
empty buses mid-stream on certain routes.
He recalled his own experience taking public transport.
Mr Lui said: "This was two Fridays ago - I was trying to take a bus
during the evening peak hour from PSA building and my usual bus is
Number 30. And this was a Friday evening, so it may not be
applicable to all evenings.
"First bus (that) came, a double-decker, did not stop. And you can
see why - it's very, very crowded. Waited for the next one - it
came quickly enough, to be fair, but it was a single decker - also
very crowded. (I) could not get on board.
"Then I decided, maybe, the better thing was to go to HarbourFront,
take the North East Line, go to Dhoby Ghaut, take the Circle Line
and end up in Dakota where I wanted to go. Having experienced it, I
think maybe the train might be a better option for me during the
evening peak (hours)."
The transport minister also said that his ministry will embark on
data mining, making use of EZ Link cards to provide useful
information for commuters - such as whether a bus is full or
whether seats are available.
He added: "I would want to know when the bus is coming, and going
forward, I want to know if I can get onto the bus, or whether I can
find a seat, that is what you want to be able to do.
"And I think that information can be made available - it is not
available today but we will work with the operators and find ways
to make this information available and then you can make a more
informed decision."
Mr Lui said he would continue to go on bus and train rides over the
many months ahead - to find out what are the most challenging
hotspots. He said he would then try to bring resources together to
improve the situation.
On Wednesday morning, Mr Lui had taken a ride on the LRT with MP
Liang Eng Hwa. He described the experience as comfortable, noting
that it was not as crowded, probably because of the school
holidays.
Mr Lui said he will take another trip in July to get a better sense
of the situation there. He was also mindful about the frequent
breakdowns on the LRT. He said LTA has been coming down on SMRT on
the issue, though he believes more can still be done.
On fares, Mr Lui said public transport operators have yet to submit
any proposal for a fare increase.
But adjustments - if any - will come into effect at a later date,
to coincide with the opening of the last stage of the Circle Line
this October.
- CNA/ck/al
