Report: Singapore traffic 9.7% worse thanks to Grab and Uber
Leow Ju Len
15/03/2017
Could car sharing and bus lanes actually be making traffic worse?
SINGAPORE — If you think traffic has been getting worse, you’re not wrong. A report by navigation and map products maker TomTom says that congestion in Singapore has risen in the past year from 31 percent to 34 percent.
According to the TomTom Traffic Index 2017, drivers here are likely to spend 34 percent extra time sitting in traffic on an average day, compared to when the roads are clear.
Things are worst on Friday nights, when you can expect to spend 68 percent extra time behind the wheel.
The latest study ranks Singapore the 55th most congested city in the world. Mexico City has the dubious honour of being the worst, followed by Bangkok and Jakarta.
A statement by TomTom says that one explanation for the worsening congestion could be the rise in the number of private-hire cars, such as those used by Grab and Uber drivers.
There are now more than 40,000 such cars on the roads here, an increase of 40 percent from 2015, says TomTom.
Another reason suggested by the map maker is extension of bus lane hours to 11pm.
The TomTom Traffic Index uses data from 390 cities in 48 countries. The study says that global congestion hit an all-time high last year.
In contrast, the last time Singapore’s congestion score was 34 percent was in 2013, although travel times in the morning and evening peak periods are now shorter than in that year.
About the Author
Leow Ju Len
CarBuyer Singapore's original originator, Ju-Len in person is exactly how he is on the written word and behind the wheel. Meaning that he darts all over the place and just when you thought he's lost the plot, you realise that it's just you not keeping up with his incredible rate of speed and thought.
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