Amy Khor Lean Suan
Singapore
“Sir, NEA does conduct inspections of these premises from time to time. For this particular premises, they actually did six inspections since 2021.”
“The Land Transport Authority (LTA) conducts enforcement actions against drivers who are found to have provided illegal car-pooling services. An individual who provides an illegal car-pooling service may face a fine of up to $3,000, up to six months' imprisonment, or both.”
“We will also provide the first 500 private heavy vehicle chargers co-funding of up to 50% of the charger installation cost, capped at $30,000 per charger. These measures will narrow the lifecycle cost gap between an electric and internal combustion engine heavy vehicle and spur adoption of electric heavy vehicles.”
“With regard to the extension of the lower speed limit to school zones for full day, we will work with the relevant agencies on the enhanced enforcements.”
“They will provide a certain amount of protection to the pedestrians because, as I have said, the bollards will absorb the impact of the collision from the vehicles. So, there is a protection. But ultimately, of course, road safety really depends on a multitude of factors, including road user behaviour.”
“The bollards installed at pedestrian crossings by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) are not of the K4, K8 or K12 standards stated by the Member. Bollards of these standards are typically security bollards. They are installed to protect critical infrastructure or at high security areas, such as Changi Airport, to be unyielding.”
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“I thank the Member for his question, yet again, on second-hand smoke. But let me also thank the Member for acknowledging that we have provided him with comprehensive answers for the various questions he had posed on second-hand smoke. With regard to a roadmap, as I have said before, we continue to monitor and review if we can further extend our smoking prohibition from time to time. In fact, we continuously do this, in the area of second-hand smoke in homes as well as in public areas. This is something that we will continue to do. So, the roadmap really is about driving, continuing to work on it and continuing to look at how we can actually feasibly implement any extension of smoking prohibition to other areas. Because whatever we do, it will have to be operationally feasible as well as effectively enforced in order to make a difference.”
“They are at Bukit Panjang, Sembawang, Sengkang and Punggol respectively, and will provide residents in these towns with food choices and convenience. We will also be building a new hawker centre in Tampines. Details will be announced later. Lastly, from 1 Apr, Market Street Hawker Centre will return to its original site, and reopen on the 2nd and 3rd floors of the newly developed, large integrated development CapitaSpring. All the original stallholders from "Golden Shoe" centre will return to the reopened Market Street Hawker Centre. (In English): Chairman, despite the challenges of the pandemic, everyone – be it the cleaning industry, premises managers or hawkers – have demonstrated resilience, seized opportunities to improve cleanliness, and embrace new business opportunities online. Let us continue to work together to build a truly SG Clean Singapore and safeguard our hawker culture for future generations. Indeed, let us support SG hawkers!”
“We also expect Margaret Drive Hawker Centre, which replaces the hawker centre at Block 1A, 2A, 3A Commonwealth Drive, to commence operations from fourth quarter of 2022. Chairman, in Mandarin please. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] NEA will be expanding the smoking prohibition. From 1 Jul 2022, we will ban smoking at Regional and City Parks like East Coast Park and Fort Canning Park, as well as the park connector system linking various parks. The smoking prohibition will also cover recreation sites under ABC Waters projects, as well as 10 recreational beaches, including three at Sentosa. In the past two years, the Government has been supporting our hawkers through various ways and schemes. This includes waiving a total of 10 months of rent and subsidising six months of table-cleaning and centralised dishwashing fees. Eligible hawkers received up to $9,000 of income relief in 2020 and $500 in cash assistance last year. To continue our support for hawkers, we will provide all SFA-licensed market, hawker centre, coffeeshop, food court and canteen operators and stallholders with a one-time cash assistance, under the recently announced Small Business Recovery Grant. For every employee that operators and stallholders pay CPF for, they will receive $1,000, capped at a maximum of $10,000. Those who do not hire local employees will also receive a $1,000 payout. Over the past four years, we have also been attracting new hawkers to join the trade through various training programmes and over 40 new hawkers have joined the trade through these programmes. We will continue to support aspiring hawkers to enter the trade, including matching them with retiring hawkers via the Hawkers' Succession Scheme. In addition, we will be opening four hawker centres this year.”
“In recognition of their time and effort spent, veteran hawkers will receive a nominal stipend of up to $5,500. This is but a token of appreciation and is not a measure of the effort that veterans have invested into establishing their clientele and refining their recipes. The HSS is not intended to be a commercial arrangement but is an option to help retiring veteran hawkers find suitable successors and preserve their culinary legacy for future patrons. We will also introduce safeguards to protect the interest of the veteran hawkers such as requiring successors to serve the veteran hawkers’ signature dishes and retain the stall names for three years. Mr Gan and Mr Wee asked about the construction progress of new hawker centres. While COVID-19 has caused some delay, four new centres – namely Bukit Canberra, Fernvale, One Punggol and Senja Hawker Centres, will begin operations by the third quarter of this year. In addition, five more centres in the construction stage will progressively be completed in the next few years, and two more are in the planning and design stage. Residents in Tampines Town can also look forward to another new hawker centre. More details of this new centre will be shared in due course. Ms Nadia will be glad to hear that upcoming centres will incorporate sustainability features. All new centres will have food waste digesters. Some will also have solar panels. Two redeveloped centres will also be starting operations this year. Market Street Hawker Centre that used to be at Golden Shoe Carpark will open for business from 1 April, at levels two and three of the integrated development CapitaSpring on Market Street and continue to provide affordable food options for those working in the CBD.”
“Some of our new hawkers include Ms Priscilla Huang, aged 31, of Authentic Hong Kong Delights, and Mr Lim Wei Keat, aged 27, of Ah Keat Chicken Rice, who joined the hawker trade over the past year after completing HDP. In addition to Wei Keat’s chicken rice which we had for lunch just now, I have ordered mochi and water chestnut cakes from Priscilla for Parliament’s tea break today. A few others like Ms Amber Pong, aged 32, of The Headless Baker at Ghim Moh Market, who converted to a full-fledged hawker after completing her Incubation Stall Programme, even opened a second outlet in July last year. To ensure that veteran hawkers’ recipes and skills are not lost, the Hawkers Succession Scheme (HSS), which was shared last year, will link retiring hawkers without succession plans but wish to pass on their businesses, skills and recipes, with aspiring hawkers. To Ms Pereira and Mr Raj Joshua Thomas’s question about the HSS, a 10-member independent advisory panel has been set up to work with NEA to support and review the HSS pilot. Among the 10 panellists, six are established hawkers. The rest include culinary chefs, hawker centre operators and culinary training partners. The panellists will help identify suitable veteran hawkers, assess aspiring successors’ readiness, and provide feedback to improve the programme. Under the pilot, aspiring hawkers will be assessed on culinary skills and capacity to learn, before pairing up with veteran hawkers. They will undergo a three-month apprenticeship under the veteran hawkers. Aspiring successors will be evaluated on their ability to execute the veterans’ signature dishes. Where needed, veteran hawkers may continue to mentor the successor for two additional months.”
