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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“So, for high-rise littering, the first offence is already a Court conviction, with a maximum of $2,000 fine and/or CWO. The third and subsequent offences are a maximum of $10,000 fine and/or CWO. What we are doing now is also to deter future high-rise litterbugs. For instance, when we have a camera capture of a high-rise littering act, we are working with Town Councils to put up standees in that affected block to inform residents that high-rise littering offences have been committed and have been captured by camera deployments. Let me also add that when we look at the statistics, basically, the repeat offenders for high-rise littering acts actually are lower than for the general littering offences. So, although the number of offences per offender may be higher for high-rise littering because the camera will capture multiple acts of high-rise littering, but, for repeat offenders, actually, the percentage is lower. So, it does show that what we are doing does have a deterrent effect if we are able to identify and apprehend them. So, steady state? No. As I have said earlier, at the end of the day, even as we step up enforcement and continue to actively monitor and try and apprehend with technology and so on, ultimately, what is important is we need the community, we need Singaporeans to cooperate. We need Singaporeans to cultivate social graciousness, good habits and collective responsibility and not to litter, in order to be able to keep Singapore clean and green.”
“Again, let me thank the Member for his questions and, in fact, comments. First, with regard to the question about the deterrent effect of our enforcements, let me say that due to the nature of the offence – high-rise littering act – as well as the fact that our estates especially are very heavily built up, very dense, I think you would appreciate that it is not easy to identify and apprehend high-rise litterbugs. Despite this, a high-rise littering offence is a very serious offence. It affects our public health and, in fact, safety, too, and we take this seriously and we take firm enforcement action as far as is possible and practicable. Over the years, we have stepped up our enforcement and surveillance capabilities. In fact, we leveraged technology and data analytics in order to apprehend high-rise litterbugs. And as I have noted, since last year, 2020, we have actually increased our camera deployments by more than 50%. We have also worked more closely with the Town Councils to enable more timely sharing of information in order to facilitate our investigations. In fact, we have worked to improve our work processes through data analytics so that we can actually shorten the waiting time for camera deployments for surveillance and that is the reason why we are able to increase the number of deployments of the cameras. We have also worked to streamline our investigation procedures to shorten the investigation period as far as possible. In addition to that, of course, we will continue to look at using better camera technology in terms of better image resolution as well as detection capabilities and so on to be more effective. Let me also say that, in fact, we have, over the years, been increasing the penalties for high-rise litterbugs.”
“I thank the Member for her supplementary questions. I assume that for areas where there is high human traffic, litter bins are placed there in order to provide convenience for people to bin their rubbish. But I do understand the Member's questions and concerns. Indeed, we do have such similar feedback on these thoroughfares. NEA has responded to the feedback by working with the relevant agencies and premises owners to relocate these bins – particularly the ones with the ashtrays – to places where there is less footfall, away from the main thoroughfare or high human traffic volume, to prevent the areas near where the thoroughfare is to become smoking congregation areas. With regard to advisories, indeed, NEA actually worked closely with the Town Councils as well as with various Government agencies and grassroots to distribute advisories or flyers in residential estates as well as to put up visual reminders to remind smokers to be considerate when lighting up and to not smoke in smoking prohibited areas. And of course, we will continue to actively monitor and enforce against smoking in prohibited areas.”
“We encourage motorists to drive safely and watch out for potholes as well as report any defects through the LTA website, the "Snap & Send" function on the MyTransport.SG mobile application, or the Municipal Services Office's OneService application.”
“In early January 2021, during downpours, there were two episodes of soil erosion at two different sections of the slope surface along the slip road from TPE(PIE) to Loyang Avenue and Tampines Avenue 7, despite the slope having been lined with a protective covering. For the first incident on 2 January 2021, LTA repaired the eroded surface and lined about 70 metres of the slope adjacent to the incident site with concrete. The other areas did not show any anomalies, but LTA continued to closely monitor the entire slope as a safety precaution. When the second incident occurred about 100 metres away from the first erosion, LTA was able to detect it immediately and lined it with concrete as well. In both incidents, the slip road was promptly closed off as a safety precaution and traffic redirected from the area. Other than these two episodes, LTA has not detected other incidents of soil erosion along slopes near roads last year. When such incidents happen, be it potholes or slope erosions, our priority is rapid response to minimise risks to safety. In addition, LTA also undertakes preventive measures such as resurfacing roads based on condition assessment of the pavement, to enhance their durability. But because these resurfacing works can be disruptive for motorists and costly, we do it in a targeted way. For slopes, if pre-emptive measures are deemed necessary, they will be lined with protective covering to prevent rainwater from seeping into the soil, or reinforced with retaining walls to enhance their stability. LTA will continue to study technology-enabled approaches for monitoring and repair works. Motorists who have sustained vehicle damages or injuries generally seek recourse from their insurance providers.”
“Thank you. LTA conducts frequent inspections of over 9,000 lane-kilometres of roads to check for road defects, including potholes. Expressways are inspected weekly, major roads fortnightly, and all other roads once every two months. LTA also receives feedback from members of the public on any road defects and conducts follow-up investigations. Wet weather conditions exacerbate wear and tear on our road infrastructure. More potholes appear on our roads during periods of heavy sustained rainfall, due to the continuous seepage of water into the road pavements. January 2021 was an exceptionally wet month, with very heavy and prolonged rainfall. From 1 to 31 January 2021, LTA identified 2,570 potholes on our roads, the highest ever number of potholes recorded in a single month, and more than double the number of a typical wet season month. When a pothole is identified, LTA typically tries to repair it within 24 hours. In January 2021, LTA has tripled its manpower for road repairs. Unfortunately, heavy rain hampers pothole patching works because the road surface needs to be dry in order for the patching materials to bond properly. As of 31 January, about 95% of the potholes have been repaired. Safety critical ones have been prioritised for repairs. LTA is currently working to repair the remaining potholes. Members have also asked about slope erosions. LTA conducts quarterly inspections of around 200 slopes located near roads, to look out for anomalies. During rainy seasons, LTA increases the inspection frequency for steeper slopes to weekly, as they have a higher risk of soil erosion.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, with your permission, may I take Question Nos 14 to 16 together, please?”
