Government seriously studying suggestion to offer free travel on public transport before peak hours

Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew says the government is prepared to significantly increase incentives to encourage travelers to shift their travel to off-peak periods.

It is also seriously considering a suggestion raised by MP Janil Puthucheary to allow commuters to travel free on public transport before peak hours. 

Mr Lui said if about 10 to 15 per cent of commuters in the peak period travel up to an hour earlier, there'll be a very "perceptible improvement" in the daily travel experience of commuters who are getting to work. 

He said some considerations include increasing the current 50-cent early travel discount offered by SMRT - to say 1 dollar, or to go all the way to make it free for commuters traveling before a certain cut-off time in the morning. 

He noted that the various incentives schemes have had some effect in reducing peak crowding, with the SMRT scheme generating a three to four per cent shift.

He added that shifting travel demand will also help better optimise the public transport capacity before significant improvements to peak hour capacity take place around 2015 to 2016.

Train frequencies outside the peak periods will be improved so that commuters will not need to wait more than five minutes for the next train.

And during the shoulder peak periods - the aim is to bring down the average waiting time to about 3 minutes.

Mr Lui said all the improvements will require the train operators to run about 10 per cent more train trips. 

Commuters on the North-South and East-West Lines will benefit from this starting from the second half of this year. 

Those on the North East and Circle Lines will benefit from this when new trains are delivered from 2015.