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Efforts to get Singaporeans to leave their cars at home and take the train and bus appear to be paying off. This was among the findings of a recent survey by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) that was announced on Monday. Lawyer Jinny Tan still drives to her workplace in the Chinatown area each morning but she opts for the train when she goes out for lunch. Ms Tan said she is open to using public transport more if one major complaint is addressed. "For mornings, it does get a bit crowded and you have to really wait for a few trains before you get on a train." The government has put in place measures to address these and other concerns. The LTA's latest Household Interview Travel Survey indicates these measures might be working. The survey found that more higher-income earners appear to be choosing buses and trains over personal vehicles. Higher income earners refer to those who earn a salary of S$8,000 or more a month. They contributed to a rise in the number of peak hour trips on public transport last year. In 2008, just over half of all such journeys were made during peak hours. It rose to nearly two in three last year. Experts believe the key to increasing these numbers is to show people how using public transportation can benefit them. The survey also found that more people used public transport if they lived near MRT stations. The government plans to have eight in 10 households live within a 10 minute walk of a train station by 2030. Observers said getting commuters from their homes to public transport is straightforward with covered walkways. The harder part is getting them from buses or trains to their workplace. Ang Hin Kee, a member of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Transport, explained: "I think the challenge for the LTA is how it incorporates this last mile into a revision of their Masterplan so that for any commuters, it will be very convenient to get from their place of work to their place of residence." The survey also showed that total daily journeys on public transport increased by 13 per cent to 12.5 million last year. Source: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/more-singaporeans-leaving/839682.html

Singaporeans are the region's top spenders for dining, according to a MasterCard survey of consumer dining habits across the Asia-Pacific region. The Republic overtook Japan to climb to top spot, with an average monthly dining spend of US$262 ($323). This is up nearly 25 per cent from US$212 in June 2011. Japanese and Chinese consumers follow closely behind with an average monthly dining spend of US$225 and US$203 respectively. The global survey was conducted with residents aged between 18 and 64. The online interviews, conducted between November and December 2012, lasted about 45 minutes each. A total of 455 Singapore residents were interviewed, out of close to 8,000 respondents globally. Source: http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking-news/...survey-20130508

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http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/S...ory_735333.html By Aaron Low Singapore's households are at their wealthiest, boosted by rising property prices, a report released by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) stated on Friday. Household wealth stood at a record high of $1.471 trillion in the three months to September, up 8.6 per cent from $1.354 trillion in the same period in 2010, said the central bank. Property made up about 50.2 per cent of the household assets, while cash, Central Provident Fund balances, stocks and shares, as well as insurance, formed the other half of households' assets. Companies and banks were also in the pink of health, with good profits, a strong base of funding and healthy balance sheets.