Jeffrey Siow
Singapore
“These solutions have been installed for the Bukit Panjang LRT in 2023, and for the Sengkang-Punggol LRT in 2024. While physical and technological constraints have prevented the installation of platform screen doors at LRT stations thus far, this incident reminds us that we must never stop looking for better solutions.”
“The point-to-point transport sector in Singapore is market-based, which allows the needs of both commuters and drivers to be met. We have no plans to regulate ride-hail platform commission rates or passenger fares.”
“The amended route for Service 965 was designed to bring residents closer to amenities near Sengkang town centre, including schools, Sengkang General Hospital and the Sengkang Community Hub, compared to the alternative of routing through Compassvale Road.”
“The Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Health (MOH) work closely together on transport options for healthcare needs. Our public transport network is barrier-free and wheelchair accessible. Taxis must accommodate foldable wheelchairs.”
“The Land Transport Authority (LTA) is the primary agency responsible for enforcing Active Mobility Act (AMA) offences on public paths, which comprise footpaths, shared paths and pedestrian-only paths. National Parks Board (NParks) officers are authorised by LTA to enforce AMA offences within NParks-managed parks and park connectors.”
“As earlier announced, the new bus stops, overhead bridges and lifts along the Tampines Expressway (TPE) will be completed between 2030 and 2032. Once works are completed, more residents in the northern parts of Rivervale estate will be within a 10-minute walk from a bus stop along TPE.”
The complete record
Every one of 519 lines we hold for Jeffrey Siow, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 6 of 11.
“Noise impact assessments are conducted to determine the combined noise impact of all transport infrastructure as part of transport system design. Simulation models of projected noise levels help identify areas where cumulative noise may exceed the noise guidelines. Noise measurements are also taken on the ground. Noise mitigation measures are implemented where necessary. These measures include maintaining appropriate buffer distances from noise-sensitive developments, like residential areas, and implementing noise mitigation measures, such as noise barriers. As for airports, aircraft is routed away from residential areas when wind conditions permit. Stringent aircraft noise requirements aligned with the International Civil Aviation Organization's requirements apply. A night curfew is also in place for Seletar Airport from 10.00 pm to 7.00 am every day, except for medical evacuation and emergency flights. Overall, these approaches balance the aim of delivering efficient transport connectivity while maintaining liveable communities.”
“Non-owner-occupied residential properties are subject to higher property tax rates as they are mainly investment properties. To enhance the progressivity of our property tax system, we increased non-owner-occupier residential tax rates in 2023 and 2024, from 10% to 20% to the current 12% to 36%. We will continue to review our property taxes to maintain a progressive and fair system of taxes and transfers.”
“The Community Development Council (CDC) Vouchers scheme is designed to be a simple broad-based scheme to help Singaporean households with daily expenses, as well as support heartland merchants and hawkers. Under the original scheme, the vouchers could only be used for heartland shops and hawkers. However, there was strong public feedback requesting that the Vouchers be extended to supermarkets as that is where many Singaporeans purchase their groceries. To strike a balance between the dual objectives referred to above, the allocation of CDC Vouchers was split equally between participating supermarkets and heartland businesses since January 2023. This simple equal split remains fit for purpose to meet Singaporeans' varied needs. The utilisation of both categories of vouchers remains high, with almost equal amounts utilised at supermarkets and at heartland businesses and hawkers. As such, we will maintain the parameters of the scheme for now.”
“The Member may refer to the Second Reading of the Land Transport and Related Matters Bill for more details on the implementation of the Certificate of Medical Need requirement and how users can obtain certification.”
“For average public transport users, the figure has also fallen, from 2.2% in 2015, to 1.7% in 2024.”
