S’pore’s public transport system faring relatively well

I refer to the letter “S’pore failing where public transport is concerned” (June 27). It is funny how relative fares have seldom been discussed in all the comparisons of public transport systems in London and New York City.

A single trip Zone 1 (inner London) Tube fare costs £2.20 (S$4.70) if one has a PAYG Oystercard (the equivalent of our EZ-link). In comparison, a trip from Dhoby Ghaut MRT Station to Marina Bay MRT Station would cost an adult EZ-link cardholder S$0.77, a sixth of the equivalent trip by train in London. The maths is not dissimilar for New York City subway fares, taking into account that the city’s subway fares are not distance-based.

The number of regular, day-by-day breakdowns on the Tube far exceeds the incidence of breakdowns on our MRT network on an annual basis, and London residents have their own gripes and complaints about the Tube.

While our public transport system here has much room for improvement, I think we are doing pretty well compared with other major cities. The one thing I do notice about urban mobility in the three cities being compared here is how much more pedestrian-friendly the other two cities are.

This letter first appeared as a comment on TODAYonline.