Lam Pin Min
Singapore
“Mr Speaker, on behalf of the Minister for Transport, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second Time". This Bill, together with the Active Mobility (Amendment No.”
“It is timely for us to put in place a regulatory framework to ensure that active mobility devices being brought into and used in Singapore are safe. This is a key step in helping us put in place a safe and sustainable active mobility landscape in Singapore. Mr Speaker, I beg to move. [(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)] 1.55 pm”
“Clause 6 facilitates the transfer to and vesting in the financial security provider of a seafarer's rights against a shipowner as a result of any liability arising from the shipowner's obligation to repatriate the seafarer. For example, the liability to pay the seafarer's wages and entitlements.”
“Mr Speaker, to ensure a safe and high-quality blood supply for our patients in Singapore, pre-donation interviews are conducted to screen blood donors for risk factors and blood donations are also tested for blood-borne infections. However, infections can only be detected some time after the blood donors have been infected.”
“I thank the Member for that clarification. As far as I know, not all mental conditions will be excluded from blood donation. In fact, we have checked with HSA. There is a wide spectrum of mental illnesses – from very mild mental conditions to very severe conditions.”
“I think we must be cognisant that the reason why they are inmates is because of certain things that have happened, prior to that. That actually pre-disposes them to some high-risk behaviours.”
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“Mr Speaker, on behalf of the Minister for Transport, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time." The Active Mobility (Amendment No. 2) Bill 2020 amends the Active Mobility Act to shorten the forfeiture process for seized devices which LTA has assessed to be dangerous and to expand the public path network to include certain open spaces so that our public path network can accommodate the largest range of users and active mobility devices can be used safely in accordance with our regulations. This Bill, as with the previous Bill on our Order Paper, the Small Motorised Vehicles (Safety) Bill, supports our vision of active mobility as a safe and sustainable mode of transport for Singaporeans. In the debate, we have just had on the Small Motorised Vehicles Bill, I have already explained the amendments proposed in both Bills. Members have already raised their questions and expressed their views on both Bills during the earlier debate, although they are still welcome to do so now if there are any additional questions or views. Mr Speaker, I beg to move. [(proc text) Question put, and agreed to. (proc text)] [(proc text) Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House. (proc text)] [(proc text) The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. – [Dr Lam Pin Min]. (proc text)] [(proc text) Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed. (proc text)]”
“They also allow LTA to shorten the forfeiture process for devices that pose significant safety risks, and expand the public path network to include certain open spaces, so that active mobility devices can be used safely in accordance with our regulations. Even as we tighten our regulatory regime at different levels, all device users need to use original power adaptors and approved battery models for that vehicle type. Do not be careless and leave devices charging overnight without monitoring. The Government will strive to ensure that infrastructure is more than adequate for the active mobility device population. We plan to expand the cycling path network by 2026. Then, eight in 10 HDB households will be minutes away from the expanded cycling path network. If our plans come to fruition, LTA will also expand the cycling path network to 1,320 km by 2030. (In English): We have come a long way in our journey on the active mobility front. We may not have had all the answers right from the beginning, but I am thankful for the guidance, the feedback and support Members of this House have given me and my predecessors over the years. To quote Er Dr Lee Bee Wah, one of our greatest advocates for PMDs safety, "Everyone has a shared responsibility for staying safe in their environment." Indeed, the Government cannot do this alone. We need the collective effort of everyone – the active mobility users, the retailers, the pedestrians and other road users. We will continue with our efforts to work towards a safer, more sustainable active mobility landscape. Let us all stay safe together, active together, SG Together. With that, Mr Speaker, I beg to move.”
“Users should not modify the electrical systems of their devices and should only use original power adaptors and approved battery models for that vehicle type. LTA is working with SCDF to strengthen educational campaigns and outreach programmes. I concur with Mr Liang Eng Hwa that we should strive to ensure that infrastructure is more than adequate for the active mobility device population. Mr Liang also asked if we should set an effective life span for approved PMDs. I would like to share that there is currently no intention to do so as the regular periodic inspection regime will ensure that the devices remain compliant and safe for use. Even though the PMD population has right-sized following the November 2019 footpath prohibition, we are nonetheless pressing on with the provision of more active mobility infrastructure, extending the cycling path network to 1,320 km by 2030 as I had shared with this House in March 2020. To Mr Dennis Tan's query, we had planned for eight in 10 HDB households to be minutes away from the expanded cycling path network by 2026, where PMD riders will only need to push their PMDs for a short distance. This will put us on a more sustainable trajectory, as active mobility adoption continues to increase. Mr Speaker, please allow me to continue my speech in Mandarin. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Mr Speaker, we remain committed to ensuring a safe active mobility landscape, especially with regard to path and fire safety. The Bills today help to ensure that devices are safe by controlling their import into Singapore.”
“I assure Er Dr Lee Bee Wah that even during the circuit breaker period, LTA has continued to mount regular active mobility enforcement operations to enforce against errant riders. I would like to also assure Mr Liang Eng Hwa and Mr Dennis Tan that LTA continues to work closely with food delivery companies to ensure that they behave responsibly, including ensuring that their riders use devices that comply with active mobility regulations. It has been challenging for our enforcement officers to balance all aspects of their enforcement duties with their concurrent responsibilities to enforce against breaches of safe distancing measures. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all our enforcement officers for their service. With the necessary infrastructure and regulatory regime, I am optimistic that active mobility will be more widely adopted. As Mr Saktiandi Supaat, Mr Melvin Yong and Assoc Prof Walter Theseira have noted, the active mobility landscape will continue to evolve. LTA will remain open to including new devices types in its publicly available list of approved device models, or consider new device safety standards for use on paths and roads, provided they are suitable for our local context. Ensuring fire and device safety is the responsibility of every device user – it is necessary to protect riders themselves and their loved ones. Er Dr Lee Bee Wah had expressed concern over a recent fire incident in Yishun. Even as we tighten our regulatory regimes at different levels, let me take this opportunity to remind all device users to practise safe charging habits. Devices should not be left charging without monitoring, or overnight.”
