# Land Transport Authority

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) is a statutory board under the Ministry of Transport of the Government of Singapore.

## History
### Incorporation

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) was established on 1 September 1995 and was formed by the merger of various public sector entities: the Registry of Vehicles, Mass Rapid Transit Corporation, Roads & Transportation Division of the Public Works Department and Land Transportation Division of the former Ministry of Communications.

### 1996 Land Transport White Paper

On 2 January 1996, the Land Transport Authority published the 1996 Land Transport White Paper, titled "A World Class Land Transport System". It outlined the government plans. Changes to existing schemes were proposed along with schemes were introduced across various transport sectors. This included the Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) scheme, which eventually become ubiquitous in the city state.

#### 1996 Rail Financing Framework

The 1996 Rail Financing Framework was a scheme that set out the financing framework of the rail transport system. In the white paper, it was phrased that the financing framework of the rail transport system would eventually be run on the basis of partnership, which the government and its regulatory authority would provide the assets and infrastructure (which remain fully owned by the regulatory authority), with commuters paying for the operating costs and operators extracting efficiency dividends within standards and fares set by the regulatory authority.
The framework allowed for an open up of the rail transport market with the operation aspects of the industry no longer tied to the authorities, allowing for more autonomy of the incumbent operator and new operators to enter the market. This also laid the foundation for the restructure and flotation of SMRT Corporation, previously a state-owned incumbent operator under the name Mass Rapid Transit Corporation, in 2000. Subsequently, the MRT logo was replaced in 2001 into the yellow and green logo and was designed after the privatisation of SMRT Corporation and SBS currently operates the North East Line, Sengkang LRT and Punggol LRT.
The framework was revised in 2008 as the New Rail Financing Framework (NRFF), which saw the regulatory authority re-assuming the full ownership of all rail assets, where the ownership and maintenance of which were previously held responsible under the individual operators.

## Changes to public transport

To meet with the increasing number of commuters in Singapore, Land Transport Authority exercises on new changes over time.

### Rail

LTA is responsible for the development of the rapid transit system and the expansion of the rail network. It aims to double the rail network by 2030. Since 2008, LTA has increased the length of Singapore's rail network from 138 km to about 180 km with the opening of the Boon Lay Extension in 2009, the Circle Line from 2009 to 2011 and the Circle Line Extension in 2012. Downtown Line, Thomson–East Coast Line are underway towards completion, with Cross Island Line and Jurong Region Line under construction.
| Request | Line | Achieved on |
| To build the MRT station at Bras Basah, Esplanade and Promenade and to reduce overcrowding at City Hall and Raffles Place, since September 2007. | Circle MRT line | April 2010 |
| To provide direct Circle Line connectivity from Buona Vista to HarbourFront, since January 2011. | Circle MRT line | October 2011 |
| To provide direct Downtown Line connectivity from Telok Ayer to Bugis, since January 2013. | Downtown MRT line | December 2013 |
| To provide direct Downtown Line connectivity from Bukit Panjang to Bugis, to reduce overcrowding on Service 190 since November 2013. | Downtown MRT line | December 2015 |
| To provide train service to Tuas. | East West MRT line | June 2017 |
| To ease overcrowding in Tampines MRT Station, Paya Lebar MRT Station, Lavender MRT Station and Bugis MRT Station; provide direct connectivity from Tampines to Chinatown, Expo and Bukit Panjang and ease overcrowding of the East West Line from Tampines to City Hall. | Downtown MRT line | October 2017 |
Half-height platform screen doors were installed in all 36 elevated stations in 2012 for the safety of passengers and to reduce delays in train service from track intrusions. HVLS fans are also installed at all elevated stations starting from 1 June 2012 and ending on 6 January 2013.

