The tax consultant waits about 10 minutes to catch a bus for the 15-minute ride to the nearest MRT station in Bishan. From there, it takes her another 20 minutes to travel to Raffles Place MRT station.

But with the addition of two new MRT lines in 2020, commuters like Miss Goh can shave 20 minutes off her daily commute to the city, said Transport Minister Raymond Lim on Friday.

The Thomson line will join Woodlands to Marina Bay, while the Eastern Region Line will connect Changi to Marina Bay via Marine Parade. They will pass through neighbourhoods like Sin Ming and Siglap that are currently not served by the MRT.

The new lines are part of policy changes to improve Singapore's land transport system.

The inconvenience of having to wait for a bus to bring them to the nearest MRT station is a common grouse shared by commuters living in such areas.

Read the full story in tomorrow's edition of The Sunday Times.