Commuters' satisfaction level with public transport in 2023 largely unchanged from previous year: Survey

File photo of commuters at Dhoby Ghaut MRT station in Singapore. (File Photo: iStock)
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SINGAPORE: Commuters were largely satisfied with public transport in Singapore in 2023, similar to the year before, the Public Transport Council (PTC) said on Wednesday (Apr 3).Â
The Public Transport Customer Satisfaction Survey found that 93 per cent of people surveyed were satisfied with public transport last year, with a mean satisfaction score of 7.8 out of 10.
"This comes amid enhanced connectivity through the continued expansion of our rail network in recent years," PTC said in a news release on Wednesday.Â
The survey, conducted annually since 2006, seeks to understand commuters’ expectations and needs, as well as to identify areas for improvement.
The 2023 survey was conducted online, with 5,037 commuters aged 15 and above, between Aug 14 and Sep 24.
Respondents were asked to provide a rating of between one to 10, with one representing very dissatisfied or unimportant. Those who gave a score of 6 were deemed to be satisfied.

The service attributes are safety and security, waiting time, reliability, service information, bus interchange or bus stop or MRT station accessibility, comfort, travel time and customer service.
"The top three service attributes as rated by respondents were safety and security, accessibility, and service information," said PTC.Â
Safety and security received the highest mean satisfaction score at 8.4.Â
"Commuters' mean score for satisfaction with train services remained at 8.0, similar to 2022, and satisfaction with bus services remained at 7.7, a score maintained since 2021," said the council.Â
For train services, reliability, waiting time and travel time were ranked as the top three most important service attributes. The mean satisfaction scores were 8.2 for reliability and 8.0 for waiting and travel time.
Similarly, the three most important bus service attributes in 2023 were waiting time, reliability and travel time. The mean satisfaction score for reliability remained the same at 7.5, while the score for travel time improved from 7.5 to 7.6.Â
"The mean satisfaction score for waiting time saw a decline, from 7.1 in 2022 to 6.8 in 2023," said the council.Â
PUBLIC TRANSPORT FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
A separate survey for 400 people with disabilities and their caregivers was carried out from Aug 14 to Oct 6.
The survey, conducted with 180 people with disabilities and 220 caregivers, found that 94 per cent of them were satisfied with public transport, with a mean satisfaction score of 7.6, the same as in 2022.Â
The mean satisfaction scores for the public transport service attributes were similar to 2022, with safety and security registering as the most improved, noted the council.Â

For this group of respondents, safety and security had a mean satisfaction score of 7.9, an increase from 7.7 in 2022.
"Safety and security was also the service attribute which persons with disabilities and their caregivers deemed as most important for public transport, train and bus services, followed by reliability and accessibility," said PTC.Â
The survey, which began in 2021, aims to find out more about the travel experience of people with disabilities and their caregivers while commuting in Singapore.Â
"The nature of disabilities of the respondents includes physical disability, deaf or hard of hearing, visual impairment, intellectual disability, and autism," said PTC.
For MRT services, people with disabilities and their caregivers were most satisfied with safety and security - which had a mean score of 8.0, an improvement from 7.5 the year before.
Similarly, these respondents were most satisfied with the safety and security of buses, rating a mean satisfaction score of 7.8, similar to 2022.Â
"PTC will continue to foster a positive caring commuting culture through efforts under Caring SG Commuters movement to ensure our public transport system is inclusive to all commuters," said the council.Â