“The proposed scope of works may include High-Volume Low-Speed fans to improve ventilation, provisions to support flexible implementation of Safe Management Measures, such as quick deployment and removal of temporary access control, reconfiguration of tables and chairs to reduce crowding, and additional handwashing facilities to raise hygiene levels. Finally, our hawker culture would not exist without our hawkers. On Mr Don Wee’s query, there has been healthy demand for hawker stalls, with high occupancy rates averaging consistently at about 97% at existing and new hawker centres. NEA has also been receiving enquiries from individuals who are keen to take up stalls at the new centres, and the monthly tender for vacant stalls at existing centres have continued to attract a good number of bids. Ms Pereira asked about efforts to attract new hawkers, including improving job prospects and working conditions. Our hawkers today are mostly self-employed individuals, with the flexibility and autonomy to decide their operating hours based on what they sell. They are covered by Medishield Life and can also top up their medical insurance individually, or even explore purchasing together as a group through their Hawkers’ Associations (HAs). We have been helping our aspiring hawkers prepare for the trade, through the Incubation Stall Programme and Hawkers’ Development Programme, and similar programmes by Socially-conscious Enterprise Hawker Centre operators. Over 40 new hawkers have joined the trade through these programmes. Their median age is 33, significantly lower than the overall median age of hawkers of 60. Eleven aspiring hawkers are currently operating incubation stalls, with another six awaiting allocation of incubation stalls.”
“Currently, about half of our 6,000 plus cooked food stallholders are on board these services, and almost 70% of them have adopted e-payment. WhyQ, Deliveroo, FoodPanda and Grab have stepped up to pilot a Common Acquirer Model for online food delivery in 15 hawker centres at zero commission to hawkers. Hawkers can receive online orders from any of these platforms through a single ordering device. Alternatively, they can choose to transact offline through WhyQ hawker captains. To date, 18 hawker centres have set up Digital Support for Hawkers groups, which provide peer support to help less digitally savvy hawkers embrace digital opportunities. This includes creating Facebook pages for each centre, facilitating online community group buys, and organising bulk meal orders. I am pleased to share that many of my fellow Members of Parliament have adopted AfA’s recommendations on group buys from hawkers for our lunches during Parliament sittings! For today’s lunch, many of us enjoyed wanton noodles, chicken rice and burgers from Commonwealth Crescent, Bukit Merah and Golden Mile! More enticing and mouth-watering hawker dishes to come! Ms Nadia asked for an update on the Hawker Centres Transformation Programme (HTP). Last year, I shared plans about the HTP to future-proof hawker centre infrastructure. While HTP will be applied to new and redeveloped centres, we are also piloting it at two existing centres even as they face constraints with limited floor space. I am pleased to announce that we will consult stakeholders, including Hawkers’ Associations, Town Councils and Advisers in 2022 to jointly develop the HTP pilot at Geylang Serai Market and Cheng San Market and Food Centre.”
“Eligible hawkers also received up to $9,000 via the Self-employed Person Income Relief Scheme (SIRS) in 2020 and a one-off cash payout of $500 under the Market and Hawker Centre Relief Fund (MHCRF) last year. We will continue to support our hawkers. Minister for Finance announced that small F&B businesses, one of the sectors most affected by COVID-19, will receive the Small Business Recovery Grant. SFA-licensed operators and stallholders in markets, hawker centres, coffee shops, food courts and canteens will receive this grant. They will receive $1,000 for each local employee receiving mandatory CPF contributions, capped at $10,000. Those without local employees will receive a flat $1,000 if they are Singapore Citizens or Permanent Residents. 6.00 pm Our efforts have helped hawkers during these tough times. On average, 17 cooked food stallholders or 0.3% terminated their leases each month between 2020 and 2021. This is lower than the monthly average of 28 terminations between 2017 to 2019. Ms Joan Pereira asked if more can be done to help hawkers reduce ingredient cost. We will review her suggestion of bulk purchasing carefully and also consider the interest from our hawkers, where many may already have established relationships and specific arrangements with their suppliers for their preferred ingredients. To prepare hawkers for the digital economy and expand their reach to potential patrons, hawkers, community groups, food delivery platforms, together with NEA and IMDA came together to form the SGTogether Alliance for Action (AfA) for Online Ordering for Hawkers last June and developed pilot initiatives to help hawkers utilise online services. About one in every four cooked food stallholders have been supported via NEA’s Food Delivery Support Scheme.”
“As Singapore transits to COVID-19-endemicity, the focus of wastewater testing has shifted from early case detection to providing situational awareness. The data collected alerts Government agencies and premises owners or operators of the situation, which allows them to calibrate public health measures. It provides objective information on whether infections among the population are increasing or decreasing, independent of the population’s health-seeking behaviour and prevailing clinical test protocols. This will therefore be an important surveillance tool even as we transit to an endemic state. Further research and development will allow the wastewater surveillance system to be used for monitoring other infectious disease threats in the future. Mr Gan Thiam Poh asked about improvements to toilets. We launched the Toilet Improvement Programme in October 2020 to raise the cleanliness of toilets in hawker centres and coffeeshops. The programme supported premises in improving toilet design and choice of sanitary fittings for easier cleaning and coffeeshop operators' initial adoption of fortnightly deep cleaning on top of daily cleaning. NEA has received applications from 62 eligible coffeeshops and 28 hawker centres. Twenty-four coffeeshops and one hawker centre have completed their toilet enhancement works. I will now speak about our hawker culture, my favourite topic! Our hawkers are frontline heroes, providing us affordable hawker food during this pandemic. NEA has provided relief measures to hawkers over the last two years, including 10 months’ rental waivers and six months’ subsidies for table-cleaning and centralised dishwashing services.”
“The Designated Smoking Points (DSPs) in Nee Soon South have thus far not resulted in a sustained reduction in feedback received on smoking in homes in the division since its implementation. Nevertheless, we will continue to monitor the effectiveness of DSPs as localised solutions, even as we work with MOH and HPB to discourage smoking at home. On "end game" laws for smoking, MOH remains open and will study how New Zealand implements the ban, its effectiveness and how their experience could be applicable to Singapore. Besides adopting preventive measures to minimise the spread of infectious diseases, we are building up capabilities to deal with public health threats. Singapore is an early adopter of wastewater surveillance for COVID-19, which is being explored in various countries. In response to Mr Gan Thiam Poh's question, when transmission first occurred at workers’ dormitories, NEA brought in wastewater testing to assess the situation, including the viral loads collected from each dormitory. Our findings were used to complement individual testing, guide infection control measures and facilitate the progressive clearance of dormitories by the Inter-Agency Task Force. Monitoring has since been expanded to student hostels, nursing homes, and residential sites. From a modest eight sites in May 2020, we gradually expanded surveillance coverage to 200 sites in July 2021. Since February 2022, we have achieved surveillance coverage of 440 sites, including 150 sites distributed across residential areas and town centres. We have also expanded our laboratory testing capacity to 4,000 samples being tested per week, up from 2,500 in July last year.”
