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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“We reduced the speed limit on footpaths from 15 kilometres per hour (km/h) to 10 km/h on 1 February 2019. Between 1 February and 30 September 2019, the Land Transport Authority caught 55 personal mobility device (PMD) riders for speeding on footpaths. Over the same period, there were about 90 reported accidents between PMD riders and pedestrians on footpaths. To restore safety on footpaths for pedestrians, we have decided to prohibit e-scooter usage on footpaths from 5 November 2019.”
“Apart from the restated Bilateral Agreement, two other agreements will need to be signed at the same time by the end of the suspension period. They are the Joint Venture Agreement between Singapore's SMRT Corporation and Malaysia's Prasarana Malaysia Berhad to constitute a joint venture Operating Company or "OpCo", and a Concession Agreement for the Singapore and Malaysian Governments to appoint this OpCo as the RTS Link operator. The discussions will take some time, and both sides are working hard on this.”
“On 21 May 2019, Singapore and Malaysia signed a Supplemental Agreement to suspend the construction of the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link Project up to 30 September 2019. Malaysia had requested the suspension, to give them time to study ways to reduce the project cost. While the RTS Link Bilateral Agreement makes no provision for a suspension, in the spirit of bilateral cooperation, Singapore agreed to Malaysia's request. On 20 September 2019, Singapore received Malaysia’s request for an extension of the suspension period to 31 October 2019. Singapore agreed to Malaysia's request. On 21 October 2019, Malaysia conveyed to Singapore that they intend to proceed with the RTS Link Project with some changes. Malaysia was, however, not yet ready to share the details of their proposed changes with Singapore. Without the details, Malaysia's proposal is incomplete and Singapore is unable to make a thorough assessment of the technical and commercial feasibility of the proposal. On 29 October 2019, Malaysia requested a further extension of the suspension period by six months to 30 April 2020. In the spirit of bilateral cooperation, Singapore agreed to Malaysia’s request to further extend the suspension period. Singapore welcomes Malaysia's decision to proceed with the RTS Link Project. This is a mutually beneficial Project for both countries. The RTS Link will significantly ease Causeway congestion, facilitate business and tourism, and bring our people closer together. While we are not obliged to accept Malaysia's proposed changes, we will continue to keep an open mind and assess them carefully and objectively. Both sides are currently discussing the changes to the Project, which will require amendments to the RTS Link Bilateral Agreement.”
“There are existing mechanisms in place to guard against performance degradation. Rail services are regulated through operating licences, which set out the minimum performance standards, while bus operators are contractually required to meet service standards. The Government will continue to invest significant resources to support a reliable and high-quality public transport system while keeping fares affordable for all. Over the next five years, the Government expects to put in close to $1 billion to renew rail operating assets, and another $1 billion to subsidise bus operations every year. The heavy subsidies by the Government, together with the estimated increase in fare revenue of $132.5 million from the 2019 Fare Review Exercise, will help sustain public transport service levels for both bus and rail.”
“Commuters have enjoyed higher service levels, in particular, during peak hours, since the transition to the Bus Contracting Model (BCM) in September 2016. All trunk bus services are now scheduled at headways of 15 minutes or less during the morning and evening peak periods, compared to the pre-BCM standard of 30 minutes or less. Peak-hour service levels of feeder services have also improved. All feeder services now have scheduled headways of not more than eight minutes, compared to the pre-BCM standard of not more than 10 minutes for at least 90% of feeder services. The Land Transport Authority (LTA) regularly monitors bus operations and service performance by tapping on commuter travel data from the fare ticketing system and bus global positioning system data from the Common Fleet Management System. LTA uses these data to adjust bus capacities in tandem with demand changes to ensure that bus services keep to the standards.”
“In Singapore, students enjoy significant concessions when travelling on public transport. Depending on their travelling habits, students can choose the concession option that best benefits them. If they seldom mix their modes of travel, taking only buses or trains most of the time, they may, for instance, choose the single-mode concession passes at $27.50 per month for buses or $25 for trains, if they are secondary school students. Otherwise, they may choose the hybrid student pass which provides them with unlimited rides on both buses and trains. The latter, at $51 per month, is priced higher in return for full flexibility. The student concession passes are significantly cheaper than the adult hybrid pass which is priced at $120 per month. As the concessions are funded by other commuters, further discounts will lead to higher fares for other commuter groups or a heavier burden on taxpayers.”
