Analysing Public Benefits of Each Transport Mode and Applying Findings to Infrastructure Planning
Ministry of TransportSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns Ms He Ting Ru’s inquiry into whether the Government conducts economic analyses of transport modes to track public benefits and how such findings influence infrastructure planning. Minister Chee Hong Tat stated that transport plans are guided by long-term strategic frameworks like the Concept Plan and Master Plan to ensure integration with land-use planning. He explained that the Government performs economic analyses to weigh benefits like commuter time savings against construction and maintenance costs when assessing project viability. However, Minister Chee Hong Tat emphasized that transport also serves as an economic mobiliser and social equaliser, meaning quantitative economic viability is not the sole consideration. Consequently, non-quantifiable benefits such as accessibility for work, school, and recreation are also evaluated to ensure transport infrastructure meets the diverse needs of all Singaporeans.
Transcript
60 Ms He Ting Ru asked the Minister for Transport (a) whether the Government does economic analyses of various modes of transport to determine and track the public benefits of each mode of transport in order to guide related policies, such as infrastructure planning; and (b) if so, how is such input taken into consideration in the policymaking and planning process.
Mr Chee Hong Tat: Our plans for transport infrastructures are guided by long-term strategic plans, such as the Concept Plan and Master Plan. This ensures transport planning is closely integrated with overall land-use planning. Relevant Government agencies work closely with one another to ensure that the necessary transport infrastructure is implemented to meet the needs of commuters, while supporting existing and planned developments.
To guide these decisions, the Government conducts economic analyses when planning for transport projects. These analyses weigh the benefits gained by commuters and society, such as the value of time savings brought about by new transport options, against the costs of building and maintaining transport infrastructure.
While such economic analyses help us to assess the economic viability of our transport projects, they are not the only consideration in our decision-making process. Ultimately, transport is also an economic mobiliser and a social equaliser. It enables all Singaporeans, regardless of where we live, to move around for work, school or recreation. Such non-quantifiable benefits are also taken into account when we evaluate our transport plans and projects.