Off-peak travel incentives expanded and extended

LTA plans to double the cash incentives for the test-run scheme and keep it on for 18 more months after it lightened morning peak hour traffic.

"With encouraging results from existing programmes targeted at easing peak hour crowdedness on rail, a number of enhancements will be made to these programmes to incentivise more commuters to shift to off-peak travel. Enhancements to INSINC will include more attractive rewards, more card types and easier ways to claim rewards," said the Land Transport Authority in a release.

LTA noted that since its launch, the six-month 'Incentives for Singapore's Commuters' (INSINC) study has attracted close to 17,000 participants with different peak-period travel patterns, and has paid out more than $120,000 in rewards so far.

"The study showed that the INSINC incentives provided were able to shift almost 10% of participants' weekday morning peak period trips to off-peak periods. Close to 3 in 5 INSINC participants have also won cash prizes ranging from $1 to $337 as a result of participating in the study," it said.

"To incentivise more peak hour rail commuters to travel during the morning off-peak hours, the LTA will extend the on-going INSINC study by 18-months from 10 July 2012 to study the effectiveness of the scheme over a longer term, and across a wider cross-section of commuters. LTA hopes the study can eventually cover up to 60,000 commuters," it added.

Starting from 1 November 2012, LTA will also make the following enhancements to INSINC: The maximum cash prize will be doubled to $200, up from $100 currently; Participants can transfer the cash rewards won from INSINC directly to their bank account. ommuters who wish to participate in the study can log to https://www.insinc.sg for more details and to register.

"With the enhancement of SMRT's Early Travel Discount Scheme from 10 cents to 30 cents discount on 10 October 2011, LTA and SMRT observed that about 3% to 4% of commuters have shifted their travel time out of the morning peak hour," LTA said.

"To incentivise more peak hour rail commuters to travel during the morning off-peak hours, SMRT will further enhance its scheme from 6 August 2012. Commuters will get a bigger discount, up to 50 cents off their fares if they end their journey before 7.45am, from Mondays to Fridays at stations located in the city area," it said.

"The scheme, which is currently applicable only to commuters who begin their journey from North-South-East-West Line (NSEWL) and Bukit Panjang LRT (BPLRT) stations, will be extended to commuters who enter via the Circle Line (CCL) stations as well. In addition, the number of exit stations within the city area participating in the discount scheme will be increased to 14 stations, to include stations along the Circle line2," it added.