“With regards to coupon-less car park charging, Parking.SG is already able to do this. And in fact, it is already rolled out to many car parks. This system also has the capability to do that, but it is not a key feature nor a key criterion for us adopting this technology. 1.15 pm”
“Let me thank the Member for his supplementary questions. As I have said, the reason why we have rolled out nexgen ERP is because there is a need to replace the current system, which is nearing the end of its operational life. And when we evaluated various technologies, it was found that GNSS was the most appropriate technology given that we will then be able to do away with bulky gantries, which occupy road space and also be able to avoid, for instance, the need for manpower intensive maintenance of these gantries. In addition, this technology based on GNSS will be able to give us accurate, real-time traffic data, which will help us to do even better in terms of transport policy, planning and traffic management. As I have noted, the system also has the capabilities for, and potentially we can implement, distance-based charging. But, I think our current focus really is on ensuring that the installation process for the million or so motorists in Singapore, will take place as smoothly as possible. As I have said, we are going to roll this out around second half of 2021 and it will take about 18 months. We need to give the nexgen ERP time to settle and also to give us time to collect information on traffic patterns, travel patterns, distance travelled impact on the different types of motoristsand so on. Then, we can study the different options and approaches, and come to a decision. So, with regard to his questions, about whether it will be revenue neutral and what about the other taxes and so on. I think it is premature, we will have to study all these different approaches first in order to come to a decision. As I have said and I think we have consistently said – any form of distance-based charging is several years away.”
“The key reason for switching to the next-generation ERP, or nexgen ERP, is that the current system, which has been in place since 1998, is reaching the end of its operational life. After studying several options, LTA concluded that the Global Navigation Satellite System, or GNSS, was the most suitable technology to use for nexgen ERP. It will remove the need to maintain the current bulky gantries and generate accurate real time traffic data to support transport policy, planning and traffic management. It can also potentially be used for distance-based charging. There is no specific contract cost attributable to this feature, as it is part of the system design in the contract. The Member asked about the timeline for implementing distance-based charging. Let me clarify that this distance-based charging is a different approach for congestion charging. The current approach is point-based or cordon pricing – vehicles are charged when they cross a specific point or a cordon. As announced earlier, such distance-based pricing is several years away. Give the nexgen ERP system some time to settle down first. In the meantime, we will study different approaches and options.”
“With regards to audits of the factories, we do regular checks for factories. So, for the higher risk factories and particularly for the large emitters, we need them to submit accredited reports on an annual basis and we actually check these high-risk factories twice a year. For the lower risk factories, it is once a year. So, there are actually measures that we put in place to mitigate this. And we will continue to see what we can do.”
“First, let me thank the Member for his suggestions. Let me say that NEA will continue to monitor the ambient air quality in the area with respect to pollutant indicators as well as VOCs and so on. Indeed, we have continuous, real-time air monitoring sensors, a network of these sensors that will measure Pollutant Standards Index as well as VOCs, to ensure that the ambient air quality is within the range of good to moderate and that the VOC levels are within the safe levels. But I must caveat that we cannot guarantee; we will do our best. Some of these things are not within our control. But, with regards to the three suggestions, I would say yes, we will take all this on board. Also, allow me to clarify that every time when a smell incident is reported, if it is distinctive and we can trace it to a specific factory, we will engage the factory and advise them to implement smell mitigation measures. Over the years, quite a number of these factories have been implementing or have implemented smell mitigation measures. For instance, scrubbers, odour control systems, dispersion fans and to the extent that some of them will also moderate their operations, in order to mitigate the smells. And as the Member has rightly pointed out, particularly during the months from April to November, due to the Southwest monsoon as well as the inter-monsoon period, sometimes the wind will carry over these smells or the smells could linger because of lack of variability in the wind speed and so on. But, as I have said, for the smell incidents that have been reported thus far, we have not found elevated levels of ambient air pollutant indicators, which means that they are within safe levels. We will continue to proactively respond to such reports of smell incidents.”
“I thank the Member for the supplementary question on wet markets. At the moment for the Toilet Improvement Programme, we have budgeted about $8 million and we are looking at co-funding the programme for up to 40 hawker centres whose common areas and toilets are managed by the Town Councils, and up to 114 coffeeshops. So, this is as a start. With regard to the request, let us look at it. As I have said, our priority and as a start for this Toilet Improvement Programme, it is really for coffeeshops and hawker centres where there is high traffic and we are looking at improving standards of hygiene and cleanliness, particularly with respect to the spread of infectious diseases and so on. We are looking at toilets that have not been upgraded, for instance, for coffeeshops, for the last three years, with ageing infrastructure and maintenance issues. But these are areas that we could look at.”
“So, that is optical camera. We have even thought about how do you do it if you cannot mount at the ground floor. You have to mount at a certain height and distance, but will you be able to find common staircases that there has a good vantage point? If you cannot, can you mount it in the homes of residents? Unlikely. The other thing is, even for high-rise littering camera when you mount and aim, the camera will be looking at a few units, so there are actually privacy concerns. But for high-rise littering, because we are aiming at the facade, I think it is less of an issue. But, for smoking, it will be really an intrusion into privacy. Because even the innocent resident may also be in the line of sight. For thermal cameras, the distance is only 40 metres so you can well imagine if you are separated or blocked by trees, so on and so forth, you will not be able to get the heat signature. I hope that explains. [(proc text) Question put, and agreed to. (proc text)] [(proc text) Resolved, "That Parliament do now adjourn." (proc text)] Adjourned accordingly at 6.59 pm.”
