The Covid-19 pandemic has created an opportunity for Singapore to re-imagine its transport infrastructure, said Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung yesterday.

With the reduced traffic, and the new travel patterns it has engendered, new avenues can be opened up for people to commute.

One possibility is to convert under-used road space for other uses, such as cycling paths.

The pandemic has also given rise to more sustainable travel patterns, with a shift towards telecommuting and staggered working hours, said Mr Ong.

"We will explore ways to make some of these changes permanent."

But the pandemic has otherwise "inflicted severe damage" on the transport sector, he said when laying out the Ministry of Transport's (MOT) plans in an addendum to the President's Address.

He stressed that a key priority is to revive Singapore's air hub in a safe manner, and that it will use the present downtime to improve the aviation infrastructure.

His ministry is also committed to completing several infrastructure projects, including the rail network expansion and the mega Tuas Port.

"MOT will work with the industry to tide over the Covid-19 pandemic, revive the Changi air hub, strengthen our status as a global hub port, and deliver sustainable and inclusive land transport for our home of the future," said Mr Ong.