The Land Transport Authority (LTA) is a statutory board under the Ministry of Transport in Singapore.1 First established in September 1995, it is responsible for planning, operating and maintaining Singapore’s land transport infrastructure and systems.2
History
The LTA was officially launched on 15 September 1995 by then Communications Minister Mah Bow Tan to meet the challenge of building a world-class transport system in Singapore.3 The LTA was formed through a merger with the Mass Rapid Transit Corporation (MRTC), while incorporating and taking over the functions of the Roads and Transportation Division of the Public Works Department, the Registry of Vehicles and the Land Transport Division of the Communications Ministry.4
On 2 January 1996, the LTA published its White Paper – A World Class Land Transport System — as a blueprint in setting the mission of the government in improving the transport infrastructure, and its operating philosophy and policy.5 The paper highlighted the LTA’s priority in improving the quality of public transport, road networks, regulating vehicle growth and traffic management.6
Organisational structure
The LTA is headed by the chairman and assisted by the chief executive officer.7 It is divided into 14 different groups – corporate communications, corporate planning and development, engineering, finance, innovation and infocomm technology, policy and planning, public transport, QSM office, rail, road projects, safety and contracts, systems and rail assets, transportation and road operations, and vehicle services.8
Land Transport Master Plan (LTMP)
The LTA gathers feedback from commuters about their concerns and requirements, in order to develop a Land Transport Master Plan (LTMP), which addresses emerging challenges and maps out new initiatives for the future. The current LTMP 2013 charts out both ongoing and future projects that aim to improve Singapore’s transport network with the following goals by 2030:
85 percent of all public transport journeys (less than 20km) to be completed within an hour.
Eight in 10 homes to be located within a 10-minute walk from a train station.
75 percent of all peak hour journeys to be made on public transport.
By 2030, the general public can expect the following improvements in their transport journey:
Five new Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) lines, with more than 100 new trains.
800 more buses, with 40 new bus services.
Additional 200 km of sheltered walkways for walking routes to MRT stations or bus interchanges.
More lifts at 40 pedestrian overhead bridges to assist the less mobile and elderly.
Over 700 km of cycling paths.
20 km of noise barriers for those residing along noisy sections of MRT tracks.9
Author
Tan Lay Yuen
References
1. Singapore Government Directory. (2016). Land Transport Authority. Retrieved 2016, December 8 from Singapore Government Directory website: https://www.gov.sg/sgdi/ministries/mot/statutory-boards/lta
2. Land Transport Authority. (2016). About LTA: What We Do. Retrieved 2016 Dec 8 from Land Transport Authority website: https://www.lta.gov.sg/content/ltaweb/en/about-lta/what-we-do.html
3. Tan, C. (1995, September 16). Aiming for a world-class transport system in 10-15 years. The Business Times, p. 2. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
4. Land Transport Authority. (2016). Our history. Retrieved 2016, December 8 from Land Transport Authority website: https://www.lta.gov.sg/content/ltaweb/en/about-lta/our-history.html
5. Singapore. Land Transport Authority. (1996). A world class land transport system: White paper. Singapore: Land Transport Authority, p. 2. (Call no.: RSING q388.4095957 SIN)
6. Leong, C. T. (1996, January 1). Govt spells out its vision of top transport system. The Straits Times, p. 1. Retrieved from NewspaperSG; Singapore. Land Transport Authority. (1996). A world class land transport system: White paper. Singapore: Land Transport Authority, pp. 2-3. (Call no.: RSING q388.4095957 SIN)
7. Land Transport Authority. (2016). Organisational chart. Retrieved 2016, December 8 from Land Transport Authority website: https://www.lta.gov.sg/content/dam/ltaweb/corp/AboutUs/files/CorpOrgChart_GD_Level_17112016.pdf
8. Land Transport Authority. (2016). Our organisation. Retrieved 2016, December 8 from Land Transport Authority website: https://www.lta.gov.sg/content/ltaweb/en/about-lta/our-organisation.html
9. Land Transport Authority. (2016). Land transport master plan 2013. Retrieved 2016, December 8 from Land Transport Authority website: https://www.lta.gov.sg/content/dam/ltaweb/corp/PublicationsResearch/files/ReportNewsletter/LTMP2013Booklet-Eng.pdf
The information in this article is valid as at 2016 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic.
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