“In fact, as the Member said, we have had years of experience using optical cameras for high-rise littering enforcement and then recently thermal cameras for enforcement against smoking in prohibited areas. So, because we have years of experience, my NEA colleagues fully understand the intractable difficulties in enforcing against smoking at balconies and windows. Allow me to just elaborate a little, Deputy Speaker. First of all, thermal cameras are of shorter range than the optical cameras for high-rise littering. And as I have said, for high-rise littering, we can have the optical cameras at ground level point as Member said, at the facade, as long as you can see somebody throwing the cigarette – the act of throwing – we will then investigate from which floor, we know which unit, we can investigate and then get the person to admit to the littering offence. For smoking at balconies and windows, as I have explained, it is not so easy because you need to see the smoker in the act of taking the lighted cigarette or holding the cigarette and to do that you have to train the camera at level with as well as directly at the windows or balconies. First, because of the design of flats and increasingly so, it is very difficult to find common areas where you can put cameras and be able to aim directly at that flat. Flats, for instance, with recess windows and balconies, you cannot do it. Most of the private condominium designs are very difficult, you cannot do it. Even for high-rise littering, it is already difficult and that is just the facade. For smoking, you actually have to look in. And the problem is, if you just step back behind, like I say, curtains, walls and so on, the person is actually still near the windows and balconies, but you cannot catch.”
“To the Member's first question, we are dealing with this issue of second-hand smoke not just as a neighbourly dispute. The fact that we started legislation to ban smoking in common areas, really, one of the priority is because we want to protect the public from second-hand smoke. That is why there are 32,000 places now that are smoking prohibited areas. So, in fact, the smokers have very little areas, very little space for them to smoke. They cannot smoke in playgrounds, common corridors, staircases and so on. The reason really is protecting public from second-hand smoke as well as of course making it very difficult for smokers to smoke because we hope that that will help to reduce their smoking prevalence rate. And indeed, we have been successful in doing this because I have actually given statistics to show that smoking prevalence rates have fallen to 10.6% in 2019, and we are doing more. We are going to expand the smoking prohibited areas to even more places. In fact, somebody said, "Actually, our smoking prohibition in common areas in residential estate is really right up to the doorstep of your homes already." So, it is not really just about neighbourly disputes. But, as I have said to ban smoking in homes, there are couple of issues, not just about enforcement but also about privacy concerns. So, that leads to my answer to the second question. Why can we not just use the cameras we are using? Indeed, in my response, I have elaborated on why it is difficult to enforce using the cameras we have – both optical cameras as well as thermal cameras. So, just give Members an illustration.”
“Ultimately, mitigating the impact of second-hand smoke requires everyone to play their part. Smokers must exercise consideration for the health of their family and neighbours. As a community, we must help one another build the right social norms for a healthy and gracious society. 6.51 pm”
“Changing norms will take time but we must work doubly hard as it gets to the very heart of the problem that legislation and enforcement, at least with today's level of technology, cannot fix. Second, we will examine more ways to facilitate productive conversations between neighbours to deal with difficult situations, before they escalate into intractable disputes. For example, we could develop simple messages for neighbours to communicate concerns with one another or share best practices from successful efforts to resolve neighbourly disputes. We will also look at how to leverage community networks and links, including grassroots, to bring neighbours together in conversations. Third, we will work with agencies to study how these disputes can be better addressed by the inter-agency Community Dispute Management Framework. We will work with agencies to review the Community Mediation Process and the Community Disputes Resolution Tribunal or CDRT to enhance their effectiveness when residents have to resort to these channels. Nonetheless, we hope that most cases will not have to end up in community mediation or with the Tribunal. The best way to protect against second-hand smoke is for family members and neighbours to help smokers cut down and quit smoking. And if they have to smoke, not to light up at home and instead smoke at non-prohibited areas. Sir, I fully appreciate the frustration and distress of those who suffer from second-hand smoke at home. We are determined to address this and will work hard with Government agencies and the community on the strategies that I laid out. At the same time, we will continue to monitor best practices globally and improvements in technology. We will stay open to innovative and practicable solutions as they emerge.”
“MCSTs can opt to adopt by-laws to expand the ban in their estates, with support from residents. In US, the ban is enforced by Public Housing Authorities, whilst in Australia, the owner-corporations have to enforce the ban. Even in countries where there are bans, effectiveness has been mixed and uncertain at best. In US public housing, there was difficulty in securing evidence for enforcement and smokers also saw this as a violation of privacy. The difficulties in enforcing against smoking in homes and privacy concerns can lead to greater frustration, exacerbate disputes and increase social tensions. This was the case at Meadows@Peirce. The overseas examples show that enforcement is challenging. We must work hard to address the difficult issue of second-hand smoke from homes but legislation against smoking at windows or balconies may not be that silver bullet. Instead, we will pursue a three-pronged approach. First, we will work harder to engender greater social responsibility. This means instilling consideration for the health and well-being of those around us, not just family members but also our neighbours. We must entrench new social norms of what constitutes acceptable behaviour. For example, stop smoking in homes, including at windows and balconies, and do so only in non-prohibited areas away from others. NEA will work with other agencies such as MOH, HPB and MND and MSO to explore effective ways of doing this. For example, by developing targeted messages on exercising social responsibility, as well as acceptable social norms. These can then be communicated pervasively across key platforms, including social media channels.”