“Today, smoking is prohibited in more than 49,000 premises, including covered walkways and common areas of residential buildings. We have prioritised places where second-hand tobacco smoke affects more people, such as community spaces. Miss Cheryl Chan, Dr Lim Wee Kiak, Mr Louis Ng and Ms Poh Li San would be glad to hear that, together with PUB, NParks and the Sentosa Development Corporation, NEA will extend the smoking prohibition to more places including all remaining public parks and gardens, Active, Beautiful, Clean (ABC) Waters Sites and 10 beaches from 1 July 2022. In addition to neighbourhood parks in public and private housing estates where smoking is already prohibited, smoking will be prohibited at Regional and City Parks like East Coast Park and Fort Canning Park, and all Park Connectors. Smoking will also be prohibited at 10 recreational beaches, including three beaches in Sentosa. With this extension, Singaporeans can enjoy these shared recreational sites without exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke. There will be a three-month advisory period before enforcement commences on 1 October 2022. We currently have no plans to set up additional No Smoking Zones. We will review the need for further extensions of the smoking prohibition from time to time. Setting up No Smoking Zones requires significant stakeholder buy-in and operational resources to implement. We will need to plan extensively, assess the suitability of the precinct and availability of sites for designated smoking areas. On smoking in homes, which Dr Lim Wee Kiak, Ms Poh Li San and Mr Gan Thiam Poh asked about, legislation is no panacea to curbing second-hand tobacco smoke in homes. There are privacy concerns and technological limitations to gathering evidence required for enforcement.”
“The ECCs will assist premises managers to develop and oversee the implementation of an ES programme, which specifies cleaning frequencies and disinfection protocols. To Ms Hany Soh’s query, the regime was rolled out to preschools in November 2021 and all have appointed personnel to be ECCs. The ES regime ensures that premises are properly cleaned and disinfected regularly. For example, from March this year, coffeeshops are required to carry out thorough cleaning every quarter on top of routine cleaning. This is a marked difference from just ad hoc cleaning before. High-touch surfaces would also be cleaned and disinfected more frequently. Premises managers are also sensitised to their responsibility to prevent outbreaks of infectious diseases like gastroenteritis within their premises. For instance, preschools have found the regime useful in providing clear guidance on minimum cleaning and disinfection frequencies, and scope of cleaning and disinfection works, neither of which were clearly defined before. Ms Hany Soh would be glad to hear that we will implement the regime at another 2,700 premises this year. These would include publicly accessible premises with high footfall such as large shopping malls, as well as private education institutions. We have worked with these sectors to develop sector-specific ES standards. All premises will minimally require an ECC. For large premises with multiple tenants like shopping malls, Environmental Control Officers (Specified Premises) will be introduced to oversee more wide-ranging public health issues and management of stakeholders. We aim to train 2,700 more ECCs and ECO(SP)s this year. Another important aspect of a clean and safe environment is protecting Singaporeans against the harmful effects of second-hand tobacco smoke.”
“COVID-19 has reinforced the importance of good personal hygiene and clean public spaces. These have always been our priorities and will better prepare us beyond COVID-19 for Disease X, which is not a matter of “if” but “when”. Over the past two years, we have improved the cleanliness of public spaces – from working with premises managers to uphold high cleanliness standards, to ensuring individuals practise personal responsibility by returning trays and binning litter. Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin would be pleased to know that since the Clean Tables Campaign and mandatory clean tables regime were implemented, the national average Tray and Crockery Return Rate (TCRR) in hawker centres has improved significantly, from 33% to 85%. We have also achieved a national average TCRR of above 85% in coffeeshops and food courts. Many have shared that the dining environment is now cleaner, with faster turnover of tables and fewer incidences of pests and bird nuisance. We will build on this progress to ensure a clean and safe Singapore. We commenced the progressive roll-out of the Environmental Sanitation (ES) Regime last July, which specifies mandatory baseline ES standards for high-risk premises and places greater accountability on premises managers to meet these standards. We introduced the ES regime in more than 3,000 premises under the inaugural phase, including preschools, MOE schools, food centres, markets and coffee shops, and the first tranche of eldercare, youth and social service facilities. Together with the sector leads, we developed sector-specific ES standards and trained more than 3,600 Environmental Control Coordinators (ECCs).”
“I thank the Member for her suggestion. NEA will review the suggestion, considering the purpose as well as practicality of such a system as suggested by the Member, especially during emergencies. In the event of a stall fire incident, stallholders should consider their safety first and, hence, they ought to contact the SCDF who are trained and equipped to deal with such emergencies. And as a first line of defence, we want to urge all stallholders to focus on fire prevention, that is, staying vigilant and maintaining good fire safety practices. In fact, over the last three years, between 2019 and 2021, there was a total of 31 stall fire incidents at hawker centres, and the majority of these – 22 or about 71% – were due to unattended cooking, and four were due to either faulty appliances or power supply overloading. So, indeed, as the authorities, the agencies and the partners, the supplier of the LPG gas or town gas, we will do our part to ensure that the infrastructure at the hawker centres is safe and sound, want to urge the stallholders to exercise personal responsibility in preventing stall fires. So, for instance, not to leave cooking unattended, to make sure there is no power supply overload, check for faulty appliances. If your stove does not light up, to ventilate that area, to switch off all appliances at the end of the day and, of course, to clean your stove and kitchen exhaust regularly, so that it does not accumulate grease, and reduce fire risk.”
“We are looking at various ways to address this. We fully empathise with the person who is actually experiencing this issue. In addition to monitoring technological developments, we are also intensifying our education and outreach efforts, working with the community, with HPB, with various stakeholders to really look at community solutions, in line with our aspiration to build an inclusive, gracious society. So, we need to raise awareness and appeal to smokers to be more civic-minded and socially gracious and appeal to all stakeholders to come together to resolve this amicably. In addition, as Members have heard from the Second Minister for Law that there is an inter-agency, inter-Ministry Committee that is looking at revising or enhancing the community mediation framework to increase accessibility for such disputes to be resolved amicably as far as possible. And then, last year, MND, together with Municiple Social office (MSO) and HDB, has issued a joint call for proposals on tackling second-hand smoke from neighbouring homes. Essentially, looking for solutions like sensors as well as solutions to reduce the second-hand smoke at source or to prevent the second-hand smoke from entering the neighbouring units. I think the practice is not static. We continue to look at how we can better address this issue and we will continue to monitor and review our smoking regulations from time to time. So, it is an answer to the high-rise littering question.”
“Well, this is a stealth question on second-hand smoke. With regard to the comment about why so many enforcement actions on high-rise littering, if I recall correctly, there are also many questions in the House regarding why there is not enough action taken against high-rise littering. So, the verdict is out there. But having said that, this question about second-hand smoke, I think the Member has asked similar questions a number of times in this House and I have given replies as to the reason why there are technological limitations in enforcement against second-hand smoke in homes. I think enforcement of second-hand smoke in homes is really distinctively more challenging than high-rise littering. As I have said, I have answered this before. So, at the risk of sounding like a broken record, let me just briefly highlight some key points that I have actually shared in my previous replies. Firstly, of course, technological limitations and also, privacy issues and concerns for second-hand smoke. It is not a question of just catching an image of the physical object but also capturing the heat signature as proof of the smoking act. So, you need not just require optical cameras but also thermal surveillance cameras and there is a limited surveillance range of such surveillance cameras. And you need to put them off the ground, which means, it would be highly intrusive because it does not only train into the suspected unit, but also other units. So, we will need to continue to monitor technological developments and innovations in this area to see if it is feasible in future, along with also what is being practised overseas. But having said that, we are not resting on our laurels. Let me assure the Member that we are as concerned about this issue as he is.”
