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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“As engineers, we know the importance of a comfortable buffer, to deal with unforeseen events, for instance, a sudden surge in demand on the rail network. I think Mr Sitoh alluded to this yesterday when he said, "Are we biting Page: 10 off more than we can chew?" I think we are, but what to do? The solution is to upgrade the power system and build new substations. And this is what we are doing. But such an extensive upgrade on a live system will take a few years to complete. Meanwhile, we are taking a risk that it may cause more disruptions. We are deploying condition monitoring tools and techniques to help mitigate such risks, but we know the risks cannot be fully eliminated. So, please be forgiving should you experience a disruption during this very critical transition period. Second, I want to reiterate an earlier observation. We are stepping up maintenance, we are doing major replacement works and we are expanding the system capacity. Normally, these activities should be done sequentially and in that order, but we are not. We are doing all three simultaneously. All these are happening on the ground, on a live rail system, with a small window of only three engineering hours a day. Ideally, we should provide longer continuous engineering hours and this means shorter revenue service hours. I hope commuters will allow us to open some of the MRT lines a bit later in the morning, or close them a bit earlier at night. An extra hour or two per day will make a lot of difference to our engineering and maintenance staff and help them perform better. We can run some buses to provide an alternative. Third, we will be changing the signalling system of the NSL and EWL. This is a major engineering task.”
“Prof Cham Tao Soon has come forward, volunteered his service to spearhead this initiative. He and Mr Tan Gee Paw have been a valuable help to us. They know engineering and they are risking their reputation built up over decades of excellent work in the Civil Service. They are doing national service for the larger good. I am grateful to them and to many other seasoned engineers who have come forward to volunteer their services. We all want an MRT system which all Singaporeans can be proud of. Even as we work hard to improve reliability, we are, in parallel, working to expand the rail capacity. Actually, the right order of things is to stabilise the system first, before expanding it. But we also have to address peak period crowding and improve connectivity. That is why we are, in parallel, adding new trains to all lines, shortening headways on NSL and EWL, extending EWL westward, DTL eastward, NEL northward, not to mention building the new Thomson-East Coast Line, while planning the new Jurong Region Line and Cross-Island Line. I hope Members appreciate the severe pressure on the shoulders and the stress on our engineers. I can see it in their faces, though they never voice it. They are an honest, hardworking and resilient lot; they take their responsibilities seriously and stoically. These are tough guys, but I think some tender loving care from Singaporeans would be very much appreciated. Before I leave this subject, let me add three more points. First, expanding capacity can impact reliability. Adding more trains and running them more frequently exert a heavy load on the power system during peak hours. While the additional load is within the original design capacity of the existing system, we are severely reducing the design buffer.”
“Second, we are investing about a billion dollars in hardware replacement and upgrading. We are aggressively renewing the infrastructure of our rail network. Within two years, we would have completely replaced the sleepers and the third rail on NSL and EWL, and also upgraded their signalling system. Third, we are forging a closer team, between LTA the designer and the train operators. We address each incident as a collective responsibility – no finger pointing, share openly and solve the problems speedily. We are tightening regulations and stepping up audits on the maintenance processes, augmenting resources where necessary to get the job done. Fourth, we are learning from the best. LTA has set up technical advisory panels, such as for our power systems, and has overseas operators on the panels to share their expertise and experience. We are learning and benefiting from their insights. We are grateful for their generosity in sharing and advising us. Fifth, we are reskilling and upskilling our engineering and maintenance crew. We need a quantum leap both in the numbers and in the capabilities of our rail industry, both to up our existing maintenance standards and to cope with a rapidly expanding network. I am glad to see the Chartered Rail Engineers Scheme gaining momentum. We are setting up the Singapore Rail Academy to quicken this process. The Academy will work with the rail operators and the Institutes of Higher Learning to deepen rail engineering capabilities through training, as well as for accreditation and certification of training programmes and competencies. In due course, we hope the Academy will also conduct R&D to contribute to the design of new systems which are easier to build, maintain and operate.”