“LTA also monitors feedback relating to illegal modification of devices closely and conducts regularly checks on workshops and retailers to ensure compliance. To answer Mr Gan Thiam Poh’s question about young offenders, the provisions in these current Bills do not stipulate a minimum age, but our Courts retain discretion to consider the circumstances of the case, including the age of the individual and the laws on sentencing of young offenders, in deciding the actual punishment to be meted out. On the observation that young riders have been committing active mobility offences, we recently passed amendments to require riders to be at least 16 years old to ride an e-scooter without supervision. We are also targeting younger riders in schools with our education efforts, such as the Safe Riding Programme, and like Mr Dennis Tan suggested, enhancing public education efforts, including reaching out through Active Mobility Patrol volunteers. The Active Mobility Advisory Panel (AMAP) has joined us in emphasising the importance of public education and engagement by designating this as a focus for their current term. Another area of focus for the AMAP this year is to study extending third-party liability insurance requirements to individual device users, as Mr Melvin Yong has spoken about. AMAP and LTA are already working with the insurance industry to study the risk pool, design and structure of individual insurance options. In the meantime, we strongly encourage individual active mobility device riders to purchase third-party liability insurance for their own protection against third-party claims. Since May 2019, we have stepped up the level of active mobility enforcement consistently in view of rising public path safety concerns.”
“I would like to assure Mr Dennis Tan that we are constantly improving our enforcement actions against illegal device usage. LTA has significantly grown its enforcement footprint to about 200 enforcement officers, allowing for more frequent patrols. LTA also works closely with enforcement officers across various agencies. To augment LTA's enforcement efforts, I agree with Mr Gan Thiam Poh and Er Dr Lee Bee Wah that we should enlist the aid of technology and the wider community. And we have done so. LTA has launched an 18-month trial of mobile closed-circuit televisions at hotspots to better detect offences, such as speeding. The "Report PMD/PAB Incident" function on the MyTransport.SG app also allows eye witnesses to report instances of errant behaviour. As Mr Gan Thiam Poh has suggested, LTA has recruited Active Mobility Patrol volunteers to engage residents on active mobility rules and regulations. As of May 2020, we have over 1,000 AMP volunteers across 73 teams. I would like to assure Mr Gan Thiam Poh, Mr Liang Eng Hwa, Mr Daryl David and Mr Saktiandi Supaat that we will continue to come down hard, especially on retailers who sell non-compliant devices and individuals who illegally modify devices. This limits the circulation of non-compliant devices and reduces the likelihood that consumers purchase them inadvertently. LTA passed amendments earlier this year to significantly increase the penalties for retailer offences and will require all retailers to send in their e-scooters for inspections before sale. We also require e-scooters to undergo regular inspections to ensure device safety and deter against illegal modification.”
“LTA will work with local stakeholders on this and steps will be taken to demarcate the different types of paths by markings or signboards if deemed necessary. To answer Mr Murali Pillai's question, LTA and Town Councils had earlier evaluated that void decks and the frontage of commercial spaces (which are today excluded from the public path system) were not critical for active mobility connectivity and had safety concerns, such as numerous blind spots. These spaces are currently regulated under Town Council by-laws. As for Ms Joan Pereira's concern about certain areas, such as hard courts and playgrounds, LTA will work with the Town Councils to conduct ground enforcement and ensure safe device usage. Town Councils could also consider whether erecting physical barriers around playgrounds would be appropriate for keeping children out of harm's way. We will also keep up our education efforts to remind users to slow down when nearing areas with potential blind spots or which may be crowded, such as bus stops or playgrounds. Many Members of Parliament have also taken the opportunity at this Second Reading of the two Bills to raise issues not directly concerned with either Bill, but on Active Mobility more generally. With the permission of Mr Speaker, I will deal with these very briefly. Ultimately, as Mr Gan Thiam Poh has pointed out, the effectiveness of all our regulations boil down to enforcement. LTA has a comprehensive regime that enforces against non-compliant devices at multiple touchpoints, beyond registration and inspection. As I have mentioned earlier, in 2019 alone, LTA detected a total of 972 users riding non-compliant PMDs and PABs, and seized, forfeited and disposed of their devices.”
“As to Mr Louis Ng's other question on notifying the owner before disposal, let me clarify that the requirements for LTA to give notice to the owner of the vehicle, under sections 45 or 46 of the Active Mobility Act, continue to apply. The only difference with clause 6(b) of the Active Mobility (Amendment No. 2) Bill is that, for dangerous vehicles or things, LTA will not have to wait out for 30 days before forfeiture. But let me assure Members that, where possible, LTA will reach out to the owner to notify them that their device is to be disposed of, on top of publication in the Gazette. The public notice in the Gazette is necessary as there will be situations where LTA is not otherwise aware of the owner of the vehicle or thing. LTA also publishes the disposal notice on its OneMotoring website to facilitate public awareness. Let me move on to address questions about expanding the public path network by allowing path-connected open spaces to be declared as public paths. As Er Dr Lee Bee Wah has rightly observed, this extension complements our other efforts to ensure public path safety. Once these areas are public paths, all the other active mobility regulations, including speed limits, restrictions against reckless device usage, and the Code of Conduct, will apply. The amendment in the Active Mobility (Amendment No. 2) Bill will thus ensure connectivity for path users, provide greater clarity and assurance to all path users, and promote responsible and sustainable usage of the paths for all. To answer Mr Murali Pillai's and Mr Dennis Tan's queries, LTA will specify which path-connected open space is a pedestrian-only area, a footpath, or a shared path. Most path-connected open spaces will be demarcated as footpaths, similar to the approach taken for paths today.”
