New MRT map to show walking time between some stations, Latest Singapore News - The New Paper
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New MRT map to show walking time between some stations

This article is more than 12 months old

A new MRT network map which will be made available at stations in the city will show commuters how to save time on their trips, and burn off some calories at the same time.

This map, which shows the walking time between stations on different lines, will also come in handy during train disruptions, to find alternative routes for commuters.

With the rail network in the central area becoming more dense, stations on different MRT lines are now within walking distance, making them faster to reach via foot, rather than making transfers via train.

The new network map - called the Walking Train Map - will be progressively put up at 19 MRT stations, including Bugis, City Hall, Chinatown, Dhoby Ghaut, Esplanade, Little India and Raffles Place.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) said the map will help commuters "decide if they prefer to walk and save time on their commute".

The times were derived by conducting walking trials based on Singaporeans' average walking speeds.

There are 18 such travel hacks on the map. One of them is from Telok Ayer MRT station to Raffles Place MRT station.

By train, this takes about 23 minutes, as the commuter will have to make a transfer from the Downtown Line to the East-West Line at Bugis MRT station.

However, the estimated walking time between the two stations is just five minutes.

Commuters welcomed the new MRT map, saying it will give them more options.

But housewife Yeo Lay Hong, 55, felt that some of the walking times were underestimated, such as the 10 minutes given for a walk between Bugis and Bras Basah stations.

"You have to walk quite briskly to reach in 10 minutes. Elderly folk may take longer. Perhaps a range could be provided instead of a single time," Madam Yeo said in Mandarin.

Full-time national serviceman Ben Chua, 22, said the walking times were "redundant" without directions.

LTA said it will study feedback, and look at providing detailed walking directions between the MRT stations, as well as the "feasibility of expanding this initiative".

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