SINGAPORE — As the Government pushes on with efforts to nudge Singaporeans away from cars, the Public Transport Council’s (PTC) immediate priority will be on finding ways to “make public transport services more relevant and convenient for commuters”, in its new advisory role to the Transport Minister it assumed today (Jan 22).

Apart from canvassing ideas from commuters, greater research and adaptations from developments ashore, including in fare models and service delivery, could be in the offing, said PTC chairman Richard Magnus in interviews with the media recently.

Taking on the additional function of keeping up public transport service quality is complementary to the fare-setting function that the PTC will retain, he added.

“More commuters could then be encouraged to use public transport, which will lead to a more liveable and environmentally friendly nation,” said Mr Magnus.

Although he said it was too early to specify possible areas the PTC will look at improving, Mr Magnus painted in broad strokes that any recommendations will start from “understanding commuters’ diverse needs, experiences and expectations”.

It will do this through interviews, surveys and focus group discussions with commuters. The Public Transport Customer Satisfaction Survey and the Taxi Customer Satisfaction Survey, previously undertaken by the Land Transport Authority (LTA), will now fall under the PTC, for one.

Besides these, the PTC will also collaborate with local universities and overseas public transport institutions and their partners on several fronts, including researching global trends and developments in transport and best practices in service delivery. There will also be comparative studies and peer review projects.

The PTC also said it intends to organise study visits and commission research. For instance, the PTC has sought an in-principle agreement with a Tokyo transport institution to collaborate on a benchmarking study in public transport.

The PTC is also in the midst of signing Memoranda of Understanding with local universities to commission research projects.

“PTC will also seek views from stakeholders and experts in order to provide objective recommendations,” said Mr Magnus. “It is premature to comment on what these recommendations will be at this point in time.” 

In terms of fares, the council will study fare models in different countries and evaluate the strengths of each in deciding what is suitable for Singapore, said Mr Magnus, who stressed that affordability will remain a major consideration, even with the transition to the bus contracting model. A review of the formula that the PTC uses to set fares is due to start as it expires next year.

In November, Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan wrote on his blog that the LTA will be extending its supervision to the maintenance performance of transport operators, by drafting a “stringent set” of maintenance performance standards.

Asked whether it would be providing advice on the maintenance of public transport assets, the PTC said technical matters such as maintenance come under the purview of the LTA, given that the agency develops public transport infrastructure.

Noting the PTC’s role as an independent advisor to Mr Khaw, Mr Magnus said it will allow the council to “objectively weigh the considerations of commuters, the Government, and public transport operators”. “This will enable PTC to provide balanced recommendations on how the public transport service quality and travel experience of commuters can be improved.”