“In the exercise that concluded in October 2025, about 360,000 Public Transport Vouchers (PTVs) were issued, which is 72% of the 500,000 eligible households. To improve take-up rates, we have enhanced the application process in recent years. First, we no longer require past beneficiaries to re-submit an application each year – their household receives PTVs as long as they remain eligible based on the criteria for that year. Second, for newly eligible households or those who had not applied for PTVs in the past, we have introduced online applications so they can submit applications almost year-round, either online or in-person as preferred. We have further enhanced the online application process such that eligible households that apply online are immediately informed of their successful application and can redeem the vouchers more quickly after receiving them via SMS. PTVs cover roughly half a year of fare increases for a typical household of two adults and two concession cardholders. Households who require more support can request additional vouchers through their Community Centres or Clubs. In addition to PTVs, the Government provides over $2 billion in annual subsidies to fund bus and train services. In recent years, the Government has also provided additional subsidies of $200 to $300 million, which has allowed the Public Transport Council to defer the bulk of the fare increases in recent years. Discounted fares and monthly passes are also available for concession groups, including Workfare recipients. Our public transport fares are one of the lowest in the world and have become more affordable over the past decade. For lower-income households, the proportion of household income spent on public transport has fallen, from 3.1% in 2015, to 2.4% in 2024.”
“Between 2023 to 2025, 167 summonses were issued to cyclists for failing to display front white and rear red lights at night – 42 in 2023, 79 in 2024, and 46 in 2025. The summonses were mostly issued to cyclists on roads. The Government partners stakeholders, such as through the conducting of school talks, to raise public awareness of safe practices, including the use of lights on bicycles.”
“The Government expects our investment entities to operate on a commercial basis and to fully comply with the laws and regulations of the jurisdictions they invest in. We also expect them to closely monitor regulatory changes in overseas jurisdictions and to adjust their portfolios accordingly should these affect our investment returns or risks. As with other investors and interested parties, GIC and Temasek may provide feedback or comments on proposed regulatory or tax changes introduced by the United States (US) or other foreign governments, where relevant. Separately, the Singapore Government maintains regular and constructive engagement with the US Treasury on a broad range of issues, including developments in financial and tax regulations. The Government retains confidence that our investment entities have the capabilities and risk-management frameworks to assess and manage the implications of regulatory changes and to take appropriate steps to protect Singapore's investment interests.”
“At the moment, the ERP 2.0 system is designed primarily for payment and charges. It can also be used for enforcement, including for traffic offences like speeding, but further enhancements will be needed. The use of such data will be governed by existing laws, such as the Public Service (Governance) Act. The Member may refer to the Second Reading of the Land Transport and Related Matters Bill for more details on the use of ERP 2.0 for enforcement.”
“Vehicle manufacturers and motor dealers, including parallel importers, are legally responsible for identifying affected vehicles, notifying owners and arranging rectification of safety-related defects. Vehicle owners receiving recall notices should work with their motor dealers to have any safety-related defects rectified promptly. The Land Transport Authority (LTA) facilitates the vehicle recall process by publishing notices of recent recalls on the OneMotoring website, as reported by vehicle manufacturers or motor dealers to LTA.”
“Around 10% of our underground rail tunnels run through marine clay. Rail tunnels are regularly inspected for defects including for tunnel squatting. Tunnel segments that are more likely to be affected are subject to enhanced monitoring, including the use of advanced instruments, laser profilers and high-definition image scanners. The current works are focused on the tunnels between Paya Lebar and Mountbatten stations. Should further works be needed on other parts of the network, the public will be informed early.”
“Deferring property taxes over long periods can result in significant accumulated liabilities, which may create complications when properties are transferred or bequeathed. The Government, therefore, takes a careful approach in considering such arrangements. Nonetheless, we recognise that some property owners may face cash flow issues when paying their property tax. Currently, eligible property owners aged 65 and above can already apply for a 24-month interest-free instalment plan for their property tax payments. We will continue to review the adequacy of our existing measures and consider whether further support is needed.”
“Over the last five years, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) received fewer than 100 complaints on bus arrival timings per month. The recent disruption to the Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA) system was due to a memory cache build-up in the on-board equipment used to track the live location of buses. The affected buses encountered errors communicating with the server, which led to bus location information not being displayed correctly on apps and at bus stops. To remedy the problem, the firmware had to be re-uploaded manually on each bus. This required some time. Some transmitters had to be replaced before the ETA system could be fully restored. LTA will examine how to improve system reliability further, including whether over-the-air transmissions can be activated for such software updates.”
