Factors Hindering Switch from Private Transport to Achieve 75% Peak-Period Modal Share and Barriers to Public Transport Adoption

Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Acting Minister for Transport (a) with Singapore at around 10 percentage points short of the 2030 target of 75% mass public transport peak-period modal share, whether LTA has studied the factors hindering the switch from private transport, including rail service reliability; and (b) if not, whether LTA will commission such a study, including the effect of rail service reliability, on public transport adoption.

Mr Jeffrey Siow: Public transport peak-period modal share has continued to grow steadily over the years. There are several reasons why we have not yet hit the target of 75%. For example, the growth of the private hire car industry has provided Singaporeans with an affordable means of point-to-point transport on a pay-per-use basis. The impact of COVID-19 and the delay to new public transport infrastructure, including new rail lines like the Cross Island Line, Circle Line Stage 6 and the Jurong Region Line, has further slowed public transport adoption. However, there is no evidence that changes in rail reliability have affected public transport adoption. In any case, the reliability of our train system remains above our targets. On improving the attractiveness of public transport, feedback from commuters generally focuses on more direct connections and improved comfort. We expect public transport peak-period modal share to grow over time as new train lines are completed, including the upcoming Jurong Region Line and the Cross Island Line.