Do you remember those days when countless yellow bicycles greeted us at the entrances of MRT stations, ready to take us on the final leg of our journey home after a lengthy train ride?
Those days are making a comeback, but with a modern twist: instead of bicycles, we’ll now find cars awaiting us.
An Unexpected Partnership
In a bold move to enhance the commuting experience in Singapore, an unprecedented partnership has been forged between SBS Transit (SBST), the nation’s foremost public bus operator which also oversees the North East and Downtown MRT lines, and GetGo, a car-sharing service that has impressively expanded its fleet to around 3,000 vehicles in just three years.
The objective of this collaboration?
To simplify the often troublesome short trips between commuters’ homes and public transportation hubs.
As a result of this partnership, 400 GetGo cars will soon be conveniently located near 50 MRT stations and bus interchanges, available for anyone to book and drive.
They would be available within a five-to-10-minute walk from MRT stations on the North East Line and Downtown Line.
These are the bus interchanges that would have GetGo cars within walking distance:
- Ang Mo Kio
- Bishan
- Serangoon
- Toa Payoh
- Bukit Merah
- Harbourfront
- Bedok
- Eunos
- Tampines
- Tampines Concourse
- Tampines North
- Compassvale
- Hougang Central
- Sengkang
- Yio Chu Kang
- Clementi
- Boon Lay
- Joo Koon
This initiative promises to ease both the start and end of daily commutes, offering a seamless transition between different modes of transportation.
Beyond Convenience: A Step Towards Sustainable Living
This collaboration extends far beyond mere convenience; it’s a concerted effort to encourage a shift away from car ownership.
GetGo’s CEO champions this initiative as a significant stride towards realizing Singapore’s vision of a ‘car-lite’ city, promoting the idea of car-sharing over solo drives.
Similarly, the CEO of SBS Transit is optimistic that this will render public transport more attractive and accessible to the masses, aligning perfectly with the city-state’s sustainability goals.
Nevertheless, this innovative venture does not come without its challenges, notably the stipulation that GetGo cars must be returned to their original pickup spots.
Of course, now, this means we’d be seeing more GetGo cars on the road.
So drive safe #iykyk
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