“Apart from the restated Bilateral Agreement, two other agreements will need to be signed at the same time by the end of the suspension period. They are the Joint Venture Agreement between Singapore's SMRT Corporation and Malaysia's Prasarana Malaysia Berhad to constitute a joint venture Operating Company or "OpCo", and a Concession Agreement for the Singapore and Malaysian Governments to appoint this OpCo as the RTS Link operator. The discussions will take some time and both sides are working hard on this.”
“On 21 May 2019, Singapore and Malaysia signed a Supplemental Agreement to suspend the construction of the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link Project up to 30 September 2019. Malaysia had requested the suspension, to give them time to study ways to reduce the project cost. While the RTS Link Bilateral Agreement makes no provision for a suspension, in the spirit of bilateral cooperation, Singapore agreed to Malaysia’s request. On 20 September 2019, Singapore received Malaysia’s request for an extension of the suspension period to 31 October 2019. Singapore agreed to Malaysia's request. On 21 October 2019, Malaysia conveyed to Singapore that they intend to proceed with the RTS Link Project with some changes. Malaysia was, however, not yet ready to share the details of their proposed changes with Singapore. Without the details, Malaysia's proposal is incomplete and Singapore is unable to make a thorough assessment of the technical and commercial feasibility of the proposal. On 29 October 2019, Malaysia requested a further extension of the suspension period by six months to 30 April 2020. In the spirit of bilateral cooperation, Singapore agreed to Malaysia's request to further extend the suspension period. Singapore welcomes Malaysia’s decision to proceed with the RTS Link Project. This is a mutually beneficial Project for both countries. The RTS Link will significantly ease Causeway congestion, facilitate business and tourism, and bring our people closer together. While we are not obliged to accept Malaysia’s proposed changes, we will continue to keep an open mind and assess them carefully and objectively. Both sides are currently discussing the changes to the Project, which will require amendments to the RTS Link Bilateral Agreement.”
“We are committed to ensuring that there are adequate public bus services for both public and private residential estates, subject to a minimum level of ridership. We work closely with the local Members of Parliament and grassroots leaders to better understand commuters’ need when planning bus services throughout Singapore. Today, around 20% of our bus services serve private estates. The bus services that ply through private estates take routes that serve the largest number of residents. While we try to provide better coverage to the estates, it is not always possible to serve every corner. We seek the Member's understanding.”
“There are currently 34,000 hybrid and 1,000 fully electric cars registered in Singapore. Under the Land Transport Master Plan 2040, we have articulated a vision to have all taxis, private hire cars and public buses be hybrid or fully electric by 2040. As for existing vehicles, it is for the owners to decide if they wish to switch. We understand that all taxi companies and some private hire car booking providers and car rental companies have committed to having 100% cleaner fleets by 2040.”
“We plan to build seven kilometres (km) of cycling paths in Bukit Panjang Town and to complete it by 2021. The project is on track. We will complete five km next year, and the remaining two km in 2021. By next year, residents living along Bukit Panjang Ring Road, Pending Road, Fajar Road, Jelapang Road, Saujana Road and Jelebu Road will be connected to key transport nodes and amenities like the Light Rail Transit stations, Bukit Panjang town centre, supermarkets, polyclinic, eateries and malls. The cycling path network will be extended to cover Senja Road and Petir Road by 2021.”
“About half of all Mass Rapid Transit and Light Rail Transit stations already have designated parking spaces for maintenance vehicles. For the remaining stations where site constraints do not allow for such parking spaces, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) has made special arrangements for maintenance vehicles to temporarily park at nearby taxi stands or bus stops during engineering hours. This ensures that workers have a safe place to alight and do not have to carry heavy equipment over long distances. For all new stations, LTA has factored in designated parking spaces for maintenance vehicles. Where site constraints do not allow for such parking spaces, LTA will work with operators to make special arrangements for maintenance vehicles to park nearby.”
“Today, only Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents (PRs) are eligible for a Private Hire Car Driver's Vocational Licence (PDVL). PRs are only eligible for a PDVL if they are employed by businesses offering chauffeured services. As of August 2019, the percentage of PDVL holders who are PRs is just over 5%. The Ministry of Manpower requires companies to post job vacancies on the national Jobs Bank before hiring Employment Pass holders. PRs do not need a work pass to work in Singapore.”
