Chee Hong Tat
Singapore
“The National Parks Board (NParks) resumed crow shooting operations in March 2026 across nine districts, including Yishun. These sites were prioritised based on several factors, including the volume and severity of public feedback on crow-related issues, as well as the technical feasibility of conducting shooting operations safely at each…”
“To drive sustainable construction and reduce reliance on conventional diesel generators, the Housing and Development Board (HDB) has required the use of battery energy storage systems (BESS) or synchronised generator set systems at Build-to-Order construction worksites for all building tenders called since February 2025.”
“The Housing and Development Board (HDB) tracks resident feedback on maintenance-related issues, including spalling concrete and structural cracks within HDB flats. Such issues are much less common in younger flats, compared to older flats above 30 years old.”
“The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) provides resources on its website to guide building owners and Management Corporations Strata Title (MCSTs) on lift modernisation.”
“Private retail developments sold through the Government Land Sales Programme are intended to complement the commercial offerings in public developments undertaken by agencies, such as the Housing and Development Board.”
“The National Parks Board (NParks) is reviewing both the Animals and Birds Act and the Code of Animal Welfare (COAW). The former will include pet sector businesses and the latter will include and start with pet groomers.”
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“If we need to use the proposed step-in powers, we will exercise them judiciously and only for the period which they are required for. The new section 33E of the BSI Act, the new section 75 of the CAAS Act, the new section 89B of the MPA Act and the new section 27D of the RTS Act in the Bill update the related provisions in existing Acts. For example, the Bill will provide for the issuance of ancillary directions, to specify the period in which the step-in order will take effect and other relevant conditions to achieve the purposes of the order when step-in powers are exercised. Finally, business continuity planning requirements. The Bill introduces the power for CAAS to impose requirements for business continuity planning for designated operating entities in the air transport sector. They will not apply to designated equity interest holders. The Bill does not cover these requirements for designated operating entities in the land and sea transport sectors, as we can subject them to similar requirements via licence conditions. Let me now touch on the general and miscellaneous provisions under the Bill. The Bill will allow the relevant authorities to issue remedial directions for breaches of controls relating to ownership and management appointments, among others. These remedial directions could include directing the disposal of equity interest and removal of key appointment holders, if prior approval was not sought or if conditions of approval were breached. The Bill will employ the following penalties to enforce the regime.”
“This list of events will be circumscribed. To help companies comply with these requirements, the relevant authorities will issue a set of advisory guidelines after the Bill is approved by Parliament and comes into effect. These advisory guidelines will provide practical guidance for these notification requirements. We have provided for this by clauses 13, 25, 41 and 55 of the Bill. Next, the Bill inserts provisions extending the relevant authority's step-in powers, via a Special Administration Order, to cover designated operating entities and licensees across the air, land and sea transport sectors. This is to safeguard service continuity in extreme scenarios and unlikely events, such as where a designated operating entity or licensee becomes unable to provide essential transport services safely and reliably. Currently, the relevant authorities could issue Special Administration Orders to their licensees, as a safeguard in extreme scenarios. The step-in powers in this Bill are similar in scope, in that they extend to designated operating entities that directly provide essential transport services in Singapore, but are not licensees. Sir, I wish to assure Members that step-in powers will be exercised as a last resort to deal with extreme scenarios. They are meant to safeguard the provision of essential transport services in Singapore. For example, this could include when a designated operating entity becomes insolvent and unable to pay its debts and this, in turn, jeopardises the continued provision of essential transport services. We will not intervene in the commercial operations and affairs of the entities in the normal course of business.”
“These controls allow the relevant authorities to be kept apprised of changes to the key personnel responsible for the management of our critical transport firms, as well as operations affecting the continued provision of the essential transport service. The Bill will require designated entities to seek the relevant authority's approval for the appointment of its CEO and Chairperson of its board of directors; and designated operating entities who are also licensees to seek the relevant authority's approval for the appointment of its CEO, Chairperson, as well as all directors of its board. Lastly, the Bill will introduce controls over operations and resourcing, to ensure that companies are equipped and able to operate their services under all circumstances, including times of crisis and in the event of significant changes within each sector. We propose that designated entities should notify their respective authorities as and when there are material developments or events, so that the relevant authorities are kept aware of events that could materially impede or impair the provision of essential transport services in Singapore and are able to take mitigation measures early and as needed. While current licensing regimes for each sector may also include notification requirements, this Bill codifies the notification requirements across all transport sectors for designated entities. The Bill will require designated entities to notify the relevant authority of such events, for example, if a designated operating entity outsources a material function in providing essential transport services in Singapore, or if they face material events or legal proceedings that may impair or impede the provision of essential transport services in Singapore.”
“The Bill will allow relevant authorities to have oversight of significant changes in effective control of designated entities, through the following requirements: any person who becomes a 5% controller of the designated entity, which is when we consider a person to be a substantial shareholder of a company, must notify the relevant authorities within seven days after becoming a 5% controller. Any person who intends to become or cease being a 25%, 50% or 75% controller of the designated entity must seek the relevant authority's approval. At these levels of shareholding, controllers hold significant influence over a company, such as the ability to pass and block ordinary and special resolutions. In addition, the relevant authority's approval must be sought for: first, any person intending to become an indirect controller, meaning someone that is able to exert control over the directors or trustee managers of the designated entity; or, any person intending to acquire and continue operating without disruption, any part of the designated operating entity's business relating to the provision of essential transport services. This is to provide the relevant authority with oversight over all acquisitions of the entity or parts of the entity, regardless of whether there are significant changes to its service provisions. Lastly, designated entities must notify the relevant authority within seven days after becoming aware of any of the ownership changes which I just described. The second set of controls pertain to the appointment of management by designated entities.”
