Khaw Boon Wan
Singapore
“Motor vehicle dealerships and showrooms have been closed since the start of the circuit breaker. As COE bidding is done mostly by the motor vehicle dealers on behalf of prospective owners, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) suspended COE bidding for the months of April and May.”
“Though stressed by the financial pain, they press on with the immediate priority of fighting the virus and supporting essential services. Post-pandemic, we will see how public transport evolves. Will demand for public transport services simply return to the pre-pandemic level?”
“Under our rail financing framework, the Government fully pays for the cost of building new rail lines. In other words, we do not recover the cost of building the Cross Island Line (CRL) from commuters through fares. The CRL project is being implemented and the final costs will depend on tender bids.”
“There are around 5,000 private bus operators with a combined fleet of 13,500 private buses. As we do not track the number of private bus trips and passengers, we do not have data on their carbon emissions.”
“There are nursing rooms at 50% of our bus interchanges. We will provide nursing rooms at all new bus interchanges and integrated transport hubs. For the MRT network, we will provide nursing rooms at all new interchange stations. We will also explore providing such facilities when MRT stations undergo upgrading.”
“Over the last three years, Singapore carriers have reported a total of 20 incidents of food allergies on board their flights. None required the use of epinephrine or emergency flight diversions.”
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“Today, traditional limousine companies and car rental companies employ Permanent Residents and work pass holders as drivers. Work pass holders are subject to work pass conditions stipulated by the Ministry of Manpower. They provide chauffeured services that can be chartered for trips like airport transfers and ferrying of very important persons (VIPs) at events. In order to not disrupt traditional limousine companies and car rental companies when the new regulatory regime is implemented, these Permanent Residents and work pass holders will also be able to apply for the Private Hire Car Driver Vocational Licence. However, Permanent Residents and work pass holders can only provide chauffeured services in the course of their employment under these car rental or limousine companies. This is unlike for Singaporeans, who can be Uber or GrabCar drivers as long as they are sole proprietors of a chauffeured services company. As we understand it, there are no work pass holders driving for Uber or Grab today.”
“We use the findings in the Department of Statistics' Household Expenditure Survey to calculate public transport affordability. The survey is conducted only once every five years. In the intervening years, we adjust the findings in the last available survey by the subsequent annual changes in national wages and public transport fares. The last available Household Expenditure Survey was in 2014. In the survey, employer Central Provident Fund (CPF) contributions were included in the computation of household incomes. Accordingly, the public transport affordability performance indicator in the financial year (FY) 2016/2017 Budget Book also used household income with employer CPF contributions. Removing the CPF contributions from the computation does not alter the fact that public transport affordability has improved. Public transport expenditure as a component of second quintile household income, fell from 2.5% in 2010 to 2.2% in 2015 if we include employer CPF contributions, and from 2.8% to 2.4% over the same period if we exclude employer CPF contributions.”
“Since March this year, there has been an increase in the number of certificate of entitlement (COE) bids submitted by car rental companies, including those associated with private hire car services. Notwithstanding this, if we ignore the one-off increase in COE premiums after the loan regulations were eased in May this year, the market has remained relatively stable. Category A and B COE premiums fluctuated only within a narrow band of $3,000 over this period. This is because it is not the number of bids per se, but how aggressively these bids are priced, that drives COE premiums up. So far, car rental companies do not seem to have been bidding very aggressively. The bid enquiry function on the Land Transport Authority's (LTA's) online COE bidding system is meant for bidders to access information on their own bids. It was never meant to be a means for people to pry into the bids of others. In response to feedback to better protect bidders' privacy, LTA now requires company bidders to enter an acknowledgement code that is known only to them, after which they can access their own bidding information. Currently, privately-owned cars can be converted into private hire cars and vice versa, unlike taxis. If we create a separate COE category for private hire cars, we may have to disallow such conversion. This will limit the flexibility of the private hire car market to the detriment of commuters and private hire car service providers. On the other hand, if we allow such conversion flexibility, it may lead to gaming and distortion of the COE market. LTA will continue to monitor the COE market and look further into this issue as needed.”
“Under the rail and bus licences, the Land Transport Authority requires the operators to ensure that commuters are adequately informed about transport safety and emergency facilities and procedures. Information is currently disseminated through the use of prominent signs, as well as regular announcements and videos at train stations, bus interchanges and on board trains and buses. We are reviewing the Bukit Panjang Light Rail Transit incident to see if more needs to be done in this regard.”