“Even as we seek to curb the risks arising from non-compliant vehicles, we have not lost sight of the importance of preserving the property rights of individuals to their devices and things, bearing in mind that as I have explained in my opening speech, there could be legitimate uses of non-compliant devices. Mr Murali Pillai's concern on whether LTA is better placed to forfeit such vehicles or whether they should be left to the Courts to better safeguard individual property rights and due process, LTA will only seize and forfeit vehicles after LTA and relevant authorities have gathered supporting evidence and is reasonably certain that the vehicle was connected to the commission of an offence under the Active Mobility Act, Road Traffic Act or Small Motorised (Vehicles) Safety Bill. The prosecution for cases involving the devices will remain independent of the forfeiture. There were also questions about the device disposal process and LTA's powers to return devices before disposal. LTA is required to provide a reasonable 30-day period for objections to be submitted before the disposal of the device. This recognises that there may be legitimate claims to the seized vehicles. For instance, an individual whose device was stolen might have a legitimate claim for the PMD to be returned to him since he may have obtained an import approval to bring in a non-compliant device for R&D purposes. While Members of Parliament have suggested that LTA should not return any non-compliant seized vehicles at all despite legitimate claims, this may unfairly undermine the property rights of vehicle owners. That said, vehicle owners should bear responsibility for assessing whether their devices are safe, and should safely dispose devices that may become dangerous.”
“We had already put in place regulations that enforce against the sale, display, advertisement of non-compliant PMDs in 2017. As the number of non-compliant devices being used on public paths remains significant and, after receiving feedback from Members of Parliament, including Mr Dennis Tan, we embarked on an extensive study of implementing import controls, bearing in mind that it has to be done so in accordance with our FTA obligations. We have now, therefore, put in place this new piece in our regulatory framework. Let me now move on to address questions posed by Mr Louis Ng and Mr Murali Pillai about our forfeiture regime in clauses 5, 6 and 7 of the Active Mobility (Amendment No. 2) Bill 2020. There are currently more than 1,500 non-compliant devices held in LTA's holding yards. As Mr Louis Ng had rightly pointed out, many of these devices may be dangerous and pose significant fire risks. LTA has already put in place measures to mitigate these risks, including storing them in sheltered areas to avoid exposing them to harsh conditions, 24/7 monitoring of the holding yards, and installing fire extinguishers and sprinkler systems. Our proposal to shorten the forfeiture process for dangerous vehicles and things will enable LTA to better manage the risks from their prolonged storage. I would like to reassure Mr Dennis Tan that these vehicles are disposed of in a safe manner in LTA-appointed scrap-yards, where LTA will receive the residual value of the device, which is small. The batteries are also dismantled and sold off to battery recyclers appointed by NEA.”
“For a start, we will apply the Small Motorised Vehicles (Safety) Bill to fully assembled PMDs and PABs, but may, after monitoring the situation, extend import controls to cover partially assembled or completely unassembled vehicles, if necessary. LTA will continue to engage and work with industry partners on the process as we implement the import control regime. Mr Saktiandi Supaat and Assoc Prof Walter Theseira raised concerns over whether the Small Motorised Vehicles (Safety) Bill would increase costs for businesses and consumers. We will work to keep the import process simple and import approval and application fees low. Details will be released at a later date. To Mr Melvin Yong's query on whether the Bill will affect the Free Trade Agreements that Singapore has signed with other countries, MOT will administer the import control regime in a non-discriminatory and transparent manner, and is also working closely with MTI to ensure that Singapore continues to comply with our international trade obligations. Assoc Prof Walter Theseira mentioned that the Small Motorised Vehicles (Safety) Bill would put in place an importer licensing regime. To clarify, clause 5 of the Small Motorised Vehicles (Safety) Bill does not do this. It simply requires any entity that imports devices to obtain import approval from LTA for each import transaction. At the moment, we do not have plans to license the importer as that could be an additional regulatory burden and may restrict competition, as Assoc Prof Walter Theseira has pointed out. Mr Dennis Tan asked why we took so long to put in place the import control regime. MOT and LTA have taken a calibrated approach in introducing device-related regulations.”
“Mr Speaker, I thank the Members for their queries, suggestions and support for the Bill. Let me first address the points raised by Members that relate to the provisions in the two Bills before I address points on the broader active mobility landscape. I am glad that many Members spoke up in support of the import controls regime, which will complement existing regulations on retailers against the display, advertisement and sale of non-compliant devices, and regulations on end users against the use of non-compliant devices. Er Dr Lee Bee Wah, Mr Saktiandi Supaat, Mr Darryl David, Mr Dennis Tan, Mr Melvin Yong, Assoc Prof Walter Theseira and Mr Gan Thiam Poh had asked whether the coverage of the regime would be sufficiently wide, and some have suggested that we go even further to stem an inflow of unauthorised devices. All fully-assembled motorised PMDs and PABs will need LTA's approval for import. This will apply regardless of who imports them, whether by a wholesaler or retailer to sell, or by an individual buying via an online platform, and regardless of the purpose for which the device is imported. Members of Parliament have raised a range of views on whether to regulate the import of spare parts. While the Small Motorised Vehicles (Safety) Bill does not cover the import of spare parts, some Members of Parliament have called for this to be regulated, since such parts may be used to create non-compliant devices. Others have pointed out that this would inconvenience users who source for their own spare parts and affect competition in the market for repairs.”