“Entities can be designated as a "designated operating entity", if they directly provide any essential transport service in Singapore and are strategically important within the sector; or a "designated equity interest holder", if they hold an equity interest in a designated operating entity and have a strong nexus of control over their subsidiaries that are designated operating entities. This is because such individuals or organisations may influence key decisions related to the provision of essential transport services in Singapore. For the rest of my speech, I will be referring to both "designated operating entities" and "designated equity interest holders" collectively as "designated entities", otherwise, it will be quite a mouthful. The designation process will be initiated after the Bill is passed and the law is brought into force. We intend for the relevant firms to be designated by the end of this year, if Parliament approves the Bill. The notifications of designations will specify the date on which designation of a company takes place and will be published in the Gazette at least 14 days before the date that designation takes place. This is provided for in the new section 28E of the BSI Act; the new section 64 of the CAAS Act; the amended section 86D of the MPA Act; and the new section 21E of the RTS Act. The Bill will introduce legislative levers across the four Acts in three aspects: ownership controls; management appointment controls; and operations and resourcing controls. Ownership of a firm allows parties to exercise influence over its direction, management and decisions.”
“These authorities will also be responsible for designating relevant entities under the framework. Please allow me to explain how we plan to classify the affected entities. Sir, the Bill is not intended to apply to every entity which provides a transport service in Singapore. Instead, we will take a targeted approach by regulating entities within the transport sector that meet the following criteria: first, they are involved in the provision of essential transport services in the air, land or sea transport sectors; and second, they are strategically important within the sector, for example, if the services they provide are not readily replaceable due to significant market share or specialised expertise. Clauses 3, 19, 30 and 47, together with the new Schedules, set out the definitions for an "essential transport service" under each sector, by listing out the key services necessary for Singapore's air, land and sea transport networks. For land, we intend to include, among other things, public bus and rail services. For aviation, we plan to include, among other things, airport and ground-handling operations and passenger and cargo air services at Changi Airport. For maritime, we plan to include, among other things, port and marine services and facilities, as well as services which support the provision of sea transport, such as water supply and bunkering. Clauses 8, 23, 33 and 52 of the Bill insert provisions empowering the regulatory authorities to designate entities that are involved in the provision of essential transport services in Singapore.”
“The Bill will not focus on regulating these services; instead, it is targeted at the parts of the entity that directly provide essential transport services in Singapore. In addition, we also recognise that different entities play different roles to deliver a range of services. Since last year, MOT has been engaging the key transport entities to better understand how regulations can be practically implemented. We have taken in their feedback when designing this Bill and we are mindful of the commercial impact. MOT will, therefore, differentiate some controls based on entities' roles, responsibilities and functions, which I will elaborate in a later part of my speech. Finally, the Bill serves to harmonise our laws across the transport sector, to reduce the regulatory burden on entities as they evolve, as well as provide greater consistency on commercial and investment controls in the Singapore transport ecosystem. This Bill seeks to introduce a common regime covering both licensees and non-licensees across air, land and sea transport, to apply a consistent set of regulatory controls and to create a transparent and predictable regulatory environment for entities. Sir, I will now go into the key features of the Bill. The Transport Sector (Critical Firms) Bill makes amendments to the following Acts: the Bus Services Industry Act, or BSI Act; the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore Act, or CAAS Act; the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore Act, or MPA Act; and the Rapid Transit Systems Act, or RTS Act. After they are amended, these Acts will continue to be administered by the relevant authorities of these Acts, namely CAAS, the Land Transport Authority of Singapore (LTA) and MPA.”
“The Electricity, and Public Utilities Acts also provide similar levers to safeguard the management and provision of electricity and water in Singapore, to ensure that these supplies always remain available. More recently, the Ministry of Trade and Industry passed the Significant Investments Review Act, or SIRA, which provides the Government with an updated set of regulatory levers to manage threats posed by significant investments into critical entities. Likewise, the Ministry of Transport (MOT) would like to propose measures to ensure that our essential transport systems are able to serve Singapore and Singaporeans effectively, now and in the future. Mr Deputy Speaker, please allow me to explain why we are introducing a transport sector-specific regulatory framework through this Bill, which is consistent across the air, land and sea transport sectors, instead of going through a broad-based legislation like SIRA. A sector-specific approach can better allow us to customise the regulatory oversight needed for Singapore's transport ecosystem and balance these objectives with the commercial and business impact on our transport entities and their investors. We have, therefore, designed our regulations in a calibrated and targeted manner. The proposed Bill does not seek to regulate the standards and performance of our entities' day-to-day operations. Rather, it seeks to protect key transport entities against the risk of malicious actors exerting undue influence over these entities and ensure that commercial decisions made by the entities do not jeopardise their ability to provide essential transport services in Singapore. Some entities may be involved in the provision of other services outside of transport, such as food and beverage (F&B) or advertising services.”