“I thank the Member for his follow-up question. Let me say that the present practice, which is to include the adjacent amenities – the chairs, the benches, even spectator stands and sidewalks of playgrounds and exercise facilities – in the smoking prohibited areas is, to us, a practical and reasonable way to protect users from second-hand smoke. And by and large, this has largely sufficed. The number of feedback or complaints on smoking related to such facilities is actually very low, less than 1%. And, in fact, the number related to buffer areas is even smaller. So, I think this is really like I said, a more realistic way, in terms of highly urbanised and dense Singapore. What we do is, there will be some cases where there could be concerns, as the Member rightly pointed out, in terms of design and location of the facilities. And I think for such instances, localised solutions could be worked out, together with the community, the agencies, the stakeholders involved, in order to, say, put up more signs to ensure that people are aware of where this smoking prohibited area is. In the case of Senja, I understand that there is a new playground, for instance, where the issue is of a dustbin, which is right next to the smoking prohibited area. And I think the Town Council is going to move this further away. There is a coffee shop and patrons utilise that area. So, I think there are localised solutions that we can actually develop.”
“Let me say that the Government does not regulate fares. In fact, for taxis, in 1998, we had deregulated the fares. So, taxi and Private Hire Car (PHC) operators have actually been making adjustments to their fares over the years. In fact, most recently, a PHC operator actually adjusted the fares last year. The operators are responsible for adjusting the taxi and PHC fares, taking into account prevailing market conditions. And I think they are best placed to do so, to better match the supply and demand of P2P services even as they take into account their own cost structures as well as, of course, ensuring that fares remain competitive, given the landscape. This will also allow market forces to effectively respond in a timely manner and also encourage the service providers to improve their service offerings. In fact, there have been benefits to this approach. You can see that there is high vehicle availability during peak hours. What the Government does – it does not regulate fares – is that it requires the operators to provide the Public Transport Council advance notice of any fare adjustments. We also want to ensure that these fares are transparent, easy to understand, so that commuters can make an informed choice. Additionally, what we have also done is to ensure that the P2P regulatory framework provides an open P2P market so that the taxi drivers are allowed to multi-home, instead of just driving exclusively for one operator. With regard to fuel cost, for instance, one of the ways really would be for them to do more ride hails and reduce the mileage clocked from plying the streets.”
“The Government actively monitors the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the point-to-point (P2P) sector. Amid lower ridership, the Government has set aside more than $1 billion to provide broad-based as well as sector-specific support to the P2P drivers. Since February 2020, the Government has introduced the Point-to-Point Support Package (PPSP), Self-Employed Person Income Relief Scheme (SIRS) and multiple tranches of COVID-19 Driver Relief Fund (CDRF). At Budget 2021, the Government raised the petrol duty as part of Singapore’s sustainability drive. To mitigate the financial impact of this on active P2P drivers with petrol vehicles, the Government provided road tax rebate of 15%, which is about $120, as well as additional petrol duty rebate of $360 in 2021 as offsets. P2P ridership has steadily recovered from about 70% of pre-COVID-19 levels in October 2021 during the Stabilisation Period, to about 80% in December 2021. This has bolstered the incomes of our P2P drivers. The Government currently has no plans to provide additional support to defray higher fuel costs which is the result of market forces of global supply and demand factors. We will continue to monitor the P2P sector and the demand for such services to ensure that drivers are coping well in this challenging period.”
“We are assessing the rest of the applications – about 1,200 to commit the remainder fund. NEA is also exploring the extension of this scheme.”
“I thank the Member for the supplementary question. Indeed, as the Member has noted, the cleaning services and waste management sector are facing a manpower crunch. With the ageing population and declining workforce going forward, this manpower crunch is likely to become even more acute. The average age of our cleaners is 60 years today. So, indeed this self-service concept as part of the Clean Tables Campaign that we have initiated is the more sustainable way going forward, to maintain the cleanliness and hygiene or public dining spaces including at the coffee shops and food courts. This revised table cleaning workflow will give assurance to our ageing cleaners that their services continue to be needed and appreciated, and also give them better clarity on where to focus on. It will also create a safer and better working environment and perhaps, that will also help in terms of meeting manpower constraints, with better retention, or people who are thinking of joining the sector, might actually do so. In addition, we also encourage the sector through our Environmental Services Industry Transformation Map to look into improving productivity, either through redesigning the workflow or by adopting technology, as the Member has mentioned. National Environment Agency (NEA)-licensed cleaning companies, premise owners, tenants, eligible ones, can actually apply for the Environmental Services Productivity Solutions Grant or ESPSG, which provides funding support for them to purchase cleaning and waste management equipment, such as autonomous cleaning robots and food waste digesters. The first tranche of the ESPSG has concluded in August 2021 with a very strong demand, overwhelming demand indeed. We have approved 1,700 applications and committed a grant of $40.75 million.”
“In addition to that, drivers who contract COVID-19 as a result of providing services in a heightened COVID-19 risk situation – for instance, ferrying Ag+ passengers for their PCR tests – they can apply for a one-time relief of $3,000 through The Courage Fund for frontliners that is administered by the National Council of Social Service.”
“I thank the Member for her supplementary questions. We note the concerns of the drivers. We have received the feedback from the drivers, the associations and NTUC about ferrying unwell or Ag+ passengers. We have worked with MOH who will remind the passengers to declare their health status to the drivers so that the drivers can take the necessary precautions to further minimise the risks of in-vehicle transmission of the virus. MOH has put this information up on their website in their FAQs on Health Protocols. So, this is already up. LTA will be putting it up on our website. LTA is also working with the operators and the associations to publicise this message to the drivers as well as the passengers. So, for instance, sending emails to the database of passengers to remind them to declare their health status so that the drivers can take action and also to remind the drivers of the additional precautions that they can take. We are also working with the operators to see if we can craft a message that can be printed out and the drivers can opt to display it in their vehicles to remind the passengers. This is what we are doing to give assurance to the drivers. With regard to support for the drivers, the operators have various measures to provide support to the drivers who either are tested positive for COVID-19 and cannot drive or they are required to self-isolate and, therefore, cannot drive. All the taxi operators provide rental waivers for the drivers who cannot drive due to COVID-19 or if they have to self-isolate. The two biggest PHC operators – Grab and Gojek – provide prolonged medical leave insurance coverage for the drivers. This involves financial payouts if the drivers are not able to drive for these reasons.”
