We reported previously that some MRT platforms have been equipped with Wireless@SG as part of a rollout plan to improve Singaporeans‘ travelling experience. Launched in August, it was available free of charge for commuters in City Hall, Orchard, and Raffles Place MRT station platforms.
According to Channel NewsAsia, the wifi service has been well-recieved, with over 100,000 commuters using the service on the first day alone.
The statement was made by Parliamentary Secretary for Ministry of Transport Associate Professor Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim in Parliament on 8 October. According to Dr Faishal, the number of wifi users have increased to more than 145,000 today. This is no surprise, since who in their right modern minds will refuse free wifi?
According to My Paper, some 20 MRT stations, including those on the North-East Line, will get Wi-Fi access progressively over the next few months. Dr Faishal added that this will include Khatib MRT station by 2015.
Senior Minister of State for Transport Josephine Teo added in Parliament that the LTA is developing a system that will relay real-time information between buses and bus stops, so that they can provide more information for commuters as they travel.
“We will have announcements of the next bus stop, for example, broadcast on buses, or delivered in a more targeted way through smartphone applications and other devices.”
This bus management system will be implemented progressively from the end of 2015, and expected completion date is 2017, according to Mrs Teo.
To make the deal sweeter, Mrs Teo also says that operators are considering a request by the Public Transport Council to consider extending student concessions to all full-time students in universities, polytechnics, and Institutes of Technical Education, even if they are recieving some form of income.
Mrs Teo said: “Students who are receiving some form of income, for example, from companies which employ them, have traditionally been deemed to be financially independent and hence not eligible for student concession.”
Wifi in Singapore
MRT stations are not the only place where you can get free Wi-Fi access. As previously reported by the Straits Times, visitors to Sentosa now have access to free Wi-Fi from four key points of interest on the island: Beach Station, Imbiah Lookout, The Port of Lost Wonder, and Mount Faber Leisure Group’s (MFLG) facilities.
This will make Sentosa the largest wifi hotspot in Singapore.
As part of the Wireless@SG rollout plan, IDA has also been working to improve Wireless@SG’s usage, by progressively providing higher access speed of up to 2mbps, and enabling easier login to the network through SIM-based authentication for mobile devices.
With all the improvements in our public transportation industry, it’s quite possible that we can expect wifi access in other places, like bus stops, and even on MRTs and buses. Or so we hope.