“Our objective is to help Singapore prepare for possible extreme scenarios that may happen in future, so that we are ready for these risks. For example, we cannot rule out the risk of malicious actors gaining control and adversely influencing our key transport entities, jeopardising the provision of essential transport services in Singapore. We have built strong relationships with the firms in our transport ecosystem and worked closely with them during peace time and crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, to provide safe, reliable and efficient services for Singapore, and we want to make sure that they continue to do so in the years ahead. We are not alone in making moves to safeguard our essential transport services. Other countries have taken steps to protect their strategic assets too. In 2021, the United Kingdom (UK) passed the National Security and Investments Act, which allows the government to intervene in certain acquisitions made that could harm the UK's national security. In the United States (US), the Foreign Investment Risk Review Modernisation Act was passed in 2018 to expand the jurisdiction of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the US, to address growing national security concerns over foreign investment in US companies or operations. [Deputy Speaker (Mr Christopher de Souza) in the Chair] Singapore already has regulations in place to safeguard some of our essential sectors. For example, the Banking, and Telecommunications Acts require approval to be sought before a person acquires a certain percentage of shares or voting power in a licensee; and prior to the appointment of key personnel, such as the chief executive officer (CEO).”
“Mr Speaker, I beg to move, “That the Bill be now read a Second time”. Connectivity is essential to Singapore and our economy. Many Singaporeans rely on public transport for our daily activities. In 2023, we had over seven million daily rides on our public buses and trains, serving millions of commuters across the country. We also rely on our air and sea connectivity to bring in essential goods, support the growth of our industries and connect Singaporeans with the rest of the world. Last year, Changi Airport served about 59 million passengers. We are now connected to about 420 cities through almost 120 airlines. As one of the busiest ports in the world, our maritime hub is a key node in global supply chains. Our port is linked to 600 ports around the world and in 2023, our container throughput reached a new high of 39 million, 20-foot equivalent units. Our connectivity to the world is critical not just during peacetime. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it was our strong connectivity to the region and beyond that allowed Singapore to receive and send out critical supplies, including food and medical essentials. Within Singapore, we worked hard to maintain connectivity by keeping our public transport services running, so that our essential workers could continue to go to work to fight the crisis and keep the country going. All these benefits cannot be achieved without the safe and reliable provision of essential air, land and sea transport services at all times and under all circumstances, including during a crisis. Sir, the proposed Bill today therefore aims to put in place measures to enhance the resilience of essential transport services in Singapore and set the foundations to protect Singapore against possible future disruptions to our essential transport firms.”
“Sir, LTA has done a series of tests to ensure that the OBU was able to function if it is installed properly in our weather, in our climate. So, not just to look at the temperature, that is one factor, but also to take into account safety aspects. So, for example, if there is going to be an accident, we did crash tests as well, to make sure that the OBU, if it is installed properly, according to the proper procedure, will not pose a safety risk to the motorist and passenger. So, it is quite a comprehensive set of tests that has been done to take care of the different aspects, but what we need to continue to do is to work with our partners and with stakeholders, including motorists, mechanics, our service ambassadors, to continue to find ways in which we can improve the user experience and allow more value to be delivered to motorists with this capabilities of the ERP 2.0 system. Beyond what I have shared earlier, there could be more functionalities that could be possible and we remain open to good ideas from our stakeholders on how we can maximise this value for motorists, through the capabilities and functionalities of ERP 2.0.”
“There is also a second consideration, Sir, which is the security of the data transmission. Because the OBU is designed to transmit the information one-way, whereas a phone, you would have two-way transmission. And a phone, depending on the model that you use and the software, and the apps that you install, I do not think you can be assured of the same level of data security and systems security, including against tampering. So, for all those reasons, a smartphone system would not be able to fulfil all the features and functionalities of what we want to achieve with ERP 2.0. But certainly, I think as part of integrating with the processing unit and the antenna, the use of a smartphone to replace the touch-screen display is a possibility.”
“Mr Speaker, I think on the second question from Mr Giam, he should not jump the gun. I have said in my COS speech that we are looking at distance-based charging as a possible option that we need to study further. In my COS speech, I also acknowledge that there are trade-offs affecting different groups of stakeholders. Therefore, we need to be quite careful and deliberate in how we go about with this review. I think that in my main reply, I did not suggest anything that this is an inevitable outcome, as what Mr Giam mentioned. So, I will urge Mr Giam not to overstate the point. What ERP 2.0 gives us is the option to do distance-based charging if we wish to do so, and if in the process of doing that, certainly we need to consider the impact on different groups of users and, overall, what is the benefit to society. Sir, on the first question on smartphones, we have looked at this, not just once, but several times and with different groups of stakeholders. It depends on what you want to use a smartphone for. If you want to use a smartphone for displaying the information, we are allowing that. It is not something that would be unworkable. Certainly, it is feasible. We have studied that option, and we are going to allow people to opt out of the display and to use a smartphone or their in-vehicle display, if they wish to. That is an option. However, because your smartphone is something that you carry with you. It is not secured to the vehicle. We need, for the purposes of ERP – whether it is distance-based or other types of usage-based charging – you need a device that is secured to the vehicle so that you know where the vehicle is and there is no dispute about whether the device is functioning or not.”