“However, a smoker can easily hide behind a pillar, frosted glass windows, or curtains to avoid detection by the camera. Overall, this may entail deployment of significant resources without achieving effective outcomes. Second, to capture the smoking act, the camera must be placed at suitable vantage points to probe into the window or balcony. For towering flats, finding the right vantage point in common areas to deploy the camera is not always possible. Directly aiming cameras into homes is highly intrusive, unlike surveillance for high rise littering where the camera is trained at the building facade and can be placed at ground level some distance away. Finally, this will exacerbate existing concerns about privacy and infringing the owner's rights to his or her private space. Meadows@Peirce is a case in point. A dispute had ensued in 2017 between the condominium management committee and its residents when a circular directed residents to refrain from smoking at balconies and windows. Some residents argued that the management committee should not dictate actions in private spaces. We have studied overseas practices too, some of which were cited by the Member. Globally, there are few instances of bans on smoking in homes. In the US, the smoking ban in homes is limited to public rental housing which accounts for a tiny fraction, in fact, 1% of the total housing stock. In Australia, some states ban smoking in common areas of multi-unit housing and exempt private spaces, although owner corporations can adopt their own by-laws to cover the private living areas. Indeed, this is similar to what we have in Singapore. Smoking is already banned in many common areas of residential estates.”
“NEA has prioritised surveillance at common areas, in particular, common corridors, staircases and void decks at residential estates. Thermal cameras are also deployed at smoking hotspots. In the first half of 2020, NEA took 2,400 enforcement actions at these areas, a 37% increase from the same time period last year. For complaints of smoking in homes, NEA, Town Councils and grassroots leaders take an educational approach and advise smokers to be considerate and not smoke near windows and balconies. Most smokers take heed, except for a small group of recalcitrant smokers. For such cases, grassroots leaders, NEA and relevant agencies help to mediate between neighbours and discuss adjustments to be made. Affected residents can turn to the Community Mediation Centre. They can also raise the matter to the Community Disputes Resolution Tribunal or CDRT as a last resort. Between January 2019 and July 2020, 25 claims relating to excessive smoke, caused by cigarettes or incense, were filed with the CDRT. Quite a number of claimants were able to resolve issues amicably without proceeding to the Tribunal. Mr Louis Ng and GPC Members have proposed that we ban smoking at balconies and windows of homes. We are just as keen to resolve this issue and have carefully studied these suggestions. Unfortunately, besides the fact that such legislation could be highly intrusive, there are significant practical challenges in enforcement that limit effectiveness. First, enforcement will be challenging as capturing evidence of the smoking offence is not straightforward. Smelling the tobacco smoke is not sufficient as cameras must capture the smoker smoking or holding a lighted cigarette, as evidence for enforcement.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, protecting Singaporeans against second-hand tobacco smoke has always been our priority. I thank Mr Louis Ng for his proposal to curb second-hand smoke. Many Members, including myself, have received similar suggestions. Let me assure everyone that my Ministry is equally concerned about second-hand smoke. Indeed, I empathise with all who have suffered from this. We have always recognised the serious health risk from second-hand smoke. We first introduced smoking prohibition in omnibuses, cinemas and theatres in 1970 and have progressively expanded this to more public places. We were among the first globally to impose a nation-wide smoking ban in the covered common areas of residential estates. Currently, smoking is prohibited in more than 32,000 places and we will do more. Singapore has introduced robust policies to discourage smoking, such as raising the minimum legal age of smoking and introducing standardised packaging for tobacco products. Through public education and nudges, we urge smokers to quit their habit. Consequently, the daily smoking prevalence has decreased from 18.3% in 1992 to 13.9% in 2010 and 10.6% in 2019. We continue to work on driving down smoking prevalence, which will also reduce the incidence of second-hand smoke. Let me turn to the issue of second-hand smoke experienced in homes. Of the 11,400 smoking complaints received in the first four months of 2020, 58% or 6,630 complaints were in residential estates. As more residents work from home during the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an uptick in smoking complaints in residential estates. Ninety-five percent or 6,310 of these complaints were related to smoking in common corridors, staircases and void decks. The remaining 5% or 320 cases involved smoking in homes.”
“But understanding that this is a very, very significant and large project, I think Members will also appreciate why the timeline is actually stretched.”
“Let me thank the Member for her additional supplementary question on this issue again. I do not have the details of the contract, obviously, but I would think that, as with all contracts, there will always be certain specifications that have to be put out. Otherwise, people cannot tender and you need to give contractors or tenderers some amount of certainty. But within those limits, I am pretty sure and I understand that there is room for some consultation. And in fact, they have done this. As the Member said it was in 2016 that the contract was awarded, it was early 2016. The tender was called in 2014. As I have said it is a first-of-its-kind project, it is an international tender and there is no reference point so we did take a bit of time to look through the various tenders and proposals before we awarded it. Within that time frame, we had consulted and the contractors themselves have also done some internal consultations as well as even engage, for instance, NTU, to do a study, a human factor study on the GUI features – what to display and so on. I understand that they even had a driver trial experiments to look at the safety of the GUI features. We have also got an inter-Ministry committee that we consulted as I have shared earlier. And in fact, we also did two independent reviews on the features, the security features of the OBU. That is the reason why we have adopted what we have recently shared – that the OBU integrated with the ERP backend system and no third-party apps or use of mobile phone for the core charging functions. So, indeed, we are mindful that we have to take into account technology improvements and advancements which the contractors would have to do it.”
