THE IMPORTANCE OF PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM IN INFLUENCING NIGHTLIFE PARTICIPATION

Abstract

In an effort to tranform Singapore into a 24/7 city and create a more inclusive society where individual’s quality of life would still be maintained even as the city continues to grow, the local planning authority, URA has proposed to include more urban entertainment and lifestyle hotspots in the city that would potentially encourage greater buzz and pluralism in nightlife. The revitalization and rejuvenation of urban nightscapes in the city centre would have an impact for Singapore to position herself as a global city, hence promoting Singapore as an attractive tourism destination and tourism hub. However, despite the State’s effort in promoting greater night buzz optimum for the development of the night time economy, the infrastructures’ hardwares and intangible softwares remained perceptibly lacking as compared to other Asian countries famous for its urban nightscapes. One of the primary reasons is due to the lack of adequate night time public transportation to encourage users to extend their nightlife activities. For Singapore to realize its aspirations and improve its position as a thriving global city, it is critical to have a strong and comprehensive transport infrastructure which could support Singapore’s economic growth and increasing diverse population. Therefore, this study aimed to study the travel behaviour and trip habits of commuters and their perceptions towards late night activities and night time public transportiion. In addition, this study aimed to examine the relationship of night time public transportation provision and participation rate of night time activities. A mixed method of both qualitative and quantitative analyses was employed to aid in the understanding of the study. A closed-ended questionnaire is administered as the primary data collection technique for the survey as well as other data collection instruments like interviews. Analysis results showed that the provision of sufficient night time transportation can influence the participation of nightlife activities among users. The initiative to provide greater availability of night time public transportation have received positive responses from the public as more users are willing to participate in urban night time entertainment as they do not have to worry about the cost and availability of transportation home. The State and the transport planning authority can look into other aspect of improving the attractiveness of public transport besides the construction of additional MRT lines. The extension of night time public transport service operation is one supply side measure to increase public transport ridership and shape the travelling behaviours of commuters. By increasing the mobility and accessibility of public transportation, commuters are less reliant on cars especially with the regulation of demand side measures on car ownership.