“It is timely for us to put in place a regulatory framework to ensure that active mobility devices being brought into and used in Singapore are safe. This is a key step in helping us put in place a safe and sustainable active mobility landscape in Singapore. Mr Speaker, I beg to move. [(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)] 1.55 pm”
“This amendment will allow our public path network to accommodate the largest range of possible users. It will also enable LTA to extend the public path user rules to reduce potential conflicts between the motorised and non-motorised users in these open spaces. The clarity will be useful to all path users. We understand that some of these path-connected open spaces are used for community or municipal functions, such as grassroots events, night markets or community roadshows. We will facilitate events and activities by allowing open spaces to be closed temporarily. Lastly, clauses 29, 30 and 31 of the Small Motorised Vehicles Bill makes miscellaneous amendments to the Land Transport Authority of Singapore Act, Rapid Transit Systems Act and the Road Traffic Act to channel certain sums collected by LTA into the Consolidated Fund. This delinks LTA's regulatory and enforcement functions from the associated revenues from these actions and aligns LTA's financial practices with the whole-of-Government financial governance framework. We remain committed in promoting active mobility as a viable and attractive mode of transport and lifestyle choice in Singapore. When used safely, with the appropriate regulations and infrastructure, active mobility devices can be an affordable, environmentally-friendly and convenient commuting option. This is why, even as we are heartened by the significant improvement in footpath safety since the use of e-scooters was banned on footpaths from November last year, we are pressing on to improve our cycling path infrastructure and to further strengthen our regulatory framework. Mr Speaker, our active mobility regulatory framework must continue to evolve to keep pace with new technology and new trends.”
“Motorised PMDs and PABs found to be imported without valid import approval will be seized and forfeited and their importers will be taken to task. Let me now move on to the Active Mobility Bill. Non-compliant devices pose fire risks even when not being used or charged. Since the Active Mobility Act (AMA) was passed by this House in 2017, LTA has seized PMDs, PABs and bicycles used in the commission of offences under the AMA or the Road Traffic Act (RTA) and stores these in holding yards pending the outcome of prosecution or the acceptance of a composition offer. Some are not UL2272 or EN15194 compliant and others could have been badly damaged or have leaking batteries after being involved in accidents. It would be dangerous for LTA to retain custody of such forfeited devices. To mitigate safety hazards arising from the storage of such seized devices, this Bill amends the AMA and the RTA to allow LTA to immediately forfeit devices that LTA has assessed to be dangerous, prior to composition or conviction and to dispose of them after providing a 30-day notice period for objections to be submitted. There will be no changes to the forfeiture and disposal process for non-compliant devices that are not dangerous. In addition to PMDs, PABs and bicycles, the process also extends to non-compliant mobility vehicles, or what we refer to as personal mobility aids. Lastly, to improve clarity of rules for all path users, the Active Mobility Bill expands the public path network by allowing path-connected open spaces to be declared as public paths. Path-connected open spaces are generally indistinguishable from the existing public path network. This includes spaces such as courtyards, plazas, squares and atriums that are accessible to the public.”
“This will ensure that we have oversight of the inflow into Singapore of all such devices. LTA will assess import approval applications based on the safety of the devices to be imported. It will be an offence to import motorised PMDs and PABs without valid approval from LTA. We recognise that there are legitimate reasons to import non-compliant devices, such as for research, re-export or commercial use exclusively on private land or land with restricted public access. For these specific cases, import approvals can still be granted after LTA has ascertained that these non-compliant devices will not be abused and eventually used on public paths where they could be a danger to other path users. Thus, clause 8 makes it an offence for importers to allow non-compliant devices they have imported to be used for purposes other than what had been allowed under the import approval or to fail to comply with a condition specified in the import approval. LTA will also affix tamper-proof tags on all non-compliant devices allowed to be imported, to facilitate downstream enforcement. We will take decisive enforcement against the provision of false information and imports without import approvals. Similar to other import controls regimes, ICA officers appointed as officers of customs will work with LTA to carry out random inspections at the checkpoints. LTA is also empowered to conduct searches of premises or conveyances located within any premises, used for or in connection with the import of small motorised vehicles or the storage of such imported vehicles, in order to investigate an offence under the Bill. This could include premises suspected to contain motorised PMDs and PABs imported without valid import approval from LTA.”
“Today, only active mobility devices that comply with device criteria on weight, width and speed are allowed to be used on public paths. This is to enhance public safety on paths. Motorised PMDs and PABs are also required to meet the relevant safety standards, which is the UL2272 standard for motorised PMDs and the European Standard EN15194 for PABs. Sir, devices which do not meet the relevant safety standards pose higher fire risks and accounted for all 115 fire incidents in 2019 involving PMDs and PABs. We have introduced many measures to tackle the supply of non-compliant devices, including prohibiting the sale of non-UL2272 devices for use on public paths since July 2019 and mandating inspection of e-scooters from April 2020. LTA regularly enforces against retailers who display, advertise and sell non-compliant devices, and alter devices to make them non-compliant, as well as path users who ride such non-compliant devices on public paths. Despite our efforts, LTA continues to detect non-compliant devices being used on public paths, and fires involving non-compliant devices continue to occur. In 2019 alone, 972 users were detected riding non-compliant PMDs and PABs on public paths and public roads. Irresponsible retailers have compounded the problem. In 2019, 11 retailers were caught for displaying non-compliant PMDs and PABs and failing to display warning notices. In view of these challenges, we need to go upstream to stem the inflow of non-compliant devices at the point of import. Clause 5 of the Small Motorised Vehicles Bill requires all importers to obtain import approval from LTA before they can bring small motorised vehicles into Singapore. For a start, we will implement this requirement for motorised PMDs and PABs.”
