Public Transport In Singapore Essay

1. Briefly discuss the following challenges faced in the past in Singapore.
(a) Public Transport

In 1960s, Singapore was undergoing a great change. With rapid population and the economy growth, the government was mindful of the need for an efficient and reliable public transport system to support nation building. Back then, public transportations available were the mosquito buses, motor buses and trishaw. The public transport system had received insufficient systematic transport planning. As a result, the public had to put up with numerous timetables, routes and fares offered by the different bus companies. The lack of integration often results in long and inconvenient journeys. To maximise profits, operators had to reduce the amount of maintenance

There was an urgent need to come up with new measures to control the car population in Singapore. Policies were put in place to regulate the vehicle population growth via the Vehicle Quota System. Under the Vehicle Quota System (VQS), the Land Transport Authority (LTA) determined the number of new motor vehicles allowed for registration, the vehicle growth rate and the adjustments to account for the changes in taxi population, replacements under Early Turnover Scheme, past over-projections and expired or cancelled temporary COEs,

Public roads and road facilities are also frequently checked and maintained to keep them safe for motorists, commuters and pedestrians. Maintenance work include road resurfacing, upgrading of footpaths, cleaning of bus shelters and traffic signs, painting of railings and repairing damages to roads and facilities. Once spotted, defects such as potholes on the roads are fixed promptly.
Expressway Era
The late 1960s to the 1980s could be aptly be hailed as “the expressway era” as the development of the expressways best signified the excitement and thriving economic pulse of the time. It was during the period that the Public Works Department (PWD) swung into action, building a bustling expressway network across the island. Between 1966 and 1981, the first and what was then the longest expressway was built – the 36km, east-west-Pan Island Expressway (PIE). The East Coast Parkway (ECP), integrating the elegant Benjamin Sheares Bridge, was largely a 1970s construction, completing it scenic run from the Changi Airport to Marina South