Debated in Parliament on 6 Feb 2013.
Mr Gan Thiam Poh asked the Minister for Transport (a) what is the effectiveness of SMRT's Early Travel Discount Scheme since the increase in fare discounts from 30 cents to 50 cents in 2012; and (b) whether the Scheme can be extended to (i) other stations with high human traffic; (ii) other lines; and (iii) travel during other non-peak hours.
Mdm Speaker, SMRT's Early Travel Discount Scheme was enhanced from an initial 10 cents to 30 cents in October 2011, and then to 50 cents in August 2012, when the Scheme was also extended to include the Circle Line (CCL). Overall, our assessment is that there has been about a 3% to 4% shift out of the morning peak period of 8.00 am to 9.00 am for MRT travel into the CBD. We should bear in mind that travel behaviours take time to change, because commuters and employers need time to accommodate new travel and work arrangements. Accordingly, travel patterns cannot be expected to shift so rapidly. Therefore, we will continue to monitor and assess the effectiveness of the Early Travel Discount Scheme for a period of time before deciding whether to make further changes. I would like to thank Mr Gan for his suggestions to enhance the scheme, and will consider them for the next review of the scheme.
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Mdm Speaker, I thank the Minister of State for the comprehensive answer. My supplementary question is: would Ministry also try out other possible sites that are seeing high peak-hour traffic patterns, and also, whether the scheme would be extended to another operator, run concurrently to see how effective it is?
Madam, yes, indeed. I assure Mr Gan that we do not rule out these possibilities.
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