Transit Unplugged

7.5M DAILY riders for a population of 5M? Winston Toh on Singapore’s Miraculous Transit Model


Listen Later

This week on Transit Unplugged:

We head to Singapore, where public transit covers every inch of the island—and carries an astonishing 7.5 million riders daily.

Host Paul Comfort sits down with Winston Toh, Managing Director of Tower Transit Singapore, one of four operators under the Land Transport Authority (LTA). With 800 buses across 60 routes, Tower Transit is at the center of a system designed with precision—and powered by centralized planning.

Winston shares:

  • Why bus ridership (3.8M daily) surpasses rail (3.4M) in Singapore 
  • How LTA ensures full national coverage and low fares (as little as $0.69 for seniors) 
  • Why “every inch of the land is covered” with integrated bus and rail systems 
  • The role of AI-enabled safety tools, including fatigue detection and driver incentive programs 
  • How Tower Transit fosters a people-first culture, with 80% staff engagement and Singapore Best Employer status 
  • The company’s goal to become “the Singapore Airlines of the bus industry” 

Whether you’re an operator, planner, or policymaker, this episode offers a blueprint for equitable, efficient, and tech-forward mobility.

Creator, Host & Producer — Paul Comfort

Executive Producer — Julie Gates


Producer — Chris O'Keeffe


Edited and Mixed by — Chris O’Keeffe + Patrick Emile


Associate Producer — Cyndi Raskin




Special thanks to:


Brand Design — Tina Olagundoye


Social Media — Tatyana Mechkarova




Got a question or comment? Email us at [email protected]




Disclaimer


The views and opinions expressed in this program are those of the guests and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Modaxo Inc., its affiliates or subsidiaries, or any entities they represent. This production belongs to Modaxo and may contain information subject to trademark, copyright, or other intellectual-property rights and restrictions. This production provides general information and should not be relied on as legal advice or opinion. Modaxo specifically disclaims all warranties, express or implied, and will not be liable for any losses, claims, or damages arising from the use of this presentation, from any material contained in it, or from any action or decision taken in response to it.

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Transit UnpluggedBy Paul Comfort, SVP Modaxo

  • 4.4
  • 4.4
  • 4.4
  • 4.4
  • 4.4

4.4

30 ratings


More shows like Transit Unplugged

View all
Talking Headways: A Streetsblog Podcast by The Overhead Wire

Talking Headways: A Streetsblog Podcast

167 Listeners

How I Built This with Guy Raz by Guy Raz | Wondery

How I Built This with Guy Raz

30,193 Listeners

The Strong Towns Podcast by Strong Towns

The Strong Towns Podcast

422 Listeners

Capitalisn't by University of Chicago Podcast Network

Capitalisn't

543 Listeners

Modern Wisdom by Chris Williamson

Modern Wisdom

3,939 Listeners

Interesting Times with Ross Douthat by New York Times Opinion

Interesting Times with Ross Douthat

7,235 Listeners

The War on Cars by The War on Cars, LLC

The War on Cars

920 Listeners

All-In with Chamath, Jason, Sacks & Friedberg by All-In Podcast, LLC

All-In with Chamath, Jason, Sacks & Friedberg

9,926 Listeners

The Transit Authority by American Public Transportation Association

The Transit Authority

8 Listeners

Huberman Lab by Scicomm Media

Huberman Lab

29,183 Listeners

Honestly with Bari Weiss by The Free Press

Honestly with Bari Weiss

8,695 Listeners

The Economics of Everyday Things by Freakonomics Network & Zachary Crockett

The Economics of Everyday Things

1,664 Listeners

Prof G Markets by Vox Media Podcast Network

Prof G Markets

1,420 Listeners

Transit Unplugged Weekly News Minute with Julie Gates by Julie Gates

Transit Unplugged Weekly News Minute with Julie Gates

0 Listeners

Transit Tangents by Louis & Chris

Transit Tangents

15 Listeners