### Bus

LTA took on the role of the bus route planning with the introduction of Bus Services Enhancement Programme (BSEP) and Bus Connectivity Enhancement Programme (BCEP). Under BSEP, about 80 new services are being introduced and 1,000 buses are being added over five years.
| Town | Request | Service | Achieved on |
| Ayer Rajah | Double decker buses are no longer deployed on this service since October 2011. | 91 | October 2011 |
| Ayer Rajah | Amended via Ayer Rajah Avenue (one-north MRT Station), Fusionopolis Way and Portsdown Road instead of North Buona Vista Road. | 95 | |
| Bedok | To provide bus connectivity from Chai Chee (Ping Yi Greens BTO) to Kembangan. | 26 | June 2016 |
| Bishan | Due to declining demand for the Thomson-East Coast Line, it was being shortened via Marymount Road, Shunfu Road, Sin Ming Road and Sin Ming Drive, loop at Sin Ming Drive instead of going to Marina Centre or Shenton Way. | 162 | December 2023 |
| Bukit Batok | To provide bus connectivity from Bukit Batok East Avenue 6, Bukit Batok West Avenue 6 and Bukit Batok West Avenue 8 (Skyline I and Skyline II @ Bukit Batok BTO) to Beauty World MRT Station. | 66 | June 2019 |
| Bukit Merah/Sentosa | To provide bus connectivity from Bukit Purmei to Sentosa and Resorts World Sentosa. | 123 | July 2017 |
| Buona Vista/Ayer Rajah | Sunday bus operations were added due to Normanton Park redevelopment. | 92 | August 2024 |
| Buona Vista/Ayer Rajah | To provide bus connectivity from Normanton Park to Bukit Merah Bus Interchange via Queensway. | 92 | |
| Changi | To provide bus connectivity from Flora Road and Flora Drive to Upper Changi MRT station. | 5 | July 2019 |
| Circle Line | Double decker buses are no longer deployed on this service since July 2010. | 93 | July 2010 |
| Hougang | To provide bus connectivity from Hougang Avenue 4 to Hougang MRT Station and increase demand. | 72 | June 2003 |
| Jurong Industrial Estate | Existing express sectors along Tuas West Drive withdrawn; and as well as PIE. Cut short to Joo Koon Interchange as a result. | 182 | November 2015 |
| Jurong Industrial Estate | Amended via Jalan Ahmad Ibrahim and Benoi Road, instead of PIE and Upper Jurong Road. | 193 | November 2015 |
| Jurong Industrial Estate | Extended to loop at Pioneer Circus, replacing service 251. | 194 | November 2015 |
| Jurong Industrial Estate | Amended via Pioneer Road North, Boon Lay Way and Jurong West Street 64, replacing service 254. | 251 | November 2015 |
| Jurong Industrial Estate | Shortened to Joo Koon Interchange. | 254 | November 2015 |
| Jurong Industrial Estate | Merged with service 258 and discontinued. | 256 | June 2017 |
| Jurong Industrial Estate | Amended to ply Pioneer Road North, Jalan Ahmad Ibrahim, Benoi Road and amended to loop at Jurong West Street 64, skipping Upper Jurong Road and Boon Lay Int. | 258 | June 2017 |
| Jurong West | Extended from the loop at Jurong West Street 91 via Jurong West Street 93 to Joo Koon. | 99 | November 2015 |
| Kallang/Stadium | To provide direct bus connectivity from Stadium MRT Station to Tanjong Rhu MRT Station. | 11 (Under BSEP) | June 2014 |
| Marina Bay | To provide direct bus connectivity to Shenton Way MRT station from Marina Bay. | 400 | November 2022 |
| Pasir Ris/Punggol | To provide direct bus connectivity from Punggol MRT Station to Pasir Ris MRT Station via Pasir Ris Industrial Drive 1 without using the expressway to reduce congestion with the opening of Pasir Ris Industrial Drive 1. | 39 | October 2021 |
| Punggol | To provide bus connectivity from Nibong LRT Station and Samudera LRT Station to Punggol Road End and Punggol MRT Station. | 84 | October 2018 |
| Punggol | To provide bus connectivity along the updated Punggol Coast MRT Station to Punggol MRT Station. | 84 | June 2024 |
| Serangoon | To provide bus connectivity from Ang Mo Kio and Upper Paya Lebar Road to Serangoon MRT Station. | 22 | June 2003 |