“Every Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) and Light Rail Transit (LRT) station is equipped with an independent backup power supply that provides basic lighting in the tunnels and stations during a power failure. This backup power supply also keeps critical systems, such as signalling, communications and platform screen doors, functioning. All our trains are equipped with backup batteries to power emergency lighting, ventilation fans and the public address system. If passengers need to be detrained, the operators have to follow strict safety procedures. They must ensure that traction power is switched off for the affected stretch, so that no trains will move into and within the sector. Trains will also be held at adjoining stations as an immediate measure to further isolate that stretch. The operators will then deploy their staff to the stalled train to guide and assist passengers back to the station via the walkway. The train operators, together with the Land Transport Authority and the Singapore Civil Defence Force, conduct regular exercises to ensure that the staff are adequately trained and prepared to handle such contingencies safely and effectively.”
“The Land Transport Authority (LTA) and the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) had coordinated on the current process which relies on LTA officers stationed in the secondary clearance area to enforce against tolls and fees evasion. This allows ICA officers to focus on immigration and security screening. Having reviewed this process together with ICA, we believe that it can be improved. The two agencies are now jointly studying the feasibility of lifting the drop-arm barriers at the ICA immigration counter only after tolls and fees have been paid. This is not a straightforward exercise, as there are concerns, such as ICA officers potentially being distracted by this new responsibility and speed of immigration clearance, that have to be addressed. I assure the Member that LTA regularly reviews its processes to enhance the effectiveness of its operations and in collaboration with other agencies where needed.”
“We build taxi stands in locations where there is high taxi demand, to facilitate pick-up and reduce disruption to traffic flow. As the taxi demand along Lorong 8 Toa Payoh is relatively irregular and low, it would be difficult to justify building a taxi stand there.”
“The number of Category D COEs available for bidding every quarter is based on the number of motorcycles deregistered in the preceding quarter. Adjustments are then made to account for the allowable growth rate for the vehicle population, cancelled and expired COEs, as well as contributions to the Open Category. It is no different from how we derive quotas for the other COE categories. The number of motorcycles we should allow in Singapore is tied to how much we can grow our overall vehicle population, which will, ultimately, be limited by our land constraints. In this regard, at some point, we will have to bring the allowable vehicle growth rate to zero. By giving motorcycles a distinct COE category, Category D, we have limited the extent to which motorcycles will be replaced by cars within the vehicle population. We have also reduced the contribution by various COE categories, including Category D to the Open Category from 25% just a few years ago, to 10% currently. We will continue to monitor the trend of Category D quotas and make further adjustments if necessary.”
“LTA prioritises its implementation of Green Man Plus in areas where there is a high number of elderly residents. LTA will look into whether it is possible to expedite the implementation at Potong Pasir Avenue 1. Page: 94”
“The four public bus operators currently employ 575 female bus captains, of whom 404 are in SBS Transit, 142 in SMRT Corporation, 26 in Tower Transit Singapore, and three in Go-Ahead Singapore. They make up about 6% of the total number of bus captains. LTA has been working with the operators to recruit more local bus captains, including women. For example, SBS Transit and SMRT Corporation have introduced part-time employment schemes which can appeal to those who need some work schedule flexibility because of family commitments. Tower Transit Singapore and Go-Ahead Singapore offer female employees up to 26 weeks of paid maternity leave. Tower Transit Singapore also offers female employees an enhanced maternity benefit of $300 to $700 annually, as well as additional childcare leave.”
“The inspection passing rate for three-year-old cars is about 93% and has not improved in the last five years. This is despite new car designs and technological features. There is, therefore, no strong case for conducting the first inspection in the fourth rather than the third year. LTA's authorised inspection centres do not provide vehicle repair and maintenance services. This allows them to be independent and objective in their inspection and removes any possibility of a conflict of interest. This is not the case for motor dealers.”
