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How can these relationships be sustainably managed?
Sustainable management of transport systems in Singapore and other countries
Laws and policies on transport (e.g., road safety)
Integrated land-use and transport planning (e.g., terminals that serve as multi-purpose hubs)
Provision of a range of mobility options for different groups of people (e.g., wheelchair-friendly buses)
Research and development in transport (e.g., mobile applications for navigation and location-based services)
(1) LAWS AND POLICIES ON TRANSPORT
Laws and policies to ensure road safety
As cities continue to grow and attract people, there is a need for laws and policies to ensure road safety and manage traffic congestion. Laws and policies to ensure road safety
Cities often embark on car-lite policies to drastically reduce car usage by encouraging the use of alternatives such as public transport and other forms of active mobility such as walking and cycling. Road safety campaigns raise awareness and educate all road users on practicing good road safety habits.
How?
● by constraining vehicle ownership and road usage via the car-lite policies -
Singapore promoted a car-lite society by adopting a zero vehicle growth stance for all private motor vehicles since February 2018. In Singapore, potential new car owner need to bid for the Certificate of Entitlement (COE) since 1990 as a form of vehicle quota system. The COE gives the owner the right to own and use the vehicle for 10 years, after which the COE may be renewed or the vehicle must be scrapped or exported. The benefit of the COE is that the population of private vehicles is capped and cannot grow any further. Limiting vehicle growth reduces the need for Singapore to increase its road capacity.
● by increasing the supply of public transport
● by promoting the use of other environmentally friendly transport modes
Outcome
People are likely to change their travel habits when they find it costly to own or use private transport, and travelling by public transport, bicycle or foot is deemed more efficient and affordable.
Limitation:
The COE is an additional cost to the price of new vehicles in Singapore. This makes owning a car in Singapore extremely expensive.
(2) INTEGRATED LAND USE AND TRANSPORT PLANNING
a) Land use planning refers to where and how land should be used. Land use planning is key to shaping the demand for travel and distance needed to travel. For example, when business parks and commercial centres offering employment opportunities are planned near residential areas, the need for long distance commutes is reduced.
b)Transport planning refers to the process of forecasting the operation, provision and management of infrastructure and services for various modes of transport to meet current and future usage needs. Good planning ensures that transport facilities and services are able to move people and goods in a safe, affordable, convenient and environmentally friendly manner.
Integrating land use and transport planning can reduce the need for travel.
Land Transport Master Plan 2040
Aim:
By 2040, the LTMP aims to develop ’20-minute towns’ and a ’45-minute city”. The goal is for journeys made using public, active and shared modes of transport to neighborhood centres and across the city to be completed within 20 minutes and 45 minutes respectively during peak periods.
Limitation:
Integrating land use and transport plans requires close coordination and communication between different stakeholders to balance social, economic and transport needs. This process takes time and involves huge investments in infrastructure design and development. For example, to encourage active mobility, designing and developing pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure is key. The walkable distance from a location, known as pedestrian shed, is usually defined as a 5-minute or 400-metre walk. Having wide, shaded paths with attractive building facades and shop fronts with the pedestrian shed helps to provide comfortable walking experiences.
(3) PROVISION OF A RANGE OF MOBILITY OPTIONS FOR DIFFERENT GROUPS OF PEOPLE
The provision of barrier-free transport facilities and initiatives is important in developing inclusive transport systems that cater to diverse mobility needs.
Constraints imposed by physical capability, health-related conditions, transport costs, transport system designs and availability of transport modes can limit the mobility of people. Poorly designed transport infrastructure and the inconvenience of travelling can prevent the elderly, wheelchair users and PWDs from travelling, causing some to isolate themselves.
Limitations:
Installing barrier-free transport facilities with special features for the elderly and the disabled is expensive. It is important to ensure that the special features are deployed effectively in areas that are most needed to prevent wastage of resource.
The bus are low floored and there are dedicated space on the bus for wheelchair users. Ramp are extended by the bus captain when needed.
(4) RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT (R&D) IN TRANSPORT
Cities are also investing in R&D to explore ways to make transport more sustainable.
Key R&D areas include:
● Mobile applications to improve mobilty as well as safer and more environmentally friendly transport modes.
● Greener building materials and techniques are also developed for transport infrastructure.
The widespread availability of information and technology enables better trip planning and facilities sharing of rides and vehicles.
Mobile applications
Benefits of mobile applications
● Trip planning mobile applications that provide real-time traffic information on travel time, cost and possible routes to undertake via various modes can shape travel habits and choice of transport.
● Information on bus arrival times as well as availability of seats and wheelchair facilities on public transport can help commuters better plan their journeys, making public transport an attractive mode of transport.
Challenges of mobile applicstions
Use of mobile applications have their challenges. For example, inaccurate information on bus arrival timings may cause additional inconvenience to commuters.
Ongoing R&D seeks to minimize these challenges.
Green Transport infrastructure
Benefits of greener transport infrastructure
● EVs has emerged as a potential solution to make transport systems more sustainable. The first fleet of fully electric buses hit Singapore roads in 2020 and the authorities are looking into expanding the number of electric buses in service. Besides Singapore, neighboring countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia have also introduced electric buses.
● Autonomous vehicles (AV) or driverless vehicles are another potential solution to modern-day transport problems. AVs use a suite of sensors to detect other vehicles and pedestrians. This could potentially prevent road accidents and improve road safety. AVs also use fuel-efficiency technology that reduces emission and energy consumption.
Challenges of greener transport infrastructure
Despite their benefits, EVs are more expensive than conventional vehicles. A fully charged electric bus may cost twice as much as a conventional diesel bus.
More R&D is needed to reduce the cost of eVs before they can play a bigger part in public transport systems in the future.
Despite their potential benefits, R&D for AVs requires huge amounts of investment and is time-consuming. There may also be safety and cybersecurity challenges to overcome before AVs can become a common feature on our roads.
Go-Ahead Singapore, for example, fitted ultra-thin solar panels to its diesel buses after successful trials, which resulted in 3-4% fuel savings annually by helping to charge the bus battery and power electrical components.
https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/go-ahead-conduct-six-month-trial-buses-solar-panels
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