More people are now taking trains and buses
According to Senior Minister of State for Transport and Finance Lim Hwee Hua, train ridership figures on the North-South-East-West network ' surged ' by 13 per cent between February and July this year.
The waiting time during the peak hours has also been reduced, with additional train trips introduced.
Speaking in parliament, Mrs Lim explained how, for instance, waiting for a southbound train at Toa Payoh MRT station during the morning peak now takes about 2 minutes -- about 15 per cent shorter than before.
Mrs Lim also assured the house that crowding has also been kept manageable despite the higher ridership.
"At the most crowded stretches during peak hours we are still seeing an acceptable level of loading of between 1300 and 1400 passengers per train, or to put it in more concrete terms about 4 persons per square metre. This is comparable if not better than other major cities like Hong Kong, New York or Tokyo."
On buses, Mrs Lim also noted that ridership went up by 6 per cent in the first half of this year compared to last year
According to Senior Minister of State for Transport and Finance Lim Hwee Hua, train ridership figures on the North-South-East-West network ' surged ' by 13 per cent between February and July this year.
The waiting time during the peak hours has also been reduced, with additional train trips introduced.
Speaking in parliament, Mrs Lim explained how, for instance, waiting for a southbound train at Toa Payoh MRT station during the morning peak now takes about 2 minutes -- about 15 per cent shorter than before.
Mrs Lim also assured the house that crowding has also been kept manageable despite the higher ridership.
"At the most crowded stretches during peak hours we are still seeing an acceptable level of loading of between 1300 and 1400 passengers per train, or to put it in more concrete terms about 4 persons per square metre. This is comparable if not better than other major cities like Hong Kong, New York or Tokyo."
On buses, Mrs Lim also noted that ridership went up by 6 per cent in the first half of this year compared to last year