Singapore public transit system ranks 4th in the world but passengers ask if pricing & breakdowns included in study

Singapore ranks fourth in the world in an urban mobility readiness index which studied cities that were either well prepared for or seized the disruption the Covid-19 pandemic brought, to make concrete improvements to their mobility ecosystems.

The Oliver Wyman Forum, in partnership with the University of California, Berkeley, conducted the study, ranking 60 major cities on their preparedness for mobility’s next chapter. Factors such as distance to public transit, operating hours, affordability, crowding, and commute speeds were considered in the research. When it comes to sustainable mobility or cities making a change to greener mobility, Singapore ranks sixth in the world.

In singapore, the study noted that the country dropped one spot since last year’s index because it “struggled to strike a balance between Covid safety and connectivity.”

“International flights and connections fell as tight controls were put in place to curb the virus’ spread, and riders reported increased wait times for public transit. The activity of top mobility companies in Singapore dipped, perhaps reflecting the private sector’s uncertainty in the face of the city-state’s level of caution,” the study added.

Responding to the findings, netizens expressed scepticism about the ranking. They asked if the research included the frequency of breakdowns or service interruptions and fares. “Ranked fourth in the world for a collection of transportation fares,” said Facebook user Tan Robin. “Fourth in breakdown, too,” added another Facebook user.

“This train has stopped here for a short while because the train ahead is still at the station,” said Facebook user Alan Tan. “I bet they didn’t do a very detailed ranking exercise!” a netizen concluded.

Many also wondered why Tokyo, Japan, or Seoul, Korea, didn’t rank high in the study. “Compared to Japan and Korea, (Singapore) is not even near in terms of timing, efficiency and pricing,” said a netizen. “Why isn’t Japan in the top 3?” asked another netizen.

Tokyo ranked seventh in the study. The city plans to enhance its network with more buses that “connect the city center with the waterfront area through Bus Rapid Transit, tests of demand-responsive transport programs, and more convenient transport hubs,” the findings explained.

Hong Kong, Zurich and Stockholm ranked as the top cities for urban mobility readiness. Hong Kong has an “affordable transport network with high station density and a strong rail network for the city’s large population,” the study explained. The city’s transit system has limited delays and service disruption and supports itself financially. However, the city has room for improvement as it “lags in autonomous transit and lacks smartphone apps to seamlessly navigate its multimodal network.” /TISG

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