“It will not cause inconvenience to the driver and if that is what the drivers prefer, they have that option to choose from. Sir, Dr Lim also asked about the survey. Yes, certainly. I think I mentioned in my main reply, we will continue to gather feedback from motorists, from the mechanics at the workshops, from our service ambassadors for how we can further improve the user experience, how we can further improve our communications. And lastly, Dr Lim asked me about my own experience. Sir, I think like many of the early adopters, I also experienced some concern about not being able to reach the card conveniently if I have to use complimentary parking tickets. That is why, I was very happy when LTA developed that feature where I could just deactivate the card by pressing a button on the touch-screen display. I can do that very conveniently now; I do not have to take my card in and out. There are also other features that we have given feedback to LTA from the group of early adopters. I think that is a continuous process for improvement and I want to thank our early adopters as well, for their inputs, for their feedback, and if amongst them, any of the early adopters feel that they now want to switch their configuration. For example, because previously we only allowed them to put it on a passenger side; if some of them now say "I want to put you on the driver's side", we will do the switch for them for free. I think that is fair, because when they installed earlier, there was no option given to them. But if some of them now want to do it, we will offer this reconfiguration for them, free of charge.”
“I just read one article from AsiaOne and I think they also did their own measurements. And it is quite clear from all the various measurements that we have done, that the footwell, whether passenger side or driver side, the temperature there is significantly lower than the temperature on the dashboard during a hot sunny day. So, the ambient temperature, if it is about 35 degrees, for the motorcycle it is pretty much that, because it is not an enclosed space. But for the footwell, it could go up to about 38 to 39 degrees, because it is an enclosed space. But on the dashboard, it will go as high as 50 to 52 degrees. With this kind of temperature, if you were to put a single-piece OBU – that means the antenna, the display and the processing unit, all on the dashboard – there is a risk that it could overheat. And then it will affect the functionality of this unit. You could design it such that there is cooling, there is a fan inside, but that will make it very bulky and I do not think motorists will want a very big and bulky one-piece unit on their dashboard. It will not be the right design. By splitting it up, we give motorists the option of deciding whether or not you want the display, because it is not part of the same piece; you can choose, it is optional. And you can also choose where to put your processing unit. In some vehicle makes, the dealer actually recommended that one of the options available is that you can also put it below the driver's seat, if you prefer not to see it. So, that is a possible option. They are offering that to their customers. And because we have now designed the process such that you do not need to remove your card while you are driving, actually that option is now possible, viable.”
“So, even if you do not sign up for auto top-up and you need to manually remove and do a manual top-up, you can do that after the car is parked. You do not need to do it while you are in the driver's seat, while you are driving. So, when you are driving, you do not need to remove the card from the processing unit. That is our design paradigm. That is our design philosophy. So, that is why we introduced some of these additional features to make it such that you do not need to remove the card while you are driving, for safety and for convenience. Sir, I think the point I wanted to highlight is also that this process is quite a complex one. It takes a few years, involving different workshops, different vehicle makes. So, I just want to register my appreciation to our partners from the industry, the workshops, the motor dealers, our mechanics and also our staff and our partners who are serving as service ambassadors. It is a lot of hard work for them. They have to engage the vehicle owners, explain the options to them. But I think this is an important part of the overall installation process – so that people are clear what are their options, so that when they go in and they choose a certain configuration, they understand what are the trade-offs, what are the pros and cons. Dr Lim also asked about the one-piece OBU, which is for the motorcycles. Sir, we have explained this before, but allow me to reiterate the reasons why we cannot do this for cars and commercial vehicles, compared to motorcycles. If you think about the physics of it: in an enclosed environment with glass, it is like a greenhouse. You do have a greenhouse effect, which will cause the interior of the car, in an enclosed space, to be warmer. Temperature is higher. We have done some testing, measuring.”
“Mr Speaker, I thank Dr Lim for, I think, it is four supplementary questions, not three. First, the point about the installation at the driver's footwell. Indeed, as some of the mechanics have shared and as it was reported in the CNA article that Dr Lim mentioned, it is not so straightforward for all vehicle makes and models. Because depending on the design and the layout and the specifications of different vehicles, the preferred location, the ideal location, may vary from vehicle to vehicle. So, the trade-off between giving more choices to vehicle owners is that it does introduce more complexity to the installation process. But we think this trade-off is important because we do need to respect the individual choices of vehicle owners. It does not mean that every vehicle can install the processing unit at the driver's footwell. It depends on the layout and design of the vehicle, but in many vehicle types, this is possible. So, we do want to provide this option, even though it is not always possible, to the vehicle owners so that for those who prefer to have it closer to them, they have that option that they can choose. But this process is best done in discussion with the service ambassadors and the mechanics at the workshops so that the vehicle owners understand what are the trade-offs, what are the options, before the OBU installation. Sir, another important point I wish to reiterate is that we have designed the system such that no matter where you choose to put your processing unit, which is a personal choice subject to technical feasibility, regardless of where you put the processing unit, the workflow is such that you do not need to remove your card while you are driving.”