“I agree with the Member that our public transport system must be inclusive and cater to the needs of different commuters, including families with young children. Our bus captains and MRT station staff are trained to assist passengers with strollers. We have priority seats for young children and their caregivers. LTA, together with our bus operators, is also studying ways of safely securing strollers on board our buses. Page: 93”
“LTA will call the tenders to install noise barriers near the residential blocks between Chua Chu Kang and Bukit Gombak MRT stations in the second half of this year. The noise barriers will be installed at viaducts fronting: (a) Block 369 to Block 338, and Block 383 to Block 395, Bukit Batok West Avenue 5; (b) Block 296D to Block 297D, and Block 272 to Block 279, Chua Chu Kang Avenue 2; (c) Block 224 to Block 223, Chua Chu Kang Central; and (d) Block 353 to Block 355, Chua Chu Kang Loop. New residential developments that are close to existing railway viaducts, including Keat Hong Pride and Keat Hong Crest, must comply with setback and noise mitigation requirements. These should be able to address the noise issue adequately.”
“From 2010 to 2015, Malaysia-registered cars made an average of 4,000,000 trips to Singapore each year. In the same period, foreign-registered cars were involved in an average of 11,000 traffic offences each year.”
“There is a broad spectrum of automated vehicle systems. Driverless trains have been in use in our MRT and LRT networks for more than 15 years. As for self-driving vehicles that can travel freely on public roads, the technology is advancing rapidly. My Ministry is leading a Committee on Automated Road Transport for Singapore, comprising public and private sector members, to chart the development and deployment of the technology in Singapore. Four major initiatives are being pursued concurrently. First, we are working with industry and research institutions to develop and trial self-driving buses. Second, we are planning for fleets of self-driving pods to provide on-demand, point-to-point mobility services for first-and-last-mile travel in the neighbourhood, and will be trialling them in Sentosa and One-North for a start. Third, we are working with PSA to trial truck-platooning between our port terminals, where one driven container truck can lead a few other driverless ones following behind. Fourth, we are working with the National Environment Agency (NEA) to develop and trial self-driving utility vehicles such as for road cleaning, and these can be deployed for service during the wee hours, reducing road congestion. The technology is expected to improve cost effectiveness of the respective operations in the long run. However, as it is still evolving, it is premature to say by how much. Singapore faces a shortage of bus, truck and other drivers. In the near term, automation can help alleviate some of this shortage. However, there may, indeed, come a day in the further future when the need for driving is substantially reduced. We will then need to equip existing drivers with new skills for different vocations. Page: 92”
“It is the drivers' responsibility to ensure that they apprise themselves fully of the car's insurance coverage, liabilities and other terms and conditions, before entering into an agreement with the car leasing company. We will also bring their attention to it by including it in the curriculum for the Private Hire Car Driver Vocational Licence. Page: 91”
“There are 1,451 signalised T- and X-junctions where motorists are allowed to turn right while pedestrians are crossing. From 2011 to 2015, there were a total of 14 fatalities and 319 injuries which involved pedestrians and cyclists being hit by right-turning vehicles at such junctions. Page: 90 To enhance the safety of our junctions, LTA is installing more measures, such as traffic light timings that give pedestrians a head-start in crossing the road and additional road markings and signs, to alert right-turning vehicles to the presence of pedestrians crossing the road. At most signalised junctions where vehicles are allowed to turn right when pedestrians are crossing, the right-turn green arrow is on for between five and 12 seconds, which allow about three to six vehicles per lane to turn right.”
“In the meantime, CAAS has worked with Singapore Airlines to ensure that all safety procedures continue to be strictly adhered to on all its flights.”
“We are taking the incident on 27 June 2016 involving SQ368 very seriously, notwithstanding the fact that there were no casualties and that airport operations returned to normal in a matter of hours. The Air Accident Investigation Bureau of Singapore (AAIB) has already started its investigations into the incident. Its aim is to establish the cause and make recommendations to prevent recurrence. The investigation is being conducted in accordance with protocols set by the International Civil Aviation Organization. The investigation team includes accredited representatives from the US National Transportation Safety Board and technical advisers from the Federal Aviation Administration, the aircraft manufacturer Boeing and engine manufacturer General Electric. The AAIB investigation covers issues, such as aircraft operations, aircraft maintenance, training, the design and manufacture of the aircraft and engine, human factors, as well as regulatory oversight. Separately, as the safety regulator, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) is also conducting its own investigations to ensure the continued safety of air travel. Its investigations include reviewing whether the aircraft and engine were well maintained and whether the flight operations and emergency response were conducted in accordance with regulatory requirements and procedures. CAAS' preliminary findings are that the pre-flight aircraft checks were carried out properly and by qualified personnel. We expect the AAIB investigation to take approximately six months, as the engine and its components will need to be taken apart carefully and examined. It is our intention for the findings of the investigation to be made public.”
