SINGAPORE - A new initiative will be introduced later this year to get commuters along congested stretches of the rail network to choose alternative modes of transport, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) announced on Thursday (May 9).
Travel Smart Journeys, the new initiative, will provide incentives to commuters to do so. LTA said details will come later.
"We will reward commuters for taking a different transport mode on stretches of the rail network that are the most crowded," said Senior Minister of State for Transport Janil Puthucheary in a Facebook post.
The new initiative aims to distribute peak-hour travel more evenly along Singapore's transport network.
It will replace Travel Smart Rewards (TSR), which was introduced in 2012 to reward commuters for travelling outside of the morning peak period.
LTA noted that the current programme - together with the introduction of lower morning pre-peak fares across the rail network two years ago - contributed to a 12 per cent increase in commuters travelling before the morning peak hours last year.
Commuters can currently get up to 50 cents shaved off their fare when they tap in at any train station islandwide before 7.45am on weekdays, excluding public holidays.
TSR users will be able to earn points for trips until the end of May. These points can be converted into cash rewards or used for a game on the TSR portal until June 25.
Points not used by June 25 will no longer be valid.
The authority also announced it is ending the Travel Smart Grant, which supported organisations that incentivise off-peak travel or alternative modes of transport.
Such schemes must "evolve and adapt to changing ridership patterns and circumstances to remain effective", said the LTA, adding it is now focusing on more localised initiatives.
"These initiatives will complement each other, and continue to help better distribute peak hour travel load for more comfortable rides and allow a more efficient use of our public transport network," it added.
The authority noted this approach would also allow it to be "more flexible and responsive to changes in ridership patterns along specific stretches of the rail network".
Correction note: This article has been edited for clarity.
