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Source:
www.gov.sg |
SPEECH BY MR RAYMOND LIM,
MINISTER FOR TRANSPORT AND SECOND MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS |
AT LAND TRANSPORT DURING
COMMITTEE OF SUPPLY DEBATE, 9 MARCH 2007, 3.30 PM AT PARLIAMENT |
An Excerpt |
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Expanding our Rail Network |
We have set ourselves a target of raising
the public transport share of all morning peak hour trips from the
current 63% to at least 70% by 2020. |
To achieve this, it is important that
we increase the density of our rail network. |
In most major cities that have a high
public transport modal share such as London, New York and Tokyo,
the rail network ¨C density and frequency ¨C plays a critical role
as it is the most competitive alternative to the car, in terms of
speed, reliability and comfort. |
We see this too in Singapore.
Commuters surveyed in LTA¡¯s 2006 Public Transport Customer
Satisfaction Survey gave the thumbs-up for the MRT. 94% of users
surveyed were satisfied with MRT services. |
It scored well in critical attributes
such as travel time (94% were satisfied), reliability (93%) and
station accessibility (93%). |
Looking ahead, and this is in answer
to Liang Eng Hwa, expanding our MRT network is a key plank of our
strategy to improve public transport journey times, to close the
gap with private transport. |
So what can Singaporeans look forward
to? |
The Circle Line will open from 2010
onwards, improving connectivity and reducing travel times. From
Bishan to Peya Lebar, 30 minutes now. |
When the Circle Line is up and
running, 17 minutes. For Bishan residents, an exciting night out
at Holland Village will be less than 20 minutes away, while a
lovely evening stroll at the Botanic Gardens is just two stops
away from Bishan Station. |
The Circle Line will also help to
spice up our city life by connecting people and places. For
example, sports fans will be glad to know that after watching
their favourite football team at the new Sports Hub, they can if
they wish to do so take a train ride from the Stadium Station to
Mountbatten Station to have supper at Old Airport Road. |
Beyond this, the LTA is completing its
feasibility studies for a new 33-station Downtown Line that will
link the eastern and north western corridors to the Marina Bay. |
When the Downtown Line is up,
residents in Bukit Panjang, Bukit Timah, Bedok Reservoir and
Macpherson can take the train to see the bright lights of the
Marina Bay Sands Integrated Resort. |
A trip from Bukit Panjang to the city
centre that now takes 60 minutes will be shortened by one-third. A
resident in the Bedok Reservoir area will no longer need to take a
feeder bus to Bedok Central to catch a train into the CBD. The
Downtown Line will connect his home in the heartlands directly to
the Marina Bay. |
Beyond the Downtown Line, we are
identifying other possible rail lines and extensions required to
support Singapore¡¯s development to 2020 and beyond. |
As part of our long-term planning for
a future Singapore of 6.5 million population, we expect that we
will need to at least double our current rail network of 138 km
for a 50% increase in population. That means putting in the
equivalent of at least 7 North-east Lines. |
Our expansion plans will bring the MRT
to areas that are currently not well-served, enhance connectivity,
reduce travel time, and relieve congestion on heavily-used MRT
routes. |
Full Text of Speech |
Source:
www.gov.sg Media Release Mar 2007 |
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