“The Edelman Trust Barometer is an annual global survey that captures public sentiment, which can be influenced by prevailing economic conditions and current events. The 2026 findings show a decline in intergenerational optimism and heightened concerns about jobs, not only in Singapore, but across many of the countries surveyed. The Government regularly gathers feedback from Singaporeans on their aspirations and views about the future. Our own surveys do not indicate a comparable deterioration in the outlook of young Singaporeans. Beyond surveys, we also track objective indicators of intergenerational mobility. Previously published data show that Singapore has performed well in sustaining social mobility compared to other advanced economies. We will release updated findings in due course.”
“Integrated Transport Hubs (ITHs) are developments with integrated bus interchanges that are seamlessly linked to MRT stations and adjoining residential and commercial developments, such as shopping malls. These developments are typically planned to be completed together with or after the completion of new rail stations. These developments are also complex and require more time to construct compared to a single use development, as they integrate various use requirements within a single site. The Tampines North ITH was planned to be completed together with the future Tampines North Cross Island Line station. As the construction of Cross Island Line was delayed by one year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the timeline of Tampines North ITH was also shifted back by a year. Construction of the Tampines North ITH commenced in 2024, and we hope to complete it by 2030. In the meantime, residents in the area are served by the Tampines North Bus Interchange.”
“The Side-by-Side package under Pillar Two of the OECD's Base Erosion and Profit Shifting initiative (BEPS) essentially allows US multinational enterprises (MNEs) to continue operating under the US global tax system, which already imposes a minimum level of tax on their worldwide income. This arrangement is deemed to achieve similar policy outcomes as Pillar Two and hence, it is allowed to operate "side by side" with the Pillar Two rules. This new development does not impact other jurisdictions' implementation of Domestic Minimum Top-up Taxes. Singapore will therefore proceed with our Domestic Top-up Tax, and all large MNEs, including US MNEs, operating in Singapore will still have to pay the minimum effective tax rate of 15% on profits earned in Singapore. Notwithstanding the progress made with BEPS, global competition for key investments is continuing to intensify in other forms, and through other fiscal tools and incentives. We will therefore have to continue making the necessary investments to stay competitive and create good jobs and opportunities for Singaporeans.”
“The Land Transport Authority (LTA) determines whether an incident meets the threshold for being included in the calculation of Mean Kilometres Between Failure. LTA identifies delays exceeding five minutes by independently reviewing data on all train movement, which is automatically logged by the train control system of each line and provided in full to LTA.”
“The breakdown of the new Certificates of Entitlement (COEs) awarded to existing COE holders for Categories A and B in the first three quarters of 2025, for each of the four validity periods the Member outlined, is provided in Table 1 below.”
“The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has conducted technical reviews with the Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), who have provided assurance that the existing electric buses do not possess remote-control capabilities. LTA is conducting additional independent technical assessments to further verify this. The Government does not publicly share details of such cybersecurity findings, given the security implications.”
“Singapore Citizens who reside in Singapore, except for temporary absences, are assessed as tax residents. We do not have data on Singapore Citizens who have transitioned from being tax residents to non-residents and vice versa. There were about 1.6 million Singapore Citizens with tax filing records in the Year of Assessment (YA) 2020. Of these, about 1.4 million had tax filing records in YA2024. Those who dropped out could have done so due to a variety of reasons, such as death, retirement, unemployment or relocation overseas. Of the 1.4 million, about 55% were male and 45% were female. The breakdown by age group is as follows:”
“Cyclists are required to wear helmets and comply with group size and riding formation requirements when cycling on roads. The Land Transport Authority and Traffic Police (TP) regularly conduct school talks to emphasise safe cycling practices. Under the Active Mobility Community Ambassadors scheme, volunteers engage their communities to promote safe and gracious sharing of paths. Joint enforcement operations are also conducted with TP to deter offenders.”
