LAND TRANSPORTATION : THE SMART MOVE

Abstract

The completion of Singapore's Mass Rapid Transit, as well as being a significant engineering achievement, also marks the development in a transport strategy designed to achieve specific economic objectives. The congestion problems of the Central Area surface forcefully from time to time and have been the focus of a number of transportation studies. The system has been perceived as an important means of addressing the problem with its large carrying capacity and other advantages over competing modes. However, to achieve significant results, considerable effort is needed to upgrade the system into one that is a good substitute for private automobiles operating under limited controls and restraints. In investigating the policies necessary to encourage a switch of mode from private automobiles to the MRT system for the journey to work, this study reveals a considerable need for the system to be made as convenient and accessible as possible to be acceptable to car owners.