“Yes. Thank you, Mr Speaker. First, I would like to thank our delivery riders, who have been instrumental in providing delivery services to Singaporeans during this COVID-19 circuit breaker period. It is not an easy job; they brave the elements and are on the move all day. I am grateful for their efforts in making our lives more convenient, amidst this trying time for all of us. Let me first address why we are tabling these Bills now. In many cities around the world, we have seen an uptake in active mobility modes of transport after the outbreak of COVID-19. We have observed a similar trend in Singapore, where travel demand for active mobility devices appears to have increased, even as ridership for public transport, taxis and private hire cars fell drastically. This has arisen because of the larger number of short trips between homes and neighbourhood centres. With the expansion of the cycling path network in the years ahead, we should also expect use of active mobility devices to pick up again. With more users, it is all the more critical for us to strengthen our regulations and enforcement even as we deal with other COVID-related challenges. The Small Motorised Vehicles (Safety) Bill, or the Small Motorised Vehicles Bill for short, sets out an import control regime to stem the inflow into Singapore of unsafe small motorised vehicles, which include PMDs and PABs. The Active Mobility Bill allows LTA to shorten the forfeiture process for such devices which pose significant safety risks, and expands the public path network to include certain open spaces, so that active mobility devices can be used safely in accordance to our regulations. Let me now elaborate on the main provisions of the two Bills. Let me first start with the Small Motorised Vehicles Bill.”
“Mr Speaker, on behalf of the Minister for Transport, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second Time". This Bill, together with the Active Mobility (Amendment No. 2) Bill, or the "Active Mobility Bill" for short, which will be read next, relates to small motorised vehicles, including personal mobility devices (PMDs) and power-assisted bicycles (PABs). Sir, with your permission, I would like to propose that the substantive debate on both Bills take place together, under the common objective of ensuring and developing a safe and sustainable active mobility landscape. This will allow Members to raise questions or express their views on both Bills during the debate. We will still have the formal Second Reading of the Active Mobility Bill to ensure that procedural requirements are dealt with.”
“RSN's Maritime Security Task Force (MSTF) will also be enhancing its capabilities to deal with maritime threats, including piracy and armed robbery. In addition, Singapore is part of a region-wide initiative called ReCAAP, which facilitates timely and accurate information sharing so that the respective littoral states and the shipping community can take prompt remedial actions. Mr Tay also asked what is presently being done and what more can be done to help families and relatives of seafarers who have been held captive at sea. The 2018 amendments will require shipowners of Singapore-registered ships to continue to honour the employment agreements of seafarers who have been taken captive by pirates or armed robbers regardless of whether the date fixed for the expiry of the seafarer's employment agreement has passed. Shipowners will be obliged to continue paying captive seafarers their wages and entitlements until the seafarers are released from captivity and repatriated, or until the seafarer's death, should the seafarer die while in captivity. This would allow the seafarer's next-of-kin to seek compensation from shipowners for wages during the period of captivity. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, this Bill will improve seafarers' welfare and strengthen our standing as a responsible maritime nation. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to move. [(proc text) Question put, and agreed to. (proc text)] [(proc text) Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House. (proc text)] [(proc text) The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. – [Dr Lam Pin Min]. (proc text)] [(proc text) Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed. (proc text)]”
“The Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against ships in Asia or ReCAAP, cited crew members' lack of vigilance and highlighted the need for strong collaboration among the littoral states in information sharing and enforcement. The Minister for Defence mentioned in Parliament on 3 February this year that perpetrators are based and operate outside of Singapore territorial waters. Therefore, the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) is working closely with our neighbours to share information and collect intelligence to better tackle these threats, and to step up enforcement in the region. MPA is also encouraging the shipping community to be vigilant when travelling along the Singapore Strait. Mr Tay also asked what are the enforcement measures that are to be implemented. Should any suspicious vessel enter Singapore territorial waters, our maritime agencies will respond strongly to safeguard Singapore's security and take the necessary action against the perpetrators. For incidents outside our waters, we have to work with our neighbours to counter this transnational threat. As I have mentioned in my COS speech, the Malacca Straits Patrol (MSP), involving our military and the militaries of Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand, conduct air and sea patrols in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore. This also involves regular information exchange and updating suspicious indicators to assist investigation efforts of sea robbery incidents. MINDEF has reached out to its counterparts in Malaysia and Indonesia to propose that the MSP initiative be extended to other areas in our surrounding waters. Discussions are on-going.”
