SINGAPORE – Three days a week, software architect Kumar, who goes by a single name, takes a bus from his home in Kovan to Serangoon MRT station so that he can travel to his office near the Expo via the Circle and Downtown MRT lines.
But the 43-year-old said he will soon change his travel plans and start instead from Kovan MRT station on the North East Line (NEL), after learning about a new scheme that will offer free off-peak rail rides to ease the morning rush-hour congestion.
Starting from Dec 27, passengers who tap in before 7.30am, or between 9am and 9.45am, on weekdays at any Sengkang-Punggol LRT (SPLRT) station or six NEL stations
will get to take their first rail ride at no charge.
The six NEL stations are Punggol Coast, Punggol, Sengkang, Buangkok, Hougang and Kovan.
Announced on Oct 18, the scheme is part of the Government’s latest push to reduce train congestion in north-eastern Singapore, especially on the crowded NEL.
Mr Kumar already boards the train at Serangoon just after 9am. With the new incentive, he said he would switch his boarding station to Kovan so he can benefit from the scheme.
“I can save about $24 every month. That’s a good deal,” he said.
Passengers interviewed by The Straits Times in Kovan and Sengkang said they welcomed the free rail rides, though they pointed out that the trains on the NEL and SPLRT are already crowded during off-peak hours. They suggested other ways in which the authorities can alleviate the crowds, such as by increasing the frequency of buses to the city, and increasing publicity on travel discount schemes to encourage participation.
Ms Siti Aluwiyah, 33, who takes the LRT from the Farmway stop to Sengkang station before heading towards her workplace in Changi South, said the crowd already starts building at about 7am because of school-going children.
On the impact of the free rides, Ms Siti, a logistics officer, said: “There’s not much difference because there’s already a crowd before 7.30am at the LRT.”
A couple, who gave their names only as Mr and Mrs Fum, travel downtown daily from their Buangkok home with their seven-year-old son. They drop their son off at school before heading to work.
To avoid the morning crowd, they would ride the NEL in the opposite direction to the Punggol Coast terminus station in order to get seats for their trip to town.
Mr Fum, 45, a software engineer, said of the situation on the NEL: “When you board at 8am, it’s a disaster. You can squeeze in, but it’s very hard to squeeze out.”
Mrs Fum, a 41-year-old auditor who works in Tanjong Pagar, said buses are a good idea to divert the morning crowd away from the rail network, but she hopes they could come more frequently to encourage more people to use them.
City Direct Services (CDS) buses ply express routes between housing estates and the city. There are currently 11 express bus routes for the north-east region, with five new ones to be introduced from mid-December.
The Land Transport Authority told ST on Oct 18 that it has improved the CDS, including putting on additional trips during the morning and evening peak periods, and deploying double-deck buses on selected services. The authority said that on average, CDS buses are running at 45 per cent capacity for the morning peak period. “Based on current travel patterns, the capacity for existing CDSes is adequate to accommodate more commuters who can adjust their travel times,” it added.
Acting Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow said on Oct 18 that the capacity of CDS is marginal, as all their capacity combined equals only the load of one train. Hence, more must be done to shift travel patterns on the rail network.
upcoming fare hike for express buses, including
the CDS,
by up to 50 cents for adults was because such buses are costlier to run. They also charge significantly below private bus operators, and there is room to “make it a little bit closer”, said the acting minister.
Mr Siow noted that the free rail ride scheme was specific to the north-east region and is “totally not related” to the upcoming public transport fare changes announced recently, which also kick in on Dec 27.
On the fare changes, which will see fares climb 5 per cent, the acting minister said the Public Transport Council has made its recommendation, and referred to its explanation for the changes.
The council said it will continue to ensure fare changes keep pace with the cost of operating and maintaining the public transport system, while making gradual adjustments so the impact on passengers is manageable.
“I think they’ve explained the recommendation well,” said Mr Siow.
Most of the seven residents who spoke to ST were not aware of Travel Smart Journeys (TSJ), an existing reward scheme encouraging north-east passengers to change their travel modes or times to avoid the morning peak.
The programme awards passengers points that can be redeemed for credit to offset transport fares.
Human resources manager Jasmine Tan, 46, said she did not sign up for the TSJ previously, as the window for rebates required her to start her public transport trip before 7.15am, which does not fit her schedule.
Now that the requirement has been changed to before 7.30am, she said she would consider tapping the scheme.
