Singapore commuter satisfaction with public transport higher last year

SINGAPORE commuters were more satisfied with public transport in 2018, according to the latest annual Public Transport Customer Satisfaction Survey commissioned by the Public Transport Council (PTC).

The poll, conducted in October 2018, showed satisfaction score rising to 7.9 (out of 10), from 7.7 in 2017. It was the fourth consecutive improvement since 2014.

The satisfaction improvement was larger for the MRT, with the score rising from 7.5 in 2017 (a dip from 2016) to 7.9. This matched the satisfaction level for buses, which remained unchanged at 7.9.

Of the 5,000 people polled, 77.8 per cent felt bus services had improved in the last one year, down from 80.8 per cent in the preceding one-year period, while 72.1 per cent felt the MRT had improved, up sharply from 50.3 per cent previously.

Even as overall satisfaction rose, waiting time and comfort scored the lowest among eight attributes tallied. Waiting time for buses scored 7.4, up from 7 in 2017, while comfort for MRT scored 7.4, up from 7.1 in 2017.

"The uptick in commuter satisfaction is a reflection of overall improvements made in rail reliability," the PTC said on Wednesday. "Commuters' mean satisfaction score recorded for reliability rose by 0.9, from 6.7 in 2017 to 7.6 in 2018."

The survey was carried out by Nexus Link, an independent market research consultant. This annual survey has been conducted since 2006.

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