Crowding and waiting times, air-con in trains among 3 areas for improvement on public transport: PTC

SINGAPORE — Three key areas on the public transport network have been identified for improvement, including crowding in buses and trains, irregular bus waiting times, and uneven air conditioning on the MRT.

The Public Transport Council (PTC), in a statement on July 20, said findings from the public transport customer satisfaction survey and feedback from focus groups found that courtesy and consideration shown by other commuters on buses and trains was another area of concern.

Irregular bus waiting times and difficulty in boarding crowded buses and trains are a key concern for commuters, who want more accurate and timely information on bus and train arrival timings, to help them better plan their journeys.

Being able to choose less crowded services, and wait shorter durations for their train or bus services is also on the commuter wishlist, PTC said.

While coverage and frequency of bus services have become better under the Bus Connectivity Enhancement Programme and rail capacity has been beefed up with the Thomson-East Coast Line, crowdedness and waiting times remain an issue for commuters, PTC added.

Another point made by commuters in feedback channels is how others do not give way or move in on the bus or train, even when there is space. That is why some passengers are unable to board the first service that arrives and need to wait for the next bus or train.

PTC said it will engage the Land Transport Authority (LTA), commuters and operators on ways to further improve boarding efficiency, including using the rear door for boarding on buses or deploying marshals or digital screens at busier train platforms to guide passengers to less crowded train carriages.

Commuters also raised concerns about inconsiderate behaviour from other passengers on public transport, including playing music or videos loudly, and being unwilling to give up seats to those in need.

PTC said it will continue to strengthen efforts to foster more gracious commuting culture.

Staying cool and comfortable on trains was another issue for commuters, who felt they experienced uneven temperatures and weak airflow particularly during peak travel periods and on certain train lines.

PTC said it will engage LTA and public transport operators to look into ways to improve travel comfort. One solution could be to improve air-conditioning on older train fleets, and review maintenance regimes.

On the whole, the survey found that 87 per cent of commuters were satisfied with the public transport system.

The public transport customer satisfaction survey was conducted from in 2025, from Aug 18 to Sept 5. The survey polled 5,505 passengers aged 15 and above, through online surveys and face-to-face interviews at bus interchanges and MRT stations.

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This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.