Singapore wants to ‘give cars a break’

Singapore wants more people riding public transport instead of driving cars.

By 2030, it aims to have three out of four people using public transport as their main mode of commute, Minister for Transport Khaw Boon Wan has said this week.

“A car-centric transport system is not sustainable in land-scarce Singapore,” he said.

12% of the island’s land is used for roads with 1 million private cars running on them. The city plans to invest S$36 billion in infrastructure for public transport in the next five years, expanding the rail network across the island.
 

“Technology and innovation such as self-driving vehicles, the sharing economy, and new urban designs, will also support a new mobility paradigm that does not revolve around the private car,” Minister Khaw said.

Singapore is testing the use of shared driverless cars for public transport, which will connect people to transport hubs and could make trips on-demand.

To support this shift to public transport, the government wants to make it easier for people to walk and cycle around the city. In 15 years, eight in 10 homes will be within a 10-minute walk to a train station.

Over the next five years, the length of covered walkways will be quadrupled, and more dedicated cycling paths will be built. The city is redesigning a planned north-south expressway to serve commuters, pedestrians, and cyclists. The North-South Corridor will have dedicated express bus lanes, walking paths with greenery for shade, and a cycling route to the city center.

“New housing estates will be designed and existing estates retrofitted towards this ‘Walk, Cycle, Ride’ aspiration,” he added. New urban designs will be piloted in the Bugis area to allow people to walk and cycle.

Ang Mo Kio in the north and Tampines in the east will see new networks of cycling and walking paths.