Singaporeans’ satisfaction with public transport drops

SINGAPORE: Singaporeans’ overall satisfaction with the public transport system has dipped from 90.3 per cent in 2011, to 88.8 per cent last year, according to the latest Public Transport Customer Satisfaction Survey, conducted in October last year.

Speaking in Parliament, Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew said satisfaction levels for bus and rail reliability also fell.

He said the general drop in commuter satisfaction stems largely from overcrowding and reliability.

The survey also found that nearly six in 10 of respondents felt that public transport had improved in the past year.

The Land Transport Authority said the dips in satisfaction levels may be a reflection of increased ridership, with average daily ridership increasing by about 5.9 per cent, to 6.13 million in 2012.

More people are also making public transport their choice mode.

Mr Lui said according to the interim results from the Household Interview Travel Survey for 2012, about 62 per cent of all trips during the peak periods are made on public transport, up from 59 per cent in 2008.

More car—owning households are using public transport for daily commute, compared to four years ago.

Mr Lui said much of this shift is due to the rail expansion programme in the last few years.

The aim is to achieve a peak period public transport mode share of 70 per cent in 2020 and 75 per cent by 2030.

He added much more must be done to make public transport a choice mode.

In the longer term, Mr Lui said there’ll be more connections and integration between transport modes — bus, rail and other forms of travel like cycling.

— CNA/ck