Public transport can be better than cars if...

Straits Times 7 May 09;

Experts presented ideas on how transport networks can make cities more 'liveable' at a forum organised by Singapore's Centre for Liveable Cities on Tuesday. Maria Almenoar looks at some of the suggestions

# BUSES AND TRAINS

Experts' suggestions: Each road here should have no more than two bus services, and commuters should be encouraged to make transfers even if it is a 'pain'.

This will increase the connectivity and frequency of buses, said Dr Paul Barter, Assistant Professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.

The transport policy expert is also in favour of fewer direct bus services, a move that probably will not go down well with commuters here.

'If you have three start and three end points, a direct system would need nine bus services. But with a central node where commuters transfer, you need only three services,' he pointed out.

In Bogota, Colombia, commuters prefer buses to trains.

The bus system, called the TransMilenio, consists of numerous elevated stations in the centre of a main avenue.

A dedicated bus lane on each side of the station allows express buses to pass through on one side without stopping, while regular bus services stop on the other side of the station.

Speaking at yesterday's forum, former mayor of Bogota Enrique Penalosa said buses can serve commuters as efficiently as trains. In some cases, buses may even be more efficient and operate at a fraction of the cost of a subway system.

Singapore's plan for trains and buses: The Government will double the rail network from 138km now to 278km by 2020.

Improvements in bus services are planned too, with the Land Transport Authority (LTA) taking over the central planning of bus routes from the two rival operators later this year.

By next year, the penalty for making transfers will also be completely removed to encourage commuters to make more bus-train-bus connections to get to their destinations.

# BICYCLES

Experts' suggestions: Pedestrian and bicycle paths form the backbone of Bogota's transport network. Since building these paths, the number of cyclists in the city has shot up tremendously.

To encourage more people to cycle, Mr Penalosa suggested that bicycles be given priority and protection on the roads. He added that bicycle spaces should be made available in carparks.

Dr Barter believes that Singapore 'does not know what it is doing when it comes to bicycles' and should ask for help from experts in the Netherlands where there is an extensive network of cycling tracks and many cyclists.

'If we do this well, people in suits will ride bicycles,' he said, adding that the weather here is not a deterrent to cycling as he sees 'hundreds' of bicycles parked outside the MRT station in Tampines.

This is why he believes that the Park and Ride scheme, which encourages car owners to park near an MRT station and hop on a train, should be scrapped in favour of one that promotes cycling.

Singapore's plan for bicycles: Pasir Ris, Sembawang, Taman Jurong, Tampines and Yishun will get about 10km of cycling tracks each. More bicycle parking facilities will also be built at selected MRT stations.

# CARS

Experts' suggestions: Certificates of Entitlement (COEs) should be valid for a fixed distance, say 50,000km, rather than for 10 years, suggested Dr Barter. This 'pay as you use' approach would discourage car ownership in Singapore.

'When motorists pay such high prices for their cars, they will instinctively want to use them as much as possible till their COEs expire,' he explained.

A distance-based charge would remove the urge to maximise the use of their cars.

He also suggested increasing parking charges to reflect the value of real estate in the area rather than having flat rates for public parking, regardless of whether the lot is in the city centre or suburb.

Singapore's approach to cars: To control the vehicle population, the number of COEs available is linked to the number of cars scrapped.

Recently, the Government cut the COE supply in a bid to slow down the growth of the vehicle population.

There is also a gradual move away from ownership taxes towards more usage charges, as can be seen in the extension of the Electronic Road Pricing network.