"Make walking, cycling and public transport the Singaporean way of life: MOT - CNA 21 Jan 16
SINGAPORE: The aim is to have three in four commuters choose public transport as their main mode of travel by 2030, a proportion rising to 85 per cent by the 2050s. To make this "car-lite" vision come to pass, the Government will invest a projected S$36 billion in public transport expenditure over the next 5 years, said Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan.
Citing a 1975 speech by the late founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, Mr Khaw said on Thursday (Jan 21) that the objective is "a city pleasant, green and cool, and safety and convenience for the pedestrian".
Rail reliability remains the "top priority", while the Government will improve walking and cycling connections, particularly to train stations and bus stops, Mr Khaw, who is also the Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure, said in the Ministry of Transport's addendum to President Tony Tan Keng Yam's opening address to Parliament last Friday.
"Within Singapore, we have laid the foundations for a public transport system that is reliable, convenient, and affordable. We aim to have three out of four commuters take public transport as their main mode of travel by 2030, and at least 85 per cent by the 2050s," he said.
"We will support this shift by making it much easier to walk and cycle in Singapore, since this is how almost every public transport commuter gets to the MRT station or bus stop today. With safe and comfortable facilities, we hope too that Singaporeans will increasingly walk or cycle to neighbourhood amenities."
He added that technology and innovation - such as self-driving vehicles and new urban designs - will also support a "new mobility paradigm" that does not revolve around the private car.
Mr Khaw also outlined the major infrastructure projects in the works to strengthen the competitiveness of Singapore's air and sea hubs.
Changi Airport Terminal 4 and Jewel Changi Airport are on track to commence operations in 2017 and 2019, respectively, while Terminal 5 is expected to be completed in the second half of the 2020s. A three-runway system will be in place in the early 2020s, and more investment will be made in air traffic management capabilities, he said."
I LIKE this vision. Let's make it a REALITY!
Lessons for me are:
1. green and clean IS GOOD! I want it. Some conditions applied though all will be deemed reasonable. e.g. take care of the heat and humidity, make my personal, work life integrated with as little commuting, the unnecessary ones, as possible;
2. will public transportation by affordable, available and consistent of high quality? If so, item 1 is easily within reach;
3. walking and cycling are GREAT! Healthy lifestyle and green too and definitely probable if conditions mentioned in item 1 above are achieved. Of course, the most difficult one to overcome will be the mind-set of: owning a private car is a sign of 'You-have-arrived'. When even FEWER people can afford a private car due to its EXORBITANTLY prohibitive price, MORE people will TRY/WANT to get it. So, pay for whatever price you bid will be a good way to go up to the cut-off quantity of less than 100 nationwide?
As for keeping our air and sea hub competitive, besides what we do, we better 'pray' that our competitors are NOT going to change the rules of the game too much!
SINGAPORE: The aim is to have three in four commuters choose public transport as their main mode of travel by 2030, a proportion rising to 85 per cent by the 2050s. To make this "car-lite" vision come to pass, the Government will invest a projected S$36 billion in public transport expenditure over the next 5 years, said Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan.
Citing a 1975 speech by the late founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, Mr Khaw said on Thursday (Jan 21) that the objective is "a city pleasant, green and cool, and safety and convenience for the pedestrian".
Rail reliability remains the "top priority", while the Government will improve walking and cycling connections, particularly to train stations and bus stops, Mr Khaw, who is also the Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure, said in the Ministry of Transport's addendum to President Tony Tan Keng Yam's opening address to Parliament last Friday.
"Within Singapore, we have laid the foundations for a public transport system that is reliable, convenient, and affordable. We aim to have three out of four commuters take public transport as their main mode of travel by 2030, and at least 85 per cent by the 2050s," he said.
"We will support this shift by making it much easier to walk and cycle in Singapore, since this is how almost every public transport commuter gets to the MRT station or bus stop today. With safe and comfortable facilities, we hope too that Singaporeans will increasingly walk or cycle to neighbourhood amenities."
He added that technology and innovation - such as self-driving vehicles and new urban designs - will also support a "new mobility paradigm" that does not revolve around the private car.
Mr Khaw also outlined the major infrastructure projects in the works to strengthen the competitiveness of Singapore's air and sea hubs.
Changi Airport Terminal 4 and Jewel Changi Airport are on track to commence operations in 2017 and 2019, respectively, while Terminal 5 is expected to be completed in the second half of the 2020s. A three-runway system will be in place in the early 2020s, and more investment will be made in air traffic management capabilities, he said."
I LIKE this vision. Let's make it a REALITY!
Lessons for me are:
1. green and clean IS GOOD! I want it. Some conditions applied though all will be deemed reasonable. e.g. take care of the heat and humidity, make my personal, work life integrated with as little commuting, the unnecessary ones, as possible;
2. will public transportation by affordable, available and consistent of high quality? If so, item 1 is easily within reach;
3. walking and cycling are GREAT! Healthy lifestyle and green too and definitely probable if conditions mentioned in item 1 above are achieved. Of course, the most difficult one to overcome will be the mind-set of: owning a private car is a sign of 'You-have-arrived'. When even FEWER people can afford a private car due to its EXORBITANTLY prohibitive price, MORE people will TRY/WANT to get it. So, pay for whatever price you bid will be a good way to go up to the cut-off quantity of less than 100 nationwide?
As for keeping our air and sea hub competitive, besides what we do, we better 'pray' that our competitors are NOT going to change the rules of the game too much!
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