National Smartphone Navigation App for Public Transport

Dr Tan Wu Meng asked the Minister for Transport whether LTA has assessed the feasibility of developing a national smartphone navigation app for public transport that acquires, aggregates and analyses (i) real-time bus and train data from public transport operators, (ii) end-user location and velocity data volunteered by app users' smartphones and (iii) user reports of transport delays or breakdowns.

There are currently a number of such smartphone apps serving commuters’ different needs. The Land Transport Authority's (LTA's) myTransport app provides commuters with essential public transport information based on real-time data, including traffic updates, bus arrival times and crowdedness. Transport operators create their own apps to serve their customers and may also pull in data from public sources to enrich their app content. For example, the Singapore Mass Rapid Transit (SMRT)-Connect travel app helps users plan their journeys by providing real-time information, such as arrival timings for buses and trains. There are also third-party apps, such as Google Maps and Citymapper, which help users plan their journeys, drawing on many data sources, including information volunteered by end-users.

We welcome such efforts, as they can individually or collectively serve specific commuter needs. Our job is to facilitate such development by making data open through Data.gov.sg and LTA's DataMall so that private developers can co-create smarter transport solutions with us.

In particular, there is potential to collect end-user locations and provide train service disruption notifications as suggested by the Member. As commuter needs evolve, LTA will add more data to DataMall and introduce new features to its mobile app. Transport operators like SMRT have also shared plans to enhance their own app content by providing information on platform and train loading based on analysis of data collected from wi-fi access points and camera feeds.