SINGAPORE — Being able to commute to work in 45 minutes or less. Or travelling to amenities in the neighbourhood within 20 minutes.

These are what an advisory panel looking into land transport plans are proposing as it drew up nine recommendations to make journeys faster, safer and more inclusive.

The advisory panel for the Land Transport Master Plan 2040, which will serve as the Government’s blueprint and shape transport infrastructure and policies in Singapore, submitted these recommendations to the Government on Friday (Feb 15).

Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan said that his ministry will study the recommendations carefully and he will give his response during the Committee of Supply debates in March.

THE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE:

• Prioritising public, active and shared modes of transport

• Facilitating more seamless multi-modal travel

• Bringing jobs and amenities closer to home

• Providing more spaces for public transport, active mobility and community uses

• Working towards fewer land-transport-related fatalities

• Moving towards environment-friendly vehicles and infrastructure

• Nurturing a gracious and caring commuting culture

• Developing the capabilities of public transport workers to meet diverse needs

• Providing infrastructure for better accessibility and barrier-free travel

WHY IT MATTERS:

The last master plan was laid out in 2013, with goals set to be achieved in 2030.

A refreshed transport blueprint for the years beyond 2030 is needed as transport needs are changing with the growing population and technological disruptions in the industry.

Commuter expectations and travel patterns are also changing. Singaporeans are demanding for more emissions-friendly modes of transport, and hope to see public transport be more inclusive.

The 2030 master plan centres on making Singapore more car-lite. While the 2040 version will take this into account and build on work that has been carried out previously, it also seeks to fulfil new demands by commuters.

Given the proliferation of personal mobility devices in recent years, the panel also highlighted the need to pay “particular attention” to the design of roads and paths to enhance safety.

The panel also said that more cycling paths should be considered to improve the safety of public paths and reduce the potential for conflict between cyclists and pedestrians.

Lastly, the recommendations this time round also took into consideration the demand for public transport to be more inclusive for groups such as the visually impaired, for example.

It called on the Government to plan better routes and provide audio and visual alerts to visually impaired commuters when they are waiting for buses or while they are on buses, for example.

WHO WAS INVOLVED?

The recommendations were made after gathering more than 7,400 responses, received through several rounds of focus-group sessions and polls. This was the largest feedback exercise ever, said Mr Khaw.

It included responses from commuters, transport workers, unions and associations, transport industry representatives, academics and businesses.

The 15-member advisory panel is chaired by Dr Janil Puthucheary, Senior Minister of State for Transport.