“Thank you. Persons who feel unwell and are travelling to and from their polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test venue are required to commute via private transport, which includes taxis or private hire cars (PHCs). As these persons are taking regular taxis or PHCs, there is an adequate supply to meet their needs. These passengers should inform their taxi and PHC drivers about their health status so that the drivers may take appropriate precautions. Drivers have been advised to switch off the air-con when ferrying these passengers, wind down their windows during and after each trip, and clean their vehicles after the trips. Passengers should also sit at the back, diagonally from the drivers. MOH has assessed that these measures are sufficient to minimise the risk of in-vehicle transmission of the virus and there is no need for extra precautionary measures, such as having drivers put on full personal protective equipment. Furthermore, about 98% of our taxi and PHC drivers are fully vaccinated.”
“Speaker, may I have your permission to take Question Nos 3 and 4 together?”
“Mr Speaker and Members of this House, let me apologise. I did not mean to take up any more time than is necessary. But I think I need to address or clarify Mr Leong Mun Wai's point. He asked me what I have got to say about the quote from my speech. Let me say that I would say the same thing. For the last eight hours or so, this is exactly what many of the Members of this House, including Prof Hoon Hian Teck and Minister Lawrence Wong, have said: that Singapore has to continue to remain open and have to welcome some of these foreign talent if we want to continue to thrive and grow. We need some of these people. I think Minister Lawrence Wong has said we simply do not have enough people. So, I would still say the same thing: that we have to be very careful in saying that we keep the foreigners out, we do not have any of these people there and we will have jobs because, indeed, if we do that, we will really hurt the very people that we are trying to help, and, that is, the Singaporeans that we care about and we want to make sure that we improve their lives, they have good jobs. [Applause.]”
“As I have said, deterrence will only be achieved not just with an appropriate law but when there is effective enforcement. I think it is the case, with all the laws that we enforce, we know that we cannot be everywhere. Our law enforcement officers cannot be everywhere. But the fact would be that if the potential offenders know that it is easy to evade the law, that the chance of getting caught is very, very low, then it will not be an effective deterrent. The example I gave of Norfolk, Virginia, is such an example where they implemented the legislation, there was some improvement within a short period but, after a year, it was back to normal because the residents knew that it was very difficult to enforce the legislation. So, for deterrence to be effective – obviously, when you have a legislation, it is for deterrence. You actually do not really want to enforce it if nobody breaks the law. But at the end of the day, if you cannot enforce it effectively, then it is not going to be a useful deterrent.”
“My Ministry has worked with various agencies to enhance joint advisories issued to smokers. In fact, most smokers cooperate and thus far, less than 10% of the feedback we received recur within a year. My Ministry is also part of a workgroup that is reviewing the Community Dispute Management Framework. We are proposing enhancements to increase the effectiveness of the community mediation process and the Community Disputes Resolution Tribunal. The workgroup will share updates in due course. I want to assure Members that we are committed to tackling second-hand smoke from homes and are monitoring global best practices and developments in technology and legislation. We stay open to innovative and practicable solutions and will continue to draw on the ideas and efforts of all stakeholders to address this issue for a more gracious and cohesive society.”
“Homes are private spaces and it can be viewed as intrusive for governments to regulate what people can and cannot do there. Last year, the city and county of San Francisco put forward a proposal to prohibit smoking in all multi-unit residences. The legislation did not garner enough votes and was not enacted as some tenants contended that the ban would infringe on their personal rights inside their homes. For Singapore, we must address this potentially divisive issue in a way which strengthens rather than hinders our efforts to cultivate a gracious and cohesive society. For example, residents are coming together to discuss ground-up solutions to address neighbourly issues, including second-hand smoke in homes under the Municipal Services Office or MSO's "Love Our 'Hood" initiative. MSO has rolled this out in Mountbatten and Pioneer and will be bringing it to Bukit Gombak. We will also keep a lookout for innovations and technological solutions. In June, two Designated Smoking Points, or DSPs, with improved designs were set up in Clementi as a community pilot project. We will monitor the outcome of this latest pilot study on the effectiveness of DSPs to reduce smoking in homes. Last Friday, MND called for proposals for innovative solutions on managing second-hand smoke from neighbouring homes. Technological solutions that remove second-hand smoke at source or prevent its drift could bring reprieve to affected residents. We hope to see promising submissions from enterprises. The pandemic has been a difficult time for all. For many, this has led to heightened tensions and fewer interactions among neighbours. Where there are problems of second-hand smoke from homes, I encourage neighbours to communicate with one another as a first step towards resolving the matter.”
“These are just some of the many challenges faced in catching the culprit, given current technology. Residents could become even more frustrated, as there is a law but with great enforcement difficulties. Even for high-rise littering, where there has been a significant number of successful enforcements, many still express frustration that offenders have not been caught, an issue that has also been discussed in this House. As people spend more time at home nowadays, NEA has stepped up its enforcement efforts in HDB estates to address the issue of second-hand smoke in homes. Eleven thousand tickets were issued in 2020 compared to 7,100 in 2019 for smoking in prohibited areas such as common corridors and stairwells of flats which can lead to second-hand smoke in homes. While this would be of little comfort to our Members Mr Louis Ng and Ms Poh Li San, Singapore is not alone in grappling with this intractable issue. Other jurisdictions have attempted regulation and when doing so, they have done so on a very selective basis, and more importantly, they have not experienced clear success. Norfolk, Virginia, banned smoking in public housing rental units in 2018. Non-compliance could result in the termination of the tenant's lease, a huge consequence. The situation improved in the first month but, within a year, the situation had reverted to what it had been previously, as smokers resumed smoking at home. Why so? While the consequences were real and serious, the chances of being caught were not. We also need to recognise that there are wide-ranging views on this issue, which touches fundamentally on an individual's right in his own home. Prohibiting smoking in homes, even if just at windows and balconies, is controversial.”
“Part V of the EPHA addresses public nuisances that affect the public at large and not private nuisances which interfere with another person’s use or enjoyment of his property, which is the situation with smoking in homes. To achieve deterrence, not only do we need the appropriate law, we also need effective enforcement. Unfortunately, NEA’s assessment is that this is not achievable with current enforcement modalities and technology. If we were to prohibit smoking at windows and balconies, we can be sure that there will be smokers who will find ways to avoid getting caught. They could smoke in balcony corners, or in toilets with windows or ventilation fans, which some already do. Smoke will inevitably seep out and can still travel to neighbouring units. So, the problem remains. We cannot prosecute people based solely on complaints of smell or smoke wafting from neighbouring units. We have to catch the offender in the act of smoking at the balcony or window, or have witnesses come forward to testify that they witnessed the act. Yet complainants are often unable to accurately identify the source of the smell or smoke. Each case will require extensive manpower and resources to investigate, with no guarantee of successful enforcement. Furthermore, to undertake investigation, we will need to accept significant social trade-offs. As noted, smokers who want to evade enforcement are unlikely to stand in full view at the balcony or window. To clearly capture a person in the act of smoking at windows and balconies, cameras would have to be of a sufficient resolution and trained directly into units. Their field of view would also cover neighbouring units and potentially include innocent neighbours engaged in other activities. Are we prepared for such intrusive measures?”
