Close to 10 per cent of commuters shifted their travelling patterns on the first day of a trial of free travel during the pre-peak hour period.
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Here is a full statement by LTA:
The one-year trial1 by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) to provide free travel on the rail network for commuters who end their journey before 7.45am on weekdays at 16 designated city MRT stations has progressed smoothly. We would like to thank commuters, employers and other partners for supporting the trial as well as passenger service staff for providing assistance to commuters.
Early results are encouraging with data indicating a decrease of about 9% of commuters exiting the designated city stations during the peak period between 8.00am and 9.00am today, compared to the average daily figures for the first three weeks of June 2013. Travel patterns typically take time to stabilise, as employers and employees make adjustments in workplace and personal arrangements, and there may be daily fluctuations as well. The LTA will therefore continue to monitor the change in travel patterns over the next few months before drawing any conclusions as to the effectiveness of the trial.
There was adequate capacity in the trains observed this morning for the pre-peak period. The LTA had worked with the train operators to inject two additional train trips along the North-South and East-West Lines to cater to the increase in pre-peak travel. We will continue to monitor the change in travel patterns and make further adjustments where required.
Commuters who are able and willing to make changes to their travel schedule are encouraged to travel earlier into the city before the morning peak to benefit from the free rides. For those who miss the cut-off timing for free travel, they will still enjoy up to 50 cents discount off their train fares if they exit the designated stations between 7.45am and 8am. Employers are encouraged to facilitate their employees to travel earlier to take advantage of the scheme.
To create awareness about the free travel trial, banners and posters have been put up in all MRT stations and major transport nodes. Train hangers are also available on the trains for commuters to pick-up and take with them for easier reference. More recently, television interstitials to inform public of the free travel trial are being aired on major free-to-air channels.