INCREASING COSTS FOR PUBLIC TRANSPORT & VEHICLES SOON?
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Drop in public transport share in Singapore: transport survey
By Hetty Musfirah Abdul Khamid, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 26 October 2009 1829 hrs
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Commuters ready to board the MRT train in Singapore. (file pic)SINGAPORE: A transport survey in Singapore has shown that the public transport share has shrunk.
The survey of some 10,500 households revealed that despite efforts by the authorities to get more people on buses and trains, challenges still remain.
Singapore aims to boost the usage of public transport among its population to 70 per cent by 2020.
But the Household Interview Travel Survey on some 10,500 households revealed that the target is now harder to achieve.
The survey found that 59 per cent of respondents used public transport last year, down from 63 per cent in 2004.
During the same period, the number of daily public transport journeys went up by 16 per cent as Singapore's population grew.
The number of car journeys increased by 31 per cent as the car population also grew.
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) explained that this behaviour could be due to a lack of major infrastructural improvements in public transport during that period.
Speaking at Second World Roads Conference on Monday, Transport Minister Raymond Lim said that there are some positive signs.
He said: "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. "
LTA said it will continue to make bus services more efficient and will be expanding the Mandatory Give-Way to Buses scheme in the next two years.
LTA said the expansion of normal bus lanes and full day bus lanes have already improved bus speeds for services using the routes by to eight per cent and 13 per cent respectively.
From next year, LTA will also take over as the Bus Network Planner to further improve the overall connectivity of the bus network here.
An expert said reliability is key when convincing people to use public transport.
Professor Brian Collins, chief scientific advisor from UK's Department of Transport, said: "Making buses punctual, making trains punctual, and making them more frequent. Refining that predictability of travel time is one of the issues that people really like. They will like to know when they are going to arrive, arrive safely and in comfort."
LTA said it will push through two key strategies under its Masterplan to make public transport more convenient.
The strategies are to reduce the growth of vehicles on the road and double the existing rail network by 2020.
For now the introducing of the Electronic Road Pricing to more roads last year, has also improved the traffic conditions of the affected roads.
LTA said there has been marked improvement in traffic speeds within the CBD, especially during evening peak hours.
Traffic speeds there have been restored to the optimal range of 20-30 km per hour, from 18 km per hour previously. - CNA/vm -
In my opionion they going to increase the Transport fare as this is they tactic....
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They will start with the drivers 1st by increasing ERP. How is it possible that the number of people taking public transport decrease when our population increases? Our FTs all stay at home or walk to work one is it?
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No increase, but we could see a fare adjustment.
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Originally posted by Nighthawkies:
They will start with the drivers 1st by increasing ERP. How is it possible that the number of people taking public transport decrease when our population increases? Our FTs all stay at home or walk to work one is it?
They ride bicycle
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if they want to increase transport fares, say so, dun need to bullshit so much.
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Powerful logic hor?
People don wanna take so much public transport bec it getting too expensive... NOT bec they driving private car!
Now they will use this drop in use to justify higher charges to offset lost in profits! Profits mind you. Not loss in revenue but profits!
Then when
more people cut back on public transport use, they will increase again! -
Cost increase is ok, but they should increase the frequency too....
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increase ERP price, speed still did not increase,
increase EZ-link card cost, transport still packed
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Originally posted by Veggie Bao:
Cost increase is ok, but they should increase the frequency too....
Cost increase is not ok with the crap we are getting if you take public tpt evday