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LTA addresses free travel concerns

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Helen Lim Director, Media Relations and Public Education, Land Transport Authority

We refer to Ms Linda Foo’s letter, “Free travel scheme may not benefit all” (April 18).

The free pre-peak travel trial aims to ease crowding during the morning peak hour along the city-bound stretches of the MRT network, which are typically the most crowded stretches.

This trial complements our efforts to improve rail capacity aggressively through additional trains, higher train frequencies and new rail lines in the longer term.

We hope this encourages commuters who are able and willing to change their travel schedule to enter the city area before the morning peak hour.

If we can achieve a shift of 10 to 20 per cent, commuters who travel during the peak period would also benefit from a less crowded ride.

Today, there is significant spare train capacity just before the peak hour. About 18,000 commuters exit at the 16 stations in the city area in the half hour before 7.45am, compared to 29,500 in the half hour after 7.45am, and 59,000 between 8.30am and 9am.

To cater to the expected ridership shift, additional trains will be injected at targeted stretches with higher loading during pre-peak period. This will help reduce the intervals between trains, which are currently about three to four minutes in the pre-peak period.

We are grateful for the interest and suggestions from the public on the trial. We assure everyone that we will monitor the results closely and make rapid adjustments when needed.

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