The Land Transport Authority (LTA) reported that public transport ridership in the first half of 2025 remains below pre-pandemic levels, averaging 7.47 million daily trips compared to 7.66 million in 2019.

While train ridership has continued to grow, supported by an expanding rail network, bus ridership has declined, and weekday morning peak hour travel has not fully recovered.

These trends reflect a deeper structural shift in travel behaviour influenced by flexible work arrangements, urban planning, and evolving commuter preferences.

On The Big Story, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Eric Fesselmeyer, Associate Professor of Economics, College of Integrative Studies, Singapore Management University, to discuss the public transport ridership decline and what more can be done to increase it.