“Mr Speaker, I thank the Members for their impassioned pleas regarding second-hand tobacco smoke in homes. Let me assure everyone that we also take this matter seriously and are doing what we practically and reasonably can to tackle this issue. As part of our national health policy to discourage smoking and protect the public from second-hand smoke, we have expanded smoking prohibition extensively, to more than 32,000 places. In residential areas, this includes common corridors and stairwells of apartment blocks, right up to the doorstep. We are now looking into extending the smoking prohibition to even more places. Through concerted efforts, Singapore’s smoking prevalence has been driven down to 10.1% in 2020, half the global average of 20%. Mr Louis Ng and Ms Poh Li San have asked my Ministry to prohibit smoking at windows and balconies to minimise second-hand smoke drift. We appreciate their intent but as previously explained during a Motion on the same issue in October last year, enforcement is not simple. First, let me clarify the intent of sections 43, 44 and 45 in Part V of the Environmental Public Health Act or EPHA, which are on the abatement of public nuisances through the use of Nuisance Orders and explain why they cannot be used to prohibit smoking at windows and balconies. This part of the EPHA was enacted in the context of 1960s Singapore to provide for quick mitigative action to arrest public nuisances from specific industrial activities. It is not the purpose of the EPHA to deal with smoking prohibition. This is why the Smoking (Prohibition in Certain Places) Act was enacted in 1970.”
“In this regard, let me assure you that you can visit the hawker centres which are open, with peace of mind, as MOH has completed a one-time pre-emptive swab for all working in our hawker centres and placed them on Rostered Routine Testing (RRT). Deep-cleaning and disinfection of affected centres have been carried out, and we have also implemented access control. The Government will continue to work with stakeholders but, ultimately, it is up to all Singaporeans to support our hawkers to ensure that our hawker trade and culture continue to thrive. [(proc text) Question put, and agreed to. (proc text)] [(proc text) Resolved, "That Parliament do now adjourn." (proc text)] Adjourned accordingly at 8.45 pm.”
“Some provide onsite support to manage online orders and some have different fee structures. Some charge hawkers little or no commission, with costs borne by consumers. Each model has its benefits and targets different segments of hawkers and consumers. Hawker representatives, online food delivery platforms and the community groups have come together with NEA and IMDA to convene an Alliance for Action (AfA) on online ordering for hawker food. This aims to address challenges hawkers face in using delivery services. The AfA will look at raising hawkers' awareness and understanding of different platforms, facilitate their onboarding and equip them with means to successfully market their food online. It will also explore more sustainable platform costs for both hawkers and patrons by exploring different business models. Meanwhile, our Digital Ambassadors from SG Digital Office will continue to support hawkers by helping them get onboard e-payment and online delivery platforms. Hawkers can also approach NEA for help, as suggested by Mr Perera. We have made good progress, with about half of cooked-food stallholders in our hawker centres having adopted some form of food delivery and almost 70% of them on e-payment. We aim to develop an ecosystem of support, where all hawkers – tech-savvy or otherwise – can join if they wish. We can all do our part to keep hawker centres vibrant and safe by patronising our hawker stalls online or offline, and adhering to Safe Management Measures, as well as, of course, clearing our trays and dirty crockeries and litter up when dine-in resumes.”
“To help sustain the hawker trade and heritage, we are piloting the Hawkers Succession Scheme (HSS) to help retiring veteran hawkers pass down culinary skills, recipes as well as stalls to aspiring successors through an apprenticeship and mentorship programme. I am happy to see many younger hawkerpreneurs contributing to our hawker culture through both traditional and modern hawker fare. COVID-19 has presented learning points on future-proofing our hawker centres and hawker trade. To make hawker centres cleaner, safer and more productive, we introduced the Hawker Centres Transformation Programme (HTP), which will include improvements such as better aisles and tables spacing to minimise crowding, and high-volume-low-speed fans to improve ventilation. We also encourage hawker centres to get onto the Productive Hawker Centres (PHC) programme and adopt automated tray return systems and centralised dishwashing. To help hawkers enhance business resiliency, the Hawkers' Productivity Grant (HPG) co-funds the purchase of equipment to streamline business processes. The pandemic has brought to the fore online food delivery for hawker food. While this is no silver bullet, it is one way to help hawkers boost their revenue. To help defray costs of onboarding food delivery platforms, NEA provided hawkers with a one-time $500 support last year under the Food Delivery Support Scheme. There is, however, no easy or one-size-fits-all solution. Hawkers have different needs and preferences, and not all hawker food is suitable for food delivery. Beyond the larger delivery platforms, there are various others that hawkers can work with, such as WhyQ and Bungkus, and each adopts a different business model.”
“Socially-conscious Enterprise Hawker Centres, or SEHC operators, will ensure, not just a few, but each of every stall in the centres sells at least one item priced $3 and below. This provides affordable options while allowing hawkers to provide diverse food offerings and sell additional items with higher profit margin. The SEHC model is working well and has benefited hawkers and patrons. Average occupancy rates at SEHCs remained high at 98% in June 2021, with very little turnover. Operating costs, including rentals, are on par with comparable existing centres. During this pandemic, operators have demonstrated their useful role by helping their hawkers adopt online food delivery and curating activities to attract footfall. Beyond COVID-19, we must ensure our hawker culture and food continue to thrive for future generations. We have been working closely with hawkers and stakeholders to sustain the hawker trade. Building on veteran hawkers' advice – so we talk to the hawkers constantly – we have taken steps to provide new hawkers with necessary skillsets to boost their chances of succeeding. For example, we started the Hawkers' Development Programme (HDP) last year and 376 participants have completed their classroom training; 96 are currently being mentored by experienced hawker mentors under the HDP's apprenticeship stage. Aspiring hawkers can also participate in NEA's Incubation Stall Programme (ISP), which provides up to 15 months' rental subsidies and fitted-out stalls to lower start-up costs. SEHC operators have also developed similar programmes. To date, 92 aspiring hawkers have participated in these programmes, with 38 becoming full-fledged hawkers. The median age of these hawkerpreneurs is 36.”
