IMPACT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ON COMMUTING BEHAVIOUR IN SINGAPORE

Abstract

The rapid growth in population in Singapore raises concerns regarding the transport facilities available to ensure a connected transport system and accommodate the large numbers of commuters. Development in new features in transport apps and the introduction of the new business concept of ride-hailing supported by information technology are part of the current solutions adopted by Singapore to deal with the challenge. However, they might not be as effective as expected or bring about unintended consequences related to changes in commuting behaviour such as a switch from more sustainable modes of transport. Existing literature on route planner apps and ride-hailing apps are mostly conducted overseas with a limited number in Singapore as such advancements are relatively new as compared to other countries. This dissertation thus aims to investigate how commuting behaviour is influenced by advancements in transport apps in Singapore.

An online survey was conducted to gather facts and opinions on commuting behaviour of the respondents. A descriptive analysis and a binary logistic regression are then performed on the responses to gain insights on the correlation between users’ demographics (gender, age, marital status and employment status) and their commuting behaviour and the underlying reasons for the observed relationship. Gender and age factors are found to have significant influence on the impact on commuting behaviour, while any relationship with marital status and employment status are statistically insignificant.