“In addition, we will see, as much feedback as possible, we will take into account within the bounds of our contractual obligations as well as the fact that you have to consider for instance, impact on the project timeline, technical viability is another other one, and of course safety requirements. So, the other one which we are doing and which we have taken feedback on, is of course with regard to the use of the mobile phone as a display screen. So, this is something that we are studying and we are looking to push this out. The Member Miss Cheryl Chan had asked if we do it as early as possible. As I have said, we want a smooth implementation of the nexgen ERP, let the system stabilise, we will look at this and then when it is possible, we will be able to offer it to the motorists and they can replace their display units. For new car owners, they can actually opt for that, in future.”
“I want to thank the Member for his questions. I think it is useful to clarify these. Firstly, is with regard to what stage we are at, in terms of public consultation, which we said we will be doing for the installation of the display unit. Let me share that we have started consulting the workshops as well as the authorised motor vehicle agents to look at the installation, how best to do it, to take into account public feedback we have received, with regard for instance, the screen, you know, blocking the road view of the motorists; with regard to it being, you know, quite bulky and so on. So, this is what we are doing, we need time to work this out with the workshops, as well as the authorised motor vehicle agent, simply because there are so many different designs, make or models of motor vehicles. So, once we have done this, we will share more details on our public consultation with respect to the installation of the display unit. With regards to changing the OBU design at this stage, well, the fact is as the Member had said, we are contractually bound, so, any significant changes to the design of the OBU, will of course incur cost. Cost is actually subjected to negotiation. But having said that, we are open to taking feedback from the public, which we have done and we are going to do. One of the things we will do, is with regards to the Graphical User Interface or GUI, what to put on the display screen. LTA, taking into account public feedback, will come up with a few options. Then, we will go out to do a public consultation again, to determine, you know, what are the important information to display with regards to driver safety, distractions and so on and so forth. So, that will be done.”
“We have already announced the timeline, starting from next year, for 18 months to do the installation. So, what we want, is to ensure a smooth installation of the nexgen ERP. To do this, the display unit will be a standard issue. We also need time to work with the contractors and the consultants to come up with the programme to be able to push OBU's specific data to the mobile app. And we will do it to the mobile phone third-party apps via bluetooth. What it means is that, motorists also have to give specific permissions for this to be done, they can then opt to use this mobile phone as the display screen.”
“I want to thank the Member for the two supplementary questions. Firstly, with regards to data integrity, data security and protection, indeed, she is right to say that, for the ERP backend system, we will have data to more than some one million or so motorists – specific data. What we are doing is that the core charging function can only be done through the OBU, no third-party apps, not done through the mobile phone, simply because of security reasons and data security as well as reliability. The OBU interfaces, or speaks directly, to the backend ERP system and is able to access this. We do not allow third-party apps or mobile phones to do the core charging function because there may be a compromise on the data – leakage, as well as the fact that there could be hacking, spoofing of the location and you can have fraudulent charging. For a system like that, you would want to maintain confidence in the system for our motorists as well as the fact that motorists must be confident that the vehicles' specific data will not be leaked. That is the reason why this is done. With regards to the second question about whether we can actually bring forward the timeline to look into whether we can allow data to be pushed one way, from the OBU to mobile phone and therefore, allow the mobile phone to replace the OBU display screen. What we want to do is to ensure a smooth implementation of the next-generation ERP system. The current ERP system is already more than 20 years old, it is reaching its end of its operational life and, in fact, is increasingly difficult and actually very expensive to maintain. Some of the parts are not going to be manufactured anymore. So, there is an urgency, a need to implement the nexgen ERP.”
“The first OBU will be free of charge for existing Singapore-registered vehicles. For new vehicles, the OBU would already be installed in the vehicle and form part of the overall cost of purchasing a new vehicle, as is the case with the IUs today. The pricing of OBU is still under consideration and LTA will release more details later including the warranty period of OBUs and information of the installation exercise. In allocating the slots for installation, we will ensure that there are sufficient installation points and give motorists ample notice to make their booking.”
“But we are looking at how to best install the OBU so that the display unit can be installed in cars such that the blockage of the windscreen is minimal. Actually, this thing can be folded in, so that you will not see it if you do not want to see it. They are looking at how to do this better. As to what information to show on the display unit, indeed, we will look at how to make sure that whatever information is shown and the way it is shown, it will not be distracting and it will not affect safety. LTA intends to present a few options to gather public feedback. For example, the display can be kept black most of the time, and only display ERP charges paid when a transaction is effected. As a possible future upgrade, LTA is also studying whether information from the OBU can be pushed to our smartphones, then the smartphones can be used as the display screen instead. Ms He Ting Ru1 has asked a question for the next Sitting on whether public consultation was done on the design – and we thought it is better we answer the question today. Where possible, our practice is to consult the public, but in this case, LTA faces some practical constraints. This is a first-of-a-kind project – there is no similar system anywhere else in the world. LTA sought proposals through an international tender. Several designs were submitted, and LTA has to select the best from the point of view of performance, design and value-for-money. But after awarding the tender, LTA is contractually bound. It could have specified that the winning tenderer has to conduct a major public consultation exercise and make significant changes to the design to take in public feedback, but that will add significant uncertainty which will delay the project and push up the tender prices.”