“This is our oldest line, nearly 30 years of age and, if there is no incident in the next seven days, NSL will cross the 100 days' mark next week. If they succeed, their success will be especially inspiring for our team, given its age. Young or old, each time a line crosses a significant milestone, I visit the maintenance staff to thank them personally and to cheer them on; go for the next milestone. Even when they fail to cross a milestone, like the North East Line (NEL) which experienced a disruption two months ago, on the very day when they were about to cross the 100-day mark, I visited them to tell them that we appreciated their efforts, regardless. We lick our wounds, reset the clock, we press on, we work even harder. Today, NEL has crossed the 68-day mark and I look forward to welcoming them to the "100-day Club" next month. What is our strategy to improve rail reliability? First, the operators are ramping up their engineering and maintenance resources. We are moving towards preventive maintenance – that is, we monitor the conditions of the assets and do the necessary maintenance before any issues arise. This requires the operators to deploy condition monitoring tools on the trains and on the tracks. 11.45 am Some have already been deployed – the linear variable differential transformer to monitor the condition of the third rail, as well as the wheel impact load detector (WILD) to monitor the train wheels. This year, we expect to deploy even more sensors – a catenary eye system (CES) using infrared to monitor the power system for NEL, and a rolling stock condition monitoring system (RSCMS) to collect information regarding the train systems on NSL and East-West Page: 9 Line (EWL). These are all very costly investments, but they are necessary.”
“I heard Mr Dennis Tan's comments on train faults and breakdowns. Our train workers are doubling their efforts. I meet them regularly, above-ground and underground. They, too, want our MRT to be the best. They are putting in their best. I thank them and I cheer them on. Please give them your support, too. We certainly should not unwittingly demoralise them. Six months into the job, my sense is that we are making some improvements. Last year, trains on the MRT network travelled an average of 133,000 train-kilometres between delays of more than five minutes. This is what we call "mean kilometre before failure" (MKBF), a common reliability measure widely used globally. The figure of 133,000 kilometres is way below Hong Kong Mass Transit Railway's MKBF of 300,000 kilometres. But it is a significant improvement of about 40% from 2014 of 93,000 kilometres. So, in two years, we have improved from 93,000 kilometres to 133,000 kilometres. But 133,000 kilometres is still below Hong Kong's 300,000 kilometres. We want to catch up with Hong Kong and we will. We target 200,000 kilometres this year. Performance so far has given us optimism. Yes, our MRT did experience disruptions exceeding 30 minutes, on 14 occasions last year. This was more than Hong Kong's 12 disruptions in a year. Not as good and we are also working hard on this. I monitor this closely and I have some progress to report. The Downtown Line (DTL) has crossed 171 days of continuous service without any major disruption; 171 days, almost half a year, without any major incident. This is not a trivial achievement. For us in this trade, we know how difficult it is to achieve such a target. Half a year. The other MRT lines are working hard to catch up. The North-South Line (NSL) has crossed the 93-day mark.”
“Currently, many other cities, like Amsterdam and Copenhagen, do a better job than us. We must close the gap and be better, particularly because we live in the tropics with hotter and wetter weather. Senior Minister of State Josephine Teo will outline our approach on First-and-Last-Mile Connectivity and, within that framework, she will respond to the recent recommendations of Parliamentary Secretary Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim's Active Mobility Advisory Panel (AMAP). Second, how to enhance point-to-point transport options for commuters? The sharing economy and, in particular, new business models like Grab and Uber, are benefiting commuters globally. But they are disrupting existing business models of taxi-operators, with impact on taxi-drivers, Uber, in particular, is causing havoc in many cities. Many countries have taken the wrong turn by banning Uber. We should not obstruct innovation, especially when it benefits commuters. We should be mindful of the disruption to incumbents and help incumbents make the correct adjustments. We should seek to achieve win-win for both the disrupters and the incumbents, with commuter welfare as the underpinning principle. It can be done. Later, Senior Minister of State Ng Chee Meng will outline our approach to this development. Third, how to achieve excellence in public transport, especially in rail? This is a crucial piece if we are to become car-lite. As pointed out by Mr Sitoh and Mr Zaqy Mohamad, our current car- Page: 8 dominant transport model is not sustainable, given our land constraints. It needs to be replaced by one that has, as its foundation, an excellent public transport system which is reliable, convenient and smart. Central to this vision is a reliable rail network. This has been one of my top priorities.”
