Peak-hour shuttle can spur use of public transport

The survey finding that residents are unlikely to walk more than 10 minutes to the bus stop or MRT station is extremely useful for the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and public transport operators ("Car ownership survey: Less need to have car if it's a 10min walk to public transport"; last Sunday).

Given an average walking speed of 5kmh, doing so for 10 minutes would work out to a distance of about 830m. If we take into account the hot and humid climate, as well as the fact that the elderly and residents in working attire would walk more slowly, this suggests that a 10-minute walk would cover around 800m.

Since residents do not want to walk more than 10 minutes, or about 800m, the LTA and public transport operators can consider having shuttle buses ply areas beyond that radius, up to 1km, on a frequent basis during peak hours. This way, the need to own cars to drive to work is lessened, helping to lead to a car-lite environment.

Gan Kok Tiong