“The Land Transport Authority (LTA) believes in leveraging technology to improve road safety. For instance, our public buses have since 2014 been progressively fitted with safety features, such as Driver Anti-fatigue systems to monitor their fatigue level, and Collision Warning Systems to alert them of impending collisions. LTA will continue to work with industry partners and other Government agencies to look out for, assess and adopt new technologies, if they prove effective, and when they become commercially available. Improving road safety is a collective effort. While technology helps, user behaviour is also important. The situation here is improving. Over the past five years, the number of fatal road traffic accidents has dropped by more than 20%. There are also fewer road traffic accidents resulting in injuries. But we should strive to eliminate road traffic accidents.”
“The rail operators are experimenting with adjusting Mass Rapid Transit headways during off-peak periods to better match supply with commuter demand. This is unlikely to steer people towards ride hailing services in large numbers, as ridership is low during these periods.”
“Learning from the resignalling of the North-South and East-West Lines, it is important that we test rigorously, to ensure smooth delivery of the new systems. Meanwhile, Singapore Mass Rapid Transit (SMRT) has also intensified maintenance to support the legacy BPLRT systems. Reliability has improved. However, maintenance of ageing assets has its limits. This is why SMRT and LTA are studying the option of reducing BPLRT services during off-peak periods, relying on buses instead. Doing so will help us tide over the transitional period until the renewal is completed. By 2022, residents can look forward to smoother and more reliable rides when the new CBTC signalling system and LRVs commence services.”
“The renewal of the Bukit Panjang Light Rail Transit (BPLRT) system is on track. In March 2018, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) awarded the renewal contract to Bombardier. The contract includes several elements. First, the existing signalling system will be replaced with a new Communications-Based Train Control (CBTC) system. Second, the 19 Light Rapid Vehicles (LRVs) that have been in service since 1999 will be replaced with new and improved ones. Third, the other 13 LRVs, introduced in 2015, will be upgraded. Fourth, the power rail running along the entire 7.8-kilometre length of the BPLRT will be replaced with an enhanced version. In addition, all the new systems will be equipped with the latest condition monitoring capabilities. This will support a more efficient maintenance regime over the lifecycle of the assets. The engineers have completed most of the design work. Software testing for the new CBTC signalling system has started at Bombardier’s overseas labs. The installation of hardware at stations and along tracks has been ongoing since April 2019. This includes the laying of cables and installation of signalling beacons. New antennas will be mounted along the tracks in the coming months. To provide additional engineering hours for both maintenance and renewal efforts, the BPLRT has been closing earlier at 11.30 pm since 13 January 2019. LTA has correspondingly extended the operating hours of key Bukit Panjang buses to maintain last-mile connectivity and minimise inconvenience to residents. Going forward, we may need more of such engineering hours as the pace of renewal ramps up and testing of the new signalling system and LRVs commences on the tracks.”
“Since 2014, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) has used closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras to deter motorists from waiting or parking illegally. This has reduced illegal parking offences by up to 90% at some locations. LTA enforcement officers will review each CCTV footage carefully and fairly, to allow the motorist a reasonable amount of time to pick up and drop off passengers, or to load and unload goods, depending on the circumstances.”
“The Land Transport Authority builds safety bollards at all bus stops, unless the site conditions do not allow for their construction. So far, bollards have been built at 98% of all bus stops. They are designed to allow wheelchair passengers to board and alight at the bus stops.”
“The Public Transport Council's (PTC's) fare formula was designed to keep fares in line with macroeconomic cost factors, such as inflation, wages, fuel and network capacity increases, together with a productivity extraction. However, as I had explained in July this year, the fare adjustments were not fully implemented for many years, contributing to substantial losses by the public transport operators (PTOs), and resulting in increased Government subsidies. We cannot keep adding to taxpayers' burden, since every dollar spent on public transport subsidies is a dollar less for other national priorities like education and healthcare. The operators cannot sustain losses without performance degradation. As responsible employers, they also need to ensure that their workers' livelihoods are not affected. For all these reasons, we must keep our costs in check and set fares at the right level. PTC will ensure that fares remain affordable for all. Our public transport fares are among the most affordable in the world, especially for concession groups, such as students and seniors. One in two Singaporeans enjoys concessionary fares with a discount as high as 70% of adult fares. In addition, the Government will step in to cushion the impact of the fare adjustment on lower-income households. For example, for the 2018 Fare Review Exercise, the Government made available 300,000 Public Transport Vouchers (PTVs) worth $30 each. This is the largest PTV Exercise to date.”
