Fewer people using public transport in last 4 years

QX179R SG

LTA poll shows fewer people using public transport in last 4 years

SINGAPORE: The percentage of people using public transport in Singapore has declined over the last four years, despite a land transport masterplan to get more people on buses and trains, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said Monday.

A LTA survey on 10,000 households showed that 59 per cent used public transport last year, down from 63 per cent in 2004.

This is partly due to more people preferring to travel in their cars.

From 2004 to 2008, the number of car journeys increased by 31 per cent, while the number of public transport journeys went up by only about half the figure to 16 per cent.

LTA said a lack of major infrastructural improvements in public transport during that period could be one of the reasons behind the decline.

Transport Minister Raymond Lim addressed this issue at the second World Roads Conference on Monday.

"Despite the trend of a declining public transport mode share, we found that the MRT remains a very attractive mode of public transport," said Mr Lim. "Between 2004 and 2008, the number of train trips made each day rose 30 per cent - from 1.3 million to 1.7 million.

"Even though the public transport mode share island-wide has fallen, the mode share in the North-East corridor, served by the Northeast Line (NEL) which opened in 2003, has bucked the trend and shown significant improvement."

However, Mr Lim added that this continued downward trend is a challenge that the Land Transport Masterplan is addressing, with its measures to reverse the trend.

The masterplan, which was announced last year, maps out transport developments in Singapore over the next 10 to 15 years.

The measures announced include a doubling of the existing rail network by 2020 and reducing the growth of vehicles on the road.

- CNA/yb

wsy1234 SG

LTA, SBS and SMRT should learn from Japanese where the transport system is very good and world class. That is the dream transport system for Singapore. I been to Tokyo for 2 weeks during my holiday last year. I travel freely myself there. taking the public transport there in Tokyo is no problem for me even the station officer in charge no good in speaking English. but it the timing of the MRT and buses that impress me is very much, the timer sign on the bus stop said the bus arrive in 5 min and it actually arrive on time. i timed it and it true. So is the train timing. But is the bus timing that our public bus companies should learn and LTA should build more bicycle road link to MRT station. Japan has this multistory bicycle park next to the train station something LTA should look into it.