The government is building an extensive MRT network. Will ridership see a significant increase? No, because most of us are already taking the train and our population is quite fixed.
So why build such an extensive network? For our convenience. By 2030, 8 out of 10 households will live within a 10-minute walk of an MRT station.
Fares are low compared to other developed countries. For 93 cents a senior or person with disabilities can travel from one end of Singapore to the other, and $2+ for adults.
The Government subsidises public transport to the tune of $2 billion every year. With an extensive network in the pipeline, operating costs will go up without the corresponding increase in revenue.
So the challenge, as Mr Baey explained in his Kopitalk, is how to sustain the network.
The resident who asked Mr Baey the question later emailed Mr Baey to let him know that he now had a better understanding and will share the knowledge with his friends.