“Based on the Land Transport Authority's (LTA's) Travel Survey, the peak-period Walk-Cycle-Ride (WCR) mode share is about 72% today. This is an increase from the mode share of 69% recorded in 2012. WCR includes walking, cycling, rides on public transport and point-to-point transport using taxis, private hire cars. Following our Land Transport Master Plan (LTMP) 2013 commitment to make public transport more accessible to all, we have expanded our rail network from 182 kilometres (km) to 229 km and built about 200 km of covered walkways. LTMP 2040 builds on this improvement and aims to achieve 90% peak-period WCR mode share by 2040. To meet this target, we will, first, enhance our public transport network and improve bus speeds through more Transit Priority Corridors. Second, we will further expand rail connectivity. Third, we will expand the active mobility network and triple the cycling network, especially at the first- and last-mile level. Fourth, we will enhance safety for users through public education and effective enforcement against irresponsible users and retailers.”
“Under the Parking Places Act, operators who wish to offer dockless personal mobility device (PMD)-sharing services in a public place are required to obtain a licence. The Land Transport Authority (LTA) will require the licensees to include in their mobile applications the essential active mobility regulations, such as speed limits and prohibitions against riding on roads. They will remind all users of these regulations before starting a trip. They will also be required to charge PMD-sharing users who fail to end their trips within a designated parking area, a $5 fee. This is to discourage indiscriminate parking. We are considering additional regulations to ensure that all shared devices are used safely. Separately, LTA has also encouraged PMD-sharing operators who operate solely on private land, to include in their mobile applications the advisory on the safe and responsible use of such devices.”
“The Maritime and Port Authority will implement the 1996 Protocol in December this year and, with that, raise the liability limits to the 2012 limits, as required of all contracting states of the Protocol by updating the Schedule of the Merchant Shipping Act.”
“We will take firm action against personal mobility device riders who cause injuries to pedestrians. They can be prosecuted under the Penal Code for an offence of causing hurt or grievous hurt through a rash or negligent act that endangers the personal safety of others. The penalty for causing grievous hurt through a rash act is a fine of up to $10,000 and/or jail up to four years. The Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Home Affairs and other relevant agencies regularly monitor the effectiveness of the penalties at deterring errant riding behaviour, and will enhance penalties if necessary.”
“We take a tough stance against retailers who advertise, display or sell non-compliant personal mobility devices (PMDs), as well as those who provide illegal device modification services. Those convicted of selling non-compliant PMDs for use on public paths may be liable to a fine of up to $5,000 and/or jail up to three months for the first offence. We are considering raising the penalties to root out such irresponsible acts.”
“To date, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) has installed lifts at 47 pedestrian overhead bridges (POBs). Twenty out of these 47 POBs are located near major Mass Rapid Transit stations. The remaining POBs with lifts are located near amenities, such as bus interchanges and healthcare institutions. The lift retrofitting programme will be expanded to around 50 more POBs, including the POB near Block 350, Jurong East Avenue 1.”
“The Land Transport Authority (LTA) does consider the safety factor when placing advertisement panels at bus stops. The panels should not obstruct the views of bus commuters, path and road users. In any case, cyclists and personal mobility device users should go behind the bus stop where possible, instead of riding through the bus stop. LTA is progressively building cycling paths and widening footpaths behind bus stops with high commuter traffic. LTA will continue to highlight safe riding practices, such as "slow down when approaching bus stops" in its public education campaigns.”
“Under the Parking Places Act, operators are required to obtain a licence to offer dockless personal mobility devices (PMD)-sharing services that operate in a public place. This is to prevent indiscriminate parking of shared devices. While the licensing regime does not cover PMD-sharing operators who deploy their devices solely on private land, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) engages these operators proactively to understand their deployment plans and advise them on our regulations. LTA's enforcement officers conduct regular patrols based on these plans and at known hotspots to detect illegal deployment. Operators who operate illegally without a licence may be fined up to $10,000 and/or be imprisoned for up to six months. LTA will also impound shared PMDs that are illegally deployed and take all contraventions into account if the operator decides to apply for a device-sharing licence. All device-sharing operators, regardless of whether they operate on public or private land, must do their part to ensure users ride safely and park properly. We are also considering additional regulations to ensure that all shared devices are used safely, and will continue to monitor this space closely.”
