BUKIT PANJANG LRT RIDERSHIP

BUKIT PANJANG LRT RIDERSHIP

15.

Mr Liang Eng Hwa asked the Minister for Transport (a) whether the ridership for the Bukit Panjang Light Rail Transit (LRT) system has increased and become more crowded; and (b) whether the Ministry has any plans to enhance the LRT capacity so as to cope with the increasing population at Bukit Panjang town.

Mr Raymond Lim Siang Keat: The daily ridership on the Bukit Panjang Light Rail Transit (BPLRT) has increased by about 2.2% per year over the 10-year period from 2001 to 2010. However in 2008 and 2010, daily ridership grew by more than 7% per year. This has resulted in the BPLRT trains and platforms becoming more crowded, especially during the peak hours.

We would like to assure Mr Liang Eng Hwa that one of our top priorities is to address train crowding, including that of the BPLRT system. To meet the rising demand, the LTA is already working with the operator on ways to manage crowding and to enhance the capacity of the BPLRT system, taking into consideration the long-term travel demand.

In the meantime, LTA has also been working closely with the public transport operators and community to improve the public transport services in the area. For example, peak hour bus capacity and frequencies have been increased for seven bus services. In particular, service 922 has been re-routed to serve two additional areas in the estate, Jelapang and Bangkit, with an improved peak-hour frequency. Beyond these, LTA is also looking at further improving the provision of bus services in Bukit Panjang town to provide residents with more direct transport options to the city.

The LTA will continue to monitor the developments in Bukit Panjang town and work closely with the operators to ensure the adequacy of public transport capacity for the residents.

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