Allocation of Public Transport Routes

Mr Alex Yam asked the Minister for Transport (a) what forms of data are used by LTA for deciding the allocation of public transport routes; (b) whether there are any gaps in the data; and (c) whether more funding is required to improve the available data, especially with regard to user-needs analysis.

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Mr Lui Tuck Yew: LTA has a rigorous process to decide public transport routes.

It regularly analyses ticketing data collected by the public transport fare system. This provides information on ridership patterns and growth on individual routes, and allows LTA to compare the demand with capacity on those routes. To complement the analysis, LTA conducts field surveys at public transport nodes to gain a first-hand understanding of the ground situation. LTA also draws on regular feedback collected by its Community Partnership Network from the grassroots and local communities on improvements they would like to see in public transport in their neighbourhood, and also on feedback from individuals through channels, such as email and various media platforms.

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That said, requests to implement a new route or improve existing routes will still have to be subjected to resource and financial considerations, and I hope that Members can appreciate, therefore, that not all requests can be met.

For new developments, such as HDB's Build-to-Order (BTO) sites, LTA works closely with the various land agencies to project population numbers and distribution, the pace of development, and public transport ridership, and then plans the public transport infrastructure.

This holistic manner of collecting data for route planning has, for example, helped LTA to work with Public Transport Operators to deliver a steady stream of bus service improvements through the on-going Quarterly Bus Review Process, and also the Bus Service Enhancement Programme (BSEP).

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