Singaporeans top global charts for public transport usage

Almost half also plan to use it even more in future

• New global study, commissioned by Hitachi Rail, finds four in five (81%) Singaporeans support investing in public transport over driving in their city
  
• A chart topping 83% see public transport as more convenient than driving
• Almost half (45%) of Singaporeans also expect their train travel to grow in the next five years.

A globally chart topping 85% of Singaporeans use public transport for their commute, with 83% finding it convenient, according to a new international survey commissioned by Hitachi Rail.

The research, carried out by SavantaComres, collected data from 12,000 people in 12 different cities around the world, including Berlin, Copenhagen, Dubai, London, Milan, Paris, San Francisco, Singapore, Sydney, Toronto, Warsaw and, Washington D.C. The results from 1,000 Singaporean’s provides a statistically accurate picture of how its citizens view their public transport compared to other major cities around the world.

The research shows that public transport makes up the vast majority (85%) of peoples journeys in the city. Bus (70%), train (66%) and walking (44%) are all substantially more important than driving (39%) for Singaporeans’ daily commutes. This commitment to using public transport is underlined by 83% finding it more convenient than driving in the city.

The research also highlights why public transport is seen as so convenient and popular in Singapore. Citizens noted that their decision to use public transport was motivated by convenience in terms of faster services (94%) and service schedule (94%), passenger safety (91%), and ease of access (92%).

When asked to consider barriers to using public transport, overcrowding is seen as by far the most significant impediment to choosing public transport in Singapore (selected by 66%, the highest ranking globally). To combat this issue, most respondents (85%) said they would use public transport even more if they had access to an app that showed them how busy an incoming service was.

Singaporeans also display a substantial appetite for using public transport even more in the future. Nine-in-ten would use public transport more if it offered a shorter journey time, and 89% would use it more if they could avoid crowded services. Over eight in ten (86%) Singaporeans would also use public transport more if it was ‘better connected’. Looking forward, almost half of respondents (45%) also believe that they will travel more by train in the next five years.

When asked to consider funding, Singaporeans clearly backed (81%) investment in public transport, with almost three-quarters (72%) also supporting the idea of road user charges to fund it.

Commenting on the research, a Hitachi Rail spokesperson said: “The research underlines just how important public transport is to Singaporeans with an overwhelming majority (83%) believing it to be more convenient than driving. Almost half of Singaporeans also believe that they will travel more using green transport options such as train travel in the coming years. Our challenge now as an industry is to deliver the additional green and sustainable infrastructure to match this demand.”

An in-depth overview and analysis of the data can be found here.

ENDS

Notes to Editors

The fieldwork for the survey was conducted by Savanta ComRes in December 2023

• Sample of approx. 1000 people were surveyed in each of the following: London, Berlin, Milan, Dublin, Warsaw, Washington, San Francisco, Toronto, Paris, Singapore, Sydney, Copenhagen.
• ‘Long-distance travel’ was defined as any journey of at least 2.5 hours
• Hitachi Rail’s full report can be downloaded here: Better Connected | Hitachi Rail