While the Land Transport Masterplan 2013 is moving in the right direction to enhance public transport here, more should to be done to convince commuters they do not need a car to get around, said a panel of experts on Wednesday morning. They were speaking at the Singapore International Transport Conference and Exhibition.

Adjunct professor from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, Dr Paul Barter, stressed the importance of combined mobility. Cars have a role to play because of their flexibility, so car sharing schemes and taxis must be enhanced so commuters feel a car is not a necessity, he said. He was

International Association of Public Transport (UITP) director of regional offices and services Tony Dufays noted that walking and cycling are very efficient modes of transport for the last mile of journeys, which is often the weakest link in public transport. He added that trams could also be considered in the city area and that the provision of more data and information to commuters is also critical.

The third panellist, Nanyang Technological University adjunct associate professor Gopinath Menon, said there is a need to provide buses with even more priority on the roads as well as at traffic junctions.