“The upgrading of the 92 SMRT trains on the North-South and East-West Lines is a planned mid-life upgrade to improve passenger experience, energy efficiency and reliability, and not to extend service life. The upgrades include improving air-conditioning and ventilation systems, and the addition of new condition-monitoring sensors. There are enough trains in the fleet for the upgrade to be implemented without affecting service capacity or frequency.”
“Foreign motorists entering Singapore are responsible for familiarising themselves with our laws and regulations. All foreign-registered cars and motorcycles entering Singapore must obtain the necessary permits for entry. Foreign-registered vehicles with multiple outstanding vehicular-related fines are denied entry into Singapore. These composition sums or Court fines will have to be paid before the foreign-registered vehicles are allowed entry.”
“There are electric vehicle (EV) chargers installed in all Housing and Development Board (HDB) towns. We are scaling up EV charger deployment in tandem with EV adoption, especially in carparks with high charging demand, subject to electrical capacity.”
“The Land Transport Authority and bus operators adjust the provision of bus services based on ridership and evolving commuter travel patterns. This includes increasing service frequencies during off-peak periods, if there is sufficient demand.”
“This question was addressed in the written reply issued for Question No 22 for Oral Answer for the 13 January 2026 Parliament Sitting. [Please refer to "Addressing Cost Concerns of Singapore Taxi and Private Hire Drivers Given New Cross-border Arrangements for Ride-hailing Services", Official Report, 13 January 2026, Vol 96, Issue 13, Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer not Answered by End of Question Time section.]”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker. I fully understand the concerns of small business owners who need to continue to have their vehicles to operate, especially in the environment of high COE prices. We already similarly allow commercial vehicle owners to renew their COEs for five years. And in fact, they can do it until the statutory life of their vehicles. It is something that I think is fair, because you also want to allow for new businesses who wish to have access to vehicles to be able to compete for COEs. I think the better approach is for them to be able to bid in the same market and therefore, for the COE to be priced accordingly.”
“Mr Speaker, we do recognise that, first of all, inflation in the past year has come down, but nonetheless, cost of living concerns remain high on the agenda for many Singaporeans, including the group of Singaporeans that the hon Member talks about, seniors who live in HDB flats. We will be looking very closely at the this group and seeing how much more we can support them. But specific to the Lease Buyback Scheme, the subscription rate has, in fact, been going up. We will continue to do more to encourage seniors, who wish to take this opportunity to monetise their housing asset, to be able to do that, and to age in place at the same time.”
“Mr Speaker, the Government actively supports seniors in Housing and Development Board (HDB) households who wish to age in place, with more support for those with lesser means. Seniors can unlock the value of their flat and receive a regular stream of income through the Lease Buyback Scheme. The Government provides a cash bonus of up to $30,000 for eligible Lease Buyback Scheme participants, on top of the proceeds from selling a portion of their flat's remaining lease. To improve seniors' mobility and safety within their flat, in-home senior-friendly fittings and accessibility solutions, such as grab bars and ramps, are also subsidised via the Enhancement for Active Seniors programme. The Government also provides direct support for living costs through the permanent Goods and Services Tax Voucher scheme, which comprising cash, MediSave, U-Save rebates and rebates for Service and Conservancy Charges. Seniors who earned low income during their working years and thus have low retirement savings may also receive quarterly Silver Support payments in cash. This was recently enhanced in 2025, with eligible seniors receiving up to $1,080 each quarter, up from $900 previously. The Government has also from time to time provided additional support, such as Assurance Package payments, as well as property tax rebates. Beyond subsidies and financial support, we are also strengthening community support for seniors. For instance, the Silver Generation Office reaches out to all Singaporeans aged 60 and above to inform them about and connect them to care and support services. We are also piloting Age Well Neighbourhoods, which bring senior-friendly infrastructure and services into existing estates so that seniors have better access to such services in familiar surroundings.”
