2020 was not a normal year.
From April to June, shopping malls, Singapore Pools outlets, and coffee shops were all mostly empty.
Given that these are natural habitats for most Singaporeans, visitors would assume an apocalypse had wiped all of us out.
Instead, the authorities had advised residents to stay at home due to the escalating Covid-19 outbreak.
Since the virus enjoys gatherings as much as we do, we had to avoid each other as much as possible.
And even after residents were allowed back outside, many were hesitant to visit areas that tended to be draw crowds.
Or even take public transport.
Public Transport Ridership Fell in 2020
After consecutive rises for 15 years, public transport ridership fell last year, according to data released by the Land Transport Authority (LTA).
Average ridership for buses and trains fell by 34.5% to 5.04 million, the lowest figure in 11 years.
This can be attributed to the change in working arrangements, as the pandemic forced many to work from home.
Even after the circuit breaker ended, working from home remained the default arrangement, as it is today.
Trains were hit particularly hard by the pandemic, as MRT and LRT rides fell by 41% to 2.162 million a day.
Bus ridership fell by 30% to 2.878 million a day.
Data Confirms That More People Take Private-Hire Cars Than Taxis
LTA’s data also confirmed what many suspected all along: that residents prefer to take a private-hire car than a taxi.
Taxi rides dropped by 38% to 219,000 a day, while private-hire car trips fell by 29% to 297,000.
According to The New Paper, this is the first time LTA has released annual private-hire data along with taxi numbers.
The taxi and private-hire car sector is considered a hybrid between public and private transport.
So, will public transport usage return to pre-pandemic levels?
Well, this depends on whether some companies will adopt work from home arrangements even after employees are allowed back into the office.
Fewer Commuters Satisfied With Public Transport in 2020
While some commuters gave it a higher score, fewer residents were satisfied with the country’s public transport last year.
According to the annual public transport customer satisfaction survey conducted by the Public Transport Council (PTC), the vast majority of Singaporeans – 97.6% – were satisfied with public transport.
However, the figure is lower than the 99.4% recorded in 2019.
Train disruptions last year may have played a part in the drop in satisfaction, as well as restrictions forced by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Commuters were impressed, though, with the added safety and security at MRT stations, which is why they ranked it higher than buses.
Overall, public transport here was given an average score of 7.8, the same as in 2019.
Featured Image: Phuong D. Nguyen / Shutterstock.com
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