Residents in Singapore are highly satisfied with the public transport system that among the best and most affordable in the world, according to a report by consulting firm McKinsey.
The June report, called Elements Of Success: Urban Transportation Systems Of 24 Global Cities assessed the transport systems of 24 cities using more than 80 indicators over five main dimensions: Availability, affordability, efficiency, convenience and sustainability.
Some of the indicators included the percentage of the population living or working within 1km of a train station, the cost of a monthly public transport ticket, as a percentage of average income and the average transport waiting time.
Singapore clinched the top spot for public transport affordability, and also scored well in transport efficiency and safety.
"Singapore has created a best-in-class public transport system, which is accessible, efficient, convenient, sustainable, and at the same time affordable," the report said.
The report noted that a major step toward affordability was made in 2013, when the fares were reviewed and new measures were introduced, including a 15 per cent discount on adult fares for low-wage workers, free travel for children and seven other concessions.
As a result, more than one million public transport passengers benefited from the new schemes, McKinsey said.
Besides that, it recorded a satisfaction level of 86 per cent among those surveyed with the overall public transport situation in Singapore.
The 24 major cities studied include Shanghai, London, Seoul and New York, and were selected based on size, level of economic development, transportation system characteristics and data availability.
Four of them - Berlin, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Singapore - were chosen as their transportation systems are considered outstanding by external institutions such as the TomTom Traffic Index.
The report said: "If we were to derive the formula for an ideal transport system, it would be as available as in Paris, as affordable as in Singapore (where public transport is very affordable despite high barriers for car usage), as efficient as in Seoul, as convenient as in Toronto, and as safe and sustainable as in Hong Kong."
The study surveyed 400 people in each of the 24 cities, with respondents matched to the age-gender ratio of the cities. It asked them how satisfied they were with their transportation system right now, and with the changes, they have seen in the past three to five years.
sources: straitstimes.com, channelnewsasia.com