“Today, 33 pedestrian overhead bridges have lifts. LTA is installing lifts at 34 more bridges by 2018 and 50 more bridges after that. We will then review the situation for the subsequent phases. We will prioritise bridges near places, such as transport hubs, hospitals, polyclinics, welfare homes, homes for the aged and schools for children with special needs. For bridges that are regularly used by the elderly and physically disabled, if it is impossible to install lifts because of location constraints, we will explore alternatives like street-level crossings.”
“We recently announced that the Free Pre-peak Travel scheme will be extended to June 2017. Around 65,000 commuters benefit from the scheme daily. The number of morning peak hour exits at the designated city centre stations has fallen by about 7%, with the ratio of peak to pre-peak exits falling from 2.7 to 2.1. The Free Pre-peak Travel scheme is aimed at reducing crowding along the most congested stretches of our rail network during the morning peak period, which are primarily city-bound trips. We started the Travel Smart Rewards Programme to complement the Free Pre-peak Travel scheme. Under Travel Smart, commuters travelling to MRT stations outside the city area can earn credits for Page: 86 travelling outside peak periods. For commuters who consistently travel off-peak, the Off-Peak Monthly Travel Passes offer further discounts over the regular monthly travel passes.”
“The temporary change in operating hours on Sunday mornings may affect about 13,000 passengers. I would like to thank the affected commuters for their understanding and patience. The additional hour per week will allow the train maintenance staff to speed up the on-going track renewal works. LTA has assessed that there are adequate bus services plying the affected stretch. Nonetheless, we will be adding an interim bus service, with a frequency of 10 minutes, running between Bukit Gombak and Joo Koon via Jurong East. We will monitor the situation closely and adjust our measures to mitigate the impact on commuters.”
“Recently, LTA signed a partnership with one of Europe’s largest car-sharing operator to implement an electric vehicle car sharing programme in Singapore, which will see 1,000 shared cars on our roads within 10 years. Private cars will continue to have a role in our car-lite society. However, it is important that the cost of driving, particularly the land-take for roads and parking, be accurately reflected. The increase in car park charges by HDB and URA has this in mind. Our public parking rates have remained unchanged for more than 10 years, while the cost of building, operating and managing car parks has increased by 40%. Even after the increase, our public parking rates remain lower, compared to other global cities, such as London, New York and Tokyo. In due course, we will also review car parking provisions for buildings and developments. MAS has explained that the car loan restrictions introduced in 2013 were a cyclical response to reduce inflationary pressures and over-borrowing from the strong demand for cars. As inflationary pressures have receded and outstanding motor vehicle loans have declined, MAS has reset the car loan restrictions to levels more appropriate for the longer term. This reset does not affect our move to a car-lite society. We would still want to see a reduction in the growth of the car population and will be reviewing the vehicle growth rate next year.”
“A car-lite society needs to be underpinned by a good public transport system which makes it unnecessary for people to own cars. To this end, we have made significant improvements in our rail and bus services. Our rail network is being built up at an unprecedented pace and will double to 360 km by 2030. Since 2012, we have expanded our train fleet by 50% and our bus fleet by 25%. As a result, train and bus rides are now less crowded, more comfortable and convenient, with shorter waiting and travelling times. We are also working hard to improve the reliability of our rail system. We are making steady progress, but there is still room for improvement. We have also taken significant steps to improve the first- and last-mile connection between homes and transport hubs. We have built 17 km of sheltered walkways and 57 km of cycling paths. We aim to build about 150 km more sheltered walkways under our Walk2Ride programme by 2018 and about 130 km more cycling paths by 2020. Just this past weekend, the Prime Minister graced the launch of Phase One of Ang Mo Kio Walking and Cycling Town, which we hope can be a model for all towns in the future. Earlier this year, the Government accepted the Active Mobility Advisory Page: 82 Panel's recommendations on cycling and the use of personal mobility devices. Greater certainty on the rules and norms will encourage more people to cycle for short commutes. Despite our investments in public transport and active mobility, we recognise that, sometimes, it may still be more convenient for commuters to take personalised, point-to-point transport. We have taken some steps to enhance taxi and private hire car services.”