“We are working with partners to expand the list, including with the Traffic Police to include notifications for speed camera zones, with the intent of enhancing road safety by reminding motorists to keep within the speed limits at these locations. It will include not just the fixed cameras, but also red light and mobile cameras used by the Traffic Police to enforce against speeding. LTA will continue to take in feedback from motorists and develop features that can help enhance safety and convenience for motorists. These additional features can be pushed out to motorists "over-the-air", after the OBUs have been installed. Motorists do not need to bring their vehicles to the workshop for these software upgrades. Mr Speaker, the transition to ERP 2.0 is a major exercise as there are different vehicles with different designs and specifications. We appreciate the feedback from our early adopters, which LTA has taken on board where feasible and made improvements to enhance user choice, user convenience and user safety. LTA will continue to gather feedback from motorists, workshops and dealers to further enhance the user experience for all motorists, as we proceed with the installation exercise.”
“With the OBU, your CEPAS card balance will be shown once you start the car. This can help remind motorists to top-up before reaching the gantry. For added convenience, motorists can sign up for auto top-up so they need not manually top up their card when the balance is low. The top-up will be done automatically. LTA will deploy service ambassadors to workshops to guide motorists who wish to sign up for automatic top-up of their CEPAS card when they install the OBU. The third scenario where removal of the CEPAS card may be needed, is at certain carparks which require motorists to tap their cards at carpark terminal stations, as Mr Murali asked. Sir, all public carparks and many privately-owned carparks today already use Electronic Parking System (EPS), which does not require motorists to tap their cards at carpark terminal stations. There are, however, some privately-owned carparks which have yet to implement EPS. We welcome the initiative from NETS to provide a complimentary One Motoring Card for motorists who install the OBU. Motorists can use this additional card at the privately-owned carparks without EPS, without having to remove their CEPAS card from the processing unit. And finally, on enhancing user safety. This is not the main reason for doing ERP 2.0, but the added capabilities provide opportunities for LTA and its partners to offer some features that could help enhance user safety. Early adopters have shared with LTA that they find the notifications for bus lanes, Silver Zones and School Zones useful, as these increase their situational awareness and improve road safety.”
“However, we think the trade-off is necessary, to allow vehicle owners to have the flexibility to customise their preferred options and not have a "one-size-fits-all" approach. Second, enhancing user convenience. We understand the concerns from early adopters on the inconvenience of having to remove and reinsert the CEPAS (Specification for Contactless e-Purse Application) card in the processing unit. LTA has worked with its partners to improve the ERP 2.0 system, so that motorists do not need to remove their CEPAS card from the processing unit when they are driving the vehicle. This is a key design feature of the OBU. You do not need to remove the CEPAS card from the processing unit when you are driving the vehicle. For example, LTA has implemented a button on the touch-screen display to deactivate the card when motorists want to use their complimentary parking tickets. They can press the button on the touch-screen display. The card will be deactivated and they can then use their complimentary ticket to exit the carpark. If the motorist forgets to reactivate the card after leaving the carpark, the correct amount will still be deducted from the card balance when he reaches the next active ERP gantry. This is unlike the current in-vehicle unit (IU). If the motorist pulls out the card from the IU to use his complimentary parking ticket and forgets to re-insert it – it happens to us sometimes – he will not be able to make ERP payment when his vehicle passes through an active ERP gantry. Another scenario is the topping-up of the CEPAS card. Today, some of us may reach the carpark gantry only to realise that our balance is low, we must then find a way to exit the queue to top-up the card. Quite inconvenient.”
“Sir, based on feedback gathered from the early adopters, LTA has reviewed and made several improvements to the ERP 2.0 features and installation process to provide motorists with enhanced choice, convenience and safety. First, on enhancing choice. Before installing the OBU, vehicle owners will be given the option to decide if they want to install the touch-screen display. Some may choose to have the touch-screen display, while others may prefer to use their in-vehicle display or their mobile phones. Our recommendation is to install the touch-screen display, I have done so for my car, but this is a choice for the vehicle owner to make. The vehicle owner can also choose where to place the touch-screen display subject to technical feasibility, for example, on the driver side or in the middle of the dashboard. If a vehicle owner decides not to install the touch-screen display, a unit of the display will still be given to him, so that he has the option to install it subsequently if he changes his mind. Likewise, the vehicle owner can decide where to place the processing unit. For the initial phase of installation, LTA only allowed the processing unit to be installed on the passenger side. Taking on board feedback from the early adopters, LTA has expanded the option for vehicle owners to install the processing unit on the driver side if they wish to do so, subject to technical feasibility. Service ambassadors will also be present at the showrooms and workshops to explain the options to vehicle owners before OBU installation. By providing more choices, the process becomes more complex and the workshops will require more time to complete the installation.”
