1.  More than 100 organisations have joined the Travel Smart Network^[1] since its launch on 1 August 2014. More companies have also tapped on the Travel Smart Consultancy Vouchers and started utilising the Travel Smart Grant to encourage employees to travel off-peak.

2.  Today, more than 65,000 commuters benefit from Free Pre-Peak Travel^[2] daily. Since the scheme began, LTA has seen a sustained 7% shift in commuters travelling out of the peak hours (based on commuters exiting from the 18 designated stations). To continue supporting this shift, LTA will be extending Free Pre-Peak Travel by another year until 30 June 2017.


Progress of Travel Smart Network

3.  The Travel Smart Network has started to reap results. Together with the Free Pre-Peak Travel, it has encouraged a total of 14,500 commuters to shift out of the 8am to 9am peak period over the entire MRT network. This translates to almost 10 train loads of passengers during the peak period (based on train capacity of 1,500 commuters).

4.  More commuters and companies have come on board to take advantage of initiatives like Corporate-Tier Travel Smart Rewards, Travel Smart Consultancy Vouchers and Travel Smart Grants. Updates on these fronts are as follows:

Corporate-Tier Travel Smart Rewards

5.  To create opportunities for companies on our Travel Smart Network to encourage their employees to travel off-peak, LTA launched a #wetravelsmart challenge^[3] in January. 95 companies took part in the challenge, with Ubisoft and Rajah & Tann emerging as winners. Both companies had the highest number of active Corporate-Tier Travel Smart Rewards users, as well as Silver-, Gold- and Platinum-level participants, in their respective categories^[4].

Travel Smart Consultancy Vouchers

6.  More companies have also tapped on the Travel Smart Consultancy Vouchers to engage Travel Smart consultants to help develop travel demand management action plans customised to the needs of the company and its employees. These companies include new Travel Smart Network organisations such as Arup Singapore, Singapore Press Holdings and KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital. Since it was introduced in November 2014, 41 companies have signed up for the vouchers.

7.  Andrew Henry, Principal of Arup Singapore, said, “I would definitely recommend Travel Smart to other organisations. It promotes a more engaged workforce and demonstrates understanding of the impact of their daily routine on their performance at work, while providing staff with monetary rewards for using the MRT system earlier. This provides benefits for Singapore. Organisations also get support for initiatives when they encourage employees to commute off-peak, and this is definitely a win-win situation for both.”

Travel Smart Grant

8.  Companies who have tapped on the Travel Smart Grant^[5] have also started to use creative ways to encourage their employees to travel off-peak. Some examples include an ez-link card access system that allows employees to arrive at work early without having to wait for their offices to be manually unlocked, and localised air coolers for employees who arrive in the office before the central air-conditioning is turned on.

9.  Allianz, which recently applied for the Travel Smart Grant, provides breakfast vouchers to incentivise staff to travel pre-peak and reach the office before 8am. Besides these vouchers, employees also benefit from Free Pre-Peak Travel and earn Travel Smart Rewards points. With the accumulated points, employees can win monetary rewards in the Spin-to-Win game.

10. Serap Keskin, Asia Regional Manager for Human Resources at Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty said, “There is a light-hearted competitiveness in everyone that spurs them to better each other. Before we applied for the grant, employees were comparing who received more free credits in the Spin-to-Win. Now, they are comparing who arrives earlier to buy breakfast with the vouchers they receive. As a company, we also organised pre-peak fitness classes for those that arrived at work early. We are pleasantly surprised by the overwhelming response from the employees and are very supportive of this initiative as it also complements Allianz’s focus on encouraging flexi-working hours for our staff.”

11. Organisations that wish to join the Travel Smart Network can visit www.lta.gov.sg/travelsmart or email LTA-TravelSmart@lta.gov.sg for more details.


Travel Smart for Individual Commuters

12. Apart from Free Pre-Peak Travel, another initiative to encourage commuters at-large to “Travel Smart” and commute off-peak is the Off-Peak Pass, which allows commuters to enjoy fare discounts when they travel outside peak periods^[6] on bus and rail. Commuters can also sign up for Travel Smart Rewards as general members, and get rewarded when they commute off-peak.


Annex A: Corporate-Tier Travel Smart Rewards
Annex B: Travel Smart Consultancy Voucher
Annex C: Travel Smart Grant – Claimable Initiatives
 

^[1] Under the Travel Smart Network, the Government provides funding to organisations for initiatives that help their employees travel during off-peak periods, as well as to use alternative modes of transport such as walking and cycling.

^[2] Under Free Pre-Peak Travel, commuters who end their journey before 7.45am on weekdays at 18 designated MRT stations in the city area enjoy free travel on the rail network. Commuters who exit at these stations between 7.45am and 8am get a discount of up to 50 cents off their train fare. The 18 designated stations are Bayfront, Bras Basah, Bugis, Chinatown, City Hall, Clarke Quay, Dhoby Ghaut, Downtown, Esplanade, Lavender, Marina Bay, Orchard, Outram Park, Promenade, Raffles Place, Somerset, Tanjong Pagar and Telok Ayer.

^[3] This challenge aimed to encourage companies to get their employees to sign up for Corporate-Tier Travel Smart Rewards as well as travel off-peak to earn more points.

^[4] Participating organisations were categorised according to their staff strength. The first category, won by Ubisoft, comprised companies with staff strength of 500 or less, and the second category, won by Rajah & Tann, comprised companies with staff strength of more than 500.

[5] The Travel Smart Grant co-funds the cost of organisational initiatives that support the adoption of flexi-travel arrangements by employees.

^[6] Commuters using the Off-Peak Pass can enjoy unlimited off-peak travel on all rail services and basic bus services if they start their travel anytime outside the weekday peak periods of 6.30am to 9am, and 5pm to 7.30pm.