“In the last three years, there were about 1,100 accidents each year which involved foreign-registered vehicles. If found responsible for causing an accident, motorists of foreign-registered vehicles are treated no differently from those of Singapore-registered vehicles in law. In other words, they are liable for damages incurred. In addition, the Motor Vehicles Act requires all vehicles used on Singapore roads, whether local or foreign-registered, to be insured against third-party bodily injury and death. To effect this for Malaysian-registered vehicles, the Motor Insurers' Bureau of Singapore (MIBS) has Special Agreements with Malaysian insurers to require that they settle claims against their insured who get into accidents in Singapore which involve deaths or injuries. In such cases, the MIBS will facilitate the third-party claimants from Singapore to file their claims with the insurers in Malaysia.”
“LTA had engaged all the stakeholders in the recent review of the chauffeured services industry. Numerous consultations were held with Uber, Grab, the National Taxi Association, the National Private Hire Vehicle Association, car rental and limousine companies Page: 73 and, most importantly, commuters. While we need some regulations to protect commuters’ interests and safety, we have strived to ensure that these are not so onerous that they stifle innovation of new services and business models. As for taxi operators, the current Taxi Availability and Quality of Service standards ensure that commuters can enjoy a minimum service quality for street hail and phone booking respectively. We have retained them as these remain the primary modes of hiring a taxi and the current outcomes are satisfactory. Since the Taxi Availability standards were introduced, the proportion of two-shift taxis has increased from 53% to 68%. The proportion of the taxi fleet plying the roads during peak hours has gone up, from 82% to 92%. This has made it easier for commuters to get a taxi by street hail. Nonetheless, the industry is evolving and we will continue to review these requirements to ensure that they remain relevant.”
“Today, taxi operators do not bid at COE auctions. They draw their COEs from Cat E and pay the Cat A Prevailing Quota Premium. In this way, the impact of the growth and replacement of the taxi fleet, which can be lumpy, is isolated to Cat E. As for the private hire car sector, we will continue to monitor its rate of growth and uptake of COEs, to see if a similar measure will be appropriate. There is nothing that prevents individuals from bidding for COEs on their own. However, most choose to have dealers bid on their behalf, for convenience and also because of the way some dealers package the prices of the cars. We have no plans to segregate individual and proxy bids since, ultimately, both emanate from the same demand. Segregating them will be artificial and give a distortionary picture. Buying a car is a transaction between a willing seller and a willing buyer. Most car dealers will offer prices without COEs, if asked. It is best that we leave it to the market to decide how car sales should be carried out, whether with the COEs packaged or not.”
“If bus bridging services are required during a service disruption, the rail operators must comply with the standards set out in LTA's Code of Practice. These include the time taken for the bus bridging services to be activated and deployed, as well as the headways for such services. LTA monitors the deployment of these services through officers on the ground and from the Land Transport Operations Centre. If the operators fail to deploy the bus bridging services adequately or appropriately, they may be penalised. Page: 72 However, we should be realistic about the effectiveness of bus bridging services during any large-scale service disruption. The capacity of a bus is much smaller than that of a train. It takes almost 20 buses to carry the load of one train. Hence, the only satisfactory way forward is to improve the reliability of our train system, reduce frequency of disruptions, avoid large scale disruptions, speed up fault identification and train service recovery. For the longer term, we have to increase the resilience of our train network by building another orbital line like the Cross Island Line. This will create multiple interchanges with our existing lines and provide commuters with more alternative rail routes in the event of any service disruption.”
“Madam, Singapore has consistently advocated open and liberal transport links and connectivity with Malaysia. Our tolls at the Causeway and the Second Link were introduced in 1998, only in response to Malaysia's decision to levy tolls at both crossings. This long-standing policy of matching Malaysia's tolls is to ensure that Malaysia takes into consideration our response whenever they have plans to raise their tolls. If Malaysia removes their tolls, we will do likewise. In other words, our preference has always been a toll-free Causeway and Second Link. The same principle will apply in our response to Malaysia's impending Road Charge. If it discriminates Singapore-registered vehicles, we will match it in some form. We will confirm whether and how we will respond, after Malaysia has implemented their Road Charge and the details become available. Page: 14”
“We have planned for residents in the North East region to be served by the upcoming Cross Island Line. Extending the Downtown Line to the areas cited is not quite appropriate as it is primarily designed to serve the corridor between the East-West Line and North-East Line that does not have access to the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) network today.”