“Thank you, Sir. The current Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) system will reach the end of its operational lifespan in a few years. Its replacement, ERP 2.0, is based on Global Navigation Satellite System technology. It is able to perform all the functions of the current ERP system, plus additional capabilities to better manage traffic flow on our roads, without the need for physical gantries. As I mentioned during the Ministry of Transport (MOT) Committee of Supply (COS) debate earlier this year, it also provides the option for distance-based charging in future, which could allow for a one-off increase in our total vehicle population while keeping traffic congestion in check. The transition from the current in-vehicle unit to the on-board unit (OBU) is a major exercise involving many motorists and a diverse range of vehicles, vehicle makes and models, including new and existing vehicles. The process will take a few years to complete. Before embarking on the installation exercise, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) worked with the dealers to study how the OBU could be best installed in different vehicles. LTA has staged out the installation exercise, starting with a group of early adopters since August 2023. I am one of them. About 2% or 18,000 vehicles out of almost one million vehicles in Singapore have installed the OBU. Of these, around 11,000 are fleet vehicles, including buses and company-registered vehicles. This phased approach gives the workshops time to prepare their workers and progressively ramp up their resources. It also allows LTA to take in feedback from stakeholders and understand the areas for improvement, before extending to other vehicles.”
“Mr Speaker, may I have your permission to take Question Nos 7 and 8 together?”
“The Land Transport Authority works with our economic agencies to support industry trials, such as the ongoing hydrogen fuel cell vehicle trial in the Jurong Innovation District. While electrification is currently the more viable decarbonisation pathway for the land transport sector, especially for cars and light good vehicles, we will continue to monitor developments in other cleaner energy technologies across all vehicle types.”
“The Member could be asking this question because he may not be aware that students who progress to the universities after their GCE "A" levels or International Baccalaureate are paying adult fares on a per journey basis.”
“The Land Transport Authority (LTA) deters the use of such vehicles on the roads by conducting regular enforcement patrols and operations. LTA enforcement officers actively impound such unlicensed vehicles. Errant vehicle owners will also be in contravention of section 15 of the Road Traffic Act 1961 and imposed with strict penalties, when they are found to have been keeping or using a vehicle without valid road tax. A person who is convicted of such an offence is liable to a fine not exceeding $2,000 or a fine of an amount equal to three times of the tax payable, if it is proven that the person had the intention to evade payment of the tax.”
“Safety is a key focus of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA). It has put in place measures to promote safety at sea for Singapore-registered vessels, based on international regulations and procedures. As the Singapore flag administration, MPA has appointed and authorised eight classification societies that are members of the International Association of Classification Societies to survey, inspect and ensure Singapore-registered vessels comply with the applicable statutory requirements. These classification societies have a rigorous set of classification rules and are assessed by MPA based on their competency, expertise and adequacy of resources over several geographies. MPA has a framework in place to monitor and ensure that appointed classification societies carry out their work and surveys well. If a classification society fails to meet the requirements under the framework, MPA could suspend or cease its appointment. Singapore-registered vessels have a high safety performance record with a consistently low detention rate in all major Port State Control regimes worldwide. All Singapore-registered vessels are surveyed regularly by an authorised classification society, with at least one survey annually, to verify that their structure, equipment systems, fittings, arrangements and materials are fully compliant with international conventions.”
“The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore and Changi Airport Group makes preparations based on national planning scenarios and requirements for flood protection, as well as international best practices in the design, construction and upgrading of Changi Airport’s infrastructure to ensure its resilience against climate change. Various flood protection measures have been implemented at Changi Airport to manage increasing rainfall intensity. Examples include the widening of existing drains and building of new drainage outlets, the expansion and building of new rainwater detention tanks and the introduction of local flood barriers as added protection for operations-critical airport facilities. Water level monitoring sensors have also been installed across the airport's drainage network to provide real-time situational awareness and allow early intervention if needed to avert flooding and maintain the continuity of operations. For the ongoing Changi East development, an extensive network of drains has been constructed. Terminal 5 and the airfield will also be built 5.5 metres above the mean sea level to protect against flooding due to more intense rainfall and rising sea levels.”
“The Land Transport Authority (LTA) does not expect a significant impact to the provision of shared bicycle services in Singapore. Prior to SG Bike's decision not to renew its licence, it was operating with an approved fleet size of 1,500 bicycles, compared to the combined approved fleet size of 40,000 bicycles for Anywheel and HelloRide. LTA will continue to monitor the state of the industry.”
“As announced at the Ministry of Transport's Committee of Supply 2024, all street-hail and ride-hail operators will be required to inform the Land Transport Authority (LTA), commuters and drivers within an hour of the confirmation of a systemic incident that could impair point-to-point services. This will enable drivers and commuters to switch to other platforms and minimise the impact on livelihoods and commutes. We will also require ride-hail operators to maintain contingency plans to ensure timely service recovery and mitigate recurrences of any systemic incidents. LTA will take into account operators' track record in meeting these new requirements when assessing operators' licence renewal applications.”
“The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has engaged retailers, food delivery companies and the National Delivery Champions Association on the prospective regulations pertaining to personal mobility aids (PMAs). We will continue to do so, including with online retailers, to increase awareness and understanding. LTA will also work with the Attorney-General's Chambers to explore ways to strengthen enforcement against online platforms that promote the sale of non-compliant active mobility devices.”
“The Land Transport Authority (LTA) deploys a variety of tools and data sources to monitor and review operational roads, including traffic accident data from Traffic Police and feedback from the public. These form part of LTA's road safety assessments and informs its decisions regarding road safety enhancements, such as the installation of Red-Amber-Green arrows, implementation of traffic calming measures and the installation of additional crossing points, such as kerbless and zebra crossings. Each year, LTA introduces about 1,000 of such road safety enhancement measures island wide. Each measure is tailored to cater to local road conditions and needs. Other initiatives, like Silver Zones and Friendly Streets, lower speed limits along selected roads in residential areas, further reducing the risk of pedestrian accidents.”