“Mr Ng also asked if the amendments will cover abductions related to terrorism, for example, kidnapping for ransom by a terrorist group. The Bill seeks to enable Singapore to implement the 2018 amendments to the Maritime Labour Convention, which require shipowners to continue to pay seafarers their due wages and entitlements in the event of an abduction in an "armed robbery" or "piracy" incident. Under international law, whether a specific terrorist act can fall within the definitions of "armed robbery" or "piracy" depends on the facts of the case. Shipowners may further take on additional insurance cover for terrorism, in which case, seafarers will be compensated their wages and entitlements in instances of abductions related to terrorism. Seafarers also have a right to terminate their contracts upon giving notice, which they could choose to exercise if the ships they are on will traverse or journey through high-risk areas. On Mr Ng's fourth point about post-release support programmes, we will bring that back and study the proposal. On his last query on whether Singaporeans on non-Singapore-flagged ships will be protected under this amendment, I am happy to update Mr Ng that actually, most other shipping companies also need to abide by the MLC, whether they operate Singapore-flagged ships or not. As many countries are MLC countries, Singaporeans who are working on non-Singapore-flagged ships should be covered under the 2018 amendments. Next, to address Mr Patrick Tay's query on reasons for the spike in piracy and armed robbery (PAR) incidents in the region in 2019 as compared to previous years, there could be several reasons for these incidents.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I thank Mr Louis Ng and Mr Patrick Tay for their comments and support of the Bill. Let me address the points they have raised. To address Mr Louis Ng's query on MPA's measures against errant shipowners who wilfully misreport abductions, there are existing measures to address this. Currently, all Singapore-registered shipowners are required to put in place procedures for reporting shipboard security incidents, including incidents of abduction, under Chapter XI-2 of the Merchant Shipping (Safety Convention) Regulations. To ensure timely reporting of abductions, MPA has issued shipping circulars to the shipping community to remind shipowners and ship-masters to send reports of any attacks or attempted attacks on board their ships immediately to the Rescue Coordination Centre for the area and to MPA. A shipowner who knowingly or recklessly makes a false report of a shipboard security incident commits an offence under section 194 of the Merchant Shipping Act. Such an offence is punishable with a fine not exceeding $10,000, or an imprisonment term not exceeding two years, or both. Mr Ng also asked if shipowners will be required to continue paying for wages and other entitlements indefinitely for cases where the seafarer's whereabouts are unknown and the seafarer's death cannot be confirmed, and whether there would be a sunset clause built into the subsidiary legislation. The intent of the amendment is that the shipowner must continue to pay the wages of the captive seafarer until the seafarer is released from captivity and repatriated or until the death of the seafarer while in captivity. In circumstances where it is believed that the seafarer has died, a presumption of death certificate may be applied for through the court.”
“Clause 6 facilitates the transfer to and vesting in the financial security provider of a seafarer's rights against a shipowner as a result of any liability arising from the shipowner's obligation to repatriate the seafarer. For example, the liability to pay the seafarer's wages and entitlements. It amends the Act to provide a statutory basis for the financial security provider to acquire such rights if the provider has paid the seafarer under a contract of insurance or other financial security for such liability. To conclude, the provisions in this Bill will help protect seafarers' welfare and enhance Singapore's international reputation as a responsible maritime nation. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to move. [(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)] 6.29 pm”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, on behalf of the Minister for Transport, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time." The Bill amends the Merchant Shipping (Maritime Labour Convention) Act to: (a) enable Singapore to give effect to the 2018 amendments to the Maritime Labour Convention; and, (b) provide a statutory basis for an approved financial security provider who has paid a seafarer for certain liabilities owed by a shipowner to the seafarer, to acquire the seafarer's rights against the shipowner in respect of the liabilities. Let me highlight the key provisions of the Bill. First, clauses 3 to 5 amend the Act to enhance employment protection for seafarers in captivity. Should a seafarer be held captive on or off a ship as a result of an act of piracy and armed robbery against the ship, the seafarer's employment agreement continues to have effect during the period of captivity. This is regardless of whether the date fixed for the expiry of the seafarer's employment agreement has passed or either party to the seafarer's employment agreement has given notice to suspend or terminate it. Further, a captive seafarer's wages and entitlements must continue to be paid during the period of captivity, until the day the seafarer is released and duly repatriated, or until the seafarer's death while in captivity. The seafarer's employer is also obligated to repatriate the seafarer upon release from captivity. Besides enhancing employment protection for seafarers in captivity, we are making another amendment to facilitate the acquisition of a seafarer's rights by an approved financial security provider which provides insurance or other financial security required under the Act to shipowners.”
“I think we must be cognisant that the reason why they are inmates is because of certain things that have happened, prior to that. That actually pre-disposes them to some high-risk behaviours. While we do not want to say that every single person who has been admitted to prison is considered high risk, we do need to take an approach whereby we have to err on the side of caution. Like I have mentioned, for genuine donors, they are still welcomed to donate after the 12-month deferral period.”
“I thank the Member for that clarification. As far as I know, not all mental conditions will be excluded from blood donation. In fact, we have checked with HSA. There is a wide spectrum of mental illnesses – from very mild mental conditions to very severe conditions. So, as long as the patient with mental illness is able to prove from maybe some form of certification from their psychiatrist or doctor that they able to make decisions on their own, then, we will be able to accept them as blood donors.”
“I would like to thank the Member for those clarifications. As I have mentioned, HSA has very high standards on donor criteria to ensure the safety of blood supply. I think that this is something that all of us do support. We also know that studies have shown that inmates of prisons and corrective institutions have a higher incidence of infections from blood-borne diseases such as Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C. This is a fact. Although there are no reported instances of inmates contracting blood-borne or infectious diseases while in Singapore's prison – and this is something that we are very proud of as compared to many of the other prisons that Mr Louis Ng has alluded to – we still need to err on the side of caution as inmates may have contracted the infectious diseases before their admission to prison. We also acknowledge that they are considered a higher risk group compared to the population. If I can just quote some statistics: for HIV, for the general population between the age 15 and 45 in Singapore, the HIV prevalence is 0.2% but it is 1.1% amongst inmates or ex-inmates. This is a fact that they are of a higher risk profile. Like I have mentioned in my reply, they may be in the window period, so therefore, we have adopted what WHO has recommended, taking into consideration all these factors. I also thank the ex-inmate who came forward to donate. I think for genuine donors, they can still continue to come forward to donate their blood after that 12-month deferral period.”