“Singapore's transformation in the past 50 years has given us a solid foundation to make a quantum leap forward. Changes will be incremental but, over 15 years, we shall collectively experience a quantum leap. Actually, 2030 is not far off. Our SG50 babies will only be in Secondary school by then. Unlike our generation, learning to drive may well be a thing of the past, let alone owning four wheels. The Japanese have already begun to observe their young's loss of interest in cars. They even coined a Japanese phrase for this phenomenon: "kuruma banare", meaning "demotorisation". Indeed, why is there a need to own a car when you can easily summon up a driverless pod with a few strokes on your mobile phone? Private cars will likely start to go the way of horse carriages, if not in 15 years, definitely in 20 or 25 years' time. So, I agree with Mr Sitoh and Mr Zaqy Mohamad that we need to prepare Singapore, Singaporeans and our industries for this brave new world. We need to start making adjustments and mental preparations now. Over the current term of Government, the Ministry of Transport (MOT) will progressively put forward the legislative and policy pieces to prepare us for this exciting transformation. We need to discuss what to do and which to do first. For this first Committee of Supply of mine as Minister for Transport, I wish to cover three areas. First, how to enhance accessibility for commuters in particular, how to make it hassle-free for commuters to move from their homes to the nearest train station or bus stop? We crystallise this as First-and-Last-Mile Connectivity. We have taken some initial steps but these are not enough. Our First-and-Last-Mile Connectivity must make a quantum leap to be among the best in the world.”
“Our common objective is to prevent such an accident from occurring again. Mdm Chair, transport not only affects our productivity but also our living environment, social fabric and our quality of life. It is dynamic, constantly evolving as it shapes our life and in turn, we reshape it to make our life better. I appreciate the comments of Mr Sitoh Yih Pin and Mr Zaqy Mohamad on the future of transport in Singapore. Let me share my take on this subject. I see four major drivers behind our transport's continuing evolution. First, emergence of new technology, such as driverless vehicles, with wide implications on many existing jobs. Second, introduction of new business models, such as the sharing economy and its current manifestation through Uber and Grab, which benefit commuters but are disrupting the incumbents. Third, continuing greying of our population and the need to ensure that our city is silver-friendly while promoting active ageing to add healthy years to our life. Fourth, greater urgency to protect our environment through reducing our carbon footprint. These driving forces are already changing our transport sector in significant ways. We do not yet know how exactly the future will pan out but we can be sure that transport in, say, 2030 will be Page: 7 very different from today. We use "a car-lite Singapore" to describe this future, but we know it is inadequate to characterise it as just about roads and cars. Transport 2030 is much more; it is also about active mobility, high quality first-and-last-mile connectivity, smart and on-demand point-to-point transport options, greater pedestrianisation, more opportunities to appreciate on foot our rich city heritage and greenery, and very much more. It will be an exciting future.”
“Mdm Chair, let me first express my deepest condolences to the families of Mr Nasrulhudin Najumudin and Mr Muhammad Asyraf Ahmad Buhari. They lost their lives while working for SMRT on 22 March 2016. The thoughts and prayers of the entire transport family are with their families. The tragedy was a massive blow to all of us. SMRT has completed its internal investigation and its findings are being reviewed by independent experts. The Land Transport Authority (LTA) is conducting its own investigation. Statutory investigations by the Police and the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) are ongoing. There will be a Coroner's Inquiry in due course. Within the legal constraints, I will share what I can. Our priorities are to establish the cause of the incident and prevent a recurrence. The investigations will ascertain whether the problem was inadequate safety procedures or if there were human lapses in the execution of such procedures. If the investigations reveal human errors, those responsible will be held to account. Workplace safety is the responsibility of the operator. When an industrial accident happens, MOM will usually issue a stop-work order and only allow work to resume when investigations are completed. But rail operations and maintenance have to go on. So, even as investigations are ongoing, MOM, in consultation with LTA, found it prudent to issue interim safety orders to SMRT to ensure the safety of railway workers and commuters. LTA has shared the same instructions with SBS Transit for compliance. In addition, SMRT has set up a safety review committee with experts drawn from international transport operators. I have directed LTA to also work with SMRT to thoroughly review its safety-related procedures.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to report that the Committee of Supply has made further progress on the Estimates of Expenditure for the financial year 2016/2017, and ask leave to sit again tomorrow.”