“About 2.5% of active taxi drivers are female, with the following age profile: We understand that they are primarily concerned about their personal safety and prefer not to drive to remote areas at night or ferry drunk passengers. To address these concerns, which are also shared by some male taxi drivers, taxi companies have installed panic buttons for taxi drivers to alert their company when in distress. The companies can then alert the Police and the taxi drivers who are nearby to render assistance.”
“The Land Transport Authority (LTA) will be adjusting the traffic light timing to allow pedestrians to have a headstart in crossing the road, and for motorists to see the crossing pedestrians while waiting to turn right. LTA will also install additional road markings and signs to remind motorists to give way to pedestrians. These measures will enhance safety at the junction.”
“The Land Transport Authority (LTA) implements additional road safety measures at locations with high accident risk or where motorists tend to speed. We compare accident rates and vehicular speeds before and after implementation of the measures to assess their effectiveness. LTA and Traffic Police work together with the community to promote road safety in both private and public estates. For example, LTA recently implemented advance "STOP" markings at Gerald Estate, along Yio Chu Kang Road, after receiving feedback from the community about motorists not stopping at stop lines.”
“In August 2012, taxis were taken out of the Certificate of Entitlement (COE) bidding process. Taxi operators are allowed to pay the Category A Prevailing Quota Premium for their COEs, regardless of the model of taxi being registered, in recognition of their public transport role. The Taxi Availability standards were also introduced, and taxi operators can grow their fleets by up to 2% per annum, subject to them meeting the standards. Since the introduction of the standards, more taxis are plying the roads to serve commuters, especially during peak hours, and the taxis are being more efficiently utilised. We will not be removing this COE concession for taxis nor the cap on taxi fleet growth for now. We will continue to regularly review the issue.”
“The allowable Vehicle Growth Rate is currently 0.25% per year, effective until January 2018. We will review this again in 2017 with a view to reducing it to zero eventually.”
“The Motor Vehicles Act requires all motor vehicles, including taxis and private hire cars, to be insured against third-party liability risks, which include death or bodily injury to passengers. Specifically, this means that passengers in a taxi that was booked through UberTaxi or GrabTaxi and which is involved in a motor accident, can claim compensation from the owner of the taxi or its insurer.”
“We have studied the practices of countries that have longer histories of facilitating the use of bicycles and personal mobility devices (PMDs). As PMDs are generally safe, most of these countries do not mandate helmets and insurance for cyclists or PMD users. In our case, PMDs are not allowed on roads and have to abide by speed limits of 15 kilometres per hour on footpaths and 25 kilometres per hour on shared and cycling paths. These rules provide further safeguards to pedestrians. We are aware that some cyclists and PMDs voluntarily wear helmets or buy insurance as an added precaution. For now, we have decided not to impose additional costs on everyone by making helmets and insurance compulsory. Let us monitor the situation and keep an open mind on whether a change is warranted in future. At the same time, we need to educate users and enforce against those who flout the rules. Cyclists and PMD users have to be very mindful of the safety of pedestrians. They should always give way to pedestrians, including children and the frail. This is our consistent message to them: be considerate and gracious, give way to pedestrians for your own safety and that of other path users.”
“There is good progress on the High-Speed Rail project. The two Governments have conducted a joint market sensing exercise to gauge market interest and gather feedback on the commercial aspects of the project. We received very good responses. Both countries are now using the feedback to further develop the project's commercial model and procurement approach. We are also, concurrently, discussing the security, regulatory and technical aspects. The Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link is also making steady progress. Following Malaysia's confirmation that their station will be located at Bukit Chagar in August 2015, Phase 2 of the Joint Engineering Study has commenced. This will take around 18 months. At the same time, the two Governments have also begun discussing the commercial, regulatory and security aspects of the project.”
“The tender awarded for the next-generation Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) system includes the cost of designing and building the backend computer system, operating and maintaining the system for the first five years, replacement of On-Board Units (OBUs) for vehicles, and additional equipment like cameras and roadside beacons. It also includes the cost of providing other value-added functions, such as capabilities for collection and dissemination of traffic information, electronic payment for roadside parking, checkpoint tolls and usage of off-peak cars. Both tender bids received were of good technical quality. The difference in tender prices was due to differences in the tenderers' cost estimates and pricing strategies. Safeguarding motorists' privacy was a key requisite in the tender. The system must be able to anonymise and aggregate ERP data for traffic management and analysis.”
