Inaugural survey found that majority of persons with disabilities and their caregivers satisfied with Singapore’s public transport services

           As envisioned under the Land Transport Master Plan 2040, the public transport system should be inclusive and meet the diverse needs of commuters. According to the findings of the Public Transport Survey for Persons with Disabilities, the first such survey conducted by the Public Transport Council (PTC), the majority of persons with disabilities, together with their caregivers shared that they are satisfied with the public transport services in Singapore. Six in ten of the respondents would recommend other persons with disabilities to take the public transport.

2          PTC, as advisor to the Minister for Transport on public transport matters, has expanded its scope of research to better understand the needs and expectations of persons with disabilities and their caregivers, and measure their satisfaction level on our public transport¹. The survey aimed to find out more about the travel experience of persons with disabilities and their caregivers as they commute around Singapore. A total of 522 respondents (comprising 214 persons with disabilities and 308 caregivers) who took public transport² participated in the online survey from 21 June to 31 July 2021. 

Travel Habits

3          Out of the 214 persons with disabilities who used public transport, 67% indicated that they use public transport frequently and 70% indicated that they typically travel alone. Their main purpose of using public transport is for medical appointments, school/training and work. In contrast, only 37% of the 308 caregivers who commuted with their care recipients on public transport use public transport frequently. 

Satisfaction with Public Transport

4          Of the 522 respondents who are public transport users, 348 respondents³ who took a recent journey on public transport, i.e. within the previous week from taking the survey, were asked to rate the importance and level of satisfaction with bus and train services. For these 348 respondents, the level of satisfaction for public transport was generally high with a mean satisfaction score of 7.2 (out of 10). Respondents shared that the most important factors to consider when commuting included reliability of services, safety and security, as well as the accessibility of bus interchanges, bus stops and train stations. 

Figure 1: Mean Satisfaction Score for Public Transport Service Attributes

Most Satisfied with Reliability and Comfort for Buses 

5          For buses, respondents were most satisfied with its reliability and comfort. Reliability was also ranked as the most important bus attribute by the respondents. Both reliability and comfort received the highest mean satisfaction score of 7.3 (out of 10) for buses. 

Figure 2: Mean Satisfaction Score for Bus Service Attributes

6          For trains, respondents were most satisfied with its safety and security. Safety and security were also ranked as the second most important attribute overall for public transport by commuters. Safety and security received the highest mean satisfaction score of 7.6 (out of 10) for trains. 

Figure 3: Mean Satisfaction Score for Train Service Attributes

About the Public Transport Survey for Persons with Disabilities

The Public Transport Survey for Persons with Disabilities was conducted with support from Ministry of Social and Family Development, SG Enable, Transit Link, Autism Resource Centre, AWWA, The Singapore Association for the Deaf, the Singapore Association of the Visually Handicapped, and SPD. The survey will be conducted annually.

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¹  Public Transport Customer Satisfaction Survey (PTCSS) has been conducted annually since 2006, which seeks to understand commuters’ expectations and needs, as well as to identify areas for improvement.
²  A total of 584 responses were received, of which 522 respondents took public transport, while 62 did not. 
³  Of these 348 respondents, 170 are persons with disabilities and 178 are caregivers of persons with disabilities.

Download [Annex] Factsheet - Public Transport Survey for Persons with Disabilities 2021 [PDF, 440 KB]