“Sir, may I seek your consent to move that progress be reported now and leave be asked to sit again tomorrow?”
“There are currently three operators running car-sharing schemes, with about 300 cars amongst them. The Government supports them by making available to them lots in Government-managed car parks. The Housing and Development Board has allocated more than 300 car park lots for their use. The utilisation rate is competitive information for the operators. However, they have shared that it is healthy, growing, and tends to be higher during weekends and public holidays. The Land Transport Authority and the Economic Development Board are currently evaluating proposals from car-sharing operators for an electric vehicle car-sharing programme that will see up to 1,000 electric cars deployed nationwide within 10 years.”
“In the past three years, SMRT and SBS Transit have received about 130 instances of feedback relating to passengers not giving up their seats. The Land Transport Authority (LTA) and Public Transport Council conduct an annual Graciousness Campaign with the public transport operators. One key message of the campaign is to encourage commuters to give up their seats to those who need them more, such as the elderly and pregnant women. Members of the House may recall Phua Chu Kang and the Dim Sum Dollies extolling commuters to give up their seats. The current campaign features cartoon characters, including one called Stand-Up Stacey. Our survey indicates that the message recall rate of the current campaign is very high, at 95%. Changing behaviour takes time but there are encouraging signs. In LTA's perception survey, the percentage of commuters noticing that people are giving up seats has risen from 42% in 2012 to 63% in 2014. We will continue to push ahead with our efforts to promote gracious behaviour. Hopefully, public education will lead to more sustained improvements in such behaviour, rather than using regulations and fines.”
“The Land Transport Authority and the Economic Development Board had earlier issued a Request for Information (RFI) to invite proposals for an electric vehicle car-sharing programme. The proposals are being evaluated and the result of the RFI will be announced soon. Page: 106 Two private electric cars, a new Peugeot Ion and a used Tesla Model S, were registered in the past two years. We are neutral as to the type of technology cars use. Our position is that we want to encourage environmental friendliness and minimise emissions.”
“An electric car is treated no differently from any other car under the Carbon Emissions-based Vehicle Scheme (CEVS). Even though electric cars produce no tailpipe emissions, the process of generating the electricity they consume emits carbon. This has to be taken into consideration when we assess whether to give them a carbon emissions rebate or levy a surcharge. If it is assessed to produce equivalent low carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, it is eligible for a rebate off its Additional Registration Fee. If it is assessed to produce high equivalent CO2 emissions, a surcharge is levied. For new cars, its CO2 emissions for the purposes of CEVS are based on requisite test reports from the manufacturers. On the other hand, used cars imported into Singapore will need to undergo testing at accredited vehicle testing centres to determine their CO2 emissions. The rebate or surcharge is applied immediately at the point of registration.”
“All imported vehicles have to be approved by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) before they can be registered for use. As part of the approval process, the importer has to provide the full specifications of the vehicle model. From this, LTA will know if there is any change in the vehicle specifications. Car exhaust systems must comply with both LTA's safety regulations and the noise and emissions standards set by the National Environment Agency. Car exhaust systems that meet noise standards but fail emissions or safety standards will not be allowed.”
“It was originally estimated that the sheltered linkway at Woodleigh Close would be completed by May 2016. Since then, the Land Transport Authority has found that it needs more time to ensure that the linkway's construction does not affect existing utilities infrastructure and adjacent trees. The expected completion date is now August 2016.”
“In building shelters for pedestrian overhead bridges, the Land Transport Authority prioritises those bridges that are more frequently used. We will review the case for the bridge at Braddell Road.”
“Over the last three years, there were 4,329 cases of illegal parking at and misuse of taxi stands and taxi stops. Of these, 325 were committed by taxis. The Land Transport Authority will continue to deploy enforcement officers to deter motorists from misusing taxi stands and taxi stops.”
“Not all bus lanes in the city area are full-day bus lanes. Only roads with high bus volumes throughout the day have full-day bus lanes. Allowing taxis to stop within bus lanes during operation hours will hamper bus speeds and timeliness, to the detriment of many bus commuters.”