“From 2015 to 2017, there were 10 Platform Screen Door (PSD) faults causing delays of more than five minutes. In the past 19 months till July 2019, there were no such PSD incidents. The rail operators have a monthly preventive maintenance regime for PSDs. This includes component inspections or functional tests on the different mechanical, electrical and pneumatic systems. Servicing and component replacement are done when required. PSDs are replaced when they become unreliable or more difficult to maintain. They can be used for many years as long as their mechanisms are well-maintained.”
“The top three causes of minor Mass Rapid Transit delays are passenger actions, train faults and signalling system faults. Such delays are monitored and addressed by the rail operators and the Land Transport Authority (LTA) through identifying their root causes and remedial measures, including timely renewal of ageing assets. LTA is also working with the rail operators to install more condition monitoring devices to support the early detection and pre-emptive rectification of faults. Our priority is to closely monitor and benchmark performance against other operators using the Mean Kilometres Between Failure (MKBF) metric, an internationally recognised measure of rail reliability. As overall rail reliability and MKBF improves, short delays would come down, too.”
“I thank the Member for the question, which has been addressed by the Ministerial Statement on Personal Mobility Devices delivered on 5 August 2019. [Please refer to "Personal Mobility Devices", Official Report, 5 August 2019, Vol 94, Issue 107, Ministerial Statements section.]”
“Today, we have a total of 211 kilometres of bus lanes, and the Land Transport Authority (LTA) plans to build more. LTA is rolling out a suite of bus speed improvement measures to facilitate safer and smoother bus journeys. For instance, LTA has started to implement Transit Priority Corridors (TPCs), featuring bus lanes, bus-only roads, and signal priority for buses. The first TPC was implemented at Bencoolen Street in 2017, and more will be progressively implemented from 2020 onwards. The North-South Corridor will be Singapore's longest TPC. When completed by 2026, it will save bus passengers an average of 10 to 15 minutes of travel time. LTA is also exploring an enhanced traffic light control system which can give priority to buses based on real-time traffic demand. LTA is also trying out three-door buses to speed up boarding and alighting. Together, these measures will deliver smoother and safer bus journeys.”
“I thank the Member for the question, which has been addressed by the Ministerial Statement on Personal Mobility Devices delivered on 5 August 2019.”
“The number of short delays between two to five minutes is tabulated below: Performance continued to improve, in tandem with overall improvements in rail reliability. Such minor delays did not exceed one per day, with the exception of the East-West Line which is our longest Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) line. While delays below two minutes are logged, we do not track the statistics as they have less to do with reliability issues. For example, they could be due to trains being held back slightly to allow more passengers to board and alight. Tracking the absolute number of delays is no substitute for the use of Mean Kilometres Between Failure (MKBF). The latter measures the average distance travelled by trains between delays lasting more than five minutes. This allows performance to be compared among lines of different lengths and operating intensities. MKBF is an objective and internationally recognised measure of rail reliability, which is why we use it to benchmark our performance against leading metros around the world.”
“I thank the Member for the question, which has been addressed by the Ministerial Statement on Personal Mobility Devices delivered on 5 August 2019.”
“The Land Transport Authority (LTA) conducts the Commuter Graciousness survey every one to two years. The latest survey shows that the percentage of commuters noticing gracious behaviour on public transport has increased, from 52% in 2016 to 56% in 2018. Fostering a gracious and caring commuting culture takes time. We will press on with our efforts to promote gracious commuting behaviour. Since 2009, LTA and its partners have been organising the annual Graciousness Campaign. For this year's campaign, LTA worked with students from the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts to conceptualise trendy new outfits for LTA's public transport mascots, also known as the Thoughtful Bunch. The new styles convey the message that anyone can be like the Thoughtful Bunch. The refreshed publicity materials and engagement activities help to create greater awareness among our commuters. There are also efforts led by the Public Transport Council (PTC) to encourage commuters to step forward and lend a helping hand to fellow commuters. For instance, PTC and the Singapore Kindness Movement recently announced a new Caring Commuter Award to recognise caring acts by commuters. PTC is also expanding its Heart Zones to more Mass Rapid Transit stations and bus interchanges to connect commuters with other commuters who need help travelling to their destinations. Ultimately, we all have a role to play to look out for one another and to make all commuters feel welcome.”