“Thank you, Sir. So, if you compare, the OBU for motorcycles is only slightly larger than the current IU. The dimensions: for the current OBU is 14 cm x 8 cm x 5 cm versus the current IU which is 13 cm x 8 cm x 4 cm; so 1 cm difference. But I concede it may look a little bulky because of the larger screen – but it is actually good for people like me. As for the OBUs for other vehicles, unlike for motorcycles, the processing unit will be installed below the dashboard and separated from the display unit on the screen. So, this is the processing unit but it is not going to be on your windscreen. It is actually going to be below the dashboard and it depends on the vehicle model where it will be put, but it will be out of sight. This is the processing unit and you can see that it has got ventilation, because it is actually a little CPU. The processing unit is separated from the display screen and the antenna – this is necessary because the OBU uses Global Navigation Satellite Technology and is, like I said, really a little computer. There will be safety and reliability issues to leave the processing unit on the dashboard when vehicles with enclosed spaces are parked under the hot sun, similar to how we will not expose our smartphones that same way. The OBU display unit will be mounted on the windscreen, and, actually, it is only slightly larger than the current IU. So, if Members look at this, it is about 3 cm longer but thinner. The current IU is 12 cm x 8 cm x 3 cm versus the OBU's display screen which is 15 cm x 8 cm x 2 cm. We are currently consulting the workshops and authorised motor vehicle agents on how best to install this display unit. The antenna is actually very small, so it will be on the windscreen, where your current IU is.”
“Thank you, Sir. Sir, Members have raised a few questions commonly asked by the public on the next-generation Electronic Road Pricing, or nexgen ERP system. Let me assure Members that in designing the system, LTA has carefully thought through these issues. The first question is why not process ERP payments using our smartphones? After all, we use it to pay all kinds of transactions, including charges at HDB and URA carparks. Technically, while this can be done, there will be many security and operational issues. LTA consulted an inter-agency committee including the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore, who advised that the core charging transactions and ERP data must be safely and securely processed with high assurance. The on-board units or OBUs, which is an integral part of the ERP system, have been designed to uphold the necessary protection for such purpose, and the security features are superior to that of a mobile phone. Hence, to better protect the system which contains the data of all motorists, we adopted the OBUs. There are also operational issues. Motorists need to remember to bring their smartphones, ensure it is sufficiently charged, is connected to the cellular network and the ERP payment app is launched throughout the journey. There will bound to be numerous unintended failed transactions and inconveniences caused. Hence, LTA concluded that it is better to process payments through a dedicated and integrated OBU, similar to today’s in-vehicle unit or IU. The second question is about the design of the OBU. Sir, at this juncture, may I have your permission to show the OBU and IU units.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, may I take Question Nos 19 to 21 together?”
“In this Fortitude Budget, MOH has an increased budget to implement many of the COVID-19 management measures. I have no doubt that even as we undertake a whole-of-Government review of our mental health strategies to strengthen mental health services, where there is a need to access additional funding, that could be put into the next Budget, if necessary.”
“We will take into consideration the impact of COVID-19 on mental health as we undertake a whole-of-Government review of our mental health strategy and study ways to further strengthen our community mental health services to support new vulnerable groups that may emerge due to COVID-19.”
“For employees, MOM, along with other agencies, such as MSF, AIC and NCSS, issued an Inter-Agency Advisory with practical steps to support employees’ mental well-being and provided counselling resources for employers and workers to tap on. For students, school counsellors continue to support those in need through face-to-face and online sessions. Vulnerable students were actively identified for further support and invited to return to school during the CB period. MOE also provided students with Holiday Care Packs containing resources and helplines on mental well-being and cyber wellness. For the elderly, the Silver Generation Office reached out to some 47,000 vulnerable seniors to refer them to assistance as required, including befriending and mental health services. As we gradually ease movement restrictions, we have also paid special attention to addressing the well-being of seniors. The decision to allow children to visit their parents or grandparents is one example. The Emerging Stronger Task Force (EST) was set up primarily to develop recommendations on how Singapore should refresh, reimagine or reset its economic strategies, to stay economically resilient and build new sources of dynamism in the post-COVID-19 world. Hence, besides the two co-chairs, the remaining members are industry representatives. Nonetheless, the EST has committed to consult multiple stakeholders to draw on insights beyond its membership. MOH, together with the relevant partners and agencies, will continue to ensure that mental health support and services are accessible to persons in need.”
“The mental health of our nation is important, and the Government is committed to taking care of the mental well-being of Singaporeans, especially during this COVID-19 crisis. The pandemic has resulted in increased stressors that impact our mental well-being, given the changes in daily routines, social isolation and economic uncertainty. Hence, more support needs to be put in place to address the mental stress that the COVID-19 pandemic and circuit breaker measures have brought about. The Multi-Ministry Task Force (MTF) recognises this and has been tapping on mental health professionals from MSF, MOH and MOE to give inputs on the psychological aspects of COVID, and in the enhancement and development of mental health initiatives. Our public healthcare institutions (PHIs) continued to provide essential mental health services during the circuit breaker period. Some of our community mental health partners continued to conduct urgent home visits for vulnerable clients and those at risk of self-harm, harm to others, or at-risk of deterioration. Tele-consultations were also adopted by PHIs and community service providers so that they remain connected with their clients to ensure their mental health needs are supported. A specific initiative developed is the new 24-hour National CARE Hotline (NCH). The NCH, which came into operation in April 2020, is manned by volunteers comprising trained psychologists, counsellors, social workers and other professionals, and provides support to the larger community on mental health concerns, such as anxiety and adjustment issues related to COVID-19.”
“Seniors are more vulnerable to COVID-19 infection as they develop more severe symptoms if infected. We have thus taken a more cautious approach to the resumption of senior-centric activities when the circuit breaker ended. In Phase One, on-site activities that can be done individually, like craftwork, reading and gardening, will gradually resume at Senior Activity Centres, with restrictions on the activity duration and the total number of persons per session. Given that nursing home residents are generally more frail, face-to-face visits will continue to be suspended to keep the risk of infection low. Nursing homes will continue to facilitate interactions between seniors and their loved ones via phone and video calls. Nursing homes can also allow face-to-face visits in exceptional circumstances, such as when the patient is critically ill. We will progressively resume more activities across different settings when the situation improves. We conduct surveillance testing for the eldercare sector, to complement existing precautionary measures such as safe distancing, visitor restrictions and infection control. We prioritised swab tests for staff and clients at residential care homes in May and in June, we will progressively test staff of other eldercare services in operation, including those working at day-care centres. 11.30 am”
“I thank the Member for her question. Indeed, the SACs may resume on-site activities gradually in Phase One. Before resuming on-site activities, SACs are required to undergo a readiness assessment and propose plans on infection prevention and control, and safe distancing measures. The Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) will also conduct spot checks to ensure that these measures are implemented. Prior to this, AIC has also conducted several webinars to inform providers of the necessary infection prevention and control measures and provided them with resource kits. As at 5 June, 27 SACs have opened.”
