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Transport Masterplan 2040: Advisory panel releases 9 recommendations

(L-R) Associate Professor Paul Barter; Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Social and Family Faishal Ibrahim; Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Transport and Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth Baey Yam Keng; and Senior Minister of State for Transport and Communications & Information Dr Janil Puthucheary. PHOTO: Nicholas Yong/Yahoo News Singapore

Nine in 10 peak-period journeys to be completed in under 45 minutes using public, active and shared modes of transport. All journeys to the nearest town to be done in less than 20 minutes.

These goals form one of three key areas outlined by a 15-member advisory panel for the Land Transport Masterplan 2040. The proposed recommendations to accomplish the goals include bringing jobs and amenities closer to home.

The panel, appointed by the Ministry of Transport (MOT), unveiled a total of nine recommendations, following a seven-month public consultation exercise involving thousands of Singaporeans.

Secondly, the transport system must be made more inclusive, especially for seniors, disabled individuals and families with young children. This will involve, among others, providing more barrier-free infrastructure.

Lastly, the land transport system can help create a more liveable Singapore by, for example, making streets more pedestrian and active-mobility friendly.

‘Unprecedented’ level of public engagement

The advisory panel comprises representatives from diverse communities such as the unions, advocacy groups for disabled people and the elderly, and the academic field. It is chaired by Senior Minister of State for Transport and Communications & Information Dr Janil Puthucheary.

Addressing reporters at MOT on Friday (15 February) alongside members of the panel, Permanent Secretary for Transport Loh Ngai Seng said the extent of consultation with Singaporeans from all segments of society was “unprecedented”.

Since August 2018, LTA has received more than 7,000 responses through its public consultation exercise on LTMP 2040. Respondents included members of the public, academics, unions, industry players and transport workers.

Dr Puthucheary noted, “Rather than being an academic exercise, an outsourced exercise, the people doing the engagement were the engineers, the transport planners, people responsible for policy, people who are dealing with public communications from the Land Transport Authority.”

Associate Professor Paul Barter, a transport policy researcher and advisor who sat on the panel, also praised the “constructive attitude” of the respondents. “I was very impressed that people were big enough to see the bigger picture, rather than their own selfish interests”

Issues raised by respondents

Asked if the respondents were engaged on the affordability of public transport, Dr Puthucheary said there had been a “significant amount of engagement”

Panel member Richard Magnus, who chairs the Public Transport Council, noted that affordability has to be embedded within public transport.

He added, “I didn’t get the impression during the focus group discussions that people were very concerned, or complaining about transport costs. They were looking at the tradeoffs…and then they looked at affordability, not only in terms of dollars and cents, but what amenities would be available.”

Businessman Arthur Chua, another panel member, noted that the price point for affordability varied across age and income groups, while different groups valued different things. For example, while one middle-aged respondent was willing to pay more to get home earlier, another respondent, an undergraduate, said she would prefer to have a wi-fi connection on the bus or train.

The panel submitted its recommendations to the government on Friday. In a Facebook post, Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan said he would respond to the panel during next month’s Budget debate in Parliament.

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