“The answer is yes. Eventually we will try to make use of all this new technology. I covered those points during my reply in the Committee of Supply debate, that driverless vehicles and the use of greener fuel like electricity, should all be explored. In fact, besides the trial project involving 2,000 charging points and car-sharing, we have two other trials which are going on. One is for buses; one is for taxis, and commercial trucks. We certainly intend Singapore to be among the early adopters, if not among the early pioneers on the use of such technology because we are a city, compact and, especially for electric vehicles, you can cover a long distance with a single charge. I read that for Tesla Model 3, they are talking about covering almost 400 kilometres with one charge. At that rate, you can drive all the way to Kuala Lumpur.”
“My apologies. I thought we have moved on to the next Parliamentary Question. Can the Member please repeat the supplementary question?”
“My favourite Member of Parliament has caught me on this tiny little detail! I am not sure, I got to check. I suppose it will apply to the trial participants of the car-sharing scheme, but as the facilities are out there and if other people would like to use them, they may charge them for its usage. I do not know. They may charge the battery, as well as charge the user, I think.”
“Madam, we encourage the use of vehicles that are more environmentally-friendly, or green, including electric cars. And that is why we incentivise low carbon emission cars through the Carbon Emissions-based Vehicle Scheme (CEVS), which we have just had a discussion earlier. CEVS is outcome-based and neutral with respect to the type of technology used. The Land Transport Authority (LTA) and the Economic Development Board (EDB) had earlier issued a Request for Information (ROI) to invite proposals for a nationwide electric car-sharing programme. Besides trialling electric car-sharing services, the programme will also see the installation of 2,000 charging points across Singapore. The proposals are in the final stages of evaluation. All that said, the greenest form of transport is public transport. So, do follow my example. If you cannot be a 100% public transport user, at least be a part-time public transport user. It is a little bit like being vegetarian. If you cannot do 100% like me, even 初一,十五, just twice a month, is good. [Laughter.] So, at least one day a week, I use public transport throughout the day. And sometimes, I do it two days a week. The greenest form of transport is public transport. Even though electric cars produce no tail-pipe emissions, the process of generating the electricity they consume emits carbon dioxide. We must move towards a car-lite Singapore.”
“I suppose Tesla, being a sexy and iconic product, attracts attention. But I think what was lost in the debate was that that particular unit was a second-hand Tesla. In other words, if it were a new Tesla Model S, it would have enjoyed the maximum rebate of $30,000. But for all imported second-hand cars, whether electric or otherwise, we have a duty to require the second-hand car to be retested to find out what exactly is the fuel consumption or the CO2 emission rate, so that we can apply the rebate or surcharge properly. As an engineer, the Member would know that the condition of a car, after being used for a while, depends very much on how well you maintain it and how well you use it. And its fuel efficiency can vary quite a lot.”
“Madam, Tesla Motors has just launched the Tesla Model 3 in the United States on 31 March 2016, and only a prototype was displayed. When it is ready to be sold in Singapore, the importers will have to submit its electrical energy consumption information for the Land Transport Authority (LTA) to assess if it will attract a rebate or a surcharge. If it is as energy efficient as a new Tesla S, a new Tesla 3 car would be entitled to the maximum rebate under our current Carbon Emissions-based Vehicle Scheme (CEVS). Er Dr Lee Bee Wah (Nee Soon): I thank the Minister for his answer. I would like to ask: why is it that there was such a hoo-ha about the Tesla in the previous case? Why is it that there was no rebate?”
“Mdm Chair, let me take the safety-related questions. As I had stressed in my reply, I have been advised by legal counsel to be careful with what I say because investigations are still going on, so I cannot say too much. The general safety principle that governs all metros, including SMRT, is that one must isolate the work area/space from any passing train. It does not mean the train cannot pass through the work area but, if it does, then the train has to be manually operated and at slow speed. That is the SOP that covers all operators and that includes SMRT. Then how come the safety procedure was breached in this instance? That is the subject of the investigation.”