“COVID-19 testing complements the existing precautionary measures in place for eldercare services, such as strict infection control, safe distancing and visitor restrictions. We have thus embarked on surveillance testing for staff of eldercare services to protect the seniors as they are more vulnerable to COVID-19 infection. This surveillance testing in eldercare services will be conducted in phases. Given that seniors living in residential care homes are at higher risks, we prioritised and completed swab tests for about 10,500 staff of residential care homes in May 2020. Test results for staff were all negative save for one staff member from Ren Ci Nursing Home @ Ang Mo Kio, which we have announced earlier. In June 2020, we will progressively test staff of other eldercare services in operation, including those working at day care centres. These initial sweeps will help guide our approach for future testing.”
“I thank the Member for his questions. The fact is that we introduced the Government co-funding scheme for ART procedures in 2008. This was in order to reduce the out-of-pocket payment for couples who want to go through ART procedures at our public AR centres, in addition to being able to use their MediSave for these procedures. We have, in fact, been enhancing this co-funding scheme since then – in 2013, 2018 and just in January this year – in order to support couples in their parenthood aspirations, including couples who may marry later and still wish to try for a child. As I have said, such policies have to be objectively determined based on the empirical evidence. What we are doing now is to try and strike a balance between encouraging couples to marry and fulfil their parenthood aspirations early and if they have difficulty conceiving naturally, to receive IUI or ART treatment early, versus the need to also support couples who may marry later and wish to have a child. We will continue to monitor the clinical evidence and where it is possible and appropriate, we will update the criteria.”
“As I have said, my understanding is whether to go IUI before going to IVF really depends on the doctors' assessment. I will have to stand corrected, but I do not think there is a policy that couples definitely have to go through IUI before IVF. But as the Member has also pointed out and also according to my understanding, IUI is less invasive, so it may be something that doctors advise them to try before going through AR procedures. As I have also said, even for AR, for women younger than age 30, where the success rate is highest, it is actually about 24%.”
“We will continue to monitor the clinical evidence and where appropriate, we will update the eligibility criteria. With regard to the IUI co-funding, we only introduced this in January 2020. It was done to enhance our support for couples who have difficulties conceiving naturally. IUI, as the Member has rightly pointed out, is a less invasive procedure. So, depending on the assessment of the doctors, they will be advised whether they can go through IUI with co-funding up to three cycles before going to IVF, which is up to six cycles. I do not have the success rates for IUI here, but I can give the information to the Member later. There was also a question of couples marrying beyond age 40 and then, they are not eligible. They are not eligible for the Government co-funding scheme. But they still can use MediSave. So, for couples who want to go through ACP including ART and IVF, they can withdraw from MediSave up to a lifetime limit of $15,000. That does not have any age cap nor limit to the number of cycles. It is only for the Government co-funding that they will not be eligible for. The reason is because we need also to be mindful of the effectiveness of such financial support extended through Government co-funding. This has to be based objectively on the empirical evidence before us.”
“I thank the Member for her four supplementary questions. I will take the question about the requirement for couples to go through either IUI or AR before age 40, before they are eligible for co-funding for AR procedure in our public AR centres at age 40 or above. First, let me say that we recognise that more couples are getting married later and they do have parenthood aspirations. But unfortunately, even though there have been improvements in technology as well as better understanding of treatment needs, embryo culture and so on, the empirical evidence still shows that the success rate is very much linked to when the procedures are performed on the women. The Member asked about success rates. For IVF, for instance, our latest data, 2018 data, show that the success rate of live births arising from IVF drops from around 23% for women age 30 to 34 years, to around 6% for women age 40 to 44 years; in fact, even further down to 0.6% for women age 45 and older. So, when we put the age criterion of 40 years, as I have said, we recognise that people are getting married later, and we do not want to put too low a cut-off age. The experts also feel that age 40 is reasonable, given the empirical evidence before them. Therefore, this age criterion, together with the requirement that couples need to have already tried AR or IUI before age 40 to qualify for this co-funding, really, the intent is to balance the need to support and encourage couples to receive AR procedures early for higher chance of success and at the same time, also, to support the needs of older couples who want to try for a child. It is a balanced approach, taking into account the scientific data and the social trends as well as the developments to date.”
“The Assisted Reproduction Technology (ART) co-funding scheme was introduced to support couples who face difficulty in conceiving naturally. In January 2020, the scheme was enhanced to allow couples who have attempted assisted reproduction (AR) or Intra-Uterine Insemination (IUI) procedures before 40 years old to tap on up to two of the six co-funded ART cycles for AR procedures at age 40 or later. The age criterion of 40 years old is set based on current clinical evidence which shows that the chance of conception for a woman who undergoes ART treatment decreases with age, with significantly lower success rate after 40. The ART co-funding is therefore directed towards those who attempted their first assisted reproduction procedure before age 40. Couples are encouraged to start their families early. Those with difficulty conceiving should also consider fertility or ART treatment early. We will continue to monitor the clinical evidence and update the eligibility criteria where appropriate.”