“Stallholders that contribute CPF for their employees from October 2019 would have received 17 months of wage support under the Jobs Support Scheme (JSS). During this recent Phase Two (Heightened Alert), eligible stallholders in Government-owned commercial properties will receive one-month rental relief and those in privately-owned commercial properties will receive two weeks' rental relief. To help F&B operators, Enterprise Singapore has reintroduced the Food Delivery Booster Package for the Phase Two (Heightened Alert) period. Eligible stallholders can also apply for financial support under the COVID-19 Recovery Grant (CRG). The Government is committed to supporting our hawkers as well as stallholders in other F&B establishments. We will continue to monitor the situation and assess the need for further assistance. As Mr Perera is well aware, food courts and coffeeshops are operated commercially by private operators. Stallholders and the F&B operators enter willingly into commercial arrangements after assessing the business potential. Regardless, anyone aspiring to become hawkerpreneurs always has the option of securing a stall in NEA centres which are open to all Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents. As Mr Perera has acknowledged, rentals are more affordable at NEA centres, where median monthly rental of non-subsidised hawker stalls is $1,250. This is because of policies such as doing away with the minimum bid price through tender, which is the most transparent manner of allocation of such stalls, to allow hawker centres to serve as our community dining rooms while ensuring that hawkers can earn a decent livelihood, even as they provide affordable food for Singaporeans.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, I thank the Member for his Motion of Adjournment, and the many Members of Parliament like Mr Gan Thiam Poh and Ms Joan Pereira, who have filed Parliamentary Questions and spoken in support of our hawkers. Indeed, our hawker trade is a key part of Singapore's history and identity, very much loved and treasured by Singaporeans. The inscription of our hawker culture by UNESCO is a proud achievement for all hawkers and Singaporeans. To ensure that the hawker trade and culture continue to thrive for future generations, we have been working closely with hawkers and stakeholders to, as Mr Leon Perera said, professionalise the trade, improve working conditions and keep barriers to entry low. Our policies ensure that rentals remain affordable. We work closely with the hawker community to support new hawkers and encourage existing hawkers to adapt to changes, as we future-proof our hawkers and hawker trade, that is, to protect and to promote them. To support our hawkers in weathering COVID-19, we have provided eight months' rental waiver and six months' subsidies for table-cleaning and centralised dishwashing fees since April 2020. Eligible hawkers also received $9,000 under the Self-Employed Person Income Relief Scheme (SIRS) in 2020. Given the disproportionate impact of recent COVID-19 clusters on some markets and hawker centres, we will provide stallholders in centres managed by NEA or NEA-appointed operators one-off $500 support under the Market and Hawker Centre Relief Fund in early August. Those who continue to face financial difficulties can reach out to NEA and we will review the case and provide assistance on a case-by-case basis. Stallholders in other F&B establishments, coffee shops and food courts have also been supported during this pandemic.”
“Since 2011, lorries used to ferry any persons in their rear decks are required to be fitted with canopies. These provide shelter, including against inclement weather. Failure to do so is an offence under the Road Traffic Act. First-time offenders will face a fine of up to $1,000, an imprisonment term of up to three months, or both. These penalties are doubled for repeat offenders. We take such offences seriously and have been actively enforcing against offenders. For the first half of 2021, we caught 23 offenders with lorries ferrying workers without canopies, or without having a sufficiently large canopy to shelter all workers. We will not hesitate to take stern action against the offenders. Members of the public can call the Land Transport Authority's hotline to report any non-compliance with these regulations. That said, we strongly encourage all employers to do their part to ensure the welfare of their workers. In the event of severe weather, we recognise that the canopy alone may not confer sufficient protection from the elements. We certainly do encourage employers to take the initiative to install rain covers. These are typically waterproof canvas tarps that are installed on the sides of the rear deck, to complement canopies which serve primarily as a roof shelter. Where possible, employers should also consider putting on hold such trips until the heavy rain has passed. 3.00 pm”
“I thank the Member for his questions. Just let me say that it is free only for the repeat test taken in first three months. But having said that, as I said, we are mindful to make sure it is affordable to PAB riders. With regard to the Member's suggestion for an audio version of the test, first, let me say that, on a case-by-case basis, there is a need for special consideration, they can actually do an oral test. But I think his idea of an audio version, meaning an online audio version, is a good idea. We can look into this and study to see if it is feasible. With regard to the hotline, they can contact LTA and let them know if there are special requests.”
“But having said that, it is really not just about the public knowing it because our authorised officers have a duty, responsibility and obligation to ensure that they do this in accordance with protocols and SOPs.”
“I thank the Member for her clarifications. Firstly, with regard to whether it is targeted or random, I think I said in my speech earlier that they are trained to spot suspicious behaviour and then, they can decide that they will do frisk searches. But it is only authorised officers who have gone through the approved training, and this will be the Police officers, the auxiliary officers, the security officers, enforcement officers. So, they are actually in uniform. If the Police is not in uniform, then they will have to identify themselves. And it also depends on the alert level, the threat level. Because there are different threat levels and, depending on the threat levels, they will be doing their checks at the public transport areas. Secondly, regarding the approved course, it is approved by SPF, WSQ and it is an entire module that is related to this. I do not have the name with me, it is in a file back there, because I thought we are going to have the Minister of State's speech before we have clarifications, but I can give it to you. It is actually an approved course and there is an entire module specific to this. The other thing I need to also highlight is that what we are doing in terms of security checks, as well as frisk searches, is not different, as I have said, from those that we have already been conducting for major public events, for instance, NDP. And they go through the same training. Regarding informing the public, awareness by public, well, I am sure this is recorded, this will be publicised. We will also look at how we can ensure and reach out to the public further, in order to make sure that the public also know and have assurance that this is done.”
“And we urge all employers to do their part in ensuring the safety and welfare of their drivers and workers. In sum, MOT will continue with our efforts to make Singapore's land transport system more future-ready, resilient and safe. This Bill is part of that work and I thank Members for their support.”
“This is an important point to note and it shows that this practice is not uncommon. There are also very significant, practical and operational issues, as I have noted, on top of just cost considerations that need to be considered in any enhancements of existing measures. These are not vague statements, but concrete feedback given by many companies and SMEs, and reflect the realities on the ground. Regulatory changes now will cause even more acute pain to the industry, given that the industry is being severely affected by COVID-19. Such moves will have wider ramifications, including on livelihoods for both local and migrant workers. If the Member who raised this, Ms He Ting Ru, speaks to SMEs on the ground, I am sure she would know this even without having to do a study. So, while it is clearly not just about cost, to argue as though cost does not matter at all, is not practical and does not gel with reality. What we have been striving to do is to preserve the safety of workers and, at the same time, ensure that they can continue to have their jobs. And for the migrant workers, this is the very reason why they are here. We will continue to review the existing safety rules, engage stakeholders along the way, taking all feedback and suggestions, as I have said, and find a sensible and balanced way forward, taking into account all concerns for the benefit of all. In the meantime, we will continue engaging employers and drivers of lorries to remind them about our rules and encourage safe driving behaviours. We will also step up enforcement against any non-compliance with regulatory requirements. Between January and April this year, LTA had issued 227 notices of offence.”
“AMAP will engage different stakeholders and submit their recommendations in due course. At the same time, we will press on with enforcement against errant riders and motorists. That said, I would like to point out to Mr Dennis Tan that road safety has to be a collective effort from all road users to play their part by driving and riding safely, to be considerate to one another and to do their part to build up a safe riding culture. Mr Melvin Yong, Mr Murali Pillai, Ms Hazel Poa, Ms He Ting Ru and Dr Shahira Abdullah have asked about enhancing the safety of using lorries to ferry workers and provided many suggestions. This issue is not within the ambit of the Bill and has already been addressed extensively yesterday. I will not deal with this in detail again. Nonetheless, I will reiterate some key points. Let me first clarify that the exemption under section 126 of the RTA applies to all workers, regardless of nationality. As I mentioned yesterday, we are deeply saddened by the recent accidents involving lorries ferrying workers and understand the concerns raised by Members. We share their concerns. However, we also cannot just ignore the fact that the injury and fatality rate involving persons onboard lorries has come down over the last decade, as various measures, such as side railings and canopies, enhanced test requirements for drivers, sustained engagement and enforcement, have been implemented. Internationally, practices involving the use of lorries to ferry workers are varied and we have studied this widely. While some Members have identified countries that disallow the practice, there are also countries, such as Canada, Thailand and the USA, that allow workers to be ferried in the rear deck of lorries, albeit with safety precautions and some restrictions.”