“Pedestrian links are kept open round the clock for the convenience of pedestrians. This is the default position, unless there are strong reasons not to do so. In the case of Potong Pasir MRT Station, the underground pedestrian link leads directly to the station’s platform. If it is kept open after MRT operating hours, it can pose security issues, such as vandalism of station property.”
“The number of road accidents involving power-assisted bicycles from 2010 to 2015 is in Table 1 below.”
“As part of the Walk2Ride programme, LTA has been building covered walkways to link hospitals to MRT stations within a 400-metre radius. Most of such walkways have been completed. KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital will have a covered walkway to Little India station in 2017.”
“No motorcycles were registered using Certificates of Entitlement (COEs) from the Open Category in 2015. The objective of the COE system is to control the growth of the vehicle population in Singapore so that road traffic remains manageable and to allocate the supply through market-based pricing. Increasing supply so as to lower COE prices would not be in line with this objective. COE prices should be determined by the market and the Government does not set any target. Motorcycle owners can renew their COEs for a term of five years, on condition that they deregister their vehicles thereafter.”
“We do not make any distinction between public or private estates; we are all Singaporeans. Public estates are more compact and, so, the number of people affected would be a lot bigger. Often, in some of the projects, the HDB estates get priority, not because we favour public versus private estates, but it is because their sheer needs are heavier.”
“Yes, Madam, I recall hearing the conversation between the Member and my predecessor about his needs in Mountbatten ward. I thought that Mr Lui Tuck Yew at that time had already responded to some of his requests. As to the specific recent requests, we have to take a look. The issue is this: first-mile-last-mile connectivity is definitely my priority. At the same time, there are so many overhead bridges. I have to set priorities and the programme is also subject to availability of funds that I hope I can get from a sympathetic Minister for Finance. We will roll it out as quickly as we can because this is important, especially as our citizens become more elderly. This is a very important part of how to make sure that their quality of life and day-to-day moving around can be enhanced. The alternative is, the seniors get stuck and do not move around as much. This will have huge implications for my previous Ministry, MOH.”
“Madam, the short answer is yes. I group all these efforts under the first-mile-last-mile connectivity programme. This is one of my top priorities for the next couple of years because, if we want to push our car-lite strategy, our public transport must be top-class. Besides railways, their accessibility and reliability, a big part of this will be first-mile-last-mile connectivity. How do we bring a commuter from his or her home to where he or she wants to go? Barrier-free access for both young and old and, especially, the vulnerable, would be a key part. As for the specific question on Farrer Park MRT station, I would have to check because I am not familiar with the station. Although I have been taking trains, I have not visited all the stations yet. Farrer Park, we will have to take a look.”
“All MRT and LRT stations are barrier-free. This means that, among other things, they will have to provide lifts from the platforms to street level. As for providing elevators at overhead bridges, LTA is giving priority to those bridges that are near MRT stations, bus interchanges, healthcare institutions, welfare homes, homes for the aged and special needs schools. LTA will also prioritise those located in neighbourhoods with a higher percentage of elderly residents.”
“Madam, while the next generation Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) system allows for island-wide coverage, the current policy intent is to price only congested roads. The technology of the new system will allow us to implement this congestion pricing on a distance-travelled basis, which will be fairer to motorists. For example, motorists who travel the full stretch of a congested road can be charged more than those who travel, say, only a part of it. It is, however, too early to talk about its impact on different motorists and if we should adjust any existing tax policy.”
“The first phase of the electric vehicle test-bed was held from June 2011 to December 2013 to understand the technicalities of deploying electric vehicles in Singapore. The second phase will test fleet-based operations. The Land Transport Authority (LTA) and the Economic Development Board had issued a Request for Information (RFI) in December 2014 to invite proposals for a nationwide electric vehicle car-sharing programme. The proposals are in the final stages of evaluation. LTA is also studying the feasibility of using electric vehicles for taxi services. These fleet-based trials will help Government agencies determine the optimal charging infrastructure required to support more widespread use of electric vehicles and the costs involved.”