“Mr Speaker, to ensure a safe and high-quality blood supply for our patients in Singapore, pre-donation interviews are conducted to screen blood donors for risk factors and blood donations are also tested for blood-borne infections. However, infections can only be detected some time after the blood donors have been infected. This is known as the window period. Therefore, donors who have been exposed to infection risks will be asked to defer their donation until after the window period. For this reason, the World Health Organization recommends an appropriate deferral period after ex-offenders have been released from prison before blood donation. HSA has adopted a one-year deferral period, aligned with the practices of other countries such as Australia, Canada and the United States of America. It ensures that the window period after these donors become infected has passed, enabling the screening tests to detect blood-borne infections if any, as patient safety is utmost important and cannot be compromised.”
“I would like to share Mr Melvin Yong that the new Integrated Youth Service (IYS) has been developed to provide holistic support for social and mental health services to at-risk youths. There are basically four services that IYS provide. First, which is to outreach for prevention which is to increase awareness and encourage help-seeking behaviours. This is done through activities like roadshows, talks and workshops on mental health topics. The second service they provide is to identify needs and to provide a one-stop service for care coordination. The third service will be for peer facilitation and mentoring. So, at IYS, we will look for model youths who will provide that kind of a role model for these youths at-risk as well as to look for youth volunteers who can actually better engaged these youth during activities like roadshows and outreach programme. And the last service that IYS provides is to provide emotional support and monitoring. It can be done in the form of group sessions to improve resilience as well as coping skills.”
“I would like to thank Ms Irene Quay for the supplementary questions. As I have mentioned, the first joint report of antimicrobial utilisation and resistance in Singapore will be published later this year. So, I would not be able to let Ms Irene Quay know what the initial results are. Please be patient. The report will be released for public viewing.”
“I would like to thank Dr Chia for those supplementary questions. With regard to polyclinics' development, in addition to those that we have announced for new developments, which is up to 32 polyclinics by 2030, we do have existing polyclinics that are being redeveloped, one of it was Ang Mo Kio Polyclinic which was redeveloped some time back. And moving forward, we are also going to redevelop Toa Payoh Polyclinic. Of course, we will review and look at the requirements on the ground and for those polyclinics that can be redeveloped to cater to the increased capacity, we will do so. As for PHPC, currently, we do not have plans to enhance it. We feel that with the current 800 to 900 PHPC clinics on the ground, in fact, it is serving its purpose well but having said that, I think we will see how the COVID-19 situation evolves. If need be, we can enhance it as and when necessary.”
“In addition, AMRCO, together with MOH and partner agencies such as the Singapore Food Agency (SFA), National Parks Board (NParks), NEA and PUB, is examining an integrated approach to surveillance. As a first step, the First Joint Report of Antimicrobial Utilisation and Resistance in Singapore will be published this year. Singapore also enrolled in WHO's Global AMR Surveillance System (GLASS) to contribute surveillance data and learn from other countries' experiences. 3.15 pm All of us have a role to play in preventing antimicrobials resistance too by using antimicrobials appropriately. HPB will continue its "Use Antibiotics Right" public education campaign to address common misperceptions, increase awareness and encourage patients to discuss appropriate antibiotic use with their doctors. We generally take a collaborative approach for public health programmes. We have benefited from close cooperation with the public and our stakeholders, and will continue to work together to improve public health for all. While much has already been done, our healthcare transformation journey does not end here. As we continue to move beyond Healthcare to Health, beyond Hospital to Community and beyond Quality to Value, we need to keep in mind that success goes beyond having the right policies in place – the backing and invaluable cooperation and contributions of healthcare providers and citizens are paramount. With that said, let’s continue to work towards achieving our shared goal of accessible, affordable and quality care for all, so that we can remain a healthy nation for generations to come.”
“Dr Chia Shi-Lu asked for an update on integrated personalised medicine into our healthcare eco-system. In Singapore, healthcare demands are changing fundamentally, driven by a rapidly ageing population and increased chronic disease prevalence. MOH is examining ways to be future-ready to ensure that healthcare delivery evolves to address these demands and adopts innovative approaches to transform healthcare while mitigating costs. Precision medicine is one such promising area. Work on the national strategy for precision medicine research and implementation has been on-going. It aims to accelerate health research and develop peaks of research excellence for Singapore, and, ultimately, to improve health by identifying clinical applications that are cost-effective, sustainable and relevant. The official launch of the precision medicine strategy and research programme is currently planned for the third or fourth quarter of this year, and more details will be made available later. Let me come to antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Ms Irene Quay asked for an update on the National Strategic Action Plan (NSAP) on antimicrobial resistance and the measures MOH is taking to optimise antibiotic use and enhance surveillance. Following the launch of the action plan in 2017, we set up the Antimicrobial Resistance Coordinating Office (AMRCO) under the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID) to oversee its implementation. To enhance surveillance, AMRCO is extending AMR surveillance and tracking of antimicrobial utilisation, already in place for public hospitals, to private hospitals and primary care. Guidelines for healthcare professionals on the management of infections and antimicrobial use are also being developed.”
