They say connectivity in north-east, where there are growing families, is currently limited
A new MRT line, which is being studied for the rail network, will be particularly crucial for areas around Sengkang and Punggol in the future, transport experts said.
This will be so as the areas develop and young families grow, they added, noting that current transport options are inadequate to meet tomorrow’s demand.
The possibility of the line, which could run from Woodlands to Marina East through Sengkang, was unveiled over the weekend when the Land Transport Master Plan (LTMP) 2040 was launched by the Land Transport Authority (LTA).
Other areas flagged as potential stations on the line include Sembawang, Serangoon North, Whampoa and Kallang.
The LTA said the line would supplement the transport network in the north and north-east regions, and serve areas that do not enjoy direct access to the rail network. It would also help to relieve rising demand along the north-east corridor and strengthen the resilience of the network, the LTA added.
National University of Singapore (NUS) transport analyst Lee Der-Horng said: “If you look at the connectivity in the north-eastern region, the only thing it has is the North-East Line and the Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway. The overall connectivity is limited for the area, and mobility becomes a constraint when there is no connectivity.”
NUS transport infrastructure expert Raymond Ong said the line could be routed through both Punggol and Sengkang to maximise its benefit. “These areas are growing, there are young parents with small children,” Dr Ong noted.
“So 20 years down the road, their parents are still working and the kids will become young adults who will be working too. That is a mass of people to move around Singapore, either for work, study or play.
“If you don’t get anything done by 2040, how are they going to move?”
Beyond the potential new line, the public transport infrastructure in the area could also get a big boost from enhanced bus priority lanes to improve bus speeds. Punggol North and the north-east region are among the areas earmarked for the setting up of such corridors.
These would improve bus speeds, and in the case of the upcoming North-South Corridor, could save passengers up to 15 minutes, the LTA said.
At the launch of the LTMP 2040, Senior Minister of State for Transport Janil Puthucheary said rail lines are key to achieving Singapore’s vision of becoming a 45-minute city with 20-minute towns, which means travelling to the city area will take less than 45 minutes and to a town, under 20 minutes.
But building new lines are “difficult decisions to make”, given the number of existing lines and the current use of underground space.
The experts noted that although buses have advantages in being able to stop at more places, an enhanced MRT network would be the key transport mode for helping to ease congestion and draw people away from car ownership.
Ms Ray Krishna, director of transport consultancy Vertix Asia-Pacific, said: “The MRT is faster and has a larger capacity, so having more train connections is more beneficial.
“If we have more stations closer to where people are going to live, it might be a better option that persuades people to switch from cars.”
Mr Teo Ser Luck, MP for the Sengkang Central area in the Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC, said a new line would help to reduce congestion on trains and at MRT stations – an issue that stems from the tremendous population growth in the area.
While new MRT lines, like the Downtown Line (DTL), were well received by commuters, their financial viability is a cause of concern. SBS Transit, which operates the DTL, said in February that the line’s overall fare revenue is not enough to cover operating costs, while Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan said its financial results “continue to be in a pretty bad shape”.
But transport economist Walter Theseira said new rail lines should not be expected to pay for themselves in terms of operating costs.
“That used to be the case with the North-South and East-West lines. Now that we are building lines that are filling in the gaps, it is not realistic to expect any of the new lines to pay for themselves,” he added.
“The way you judge an MRT line is how much time it saves people, how much economic growth it catalyses in the area it is connecting, and how much economic value it creates from offering alternatives to private transport.”
“Source:[Sengkang, Punggol gain most if new rail MRT line is built: Experts] © Singapore Press Holdings Limited. Permission required for reproduction”
