More and more people are driving to work, and the Ministry of Transport (MOT) aims to put the brakes on this and steer people to buses and trains instead.

This will be a key part of the most comprehensive review of Singapore's land transport system in 10 years. The drive to "aggressively" promote public transport is also, so far, the most specific and measurable target to be set.

Transport Minister Raymond Lim, who was given his portfolio in May, announced yesterday plans to develop "a new urban transport roadmap" for the next 10 to 15 years.

The final destination: A more sustainable transport system to support the growth in population, economy and people's expectations.

One trend that the authorities hope to reverse is the decline in the share of public transport trips. From 67 per cent in 1997, it has fallen to 63 per cent in 2004 for the morning peak period, despite the heavy investment put into providing a good public transport system, said Mr Lim.

While the total number of bus and rail trips did not drop — rising slightly by 2.3 per cent — this has been overtaken by the 23-per-cent jump in daily car trips from a mere 10-per-cent growth in the car population. About 35 per cent of households now own at least one car.

The trend is to use a car increasingly once it is bought, due to the current vehicle cost system.

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