SINGAPORE - The Nanyang Technological University (NTU), JTC and SMRT signed an agreement that aims to "seamlessly integrate" traditional bus and train services with new transport modes.

The combined 250ha of the NTU campus and JTC's neighbouring CleanTech Park will act as a testbed for this project, that will also include transportation options such as autonomous vehicles and personal mobility devices.

An app - that will allow commuters to plan journeys based on cost, time and convenience around these various modes of transport - will also be developed.

"Within 12 months we will develop an app, bring in new modes of transport and see how to integrate the old and the new so that commuters will benefit," said SMRT Services managing director Colin Lim.

While JTC and SMRT said it is too early to say how much the project might cost, NTU said it will pump in $3 million over the next three years. The university will also have 20 researchers working on the project.

NTU provost Professor Freddy Boey said the project would leverage on the university's "deep expertise in engineering and low-carbon transportation solutions".

The initiative will eventually be expanded to the 600ha of the Jurong Innovation District - which includes NTU, CleanTech Park, as well as the surrounding areas of Bulim, Behar and Tengah.

"We believe these efforts will not only improve last mile connectivity in the Jurong Innovation District, but also transform commuter experience," said JTC chief executive officer Png Cheong Boon.