“The Ministry of Transport's Transport Safety Investigation Bureau is participating in the marine safety investigation led by the National Transportation Safety Board of the United States, in accordance with the International Maritime Organization guidelines. The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), as the flag administration of the container vessel Dali, is also conducting a separate investigation into the incident. As the investigations are still ongoing, it is premature to identify the probable causes of the incident or comment on when the investigations will be completed. MPA is working closely with the ship owner and manager to ensure the psychological and physical well-being of the crew. The crew are assisting with the investigations and are safe.”
“The data is not available as it is commercially sensitive.”
“Under the current phase of the Land Transport Authority's (LTA's) lift retrofitting programme, LTA will be prioritising the retrofitting of Pedestrian Overhead Bridges (POBs) with lifts at locations that will benefit a larger number of seniors, including this POB at Sengkang East Drive. It takes up to 22 months to retrofit a POB to include lifts. LTA will need to seek approvals from agencies, such as the Building and Construction Authority, the National Environment Agency, The National Parks Board, the Public Utilities Board and the Urban Redevelopment Authority, before commencing works.”
“Mr Speaker, the flights that are departing Singapore, I think that is where the Sustainable Aviation Fuel requirement will be imposed. So, if the flights are coming in from another country, then it will be for the authorities in that airport that the flights are departing from, to impose this on the departing flights. Types of fuel, certainly, there are standards, including by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), looking at the fuels that will qualify as Sustainable Aviation Fuel, Singapore will take reference from these international standards. Lastly, I have also mentioned in the announcement during the Changi Aviation Summit, that the 1% target that we are starting with in 2026 is a first step. We will continue to monitor international developments and look at what we want to do for the subsequent steps. I think it is important to strike a balance between achieving reductions in carbon emissions on the one hand, and protecting the competitiveness of our air hub on the other hand. Both are important. And one very key factor, Mr Speaker, would be the production and supply capacity globally. We hope that with Singapore and also other authorities around the world, sending a signal to producers that we want them to invest in new production capacity, this will help to raise the level of production globally.”
“Mr Speaker, our approach to build a Sustainable Aviation Fuel ecosystem strikes a balance between economic competitiveness and environmental sustainability. As explained in our announcement during the Changi Aviation Summit in February 2024, we will take into account developments such as the approaches of other air hubs towards Sustainable Aviation Fuel adoption, the scale of Sustainable Aviation Fuel production and availability of supply around the world, before deciding on our Sustainable Aviation Fuel target beyond 2026.”
“The Sustainable Aviation Fuel levy will apply to all flights departing Singapore from 2026, including business aviation flights.”
“There are three types of Goods-cum-Passenger Vehicles (GPVs) – station wagon constructed for the carriage of seven passengers or more, excluding the driver; panel van; or twin-cabin goods vehicle. These can be used to ferry passengers and goods and are registered under COE Category C. Many Jeep models do not belong to any of the categories above and cannot be registered as GPVs.”
“Service 405 is a special service linking the cemeteries in Lim Chu Kang with Boon Lay Bus Interchange; it only operates during specific festive periods. During the Qing Ming period in 2023, buses on Service 405 were generally less than 40% filled, peaking at 60% to 70% during the busiest hour on 7 April 2023, which coincided with Good Friday. Choa Chu Kang Columbarium is about 500m away from the nearest bus stop served by Service 405. It is not feasible to reroute Service 405 closer to the columbarium as the roads in the vicinity are too narrow for buses.”
“The Land Transport Authority and Immigration & Checkpoints Authority have worked with bus operators to add more trips and facilitate shuttle services between the Singapore and Johor checkpoints during peak periods. In March 2024, we added more trips for services 160, 170X and 950 on weekends; and reduced the average scheduled headway for Service 170X from eight minutes to five minutes.”
“Call-booking trips currently make up about 1% of all point-to-point trips. As announced at the Ministry of Transport's Committee of Supply, ComfortDelGro will continue to offer call-booking services as it currently fulfils more than 99% of these trips. [Please refer to "Committee of Supply – Head W (Ministry of Transport)", Official Report, 5 March 2024, Vol 95, Issue 130, Budget section.] All taxi and ride-hail operators already accept cash payment for street-hail and ride-hail services.”
“When commercial and residential developers request the Land Transport Authority (LTA) to build covered linkways which do not fall under LTA's provision guidelines, LTA has worked with these developers to fund their own covered linkways beyond their developments to existing linkways or to transport nodes. Some LTA officers had erroneously applied this practice to condominium Management Corporation Strata Titles (MCSTs) without considering the provisions of the Building Maintenance and Strata Management Act and had advised a number of MCSTs incorrectly to fund covered linkways outside of their strata boundary in response to their requests. The officers should not have done so and LTA has implemented measures to avoid such errors in future.”