“The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has completed trials on the effectiveness of noise barriers and low noise pavement mix. The trials showed that these measures could potentially reduce noise for residents living near expressways. LTA intends to roll out some of these measures progressively. When rolling out these measures, LTA has to consider multiple factors, such as site-specific conditions and overall cost effectiveness. For example, noise barriers would not be suitable in locations where they may obstruct motorists' view. In addition, LTA will continue to explore with other agencies new measures which can effectively mitigate the impact of traffic noise and improve the quality of living of our residents living near expressways.”
“The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has installed lifts at 47 pedestrian overhead bridges over the last five years. This programme will be expanded to benefit the public through 50 more pedestrian overhead bridges by 2022. Given the high project cost, as high as $4 million per pair of lifts, we must be prudent and have to prioritise our efforts. LTA will focus on locations which most benefit seniors and commuters with mobility challenges, such as public transport nodes and healthcare institutions.”
“The design of the next-generation Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) system will incorporate appropriate security technologies and necessary controls to safeguard the privacy of drivers. This was a key requisite in the tender. The system anonymises and aggregates ERP data for traffic management and analysis. Collected data will not include driver identity. There will also be strict access controls to ensure that only authorised personnel are allowed to access the data.”
“Foreign vehicles entering Singapore are required to display licence plates in a manner which makes these vehicles easily identifiable. These requirements include being rectangular, mounted at specific positions on a vehicle, and not altered to cause characters to be less distinguishable. Between July 2017 and May 2019, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) turned back over 2,200 foreign vehicles at our land checkpoints for failing to display their licence plates properly. LTA is also developing an enhanced enforcement system with cameras, sensors and data analytics to better identify vehicles with improperly displayed licence plates. This will be deployed in the second half of 2020.”
“The award of personal mobility device (PMD)-sharing licences has been deferred to later this year as the Land Transport Authority (LTA) requires more time to review the imposition of additional requirements on licensees to ensure the safety of users and the general public. The requirements being considered include requiring shared PMDs to be certified to the UL2272 standard to ensure fire safety, and to be insured against third-party claims on bodily injury or death. LTA will also start conservatively restricting sandbox licensees to small fleet sizes over a one-year sandbox period.”
“If the swapping of number plates is done outside Singapore, whether it is an offence will depend on the facts of the case. For instance, if the driver is also found to be in possession of the false plate with the intention to deceive in Singapore, the driver may be punished with a fine of up to $5,000 and/or a jail sentence of up to 12 months. We would be happy to share information, to the extent permitted by our laws, with our foreign counterparts to assist with investigations into any other possible offences under foreign laws. It is an offence to display false number plates in Singapore. Anyone found doing so may be punished with a fine of up to $5,000 and/or a jail sentence of up to 12 months.”
“The six-month on-demand public bus (ODPB) trial was concluded last month. It has achieved its objective of providing insights on resource requirements and commuter acceptance. We found ODPB to be less cost-effective than regular bus services. One factor was the high software development costs. This is so even though the open tender attracted competitive bids from 10 local and overseas players. As with all new technologies, public acceptance takes time and effort. The Land Transport Authority (LTA) worked with both the ODPB operators and software developers to raise awareness among commuters in the trial areas. Posters were put up at major public transport nodes, and ground ambassadors were deployed to offer assistance to commuters. LTA also engaged stakeholders directly served by the ODPB services. While some commuters were initially uncomfortable with booking a bus ride using mobile phones, many gave it a try with more than 29,000 rides booked and taken. LTA is open to conducting further trials of the on-demand concept in future. As the technology matures, we can expect the large-scale deployment of ODPB to be more cost-effective. We will also build on these initial engagement efforts to educate commuters on the concept.”
“More than 24 million visitors have visited Jewel Changi Airport since it opened to the public on 11 April 2019. There have been nine reported incidents with injuries at Jewel. Five were escalator-related which the Building and Construction Authority has investigated. They found no technical safety issues and the incidents were due to unsafe user behaviour, such as brushing footwear against the side of an escalator. Four incidents took place at the Jewel Canopy Park. Investigations by Jewel Changi Airport confirmed that the incidents were not caused by technical problems. Meanwhile, Jewel Changi Airport is taking steps to improve safety. It is installing additional signages to remind visitors to exercise care. Jewel Hosts stationed at the attractions will also be extra vigilant in looking out for unsafe behaviours.”
