Singapore: Up with trains
Compared to respondents from other countries, Singaporeans were more likely to consider the Government to be best positioned to lead the revival of town and city centres. 78% selected this option, closely followed by respondents in UAE.
The picture is similar when considering who should be responsible for maintaining town and city centres.
Public transport is clearly a concern for Singaporeans. When asked what form of spending by the Government will have greatest long-term impact for local real estate, those from Singapore most often selected transport (69%), again closely followed by those from UAE.
When asked how Singaporeans travel to a town or city centre, they were far less likely to select car than respondents from any other country – only 31%, compared to 54% from Spain, the next least likely, and 67% from UAE, the most likely.
It is therefore unsurprising that those from Singapore see “more public transport links” as an appealing feature to encourage more visits than anywhere else.
In 2019, the Singapore Government published its Land Transport Master Plan 2040, with the intention of creating a “45-minute city” with “20-minute towns” by 2040. It includes details of an expanded rail plan and cycle path network.
It’s not only for ease of travel that Singaporeans would like to see more investment in public transport. They would also like this to improve sustainability. When asked how concerned they were about factors affecting town and city centres, 57% of those from Singapore said they were very concerned with pollution.
