Public Transport In Singapore

Singapore is a small island populated by 5.6 million people. It has enjoyed vast growth since its independence from Malaysia in 1965 and scores highly in numerous international rankings for finance, technology and education, to name but a few. The city is a world leader in commerce and attracts businessmen like Stefan Masuhr from around the globe. Its transport infrastructure is similarly enviable, necessitated by restricted land capacity at odds with its significant development in recent years.

The Singapore government has long recognised the need to restrict private car ownership in order to fight congestion. Motorists are subject to many requirements in order to be legally road worthy. A Certificate of Entitlement (COE) must be bid for before purchasing a car, and the vehicle growth rate is restricted by an annual COE quota to control how many cars are on Singapore’s roads. In addition, peak time driving on weekdays between 7am and 7pm is restricted by the latest scheme to encourage drivers to limit usage of their cars. The Revised Off-Peak Car (ROPC) Scheme offers rebates against the COE charge.

To offset the restrictions on car ownership, Singapore has an impressive public transport network. The government’s policies to restrict the vehicle growth rate do not apply to commercial vehicles and buses. In fact, Singapore’s Land Transport Registry is continually investing in public transport in order to maintain the city’s enviable reputation. Singapore has been rated as having one of the most cost-effective public transport systems in the world.

Bus travel remains the primary mode of public transport in Singapore. Despite heavy investment in rail links, daily bus travellers still exceed rail users with 3.9 million people riding the buses each day as opposed to the combined figure for the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) and Light Rail Transit (LRT) totalling just 3.1 million. The four main bus companies cover over 300 routes with more than 5,000 vehicles.

The opening of the MRT in 1987 signified a major development for Singapore’s railways. The current network now consists of 5 main lines covering 198.6 km. The first LRT trains were introduced to act as feeder transport from the suburbs into the larger MRT stations in the town centre. The Land Transport Authority aims to expand Singapore’s growing railway networks so that many buses are eventually replaced. The enviable public transport infrastructure looks set to expand with carefully calculated ease.