“The number of general cycling offences and the number of electric-bicycle specific offences from 2010 to 2015 are in Table 1 and Table 2 respectively. The offenders were issued warnings, offered composition fines or charged in Court.”
“Government agencies received about 600 and 800 complaints of errant cyclists in 2014 and 2015 respectively. They issued about 1,300 summons in 2014 and a similar number in 2015. Since its launch in 2014, the Safe Cycling Clinic for Youth has trained about 150 secondary school students. It is part of a larger suite of programmes to educate the public on safe cycling. For instance, LTA, in collaboration with Government and non-Government bodies, has conducted workshops to educate cyclists on safety at community events and neighbourhood touchpoints.”
“Those injured by cyclists can seek compensation from the cyclists through civil action in Court or private settlement, similar to victims of motoring accidents. There are regulations in place for cyclists today, for example, cyclists are not allowed on footpaths. The Active Mobility Advisory Panel chaired by Parliamentary Secretary Assoc Prof Faishal Ibrahim is reviewing these regulations and is also looking to introduce a code of conduct. We understand that the panel will be submitting its recommendations to the Ministry soon.”
“LTA engages residents extensively through brochures, posters, local newsletters and at local events before commencing on the construction of a Silver Zone. As with most infrastructure projects, we receive some noise and dust related feedback during construction. Some motorists are concerned about the impact of Silver Zones on traffic. But the vast majority of residents appreciate that Silver Zones are beneficial to vulnerable pedestrians such as the elderly and physically disabled, and are very supportive.”
“In 2014, LTA had extended the digital message display units under the Expressway Monitoring and Advisory System (EMAS) to also serve major roads, in particular those that are used by motorists as alternatives to the expressways. LTA will continue to regularly review their numbers and locations.”
“One of the MRT lines that the Government is currently studying is the Cross Island Line (CRL). If and when it is completed, CRL will, among other benefits, connect the estates in Punggol, Sengkang, Fernvale and Buangkok. In the meantime, commuter travel between the north and north-east regions is being supported by public buses.”
“Traffic diversions are managed by the Traffic Police (TP), with support from the Land Transport Authority (LTA). Typically, the TP would deploy officers to divert traffic away from the accident site and ensure that motorists continue to drive safely. LTA would facilitate the traffic diversion by adjusting traffic light timings along diversion corridors and disseminating incident information on the Expressway Monitoring and Advisory System (EMAS) and various online and radio channels. The Member suggested the use of mobile columns like those in the East Coast Parkway as road dividers so that in the event of an accident, they could be flexibly removed to allow for traffic diversion. However, these mobile columns cannot be easily reconfigured at short notice.”
“There are four approved pilot training academies in Singapore. Over the last two years, about 240 pilots graduated from these academies. About 80% of them were from Singapore carriers' cadet pilot programmes. The remaining 20% were self-sponsored. Singapore carriers prefer to recruit new pilots through their own cadet pilot programmes, as they can then carefully screen and assess the candidates even before they commence their training. This approach also allows the airlines to better match their recruitment needs against their fleet growth plans. The Ministry of Transport and the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore do not interfere in the recruitment decisions of Singapore carriers, as it is their responsibility to determine the suitability of each candidate for their company. Page: 134”
“The paper road tax disc, which has to be displayed on the windscreen, shows that the vehicle has been licensed by the Land Transport Authority (LTA), has adequate Page: 131 insurance coverage and complies with all other regulatory requirements. In recent times, Singapore Government agencies do not rely on the discs for checks on vehicles anymore, as they do these checks electronically. We have, therefore, been studying doing away with the discs. However, for Singapore-registered vehicles entering Malaysia, the Malaysian authorities still rely on the discs as proof that the vehicle complies with LTA's regulatory requirements. LTA is reviewing how we can address the Malaysian authorities’ concerns.”
“The speed limit on all our roads is 50 kilometres per hour (km/h), unless otherwise stated. This is in the Highway Code and also part of the driving test syllabus. Roads with speed limits other than 50km/h are clearly marked by signs. These are placed between 500 metres and one kilometre apart. Advance warning signs are also placed about 100-150 metres before speed cameras. We regularly review the sufficiency of speed limit signs. But the best safeguard for motorists is not to speed at all times.”
