More efficient public buses, MRT can curb need for cars

I refer to the letters “To wean people off cars, cut back on parking spots” and “Make public transport more user-, elderly-friendly” (both June 18).

In terms of the efficiency of the public transport system, Singapore is still a far cry from Hong Kong or even London, where buses run at close regular intervals.

Hong Kong also has minibus services that carry passengers almost from door to door, while our feeder services are often irregular and inconvenient for transfers to the train system, as we often have to walk some distance for the connection.

Only certain parts of housing estates are well provided with covered walkways to the MRT stations or the bus stops.

Otherwise, we often get caught in the rain or have to walk under the hot sun.

Taxis, while plentiful, sometimes seem to be a scarce commodity in my part of our housing estate, as it is not unusual to wait an hour to get one.

To ferry our elderly parents or young children around, the only alternative is to own a car, if one can afford it.

So, to wean the public off cars, public transport, particularly buses, must indeed be more efficient and user-friendly for elderly citizens.