Clarifications on Free Morning Off-Peak Rail Rides Scheme on NEL

Oral Reply by Acting Minister for Transport, Mr Jeffrey Siow

Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis asked the Acting Minister for Transport

a.     what is the intended duration of the Free Morning Off-Peak Rail Rides scheme on the North-East Line (NEL); 

b.     whether the Government is committed to making the scheme permanent in order to drive a sustained shift in travel patterns; and

c.     if so, whether that commitment is contingent on plans to further increase NEL peak-hour capacity, if any.

Reply by Acting Minister for Transport Jeffrey Siow:

1.     Mr Speaker, this reply also addresses related questions filed by Ms Poh Li San, Ms He Ting Ru and Ms Elysa Chen for subsequent sittings.

2.     The new free morning off-peak travel programme is intended to reduce peak hour crowding. We are piloting this programme on the North East Line and Sengkang-Punggol LRT, which is currently the most well-used section of our MRT network. By shifting a small proportion of peak hour commuters who are able and willing to travel off-peak, we improve the commuting experience for those who still have to travel when it is most crowded. Redistributing peak load also enables the overall capacity of the train line to be more efficiently used. Furthermore, a smaller peak load will reduce the impact of a train delay or disruption, if it happens.

3.     When we introduced a similar free travel programme in 2013, about 7% of commuters shifted out of the morning peak. If we are able to achieve a similar and sustained result, we will not need to have additional resources to support higher commuter traffic before 7.30am. The free morning off-peak travel programme will be fully funded by the Government. The level of Government funding required will depend on the eventual take up rate, and therefore the effectiveness of the scheme. We will assess after a year before deciding whether to extend the scheme further.