More lots, higher priority for regular users in Park & Ride revamp

Channel NewsAsia 20 Oct 09;

SINGAPORE : The Land Transport Authority (LTA) is working to improve the Park & Ride Scheme aimed at getting motorists to use public transport in their daily commute.

Transport Minister Raymond Lim said that for the popular Park & Ride car parks, LTA is working with HDB to try to increase the number of lots, or in some cases, identify new Park & Ride car parks in the vicinity.

Secondly, LTA will step up the publicity for the less popular Park & Ride car parks.

LTA will also work with TransitLink to make it more convenient for users to obtain their monthly Park & Ride sets, such as through on-line channels.

It will also look at giving regular users greater priority to buy Park & Ride sets.

Mr Lim said details will be announced early next year.

He was replying to a parliamentary question from MP for Sembawang GRC Dr Lim Wee Kiak. Dr Lim wanted an update on the scheme and plans to improve it.

There are at present 36 Park & Ride car parks across the island. - CNA /ls

Park and Ride Scheme revamp
Today Online 21 Oct 09;

SINGAPORE - The Park and Ride Scheme, which encourages drivers to make public transport a part of their daily commute, is being revamped.

For one, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) is working with the housing board to increase the number of park-and-ride lots at the more popular of the 36 Park-and-Ride car parks. In some cases, new sites are being identified in the vicinity.

The LTA will also step up publicity for the less popular car parks under the scheme, said Transport Minister Raymond Lim in a written answer to MP Lim Wee Kiak. Some of them are "quite close to MRT stations".

Thirdly, LTA will work with TransitLink, which administers the scheme, to make it more convenient for Park-and-Ride users to obtain their monthly sets, which can be bought at any TransitLink ticket office.

Noting that queues "do form outside the more popular" ticket offices such as at Ang Mo Kio, Raffles Place, Clementi and Tampines MRT stations, Mr Lim said one possibility being explored is to make the sets available online.

LTA may also give regular users greater priority to buy Park-and-Ride sets. Details of these proposals will be announced early next year.