According to consulting firm McKinsey, in 2018, the city with the best public transport is Singapore, based on availability, affordability, efficiency, comfort and sustainability, and one of the most profitable.

The metro reaches almost all points of interest in the city with six lines, connecting them from the airport, with frequencies between 2.5 and 8 minutes, depending on the time of day, with prices between $1.10 and $1.90, and the route. The network is 230 km long, with a projection of 360 km by 2030, so that eight out of 10 households have access to a bus stop by walking for a maximum of 10 minutes. In 2019, the average was 3.4 million passengers per day (ppd). Buses go where the metro has no access, carrying 4.1 million people a day, with fares starting at $1 depending on the route, some sidewalks have roofs to protect them from the sun and rain. Taxi prices in the city center range between 4 and 7 USD. They have a well-connected network of bicycle routes.

These 21 city bus lines will have detour routes due to the closure of the overpass on Av. Rodriguez Bonin

About transportation in Guayaquil

For access to the tourist island, they have a cable car, and for connection with other islands, they have a ferry line.

Singapore is an island with a slightly larger population than Greater Guayaquil, similar population density and temperature ranges, but with 12 times the per capita income, which means they can, among other things, buy a car. The authorities in Singapore are clear that the car is not a solution to urban mobility, but causes problems of pollution, noise and congestion, so some restrictions apply to its use, among which are the average price of fuel ($7.62), parking fees ranging from $2.20 for the first hour to $1.07 for 10 minutes. It is also notable for being the first (since the 70s) to introduce a toll for entering the city center, which, depending on the time of entry, can cost from 0.37 to 3.70 dollars, thus achieving a faster flow; motorways are also tolled.

Funds obtained from ticket prices… are used to improve the public transport system…

Since there were big crowds, a policy was implemented to limit the purchase of vehicles with a duty of 41% ad valorem. A mid-range vehicle in Singapore can cost four times as much as in the US, and according to the 2018 regulation, existing vehicles cannot be increased, only those past their useful life (10 years) can be replaced. The motorization rate of vehicles is similar to that of Guayaquil. Resources from congestion charges, parking charges, tariffs are used to improve the public transport system and create park and ride zones so that car users leave their vehicles and use public transport to access commercial areas in the city centre.

In conclusion, it is not enough for Singapore to lead a mobility solution with public and non-motorized transport, as they do in other cities, and show that the chaos is created by the car, but that its procurement, work makes it even bigger. expensive and limits its use. . (OR)