“Yes, it will be an offence for a company to allow an uncertified rider to ride on the road with the knowledge that the rider is uncertified or being negligent as to whether the rider is uncertified. To Mr Gan Thiam Poh's and Mr Derrick Goh's queries on errant riders caught flouting traffic regulations, they are already required to undergo the Safe Riding Programme, which includes both theory and practical components today. On enforcement, Mr Saktiandi Supaat's and Mr Gan Thiam Poh's suggestion of using technology is a good one. LTA's MyTransport.SG mobile application has a "snap and send" function that enables members of the public to report errant riders. LTA is also trialling using CCTV technology and video analytics to identify errant riders. This will complement on-going enforcement efforts. Mr Melvin Yong, Mr Darryl David, Dr Shahira Abdullah, Mr Dennis Tan and Mr Sharael Taha have also asked about the safe use of bicycles on our roads and paths. This has been an on-going effort and one which LTA has devoted much attention and resources to. Over the years, we have put in place a regulatory framework to provide clarity on rules, launched outreach and public education programmes and enhanced our enforcement efforts against errant riders. We are continuing with these efforts. Senior Minister of State Chee Hong Tat spoke about this at length, including how we are expanding the active mobility infrastructure, which Mr Yip Hon Weng and Ms Raeesah Khan have suggested. We have recently asked Active Mobility Advisory Panel or AMAP to conduct a review to improve road safety for both cyclists and motorists. Among other issues, AMAP will study how to enhance public education and awareness of rules for all road users – both cyclists and motorists alike.”
“We will keep test fees affordable to minimise the financial impact on riders, especially those who ride for their livelihoods. For the first three months, the test will be chargeable at $5 for two attempts. And just in case Members do not really understand what it means, let me just clarify. Five dollars for two attempts means if you try the first time, it will be $5. If you pass, we are happy for you. If you cannot pass, you can take the test again for free the second time; that is, $5 for two attempts. This is a discounted rate to encourage greater test take-up. Subsequently, the test will be chargeable at $10 for each attempt. The test will be conducted online in the four official languages. Special provisions can be made on a case-by-case basis for those who are not digitally-savvy or illiterate. Upon passing, digital certificates will be issued to the rider. We will have the means to verify unlawful manipulation of the certificate. We will provide an adequate transition period for riders to prepare, take and complete the test before enforcement kicks in. I would like to assure Ms Yeo Wan Ling that the process to register for and take the test, including retakes, will be kept simple with minimal turnaround time. We will work through the NTUC, food delivery companies and active mobility interest groups to raise awareness and ensure that all riders are certified before they ride. I am glad to hear from Mr Abdul Samad that the NTUC is working on a training programme to prepare delivery riders for the test. Mr Desmond Choo asked if the new section 47K also imposes liability on platform companies.”
“This is not a licensing regime which will be more onerous for riders. Instead, it is a one-time theory test which will ensure that riders are familiar with active mobility rules, regulations and code of conduct. The amendments to the RTA today will enable us to implement a single theory test for PAB riders on roads and cycling paths. To answer Ms He Ting Ru's query, the minimum riding age for PAB and e-scooters is 16 and riders will be required to take and pass the test before being able to ride. E-scooter riders below the age of 16 can only ride under adult supervision and the supervising adult will need to have passed the test. LTA just launched the English handbook for e-scooter and PAB riders and we will make available the Mandarin, Malay and Tamil translations shortly. The handbook is available free-of-charge and we will study suggestions raised by Members on more widely disseminating the information, including through schools. To address Mr Gan Thiam Poh's question, the handbook includes information on what to do in an accident, on top of rules and code of conduct and a section on equipment check. On Mr Darryl David's question on including a practical component, the theory test is a useful start to address the lack of knowledge of rules and to tackle deliberate errant riding behaviour. We will continue to monitor the landscape and update the testing requirements, if necessary, while balancing against how onerous the regime will be on PAB riders. Many Members asked about the theory test. LTA will release more details in June, but I will address some key points, such as the cost of the test and if it will be accessible to those who face difficulty taking an online test, including our seniors.”
“With regard to illegal modifications, it is already an offence for any person to illegally modify a vehicle. They can be fined up to $5,000 and/or jailed up to three months. Penalties are doubled for repeat offenders. Like Mr Derrick Goh suggested, vehicular inspections are a key touchpoint during which illegal modifications can be detected. We introduced the Enhanced Inspection Regime where vehicle owners caught with illegally modified exhaust systems for a second or subsequent time will be subjected to more frequent mandatory vehicle inspections. I shared with this House in March about the challenges of enforcing against errant motor workshops. That said, we have stepped up enforcements island-wide. Just last week, a motor vehicle workshop was charged in Court for illegally modifying two cars’ exhaust systems. This is a very serious offence, as modifying a vehicle's exhaust system may lead to public safety concerns when the vehicle is used for racing, or result in public nuisance due to excessive noise. Vehicle safety is a key concern and we will do more to deter illegal modifications. To this effect, we will strengthen penalties for illegal exhaust modifications for greater deterrence. For first-time offenders, LTA currently issues a composition sum of $500. Going forward, LTA will double the composition sum to $1,000 for new offences committed from 1 July this year. We will also not hesitate to take offenders of more egregious cases to Court, even if they are first-time offenders. Furthermore, for repeat offenders, LTA will apply to the Court to detain the offending vehicle for up to three months. I am glad that many Members have voiced their support for the theory test for e-scooters and power-assisted bicycle (PAB) riders.”
“In their training, the authorised officers are taught how to spot anyone displaying suspicious behaviour without bias against any race or religion. Only upon completion of the training and certification can they be considered as "Senior Approved Persons" as defined in the Bill. Members asked about the types of measures that would be applied during frisk searches to prevent passengers from being taken advantage of. I would like to assure Members that all authorised officers have to be in uniform when conducting frisk searches. In addition, security searches will be conducted within the video surveillance coverage to provide assurance to the public that any alleged abuses will be investigated accordingly. To safeguard the modesty of a female person and to ensure frisk searches are conducted professionally, only authorised female officers can conduct frisk searches on a female person. We also have the powers to enforce against imposters, as provided for under section 11B of the LTA Act. Mr Saktiandi also asked how we will ensure the safety of the public and authorised officers, especially during the current COVID-19 pandemic. Adequate safe management measures have been put in place. Authorised officers are required to strictly adhere to these measures as well as the MOH’s health advisory. The authorised officers are also reminded to practise good personal hygiene. All security equipment is regularly sanitised after each use. In addition, hand sanitisers will be provided for commuters to use. I will now address the broader land transport issues raised by Members. I would like to assure Mr Murali Pillai that under the Vehicle Construction and Use Rules, we already require vehicles to be roadworthy, such as having well-functioning brakes and headlamps.”