“The Land Transport Authority has studied the use of Selective Door Operation (SDO) to deploy longer trains along existing lines and found it unfeasible for the North East Line. Longer dwell times would be needed at each station to allow for safe boarding and alighting, especially during peak hours, which will lengthen headways and journey times and reduce rather than increase system capacity. SDO will also require significant depot and track modification works to accommodate longer train sets.”
“The Ministry of Transport and Land Transport Authority (LTA) have received four such complaints in the last two years. Private parking spaces are managed privately by the owner of the premise or the Management Corporation Strata Title (MCST). LTA issues a Code of Practice for such premise owners or MCSTs to ensure that there is sufficient and clear signage at car parks so motorists are properly informed of charges, fees and fines. Besides reaching out to the relevant premise owner or MCST, motorists could also consider filing an application with the Strata Titles Board, who can help to conduct mediation between the involved parties.”
“Commercial riders using active mobility device on public paths must have third-party liability insurance coverage during their course of work. We encourage, but do not mandate, all other riders to purchase insurance to protect themselves from claims.”
“Where possible, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) builds cycling paths behind bus stops to separate cyclists from bus commuters. The "SLOW" markings and speed regulating strips remind cyclists to slow down near bus stops. LTA also enforces against cyclists who speed or ride recklessly, including at bus stops.”
“Of the 60 sites identified in March 2021, six road repurposing projects have been completed and five are in progress. For each site, the Land Transport Authority is engaging stakeholders and undertaking detailed engineering studies before implementation. Some of the sites identified have also been converted under the new Friendly Streets initiative, which will be expanded to all towns by 2030.”
“Government agencies, together with our tripartite partners and the non-governmental organisations (NGOs), have rolled out various measures to improve the safety of workers on lorries. These include requirements for lorries to be fitted with canopies and higher protective side railings, have lower speed limits and minimum space requirements. Government agencies will continue to engage and work closely with industry and NGOs to explore further improvements to strengthen worker safety.”
“This question has been addressed in the reply to Parliamentary Question Nos 12 to 14 on the Order Paper for 12 January 2026. [Please refer to "Temasek Holdings' Planned Restructuring and Potential Impact on Investment Performance and Returns", Official Report, 12 January 2026, Vol 96, Issue 12, Oral Answers to Questions section.]”
“Public Transport Vouchers help lower-income households defray part of any fare increase. In 2024, the quantum increased to $60 from $50. Six months of fare increase is indicative but not a cap. Households requiring more support can submit an appeal online or at their local community centres or community clubs for additional vouchers.”
“The Land Transport Authority has received reports of foreign-registered vehicles being used for commercial purposes but not on whether the drivers of those vehicles have valid work passes. We will work with other Government agencies to study how to prevent foreigners without valid work passes using their vehicles in Singapore for commercial purposes.”
“For public safety reasons, chargers without fixed charging cables are currently allowed in limited locations, such as private landed residences, where access can be restricted. As technology improves, we will consider such options.”
“We would like to better support our seniors but unfortunately, the bus stop for Hougang Polyclinic is very near to the access road for the polyclinic, and bus routes cannot be amended to call there at this time. As explained in our previous reply, having more buses call at this stop will affect the safe movement of vehicles and create inconvenience to pedestrians and other road users.”
“The North East Line is designed for a six-car train system. Supporting trains with more cars would require major modification works to the underground station, platforms, tunnels, tracks including sidings and the depot. This cannot be achieved without heavy excavation, which would, in turn, require stopping North East Line service entirely for at least a year, if not longer. Significant land acquisition would also be needed to extend the stations. The Cross Island Line, when completed, will add to the MRT connectivity and capacity for the North East. We are also studying the feasibility of the Seletar Line which will also benefit the region.”
“There are now about 220 public electric vehicle (EV) charging points for every 1,000 EVs registered in Singapore. The EV chargers are generally evenly distributed, with more chargers in Housing and Development Board towns with higher EV utilisation.”
“The Land Transport Authority does not provide real-time train arrival data online as intervals between train arrivals are short and next train arrivals are adequately communicated to commuters at all train stations.”