“The Land Transport Authority (LTA) takes a strong stance against the import, sale and use of non-compliant active mobility devices. Since June 2021, businesses and individuals must obtain approval from the LTA to import Power-Assisted Bicycles (PABs) and motorised Personal Mobility Devices (PMDs) into Singapore. These devices must meet the prescribed technical and safety requirements for use on our public paths and roads. LTA works closely with the Singapore Customs and the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority to identify and enforce against offenders. As at end-2023, 51 cases have been investigated for offences under the Small Motorised Vehicles (Safety) Act 2020 and 48 non-compliant devices were forfeited. These included devices purchased online. For first-time offenders, the maximum penalty for importing a device without approval is a fine of up to $5,000 or imprisonment for up to six months, or both. LTA also conducts operations against retailers and enforcement on public paths and roads to combat the sale and use of non-compliant devices. From January 2020 to December 2023, LTA detected about 5,100 offences involving non-compliant devices on paths and roads. In the same period, LTA detected about 100 violations from operations against retailers. For first-time offenders, the maximum penalty for using a non-compliant device on a public path is a fine of up to $10,000 or imprisonment for up to six months, or both; and the maximum penalty for retailer companies displaying a non-compliant device for sale is a fine of up to $20,000.”
“Mr Speaker, I would like to start by thanking Ms Usha Chandradas for her support for the Bill. She asked about the purpose of validation clause and whether there were other erroneous transactions in the past. Sir, as I explained earlier in my Second Reading speech, we are validating the collection of fees where there is inconsistency in the interpretation of the law by agencies on whether GST should be charged. The charging of GST on these fees is consistent with our policy intent as clarified, but is susceptible to legal challenge under the current GST Act. We are, therefore, validating the past collections of GST on these fees to clarify the policy intent and legal position should they not have been made in accordance with the current GST Act. For the 18 fees where the collection of GST was not consistent with our policy intent, we are refunding the GST collected to affected stakeholders. As Ms Usha has noted, the GST Act is indeed a complex piece of legislation. Interpretation and application by agencies on the ground can be challenging. This is why we have proposed the amendments in this Bill to ensure consistency in the policy intent, legal basis and agencies' practices relating to collections of GST on Government fees.”
“The Houthis' attacks on vessels in the Red Sea have led to increased risks for vessels plying the region and increases in marine insurance premiums. According to industry reports, war risk insurance premiums have risen from under 0.1% of the value of the insured vessel prior to the Houthis' attacks, to about 0.5% to 1.0% of the vessel's value as of February 2024. The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore and other agencies will continue to monitor the developments in the Red Sea region closely, including the impact on marine insurance.”
“Our approach to build the Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) ecosystem strikes a balance between economic competitiveness and environmental sustainability, to support the long-term growth of our air hub and encourage investments in new SAF production facilities. While other regions have introduced SAF volumetric mandates, Singapore is the first country to adopt a SAF levy, which will allow us to adopt a fixed cost envelope to provide cost certainty to airlines and travellers for the uplift of SAF from Changi. As an indication, we estimate that the levy to support a 1% SAF uplift in 2026 could increase ticket price for an economy class passenger on a direct flight from Singapore to Bangkok, Tokyo and London by around $3, $6 and $16 respectively. Passengers in premium classes will pay higher levies. The Member may wish to refer to the Sustainable Air Hub Blueprint published by the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) on 19 February 2024 for more details. The Blueprint is available on the CAAS' website.”
“In consultation with nature groups and National Parks Board, the Land Transport Authority has developed an Environmental Monitoring and Management Plan for the A1W1 worksite. The plan prescribes a comprehensive set of measures to mitigate the potential environmental impact at the worksite. Construction has not begun at this worksite.”
“If it is a 1% uplift of Sustainable Aviation Fuel, an economy class ticket to Bangkok will go up by $3; to Tokyo, it will go up by $6; and to London, it will go up by $16. So, yes, the cost will go up. But the feedback from airlines and from passengers is that this is something which they think is wearable, is reasonable and they think that this is something which allows them, both the airlines and the passengers, to do their part for the environment.”
“Mr Chairman, I think what Ms Poh has raised is, indeed, the difficult trade-offs that we grappled with when we were thinking about how to move forward on this issue of Sustainable Aviation Fuel. To do nothing, I think, is not the right solution because the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is moving in this direction, setting a target for the international aviation industry to reduce carbon emissions. Domestically as well, we know we have committed to a target of net-zero by 2050. It is important for Singapore, as an international aviation hub, to be able to offer Sustainable Aviation Fuel for airlines that want to uplift such fuel as part of their service because airlines also want to be able to demonstrate to their customers that they are doing the right and responsible thing. But the key here is: how do you do this in a way which can be, on one hand, good for the environment, improve sustainability, but on the other hand, does not jeopardise your economic competitiveness? So, there are a few considerations. First is to take a gradual move rather than to take a big jump and then, to monitor closely what is the adoption regionally, globally, and move in tandem with global development so that there is a, I would not say level playing field, but at least there is a more even playing field compared to if we were to jump too far ahead of our competitors. So, that is one consideration. The second one is how do you increase supply because, today, one of the key constraints is that there is not enough supply of Sustainable Aviation Fuel. How do you, through a move like this, incentivise the producers to invest in new production facilities in Singapore and in the region? Just to give Ms Poh some assurance, we have looked at this carefully.”