Working from home can help keep the public transport sector sustainable, Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung said in his speech today (Mar. 5) during the Ministry of Transport Committee of Supply debate.

As a result of Covid-19, the morning and evening peaks have become less pronounced, making public transport operations more efficient, and in turn, financially sustainable.

To further achieve this, Ong said that they would require the cooperation of employers to stagger work hours and allow work-from-home schedules even after Covid-19 passes.

How to achieve long-term financial sustainability

In his speech, Ong touched on the financial sustainability of Singapore's public transport operations.

Operating mass public transport is an expensive business, with operating costs covering "manpower, energy, maintenance, and renewal of operating assets like trains and signalling system".

Train fares are not enough to cover these operating costs, said Ong:

"So Government has been spending about $1 billion a year to subsidise rail operations. The situation is the same for buses..."

However, the bill to taxpayers cannot keep "ballooning", said Ong, as that would leave future generations with a growing financial burden.

Aside from working from home, Ong also outlined some ways to ensure long-term financial sustainability in the transport sector.

1. Don't penny pinch

Operators must train their workers well and find new ways to be cost-efficient.

"This includes keeping train services reliable, and not trying to penny pinch on maintenance costs, thinking this will translate into savings and productivity. It does not. We learned this lesson the hard way," Ong said.

2. Adjusting transport fares

Train and bus fares will also need to be adjusted from time to time, as costs, including the wages of public transport workers, do increase.

3. Reducing excess capacity

The government will need to try and reduce excess capacity in the transport system, especially when new MRT lines come up and ridership for certain bus services that run parallel to the lines drop.

These bus services chalk up "tens of millions of operating subsidies per service, per year", said Ong.

Ong recalled how during his time as a union worker, bus drivers would feel "heartache" when their buses were devoid of passengers.

As such, bus services will need to be progressively adjusted to "better keep subsidies in check", he added.

Mass public transport is the cleanest way to commute

Ong also touched on environmental sustainability.

He said that the cleanest and most sustainable way to commute is still through mass public transport — buses and trains. The government is aiming to increase the peak hour public transport modal share from its current 64 per cent to 75 per cent by 2030.

On Mar. 4, he also spoke about encouraging the adoption of electric vehicles.

Top photo from MOE / YouTube and Unsplash