Govt says plans ongoing to boost connectivity in the west, after NCMP flags gaps in rail network
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NCMP Leong Mun Wai proposed two ways to boost transport connectivity for residents in the west.
PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO
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SINGAPORE – The six-day train disruption in September
In an adjournment motion speech on Oct 15, he proposed two ways to boost transport connectivity for residents in the west. He brought up proposals that the Government was looking at – to connect the upcoming Jurong Region Line (JRL) to the Circle Line and Cross Island Line (CRL) – and sought an update on the studies.
Mr Leong also mooted “skip-stop buses” that stop only at high-demand bus stops, and either travel between towns, or connect towns to key transport nodes.
In response, Senior Minister of State for Transport Amy Khor said efforts were ongoing to boost connectivity for these residents, including the upcoming JRL and CRL, and new “express feeder” bus services that directly connect residents to transport nodes and town centres.
She noted that Mr Leong’s suggestions support the plans that the Land Transport Authority (LTA) has made to improve transport connectivity in the west.
During his 15-minute speech, Mr Leong said residents in the west travelling to and from their workplaces in central Singapore had no alternative MRT routes to take during the EWL disruption, and had to use bus bridging services or cross-town bus services.
The disruption affected 500,000 out of 2.8 million train journeys daily
Mr Leong referenced the LTA’s Land Transport Master Plan 2040,
He noted that the west has dense population centres such as Jurong West, upcoming new towns like Tengah, and major employment hubs in Jurong East and Tuas. “All these residents and jobs need to be better connected to the rest of Singapore.”
Even after the JRL and CRL are built, the EWL would still remain a “major bottleneck” as the JRL connects only to the EWL for eastward travel, he said.
Mr Leong sought an update on a proposed extension to connect the JRL from Pandan Reservoir station to Haw Par Villa station on the Circle Line, which was first mooted in 2015. Feasibility studies are being carried out.
He also brought up an earlier proposal,
Responding to Mr Leong’s point that transport connectivity in the west paled in comparison to other parts of the island, Dr Khor said that with planned expansions to the rail network, eight in 10 households in the west are on track to be within a 10-minute walk of a train station by the 2030s.
These plans include the JRL and CRL, which will serve areas that do not currently have MRT stations nearby, she said.
The CRL will also connect commuters in the west to every radial line in the MRT network, she added.
Dr Khor said Mr Leong’s bus proposal is similar to plans that LTA already has. These include “express feeder” services that skip stops and connect residents from estates farther away to town centres, as part of the Bus Connectivity Enhancement Programme.
Announced in July, the $900 million programme
Dr Khor also said LTA has been studying the West Coast Extension that will connect the JRL to the Circle Line, in tandem with further developments in the area.
Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat had mentioned this extension earlier on Oct 15, and said LTA was working with relevant planning agencies to assess the demand and the potential timeline for its roll-out.
Dr Khor said plans to improve transport infrastructure will take time.
“I seek the patience and support of Singaporeans and our residents in the west, as we press on with enhancements to our public transport network in the coming years,” she said.
