SINGAPORE MASS RAPID TRANSIT AND ITS IMPACTS ON QUALITY OF LIFE

Abstract

There are considerable amount of studies done on how the access to railway stations would affect commuters’ choice of transport mode and their satisfaction. However, limited researches have been done on how the access to train stations would ultimately affect the quality of life in Singapore. Singapore is densely populated with a total population which exceeds 5 million, placing substantial pressure on existing infrastructure. The government has since encouraged the use of public transport as the more effective and efficient mode of transport. The success of such advocacy is reflected by the significant increase in the public transport utilization rate. Today, approximately 45% of the population utilize the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) on a daily basis. With a significant amount of people commuting via the MRT daily, the accessibility and convenience of taking the MRT is likely to affect residents’ quality of life. Such studies are increasingly important as individuals continually seek for sustainable life satisfaction in an increasingly affluent and globalized city. It is found from this dissertation that although transportation is statistically insignificant in influencing residents’ overall life satisfaction, residents who are located nearer to a MRT station generally enjoy a higher level of satisfaction. These findings are important because they allow policy makers to understand the views and perceptions of commuters in a bid to provide better infrastructural facilities for the public and increase, if not maintain, high levels of quality of life.