“The Urban Redevelopment Authority and the Land Transport Authority issued an advisory note in 2022 to encourage commercial malls to set aside delivery waiting bays for the motorcycles and active mobility devices of delivery personnel. This applies to both new and existing developments. Agencies are also studying other ways to make future developments friendlier to delivery riders, such as mandating delivery waiting bays. More information will be shared when ready.”
“Based on the current Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for all public transport operators, an open stroller is allowed in the wheelchair bay if it is unoccupied. If needed, or if the wheelchair bay is occupied, strollers should be folded to give priority to wheelchair users. However, there have been cases where the stroller cannot be folded and, thus, it is not always possible to accommodate both the open stroller and the wheelchair user or to follow the SOP. The Land Transport Authority is consulting commuters and working with the bus operators to review the SOP.”
“The enhancements to the Cross-Border Taxi Scheme aim to benefit travellers and facilitate fairer competition between drivers in both countries. While it is not possible to equalise the operational costs between Singaporean taxis and Malaysian taxis, we are working on measures to ensure that cross-border trips are more viable for our taxi drivers. For example, only local taxis are allowed to pick up passengers from any point in their home country, while foreign taxis can only pick up passengers from designated pick-up points. This will allow our taxi drivers to better meet demand for cross-border trips starting in Singapore. Over time, we plan to increase the number of ride-hail pick-up points to include more frequented locations. The improved convenience for travellers can bolster demand for the return trip to Singapore. The Land Transport Authority will continue to enforce against illegal point-to-point transport services. Licensed cross-border taxis will be required to install Singapore's ERP2 on-board unit for entry into Singapore, and must also be clearly identifiable by livery, tamper-proof vehicle plate with predefined prefix and taxi topper. As for fuel subsidies, that is a matter for the Malaysian authorities to consider.”
“In the last two years, approximately 1,600 and 350 vehicle owners were penalised for illegal exhaust modifications and breaches of noise emission standards respectively. The Land Transport and Related Matters Bill, to be introduced in the January Parliamentary Sitting, will include heavier penalties for the illegal modification of exhaust systems.”
“Major systems on our rail network, such as rolling stock, signalling and power systems, are scheduled for replacement based on the original equipment manufacturers' recommended service life, historical performance and whether components continue to be supported by the original equipment manufacturers. The Land Transport Authority (LTA) and rail operators also perform periodic technology upgrades on these systems to ensure reliable operation throughout their service life. Additionally, they install condition monitoring tools on these systems to enable predictive maintenance and early detection of potential faults. LTA and the rail operators' practices meet the international ISO 55000 standard, which sets out what is required to establish and maintain an effective asset management system. The standard requires processes and systems to regularly evaluate the performance of assets, and to institutionalise clear risk assessment and decision-making frameworks to guide asset maintenance and replacement. Metro operators in cities, such as Hong Kong and London, also benchmark their rail asset management practices to this standard. The Rail Reliability Taskforce has also submitted its report, which includes recommendations to further improve management of rail assets. This includes how renewal of core rail systems can be prioritised and carried out in a shorter time, and more comprehensive use of condition monitoring to strengthen maintenance. The Ministry of Transport is reviewing the Taskforce's recommendations and will provide a response by the first quarter of this year.”
“The Land Transport Authority considers the number of seniors living in the vicinity when prioritising the retrofitting of lifts at pedestrian overhead bridges. Block 301D is not at Anchorvale Road but Anchorvale Drive. The pedestrian overhead bridge near Block 301D Anchorvale Drive meets this criterion and will be retrofitted with a lift within the next few years.”
“Preliminary investigations indicate that the delay was caused by a fault in the backup power system that supports critical systems on the affected train. For safety reasons, the train is designed to stop if there is a loss of power to its critical systems. This was the first occurrence of such a fault. The Land Transport Authority (LTA) and SMRT are working with the train's original equipment manufacturer to identify the root cause and measures to prevent a recurrence. LTA and the rail operator will review the overall incident response to identify areas for improvement, including in terms of service recovery, commuter management and public communications.”