“This new personal alert button, which when triggered, is either connected to a Senior Activity Centre or if it is not available, then to Careline, which will then assess the kind of assistance we need to give to the seniors. What is also important is that actually for all these variables and these personal alert systems, you trigger an alarm for assistance after the fall, after the seniors have fallen. In fact, what we want to do is to proactively prevent occurrence of such falls as much as possible. So, the best strategy still is really to focus upstream on falls prevention, pre-empting the falls, addressing the risk of falling through our multi-pronged effort which I have actually highlighted in terms of falls prevention, awareness programmes, getting the seniors to exercise regularly, especially to improve strength, balance, flexibility, nutrition to maintain or reduce or delay the loss of muscle mass and to build strong bones as well as getting rid of clutter in the homes and so on. In fact, during this COVID-19 period especially, when we ask seniors to stay at home because they are the most vulnerable, in order to ensure that they can still remain active and engaged, HPB, for instance, has got a series of a workout sessions that they have put on their YouTube channel. These have garnered about 61,000 views till date. We have also worked with Mediacorp to launch Season two of "乐学每疫刻" or "Learn Together With Me", which started just yesterday and will last till the 15 May, Monday to Friday 2.30 pm to 3.00 pm, for the seniors who are interested. That includes talks as well as exercise programmes to help the seniors remain active and healthy. It will also be shown on Suria and Vasantham after Channel 8, so I would encourage you to get the seniors to also view this.”
“I thank the Member for her supplementary question. First, let me say that for seniors living alone, we have, for instance, our Silver Generation Ambassadors, who call or visit them to check on them and see how they are doing. We also work with other Community Partners and VWOs to check on these seniors. Indeed, we are also looking at various ways to detect falls and then raise the alarm to the community either at the Senior Activity Centre or to other various partners. There are actually many commercial wearable devices and products that can help to detect falls and then trigger an alarm for assistance should the wearer fall and these are useful for detecting falls, especially for seniors with higher risk of falling. But, I think what we need to do is to carefully analyse the evidence available to see how effective they can be if we implement it at scale because we need to scale this up for a rapidly ageing population and increasingly more seniors living alone. The Government is also exploring other solutions. For instance, alert alarm systems. So, Smart Nation and Digital Government Office or SNDGO and MOH are currently trialing out a personal alert button in some homes of seniors living in Tampines. So, this trial is one of the Internet of Things initiative under the Smart Nation Sensor platform. It is really to enable us to get feedback from the user on this prototype to see how we can develop, design and develop a cost-effective, lightweight as well as easily deployable personal alert button system. What we are doing now is to extend this device beyond Tampines, to homes of seniors living in 53 1-room rental blocks across the island.”
“Targeting pre-frail and frail seniors, the Healthy Ageing Promotion Programme For You (HAPPY) programme implemented by the National University Health System engages seniors in exercises combined with cognitive activities. Such dual-task exercises have been shown to stimulate cognitive functions and improve physical ability, preventing dementia and frailty as well as reducing one's risk for falls. More than 700 seniors have participated in HAPPY as of January this year. Although senior-centric activities have been temporarily suspended since March 2020 due to COVID-19, many organisations have since adapted most of their activities and classes to online content so that our seniors can continue to stay active and engaged while at home. Lastly, HPB had organised Falls Prevention Awareness campaigns in 2016 and 2017 to provide seniors and their care-givers with information on how to reduce the risk of falls. As part of the campaigns, educational videos and guidebooks were produced for seniors and their care-givers. These resources remain available online. MOH and the healthcare family will continue to strengthen our efforts to reduce the risk of falls among our senior population.”
“Seniors fall due to many reasons such as giddiness and loss of muscle strength. MOH and the Health Promotion Board (HPB) have been working with community partners and healthcare clusters to raise awareness on falls prevention through public education, exercise programmes and campaigns. Let me cite a few examples. Under the National Seniors' Health Programme, regular health talks and workshops are conducted at various community touchpoints to educate seniors on falls prevention. Over 6,000 seniors have attended these health talks across the past year, acquiring tips such as removing clutter in the home to pre-empt the risks of falls. Seniors on long-term medication for several medical conditions are also advised to consult a doctor for a medication review at least once a year, as a possible side effect of taking multiple medications concurrently includes dizziness. Seniors are encouraged to exercise regularly, and to do strength, balance and flexibility exercises at least twice a week. This helps to delay age-related loss of muscle mass and strength, which reduces the risk of falls. The HPB holds weekly senior exercise classes in more than 600 community spaces island-wide and more than 50,000 seniors attended these classes in 2019. The HPB also piloted "Rolling Good Times" in 2018, a programme to raise awareness of common falls situations, improve seniors' strength and balance through exercises, and teach them how to minimise the risk of injuries during a fall. To date, some 160 seniors have participated in the pilot programme and most have shown improvement in their strength, balance and flexibility. Hence, HPB intends to reach out to more seniors by progressively rolling out the programme to more community nodes nationwide.”
“Yes, so as I had said, risk is assessed to be low but just like in crime, low risk does not mean no risk. And indeed, Salmonella is common in live animals and raw meat and can be transmitted through, like the Member has said, touching and through ingestion. So, both the vendor as well as the patrons will have to ensure that they maintain good food safety and hygiene practices, which will include washing your hands with soap after touching the raw meat, as well as cooking it well to kill the harmful bacteria. As I have noted, so far, we have not detected any cases of zoonotic disease transmission from the sale of this; but as I have said again, we are reviewing this currently. The other point about SFA and NParks, even for the sale of live turtles, both SFA and NParks are involved. NParks would be involved in making sure that there is no CITES violation, for instance, for the import of such turtles. And SFA is involved in ensuring that the stalls in the wet markets comply with food safety and hygiene standards. So, they do work together.”