Here's what kept Singapore from being a global leader in mobility

It mainly lacks road infrastructure for its ageing population, a study said.

Singapore is on its way to being a global leader for mobility systems, Deloitte said. However, challenges to the system include the high demand for door-to-door first- and last-mile transport and road infrastructure accessible to an ageing population.

According to Deloitte’s City Mobility Index, Singapore is also facing a lack of interagency coordination between urban planning and transport agencies and the need to create a seamless network of intermodal transport and adopt mobility-as-a-service (MaaS).

Singapore got perfect scores in integrated and shared mobility, vision and strategy, investment, and regulatory environment, making it a global leader in these areas. Its lowest rating was for its air quality.

The strength of Singapore’s mobility system lies in its strong focus on using technological advancements across modes and high adoption rates for zero-emission vehicles and efforts to bring autonomous vehicles (AVs) into mainstream travel by 2020, Deloitte said.

“Singapore is on track to attain a highly innovative transportation system with the increased testing of AVs,” it added. The island nation plans to unveil operational driverless rides in three towns by 2022.

Deloitte cited that the avoidance of private vehicles has improved its performance and resilience. “Both carsharing and bikesharing are expanding in the city,” it said.

The firm also cited its comprehensive rail and bus network that is widely affordable, leading to higher uptake of public transportation. About 44% use public transit, 29% ride private cars, 22% walk, whilst some 1% use their bicycles.

It also cited Singapore’s plans to expand the coverage of its rail network to 360 km by 2030, serving all the major hubs on the island.

To capitalise further on its highly integrated payment system, Singapore will introduce wearables that can be used in place of smart cards. “The Land Transport Authority (LTA) is also collaborating with private players to promote account-based ticketing, which will use credit/debit cards across the city’s public transport system,” Deloitte added.

Singapore performs well compared to other cities due to its high-quality public transport infrastructure and affordable services. Customer satisfaction with public transport was 94.5% in 2017, albeit it is down 1.6% from 2016.