Adjournment motion on realising the vision of a ’45-minute city’ for residents in western Singapore
The recent six-day MRT disruption on the East-West Line was a reminder to residents in western Singapore of how reliant they are on the line, said NCMP Leong Mun Wai in Parliament on Tuesday (Oct 15). He added that for residents in the west, unlike those in the east, the vision of a “45-minute city” under the Land Transport Master Plan 2040 “is far from reality at present”. This refers to a goal of Singaporeans spending no more than 45 minutes to complete nine in 10 peak-period journeys. Mr Leong said the west of Singapore is “not some ‘ulu’ (remote) hinterland”, but comprises major residential and employment hubs that are developing and will become even denser in future. He said there is a need to strengthen transport connections from the west not just to the downtown core but to other parts of Singapore. He suggested two approaches. One involves linking the Jurong Region Line (JRL) to the Circle Line and Cross Island Line. The other is to introduce a network of inter-town “skip-stop” bus services - at the national level, but especially benefiting residents in the west. Responding to Mr Leong’s adjournment motion, Senior Minister of State for Transport Amy Khor said his suggestions support plans that the Government already has for transport connectivity in the west. She said his claim that rail connectivity is far better in the east than the west is “not a fair comparison as there are differences in geographical characteristics, stage of development and travel patterns”. Dr Khor said people living in the west are currently served by the North-South, East-West and Downtown Lines, as well as the Bukit Panjang LRT. Complementing this, more than one-third of Singapore’s bus routes ply in the west, she said, including express bus services that link directly to job centres in the central area. Looking ahead, the Jurong Region Line will be “a game-changer”, said Dr Khor. It will connect residents across the entire western region to growing employment centres in Jurong and provide alternative options to access other MRT lines. The Cross Island Line, meanwhile, will further enhance the west’s connection to the east and north-east regions. A West Coast Extension is also being studied, which would extend the JRL to connect to the Circle Line. As for buses, Dr Khor said Mr Leong’s suggestions are “no different from” new measures planned under the recently announced Bus Connectivity Enhancement Programme.
The recent six-day MRT disruption on the East-West Line was a reminder to residents in western Singapore of how reliant they are on the line, said NCMP Leong Mun Wai in Parliament on Tuesday (Oct 15). He added that for residents in the west, unlike those in the east, the vision of a “45-minute city” under the Land Transport Master Plan 2040 “is far from reality at present”. This refers to a goal of Singaporeans spending no more than 45 minutes to complete nine in 10 peak-period journeys. Mr Leong said the west of Singapore is “not some ‘ulu’ (remote) hinterland”, but comprises major residential and employment hubs that are developing and will become even denser in future. He said there is a need to strengthen transport connections from the west not just to the downtown core but to other parts of Singapore. He suggested two approaches. One involves linking the Jurong Region Line (JRL) to the Circle Line and Cross Island Line. The other is to introduce a network of inter-town “skip-stop” bus services - at the national level, but especially benefiting residents in the west. Responding to Mr Leong’s adjournment motion, Senior Minister of State for Transport Amy Khor said his suggestions support plans that the Government already has for transport connectivity in the west. She said his claim that rail connectivity is far better in the east than the west is “not a fair comparison as there are differences in geographical characteristics, stage of development and travel patterns”. Dr Khor said people living in the west are currently served by the North-South, East-West and Downtown Lines, as well as the Bukit Panjang LRT. Complementing this, more than one-third of Singapore’s bus routes ply in the west, she said, including express bus services that link directly to job centres in the central area. Looking ahead, the Jurong Region Line will be “a game-changer”, said Dr Khor. It will connect residents across the entire western region to growing employment centres in Jurong and provide alternative options to access other MRT lines. The Cross Island Line, meanwhile, will further enhance the west’s connection to the east and north-east regions. A West Coast Extension is also being studied, which would extend the JRL to connect to the Circle Line. As for buses, Dr Khor said Mr Leong’s suggestions are “no different from” new measures planned under the recently announced Bus Connectivity Enhancement Programme.
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