“LTA will continue to forge among Singaporeans this sense of ownership and pride in our public buses. And I will make sure that this pride extends to our MRT, too. We cannot achieve this overnight. We need some more time but we will get there, during this term of Government. Of this, I am confident.”
“Mdm Chair, when Founding Prime Minister, Mr Lee Kuan Yew officiated the opening of the MRT system in 1988, he said, "We only have a limited amount of land on which to house our people, build factories, hospitals, roads, schools and train the SAF. Therefore, we decided to give top priority to investments in public transport and to put private transport in second place. This means that we must put the MRT to optimal use and the bus services must dovetail and complement the MRT. We must also keep improving the bus and taxi services and keep the growth of cars to moderate levels." This principle has guided our transport strategy ever since. At SG51, it is even clearer that a car-dominant model cannot underpin Singapore's next phase of development. We need to facilitate new transport technology, change mind-sets and go car-lite. Our public transport must make a quantum leap. We will, therefore, be relentless in pursuing rail excellence, improving our bus service and instituting a future-friendly regulatory and policy framework. We must allow various forms of point-to-point mobility to flourish in Singapore. At the same time, we must rethink and adjust existing car and car parking policies. We already house one million vehicles. Our vehicle population is nearing its peak. Many other cities are making adjustments. London, Paris and many Japanese cities have introduced car-free days and reduced car parking norms. These are measures to help reset their motorists' attitude towards cars. We should gradually adjust, too. 12.00 noon In addition, we want Singaporeans to come to cherish public transport as an indispensable part of their daily lives. The recent Bus Carnival was attended by 140,000 Singaporeans.”
“Under the Bus Service Enhancement Programme (BSEP), we have added 800 buses, and will add another 200 by the end of next year. But as noted by Mr Melvin Yong, we also need a few thousand more bus captains to join the industry. He made several suggestions. Senior Minister of State Josephine Teo chairs the Public Transport Tripartite Committee (PTTC), which seeks to professionalise the bus industry, so as to attract more Singaporeans into the sector. The Page: 11 Committee will share details of their efforts in the next few months. Mr Ong Teng Koon asked about the use of electric buses. It is a promising idea, though the current economics still do not make it viable. But I share his optimism that technological progress and especially in bus battery, will make electric buses viable in due course. Therefore, we are closely watching this development. Another promising idea is self-driving vehicles, as noted by Mr Png Eng Huat. Self-driving technology is not yet ready for mass deployment and may be 10 to 15 years away, depending on the pace of public acceptance. But it is just a matter of time before such vehicles can be deployed on public roads, whether for private or public transport. As I outlined earlier, a fleet of self-driving vehicles plying the neighbourhood will greatly enhance our first-and-last mile connectivity. We are doing several trials and want Singapore to be among the leaders in such concepts. Yesterday, Mr Zaqy Mohamad mentioned nuTonomy. It is making a "big bet on Singapore", according to its COO. They hope to see Singapore among the world's first to commercially deploy self-driving vehicles. If they or their rivals succeed, it will impact existing taxi drivers. That is why we need to help incumbents prepare to cope with these changes.”
“Experts from London Underground and the Taipei Metro shared with us their past experience in re-signalling which was not at all pleasant. It took them many months to get it right, with many delays and disruptions. For example, London Underground went through two years of public unhappiness! This subject is now adding to what is keeping us awake at night. As Members may know, we will be changing the signalling system of NSL this year, followed by the EWL next year. We will do our best to try to achieve a flawless execution and we are keeping our fingers crossed. I seek Singaporeans' understanding and moral support. The rail network is the backbone of our public transport system. We have invested more than $30 billion over the last 15 years and we will be investing even more in the next 15. Besides new lines, we are upgrading existing lines, as described earlier. These works cover trains, tracks, signalling systems and also MRT stations. For example, work will start later this year to upgrade 17 MRT stations, including Er Dr Lee Bee Wah's Khatib station. Following the upgrade, Er Dr Lee's residents will have more standing room and more elderly-friendly seats at the platform. We will also look at expanding bicycle parking. LTA will also look into her other suggestions as we continue refreshing our older stations. Besides trains, our rail network must be complemented by a good and reliable bus network. We have made significant progress in recent years to increase capacity, improve reliability and enhance service levels. We have introduced new bus services and all bus services will run at shorter intervals. Transition to the bus contracting model is also progressing smoothly. LTA will be calling the third tender package very soon.”