“If Malaysia’s proposed road charge on non-Malaysia-registered vehicles entering Malaysia via Johor discriminates against Singapore-registered vehicles, we will match it in some form. Currently, we do not yet have the details of the final Malaysian proposal.”
“In 2015, Government agencies received about 800 complaints of errant cyclists and issued about 1,300 summonses. Of these summonses, about 300 were related to cycling on footpaths, but not all of these would have involved collisions between cyclists and pedestrians. Agencies currently do not maintain statistics on the specific type of cycling incidents. Cyclists who injure pedestrians because of rash behaviour may be prosecuted in Court. Upon conviction, the cyclist may be punished with a fine of up to $5,000, or an imprisonment term of up to one year, or both.”
“Once a report of a major traffic incident or oil spill is received, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and the Traffic Police will assess its severity. If traffic diversion is needed, the nearest Traffic Police resources will be mobilised. Traffic diversions are implemented swiftly once the Traffic Police arrive on the scene, which is typically within 30 minutes of the report being received. Traffic advisories are immediately disseminated through various radio and online channels, such as the LTA Traffic News radio broadcast, the OneMotoring website, smartphone apps, such as MyTransport.sg and LTA's traffic news Twitter account.”
“Yes, indeed. As I have said, this four- to five-year study is a total impact study. The EIA is just an environmental impact study on a short stretch of a line, but our job is to do a total impact study – the impact on the environment, the impact on taxpayers, the impact on the commuters. I should not be biased. I should not be prejudiced. So, I am not opting for one or the other yet. I am keeping a completely open mind. But there have been comments about the second option that, of course, clearly, anybody reading the map would know that it will take a longer route, takes a longer time. And to the commuters, it means extra time. The media have been guessing the figures; they say "an extra four minutes". I asked LTA, "Is their estimation correct?" And they did a calculation. They said, "No, not quite." The extra time taken to cross the reserve, if it takes a longer route, is six minutes. Some people commented, "Well, that is just a few minutes." I am not so sure we can brush aside the extra six minutes just like that because, in the mindset of the MRT commuters, an extra half a minute is already terrible. We know it! When the train has a disruption, causing an extra one minute of delay, commuters can, within that one minute, send off, maybe, 100 tweets to flame LTA or SMRT. So, an extra one minute is a lot of time, let alone six minutes! That is why, in the rail industry, they define disruption as anything that causes delay of more than five minutes; and six is more than five.”
“And if they do, we can then enter into Phase 2 of the EIA, which will study what are the tunnelling methods, what will be the impact of those construction works and the subsequent running of the train on the nature reserve and, more importantly, whether there are suitable mitigation measures. Sorry for the long reply, but there are many questions which remain unanswered. What I urge of Singaporeans is this: keep an open mind. Go with the facts, keep an open mind and look for the evidence. Madam, over the weekend, I took my granddaughter, who is three years old, to watch Disney's latest movie "Zootopia", the utopia for the animal kingdom where all animal species, even though they are former predators or preys, can live in harmony, peacefully with one another. It was a good movie because it was not just for the kids; it carries important values and some political messages. It tells the story of a little female bunny whose ambition is to bring about justice and change the world, and she wants to be a police officer. The police world at that time was largely monopolised by larger animal species and all males. But she was determined to be a police officer. So, she had to fight stereotyping, sexism, racism, bias and prejudice. In the end, she succeeded through wit and effort, and demonstrated what she can achieve. Likewise, for the EIA, let us keep an open mind. I have read some of the very toxic comments on the EIA. They were made even before the EIA was published. I think there is an English word for that and, that is, bias, prejudice.”