| Tampines/Changi | To provide bus connectivity from Tampines MRT Station to Expo MRT Station and Changi Business Park, even with the opening of Circle Line since April 2010. | 20 (New under BSEP) | June 2013 |
| Tampines | To shorten the bus service to Eunos Bus Interchange instead of Tampines Bus Interchange due to declining demand due to Downtown Line Stage 3. However, service 65 will act as a replacement. | 22 / 65 | December 2021 |
| Tampines | To provide bus connectivity from Tampines Street 32, Tampines Street 33 and Tampines Street 34 to Tampines East MRT station to increase demand. | 18 | October 2017 |
| Tampines | To provide bus connectivity from Tampines Avenue 7 (Tampines East) to Tampines North New Town to further increase demand. | 18 | November 2022 |
| Tampines | To provide bus connectivity from Tampines West MRT Station via Tampines Avenue 3, Tampines Street 83, Tampines Avenue 5, Tampines Avenue 6, Tampines Street 62, Tampines North Drive 2, Tampines Avenue 12 and Pasir Ris Drive 8 to Pasir Ris Bus Interchange. | 46 | June 2016 / October 2022 |
| Tampines | To provide bus connectivity in Tampines North New Town to Tampines Industrial Estate (North) and Tampines Interchange. | 127 | October 2020 |
| Tanah Merah/Changi | To provide direct bus connectivity from Tanah Merah MRT Station to Alps Avenue. | 35 (Under BSEP) | December 2014 |
| Upper Bukit Timah | To provide bus connectivity from Upper Bukit Timah Road to Beauty World MRT station, with the opening of the new carriageway of Upper Bukit Timah Road. | 67 / 170 | April 2021 |
| Woodlands | To provide bus connectivity to Woodlands North MRT Station from Senoko Industrial Estate and Marsiling. | 856 | January 2020 |
| Woodlands | To provide bus connectivity from Champions Way, Innova and Woodlands Drive 14 (Champions Court, Champions Green and Champions Bliss BTO) to Woodlands South MRT Station. | 900 | December 2023 |
| Yishun | To provide bus connectivity from Seletar Airport to Yishun. | 103 | June 2015 |
Quality of Service (QoS) standards have also been tightened to reduce waiting time and reduce crowding. Now, those with increased loads run every 10 minutes or less during weekday peak hours in 2015. Feeder bus services have become more frequent too, with 95% of bus services now running at intervals of 10 minutes or less during the weekday peak periods, tightened from 85%.
Announced in 2014, the Bus Contracting Model (BCM) which took effect on 1 September 2016, saw LTA assuming the full ownership of all bus assets in Singapore.

### Road projects

Investment in road projects ensures that the economy will be ably supported with a strong and ever-improving transport infrastructure and coordinated system. One such project is the introduction of the Parking Guidance System (PGS) in the city and HarbourFront area to guide drivers to the nearest parking facility with available parking spaces, reducing the need for vehicles to cruise around to find empty parking spaces.
As part of investment in road projects, LTA will also be expanding the EMAS signages and upgrading the oldest EMAS signages in the expressways.
To improve road safety, LTA implemented a variety of road engineering measures, such as adding pedestrian crossing lines with enhanced dash markings, traffic calming markings and "pedestrian crossing ahead" road markings in more locations in 2009. "Your Speed Signs", electronic signs displaying the speed of a passing vehicle, were also introduced so that motorists could be more aware of their speeds and would be more likely to keep to the speed limit. Road studs which flash in tandem with the green man signal at traffic junctions were also installed at more locations to alert motorists to stop for crossing pedestrians.
LTA is not responsible for reminding vehicle owners to scan their Autopass card when exiting Singapore.

## Gallery

* The Land Transport Authority's headquarters at the former Kandang Kerbau Women's and Children's Hospital.
* The Singapore Mobility Gallery is located at the LTA office at Hampshire Road