“We will continue to engage the stakeholders to see how we can further deepen and widen efforts in this area.”
“Effective and timely maintenance is necessary to ensure a reliable Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) service. Besides hardware investments, we also require a skilled maintenance workforce. Today, our rail operators deploy more than 50% of their headcount, or more than 4,000 staff, to maintenance and engineering. Thanks to their tireless efforts, our MRT service has stabilised, with a reliability level comparable to that of Taipei Metro and Hong Kong Mass Transit Railway. We need to maintain this staffing level for existing MRT lines. But as our MRT network is still expanding and we work closely with the rail operators and the National Transport Workers' Union to continuously upskill and reskill existing workers, and to attract a healthy pipeline of new workers. In 2016, the Land Transport Authority launched the $12.5 million Public Transport Manpower Development Fund (PTMDF) to attract, develop and retain skilled workers in the public transport industry. Under PTMDF, we introduced Rail Industry Training Grants to co-fund courses for rail technicians and engineers. PTMDF also co-funds the Public Transport Study Awards offered to prospective Institute of Technical Education, polytechnic and university students keen to embark on a technical career with the rail operators. In addition, we also collaborate with Workforce Singapore and SkillsFuture Singapore on wider initiatives to enhance the capabilities of public transport workers. This includes the Skills Framework for Public Transport to define a career development roadmap and support competency-based training for public transport workers. Together with Workforce Singapore, we also offer Professional Conversion Programmes to help mid-career workers make the switch into the public transport industry.”
“In the past year, there were 18 reported accidents involving cyclists and personal mobility device (PMD) users at or near bus stops. The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has been progressively undertaking infrastructural improvements at bus stops to improve safety, by building cycling paths and widening footpaths behind bus stops with high commuter traffic. The aim is to allow cyclists and PMD users to go behind the bus stop rather than through it. The widened paths include additional safety features, such as speed regulating strips, "Look" and "Slow" markings and "Give Way to Pedestrians" signs. LTA will continue with these infrastructural improvements where possible. In addition, LTA regularly highlights safe riding practices in its nationwide public education campaigns. These include reminders to: "always give way to pedestrians", "slow down when approaching bus stops" and "walk your device in crowded areas". To date, more than 46,000 individuals have attended the Safe Riding Programme, which teaches riders to slow down, walk their devices, or dismount and push their devices at bus stops, amongst other safe riding habits.”
“The award of personal mobility device (PMD)-sharing licences has been deferred to later this year as the Land Transport Authority (LTA) requires more time to review the imposition of additional requirements on licensees to ensure the safety of users and the general public. The requirements being considered include requiring shared PMDs to be certified to the UL2272 standard to ensure fire safety, and to be insured against third-party claims on bodily injury or death. LTA will also start conservatively, restricting sandbox licensees to small fleet sizes over a one-year sandbox period.”
“If the swapping of number plates is done outside Singapore, whether it is an offence will depend on the facts of the case. For instance, it is an offence if the driver is also found to be in possession of the false plate with the intention to deceive in Singapore, where the driver may be punished with a fine of up to $5,000 and/or a jail sentence of up to 12 months. We would be happy to share information, to the extent permitted by our laws, with our foreign counterparts to assist with investigations into any other possible offences under foreign laws. It is an offence to display false number plates in Singapore. Anyone found doing so may be punished with a fine of up to $5,000 and/or a jail sentence of up to 12 months. Between 2017 and 2018, there were six persons convicted of displaying false number plates. Three of them received jail sentences of four to nine weeks, while the other three had fines imposed.”
“Malaysia’s Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP) is intended for the installation of radio-frequency identification tags to identify foreign vehicles entering Malaysia. This is different from Singapore's VEP, which aims to equalise the cost of owning and using a Malaysia-registered vehicle in Singapore with that of a Singapore-registered vehicle. Motorists can register for Malaysia's VEP through the Malaysian Road Transport Department's VEP website. On 26 April, it was reported that information of other motorists could be viewed by altering the site URL. This affected all registered motorists. Malaysians, Singaporeans and motorists of other nationalities were all affected. The website was taken down the same day and the issue rectified by the next day. The Malaysian Transport Ministry has stated that it treats data security with great urgency as it is of the utmost importance.”