Bus and rail ridership rose by 4.1 percent last year to hit a daily average of 6.9 million, a new record and the 11th consecutive annual rise since 2005, The Straits Times reported.
According to statistics from the Land Transport Authority (LTA), LRT patronage led the growth, increasing by 10.9 percent to 152,000 passenger trips per day. This was followed by MRT trips, which climbed 4.2 percent to 2.9 million. Together, rail ridership grew 4.6 percent to cross the three million mark for the first time - more than double the ridership a decade ago.
Bus passenger trips also grew, by 3.7 percent to 3.9 million.
The public transport ridership growth has come on the back of a growing population and more prohibitive car prices. It has also been driven by more buses, trains and to a smaller extent, the opening of Downtown Line 2.
Meanwhile, taxis, which are sometimes viewed as a cross between private and public transport, suffered a dip in ridership last year. According to the LTA, average daily cab trips fell by 1 percent to 1.01 million. And according to LTA statistics, the rental car population grew by more than 50 percent to 29,369 last year, which industry watchers attribute largely to the growing popularity of such services.