SUSTAINABLE URBAN TRANSPORT IN SINGAPORE: A BALANCED SCORECARD Md. Habibur Rahman a and Hoong Chor Chin b a, b Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore a Corresponding author: [email protected] © Ontario International Development Agency. ISSN 1923-6654 (print) ISSN 1923-6662 (online). Available at http://www.ssrn.com/link/OIDA-Intl-Journal-Sustainable-Dev.html Abstract: Singapore is a city state nation with a small Keywords: Balanced Scorecard; Singapore; area of about 710 square kilometres yet a dense Sustainability; Sustainable Development; Urban population of 5 million with higher economic growth Transport and denser commercial activities. This Asian tiger nation is often recognized for its very high yet I. INTRODUCTION smartly maintained huge and smooth traffic flow on its urban streets. While the success and achievements ingapore’s urban transport has been recognized of Singapore land transport case can be a role-model as a global landmark due to its consistent success in maintaining an excessively high to follow for other cities there are still challenging S level of traffic through its smart operation that areas in its urban transport without a proper address ensures a smooth traffic flow on its urban streets. of which may hinder betterment of its sustainability While Singapore’s success and achievements in land in the long run. Therefore while on the one hand it is necessary to record the successful aspects and learn transport sector have been a role-model to follow for their root underlying factors it is also essential, on the other global cities there are challenging areas without other hand, to identify the major critical and a proper addressing of which may hinder betterment of its sustainability in the long run. Therefore while challenging areas which may stand against its long on the one hand it is necessary to record the term sustainability. In order to address these two key successful aspects and learn their root underlying issues it is necessary to make a holistic evaluation of the sustainability performance of Singapore’s urban factors it is also essential, on the other hand, to transport. In the past, studies mainly focused on identify the major critical and challenging areas which may stand against its long term sustainability. certain aspects while others remained ignored In order to address these two key issues it is resulting in the lack of a balanced evaluation for necessary to make a holistic evaluation of the urban transport of this city state. The aim of this study is to evaluate the sustainability of Singapore’s sustainability performance of Singapore urban urban land transport in the framework of a Balanced transport. Scorecard. The Balanced Scorecard reviews In the past, studies mainly have been focused on Singapore’s land transport system with a holistic certain aspects while others remained ignored framework of sustainability. Results show that the resulting in the lack of a balanced evaluation for efficient institutional structure, deployment of urban transport of this city state. For example, in the advanced technologies, a world class land transport environmental aspect, the traffic noise level of infrastructure system, good level of air quality, Singapore was studied by Chui et al. [1] while the innovative approaches towards problems and strict life-cycle emission of road transport was studied by control over private vehicles are key areas of Rahman et al. [2]. Similarly Eugene [3] conducted excellent performance whereas moderate performing analysis on energy situation in Singapore. There were areas include mainly energy consumption, global studies regarding social sustainability of urban carbon emission and public participation. In addition transport, e.g., Housley and Atkins [4] and Chin and to these, major good performing areas where further Tan [5] and on economic sustainability, e.g., Chin improvements are still needed include service level of [6]. In addition, regarding the different modes of public transport, especially buses, congestion Singapore urban transport there were studies on MRT management, facilitation of non-motorized transport service, e.g., Chew and Chua [7]; on freight transport, and car sharing and promotion of green vehicles. e.g., Olszewski [8] as well as on non-motorized transport, e.g., Yuen and Chin [9]. Studies have also 20 Rahman and Chin / OIDA International Journal of Sustainable Development 02:10 (2011) been conducted on different policy impacts, for its three essential components: economic, social and example, Looi and Tan [10] studied the fare environmental. The economic component ensures the regulation impacts whereas Lau [11] conducted an continuous economic operability while social analysis of the affordability of commuters. Similarly, sustainability protects the inter-generation needs for Menon and Chin [12] and Replogle [13] studied the people of the society. The environmental policy impacts of the road pricing in Singapore. sustainability ensures consumptions through These studies reviewed different aspects of Singapore activities and processes do not exceed the ecological urban land transport from a pool of scattered angles. capacity and local and global environment is liveable While environment, society and economy for generations. characterizes three key pillars of urban transport The key perspectives of the Balanced Scorecard sustainability the institutional harmony, supportive include customer satisfaction, financial, internal physical built environment, innovative approaches process and innovation and improvement activities and technological deployment often act as major [16]. Although at its very initial stage the Balanced enablers to materialize the goals of sustainability. Scorecard was developed aiming mainly for use of Without a holistic and integrated understanding it is the for-profit organizations the realization of its very difficult to identify critical areas of success and imperative necessity was increasingly understood and that of deficiency as well as to set off policies in an spread into non-profit and public sectors within a aim to achieve long-term sustainability in urban very short span of time and accordingly its structure transport sector. Therefore there is an imperative was customized to suit for the needs of those need of a Balanced Scorecard for the strategic organizations [17]. While in the for-profit sectors the performance measurement and management of strategic mission was mainly centred at financial sustainable urban transport, which has recently been achievements therefore financial perspective is introduced by Rahman and Chin [14]. placed on the top followed by customer, internal The aim of this study is to evaluate the sustainability process and learning and growth perspectives, in the of Singapore urban transport in the framework of a non-profit sector the sector’s core mission and vision, Balanced Scorecard. In particular, the Balanced rather than financial objectives drives the sector’s Scorecard reviews Singapore’s urban land transport strategy. For these non-profit sectors the mission is system with a holistic framework of sustainability. often to satisfy the customers rather than earning Only urban land transport is considered and air and profit [17]. However realizing that in order to ensure maritime transport are excluded.However the land a sustainable customer satisfaction it is also equally transport portion of air traffic operation is considered, important to maintain a sustainable financial status, as it is also an integral part of urban land transport. both customer and financial perspective took place on Section II of this paper summarizes the methodology the top of the framework Although at the micro level of Balanced Scorecard for sustainable urban transport urban transport may involve many private which has been comprehensively illustrated in [14]. organizations as a sector it is essentially a public Development of the scoring approach and mechanism entity whose mission and vision is often to provide has been described in section III. The sections IV to quality transport services to its users and at the same VII present revision of Singapore’s urban transport in time protecting the environment and maintaining an sequence of the indicator sets of four perspectives of operable economy. Therefore the Balanced Scorecard Balanced Scorecard, i.e., customer, financial, internal form for public sectors has been adopted in this study process and learning and growth. A total of 44 for urban transport sector. indicators under a set of 10 sustainability themes In sustainable urban transport, the mission and vision were reviewed sequentially. Finally, section VIII is principally cantered at core sustainability discusses the results of this case study. objectives which means providing quality services to II. THE BALANCED SCORECARD FOR SUSTAINABLE commuters in an economically viable and URBAN TRANSPORT environmentally sustainable manner. While the economic enhancement is often targeted for the In order to ensure sustainability in the urban transport existence and survival of the sector itself the benefits sector, it is the starting requirement to identify the of quality service and environmental protection is essential components of sustainability. The most often realized by its customers. In other words, the widely quoted definition of sustainability and objectives of economic sustainability remain sustainable development is from Brundtland embedded