World-class public transport system requires significant resources

In Parliament on Wednesday, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said that the Government will continue to subsidise and invest resources in the public transport system to improve it, reported The Straits Times. However, he added that commuters must also be prepared to pay their share. "We have to find right balance in cost-sharing between Government, private sector and commuters", said PM Lee.

Public transport issues have been a bugbear of late, with several MPs commenting that it is an area the Government needs to work on.

"Our aim is not just to have more buses and trains running, but to build a first-class public transport system," said PM Lee. He added that Singapore can learn from cities with good public transport systems, such as London which runs a hybrid system with both government and private sector participation.

In his speech, he also said that the Government "has made steady progress in the past three years". The Bus Service Enhancement Programme has also been rolled out, while train service providers have also been working to reduce disruptions and spread out peak hour traffic.