Tuesday 3 May 2016

It Pays To Avoid The Rush Hour Crowds (Off-Peak Travel Perks) !

The Travel Smart Network (TSN), launched in July 2014, is an initiative by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) in Singapore to ease peak hour travel congestion and provide a more sustainable mode of travel to commuters.


Off-Peak Pass (OPP)

Launched on 5th of July 2015, the Off-Peak Pass (OPP) for public transport is an alternative monthly travel pass suitable for frequent commuters who travel during off peak periods to enjoy a discounted rate; reducing monthly travel expenditure!

The OPP categories available are: Adult, Senior Citizen and Persons with Disabilities.



A usual sight if you travel off-peak...... NO QUEUES!!


Things you can do if you travel during off-peak periods

If you travel mostly during the offf-peak periods, the OPP may be of benefit to you by allowing you to save on your monthly travel expenses on both buses and trains.
   
If you currently using an Adult Monthly Travel Pass and would like to switch to the OPP, you will get to save $40 per month! That’s almost 2 weeks of lunch savings! 

And remember, its unlimited for the entire day on weekends and Public Holidays!

Morning

Stress-free journey to begin your morning on weekdays!
The train cabin can get really crowded during peak periods and being sandwiched in it can be really frustrating and stressful. Imagine how wonderful it will be to start your day with a comfortable, smooth train ride to work! This will also help boost your mental health and prepare you for a great start at work too! J

If your job allows flexibility and does not require you to squeeze with the peak hour crowd to reach office at the usual 9am timing, why not start work later and enjoy the use of OPP after 9am??

Of course, if you are an early morning riser, you may enjoy the use of OPP before 6.30am and treat yourself to a good breakfast near your workplace when you reach your destination. For the ladies, this also gives them ample time to do their face make-up and hair in the office restroom if they have to. J (If you start your journey before 6.30am, you will be able to use the OPP for the entire journey, even if subsequent transfers to another bus/train service are carried out after 6.30am.)

Some nice breakfast places you can head to in town; serving wholesome healthy breakfast before 8am!

- Cedele
Source: aromacookery

- GrainTraders (CapitaGreen)

- CoffeeHive (Robinson Road)


Afternoon

Shopping, Movies, Eat, Chill !!!
Some of us are on shift work or rotational work basis whilst some of us have flexibility in working hours (such as sales or service line) which result in having time off on weekday afternoons. For these people - make plans, go on a shopping or movie date with your buddy because Weekdays spell EMPTINESS!!!

You can also enjoy the use of OPP from 9am to 5pm on weekdays whenever you are on half-day leave or during your off day. (If you start your journey before 5pm, you will be able to use the OPP for the entire journey, even if subsequent transfers to another bus/train service are carried out after 5pm.)


Doing shopping will be a breeze in the mall on weekdays’ afternoon whilst movie-goers will be able to enjoy their preferred seats in the cinema even for current box office movies such as Disney's The Jungle Book Movie and Captain America: Civil War which have been a hit across the island recently! 

Cinemas offer cheaper rates during the weekdays’ afternoon before 5pm. Here’s a breakdown for you to catch these movies before the peak hour crowd descends when they end work at 6!


With cost savings of $40 per month if you switch from the Adult MonthlyTravel Pass to the Off Peak Pass, that’s equating to 3 weekend movies!


Buddy and i shopping on a weekday.. no crowds!


Most food and beverages restaurants offer great yummy deals during the weekdays’ afternoon as well! J

Recommendations:

1) Charlie Brown Café (Orchard & Katong)
              Main Course + Lava Cake + Iced Lemon Tea @ $7.80 nett

2) Café Mosiac (Carlton Hotel)
              Monday to Friday, weekday buffet @ $42++ per adult

3) Suki-ya
             Weekday buffet lunch @ $14.90++

4) Carnivore (Chijmes)
             Weekday set lunch @ $14.90++


You can also visit the library and pick up some new readings in the day. I personally like to spend my time in the library whenever I have my day-offs and no other plans.

Boutique libraries to check out:
Library @ Orchard
Library @ Chinatown Point


Evening

Bonding session with friends over dinner!
For those whom choose to start work early, they can end work earlier, use the OPP to enjoy the afternoon movies or other simple activites to indulge in and by the time everything is done, it would be almost 7.30pm to use the OPP once again! Even more for those whom choose to start work later, we would end work nicely to enjoy OPP when it kicks in after 7.30pm!!!

OPP can be used from 7.30pm to the end of service on weekdays so there’s no rush to go home after work. You can stay awhile longer to settle & complete your daily tasks before leaving the office or have dinner with your colleagues & friends somewhere nearby before making trips back home. This way, you are also making your weekends free for other plans too!


For more information or feedback on the OPP, you may contact the TransitLink Hotline at 1800-2255 663, log on to Transitlink’s website (www.transitlink.com.sg) or visit their Facebook at www.facebook.com/TransitLinkSG.


Mobile food truck roadshow

Earlier in March this year, the team organised a 2-day Mobile food truck roadshow at One Raffles Place to increase awareness of LTA’s individual-based Travel Smart initiatives such as Travel Smart Rewards (TSR), Off Peak Pass (OPP) and Free Pre-peak Travel (FPPT). The initiative successfully reached out to a large crowd of passers-by (mainly shoppers and employees working in the CBD area), with 1,000 set of complimentary lunches and other goodies being issued out each day within a few hours!



My friend, CK, and i was invited to show our support and when I arrived at 12:10 pm that very day, I was amazed by how good the response was despite the drizzle! A long queue of people were already in line, awaiting to collect their free lunches and breakfast vouchers!


I stood aside while waiting for CK to join me and noticed the team worked really well together! As it was held in an open area and the ground got a little slippery due to the rain, the staff sheltered the public with their umbrellas and walked them from the queue line to the booth where the food truck was parked at.

Even though the queue was long, the waiting time was rather short. When I asked a lady who happened to be beside me sipping her cup of warm coffee, she shared with me that it took her no longer than 10 minutes to get her lunch.


On top of the free lunches which consisted of a sandwich (choice of Turkey Ham and Cheese Sandwich or Wrap) and a drink (choice of Coffee or Orange Juice) given out at the mobile food truck event, other complimentary items such as breakfast vouchers and souvenirs were also given out to promote awareness of Travel Smart initiatives.


Attractive breakfast voucher ($5 Jollibean voucher) that promotes healthy lifestyle! Needless for me to say, breakfast is really the most important meal of the day and if any good source of important nutrients from the breakfast is missed, they are less likely to be compensated for later in the day.



Everything was prepared and packed nicely! The food and drinks were freshly made and tasted delicious! The staffs were very nice too; totally brightening up everyone’s day with their lovely offerings!




Not long after, CK came and like many others, we enjoyed our portion of the food too! Thank you to the Travel Smart team for the invitation!!!

The response was truly overwhelming that the last set was cleared at 2:10 pm, 20 minutes earlier than the expected time.


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