Free Pre-Peak Hour Travel on MRT Trains

Mr R Dhinakaran asked the Minister for Transport what are the considerations which the Government has taken in deciding that morning pre-peak hour transport fares be made free.

The one-year trial for free pre-peak travel aims to alleviate the morning peak hour crowding on the rail network on city-bound routes, which typically experience the highest level of crowding. A 10% to 20% shift should result in a more comfortable ride for commuters.

The trial was launched on 24 June 2013. The results in the first two weeks have been encouraging. On average, comparing the first two weeks' data with the exit patterns in May and June 2013 before the start of the trial, and making appropriate adjustments for overall ridership changes so that higher or lower ridership and seasonal effects are corrected, we are seeing about 6% to 7% decrease in exits for the peak period of 8.00 am to 9.00 am, and about 18% to 19% increase in exits for the pre-peak period of between 7.00 am and 8.00 am.

Another way to measure the effectiveness of the trial is how much we have been able to smoothen the morning peak in our rail network. Again, this will take time to fully study, but just based on the exit patterns of the past two weeks, we are seeing some smoothening. Prior to the trial, peak period exits for the one-hour period between 8.00 am and 9.00 am through the 16 city MRT stations was around 2.7 times that of the one-hour pre-peak period between 7.00 am and 8.00 am. The first two weeks of the trial has reduced this ratio to about 2.1 times.

Flexible work arrangements will help this initiative to succeed. The Public Service has implemented flexible working hours, which enables its staff to take advantage of the free pre-peak travel trial, and we are also working with several large private sector organisations to likewise offer flexible working arrangements. I would like to encourage more employers to adopt flexible work

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arrangements.

Finally, let me put this free pre-peak travel trial in the context of all the other initiatives that we are undertaking to increase the capacity of our rail network and reduce train crowding. These include new rail lines, additional trains, and upgrading projects like re-signalling of the North-South and East-West Lines, all of which will be ready progressively in about two to three years' time. We are determined to do whatever it takes to reduce crowdedness on our rail network, both in the short term and the longer term.