Tapping big data for a smarter public transport system

PUBLIC transport plays a pivotal role in the daily lives of Singaporeans. The vast majority of citizens depend on buses and the MRT to get them to work and home again, and to ensure they can move around the island efficiently and inexpensively throughout the day. The government is faced with a constant dilemma - how to square the circle of a growing economy and population, citizen aspirations for car ownership, and extremely constrained land area. The policy answer, rightly, has been to expand and improve public transport, in ways that minimise land use and provide travellers with convenient, reliable, comfortable public transport options, available everywhere. The Ministry of Transport's aim is for commuters to make use of public transport for 75 per cent of morning peak hour journeys by 2030.

The challenge is in balancing supply against demand. Considerable growth in utilisation and demand for the public transportation networks - fuelled by a growing economy and population, and the success of measures to reduce private transport - is happening right now. On the other hand, the completion of new MRT lines, both under construction and on the drawing board, is still some years in the future.

This situation is creating a social and economic problem today. Singaporeans are demanding better service, fewer breakdowns and ways to cope with the overcrowding during peak periods. The local authorities and service providers are struggling to optimise services, fleets and manpower, as well as manage contingencies.