hour's bus or MRT ride from the center - Orchard Road if you avoid
peak morning and evening hours on weekdays. Travel times are shorter
by car or taxi so buying a car is not a must!
Singapore has a well established integrated Public Transport System
(Transit Link) integrating fare, information and networks of the Mass
Rapid Transport (MRT) and Light Rail Transit (LRT) trains and the
busses SBS and Tibs. Get the Transit Link Guide - a guide for Public
Transport Services and take your time to study it thoroughly. This is
time spent wisely if you are depending on public transport.
Buy a Transitlink Farecard at selected MRT stations to ride MRT and
busses. You can pay by NETS or Cash card. Check if you qualify for
concession cards available for children, students and seniors. Hold on
to your ticket as ticket inspectors patrol to check.
A recent comparative study amongst 50 cities conducted in 2008 by
Singapore's National Institute of Education reveals that Singapore
ranks poorly. Hence it was concluded that Singapore public transport
system is below average and not world-class. The devastating findings
resulted in a package of bus services designed by the Land Transport
Authority to be put up for tender in early 2010 and more bus operators
will bid for the right to operate them. This will probably exert
pressure on existing bus operators and improve standards of SBS
Transit, which operates the North East Line and the Sengkang/Punggol
Light Rapid Transit Lines and SMRT Buses Ltd.
But this did not stop expatriates to vote Singapore as the best place
to live in the world in a survey of more than 2,000 expatriates by
HSBC Bank. The Republic also ranked first for quality of accommodation
and second for luxury living. It also tops in the latest World Bank
Doing Business 2009 Report. Expatriates rate the Singapore Public
Transport System second after Hong Kong but top on comfort, safety,
cleanliness, reliability and network
