Making Singapore Greener, More Livable Environment

SINGAPORE, KOMPAS.com – At her high-rise home in Compassvale Crescent in the city-state, Lianne Tan greeted me and other foreign journalists with a smile. The 48-year lecturer gave her guests a gracious welcome as she invited us in.

When she offered the guests local delicacies and some beverages, I could not resist a sip of a soft drink as I needed to cool down on a hot day.

The visit to Lianne’s flat on Aug. 2 was part of the study visit program organized by the Singapore International Foundation (SIF). The program has gathered 17 journalists from India, Malaysia, Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Singapore. The journalists had the closer look at the way of life in Singapore, including through the interaction with Lianne.

When sharing her daily activities, she said that she lives with her husband and mother-in-law in a three-bedroom apartment with a spacious living room.

She also gave us a house tour. In her comfortable workspace, the walls are decorated with paintings and there is a bookcase in one corner of the room. As a lecturer at a polytechnic in Singapore, she has been conducting online learning during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Before the pandemic, Lianne relied heavily on public transportation in carrying out her daily activities. She used the MRT (mass rapid transit) to go to work.

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By using the MRT, the travel time from home is about 1.5 hours and her home is in close proximity to an MRT station, where it can be reached by foot in a few minutes.

For Lianne and her husband, public transportation in the city-state is very reliable and cheaper compared to owning a car. So, they decided not to own a car even though both of them could drive.

“Using public transportation is indeed more reliable. Even if we need a car, we just need to rent it,” said Lianne.

Livable environment

Sustainable urban transportation is an important element of a greener and more livable environment.

Singapore has invested heavily in public transport. Since 2018, Singapore has been implementing a zero-growth policy for the vehicle population.

Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security Teo Chee Hean said sustainable urban transportation is not just about replacing internal combustion engines in vehicles with electric vehicles.

The more fundamental system solution is to minimize the need for personal use cars, through well-integrated urban planning and a more comprehensive public transport system.