A new advisory panel which will be looking into how land transport system can be made more family-friendly has been set up following the announcement of Senior Minister of State for Transport Dr Lam Pin Min.
The advisory panel will be chaired by Richard Magnus, Chairman of the Public Transport Council, and Sitoh Yih Pin, the Government Parliamentary Chairperson for Transport. It will comprise eight representatives from stakeholder groups to provide a diversity of views and suggestions on how to make the family-friendly transport system vision a reality.
According to the panel, it will consult commuter groups such as parents with young children, senior citizens, academic institutions, and transport operators to better understand the needs of various family units and gather a set of recommendations on how to carry out the plan. The consultation exercises will include a series of focus group discussions between July and September this year, and an online survey with REACH which will be launched in August.
Magnus said the panel's report is expected to be presented by the second quarter of next year, with the findings to be submitted to Lam for consideration.
Once accepted, the recommendations will then be incorporated into the next Land Transport Master Plan for next year.
"The Family-Friendly Transport Advisory Panel is well-represented by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professional experiences. This allows us to objectively weigh the considerations of various commuters and provide practical recommendations on how transport can be made more family-friendly," Magnus said in a statement released to the media.
Meanwhile, Sitoh noted how the diversity in the panel will be able to extract innovative ideas on how to execute the plan.
"The Family-Friendly Transport Advisory Panel members bring with them experience and knowledge from the various segments they represent. I am confident they will bring out innovative ideas to improve our transport sector and create better journeys for families," he said.
To recall, Lam announced the formation of the panel in his Facebook page.
He wrote, "A family friendly public transport system lies at the heart of a family friendly nation. My aspiration is that families who now own cars because they need to ferry their children or their elderly parents, will not need to do so anymore in the future."
