More than half of drivers willing to take the train when Downtown Line 3 opens: Lianhe Zaobao survey

MacPherson Station is one of the three interchanges of Downtown Line 3 (DTL3). More than half of 100 motorists surveyed said they were willing to take the train instead of their cars when the Downtown Line 3 opens. ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR

SINGAPORE - More than half of 100 motorists surveyed in a recent Lianhe Zaobao poll said they were willing to take the train instead of their cars when the Downtown Line 3 (DTL3) opens on Oct 21.

The Chinese-language daily reported the survey findings on Tuesday (Oct 10). It was conducted to find out how the line's opening would affect the travelling patterns of drivers who live or work near the new line.

The survey showed that 54 per cent of drivers were willing to forgo their cars to go to work or to go out.

Out of the 54 drivers, nearly one in four (24.1 per cent) said they would take the train every day. Another 35.2 per cent said they would take the train a few days a week, while 16.6 per cent said they would do so only on weekends.

The others said they would decide on a case-by-case basis.

The top reasons given for switching to trains were speed and convenience, being able to avoid traffic jams, and saving on Electronic Road Pricing and parking fees.

The opening of DTL3 will complete the third and final phase of the 42km Downtown MRT line that links the north-western and eastern housing estates to the old and new downtowns.

DTL3 spans 21km and covers 16 stations, running from Fort Canning through areas such as Jalan Besar and Bendemeer, before heading eastwards and ending at Expo station.

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