“Madam, a short answer to both questions is, I do not know yet. As I have said, this is a massive project and, usually, it would take easily four to five years for all the important studies to be made. In fact, although the EIA is published now, this is a product of two years of discussions and consultations. In this particular instance, it is because of the interests of nature groups and the sensitivity of the possible impact of any work of this part of the CRL on the nature reserve that the issue now surfaces. For the next leg of the studies, if we are allowed to proceed with the site investigation, we will be doing much more public consultations and that will allow us, the Land Transport Authority (LTA), to firm up on many of the answers to many of the questions that have yet to be answered, such as who are affected, how much will it cost and so on. We have some idea because this is not the first time we are building an MRT line. We can have some idea about how much the cost will be but one can never be sure because what happens underground is invisible; we do not know. And soil conditions, even though we are a tiny little red dot, the geology of east and west, north and south, can be very different. That is why it is so important to do a thorough site investigation. The bottom line is this. What we are seeking is permission, in this case, from MND, to allow us to proceed with the site investigation for which there is a necessity to do this EIA. The EIA, after two years of study, is now published online. By the gazette requirements, Singaporeans, interest Page: 16 groups, stakeholders, are invited to give their comments. I am quite sure MND will take all those views into consideration and decide whether they would allow the site investigation to proceed.”
“As the alignments can have a different impact on the environment, commuters, taxpayers, businesses and home owners, the Government has a responsibility to study both options thoroughly. Besides the EIA, there are upcoming technical site investigation works which will allow us to determine the soil profile and condition. This will feed into the Engineering Feasibility study. Only after all these environmental and technical studies on both possible alignments have been completed and taking into account the potential impact on the nature reserve, the travelling distance and time for commuters, the cost to taxpayers and the potential acquisition of homes and businesses, will we be able to make an informed decision on the project and its exact alignment. There will be many more public consultations so that we can adequately factor in all views. All these studies and consultations may take two more years to complete. Meanwhile, the EIA Phase 1 report is available online.”
“More importantly, at that level, this is what geologists call the hard bedrock level. In our case, this is the Bukit Timah granite. At this level, there are no vegetation, no trees, no animals. Under this option, there will not be any construction of infrastructure at surface level within the CCNR. The skirting alignment option, on the other hand, is about nine kilometres long. Because it is nine kilometres long, it will require longer tunnels. Therefore, it will require ventilation shafts and facilities on the surface, whereas in the earlier option, because it is short enough, you do not have to build all those quite ugly exhaust ducts which you see at some of our road junctions. This option could incur around $2 billion – $2,000 million – more in expenditure and could result in land acquisitions. The Member suggested that the skirting alignment could potentially serve more residents. However, the catchment there is already served by the Circle Line and the upcoming Thomson-East Coast Line. Page: 15 The CRL is a massive project and the Government will decide on its entire alignment only after making a total assessment, including financial viability, technical feasibility and other relevant considerations. The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is only one of the many studies which we need to undertake to help us determine the best alignment for the stretch of the CRL in the vicinity of the CCNR. Later, my colleague in the Ministry of National Development (MND) will provide some details on the EIA and also describe how the Government agencies are working closely with the nature groups on the EIA. It has been a very productive collaboration, although much remains to be done.”
“Mdm Speaker, the Cross Island Line (CRL) will be an important part of our future Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) network. It will link east to west, from Changi to Jurong, covering more than 50 kilometres with about 30 stations. The exact alignment is being studied. Our preliminary estimate is that commuters from residential areas like Loyang, Pasir Ris, Hougang, Ang Mo Kio, Sin Ming, Bukit Timah, Clementi and West Coast will make at least 600,000 trips on the CRL every day. This will place the CRL higher, in terms of capacity and usage, compared to, for example, the North East Line (NEL). The CRL will also significantly enhance our network resilience as commuters will have many more routing options with the CRL connecting to other lines. What this means is that nearly half of the 30-plus new stations will be interchange stations and that means that every other station will be an exchange station where commuters can switch to another line. This will significantly enhance the resilience of our network. Specific to the question raised by the Member, the Government is studying two possible alignments for CRL in the vicinity of the Central Catchment Nature Reserve (CCNR). Both options are underground and construction of the tunnels for this stretch of CRL will be carried out using bored tunnelling, instead of the cut-and-cover approach. Cut-and-cover means you cut through like a huge bulldozer and chop down whatever is in between, then you build the tunnel and you cover it up. With bored tunnelling, you avoid all the trauma and damages above the tunnel. For the four-kilometre direct alignment option, two kilometres will be deep below CCNR. How deep is deep? About 40 metres – or 12 storeys – below ground level.”
“Since the launch of the off-peak pass in July 2015, about 21,000 commuters have purchased the off-peak passes.”