“As we are still at early stages, we will continue to monitor the programme's impact. At the same time, we are expanding our scope by identifying additional conditions and increasing the period of analysis. MOH and healthcare providers will work together on these on-going efforts to contain costs and ensure that all Singaporeans can access quality care. As individuals, we can also play our part too, by discussing with our healthcare providers on appropriate treatments for our conditions, and financial support available, if needed. MOH is committed to supporting the development of healthcare professionals. Today, ACE publishes Appropriate Care Guides (ACGs) to help healthcare professionals optimise patient outcomes. To support them further, ACE will be launching a national educational visiting service known as ACE Clinical Update Service (ACE CUES) in the second half of this year. While educational visiting may be a new term to many of the Members here, it has been made available in a number of countries, including Australia, US, Canada and Norway, and is shown in many studies to improve patient care and outcomes. Through educational visiting, best available evidence and information materials on patient care are brought to healthcare professionals at their workplace, where one-to-one, focused and customised discussions are held at their convenience. A range of clinical topics will be covered over time, the first being asthma, which affects many people of all ages, most of which are being managed in primary care settings by GPs. As there have been recent major developments in asthma treatment, it is timely for ACE CUES to bring these updates to GPs nationwide to benefit their patients, starting with those in the PCNs.”
“We have also set up the Agency for Logistics Procurement and Supply (ALPS) in July 2018 to pool together supply chain functions and resources across our three healthcare clusters to achieve greater economies of scale. With ALPS, 85% of drugs used in clusters were purchased on national group contracts in 2018. Today, this proportion has increased to 95%, resulting in clusters saving at least 5% in drug costs, benefiting our patients in turn. For example, the cost of drugs for epilepsy was reduced by up to 85%. Building on these efforts, ALPS will work with relevant agencies to encourage greater entry of generics and new sources of drugs in Singapore and launch different approaches in strategic sourcing and procurement to keep drug prices competitive. We must not only reduce costs, but ensure that our limited resources are spent on care that is of value. The Agency for Care Effectiveness (ACE) conducts health technology assessments (HTA) to facilitate clinically-effective and cost-effective care, and negotiates with manufacturers to attain fair prices for selected health technologies. Their work has improved access and affordability for over 50,000 patients. Of note, they managed to cut down the prices of medicines such as those for Hepatitis C by more than half. ACE is on track to deliver savings of $75 million over five years, and will work on benefiting even more Singaporeans. MOH also introduced the Value-Driven Care (VDC) programme to deliver good health outcomes in a value-conscious manner. We are extracting value for the 17 high-volume, high-cost and therefore, high-impact conditions under this programme. Since May last year, we have been sharing data across providers to identify areas of improvement and facilitate sharing of best practices.”
“I am glad to share that since its publication, surgical fees have generally converged, with the majority falling within range and more than 80% below the upper limit. We also saw a slight reduction in the average fees. Our work does not stop here. We will keep monitoring the charges, seek feedback from stakeholders, and review the benchmarks with the Fee Benchmarks Advisory Committee (FBAC), so that they remain relevant and effective. Building on this, the committee is studying expansion to surgical fees for less common procedures, doctors' inpatient consultation fees and other fee components like anaesthetist's fees, and plans to submit its recommendations later this year. With these efforts, all of us will be able to make more informed decisions and benefit from greater transparency of fees. We have also implemented measures to reduce drug costs, including switching to generic drugs where possible. Generic drugs or biosimilars are medicines which are clinically equivalent to branded or originator drugs and typically cost much less. If used appropriately, both patients and our healthcare system can benefit from enormous cost savings without compromising safety and quality of care. To encourage Public healthcare institutions to use more of such drugs, MOH works with the National Pharmacy and Therapeutics (NPT) Committee every year to select a basket of drugs which can be switched, and reviews their utilisation annually. In 2018, the usage of generics in the basket increased to more than 90% by volume. We will continue to work with the committee and Public healthcare institutions to increase uptake and therefore cost savings.”
“Complementing MOE's efforts, we announced last year that we will work with the Institute of Mental Health (IMH), the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) and our community partner, Care Corner, to develop an Integrated Youth Service (IYS), where youths at risk can access coordinated mental health and social support services in the community. I am glad to update that the Integrated Youth Service will be starting in Woodlands this year. Care Corner will reach out to youths at risk and raise awareness on mental well-being and resilience. They will also provide individualised emotional support, needs identification and peer support services, and refer those who require further intervention to appropriate health and social services. Moving forward, we will continue to take a whole-of-society approach and work with other Ministries to address youth mental health needs. This includes MOE, MSF, MCCY, including their National Youth Council (NYC), on the recently announced Youth Mental Well-being Network. As mentioned by Minister Gan, we must continue to move beyond quality to value. He shared that about 50% of the rise in healthcare costs is due to higher utilisation and another 15% partly due to increases in costs of drugs and medical devices. We are therefore employing a suite of strategies to increase value and lower costs so that all Singaporeans can access care without experiencing financial hardship. Let me elaborate. One of these strategies is the introduction of surgeon fee benchmarks for common surgical procedures in the private sector last year. Anyone, including doctors, patients and payers, can refer to them on the MOH website.”
“These are based on robust scientific evidence to ensure that they are safe, effective, suitable and cost-effective. On colorectal cancer, both the Faecal Immunochemical Test (FIT) and the screening colonoscopy are recommended for population-level screening. However, the screening colonoscopy has risks due to its invasive nature. Conversely, the FIT kit can be safely and conveniently administered by the individual at home. Under Screen for Life, subsidised FIT is available at all CHAS GP clinics and those who test positive are referred for subsidised diagnostic colonoscopies. Screening colonoscopies are still available at Public sector hospitals and are MediSave-claimable should one choose to go for them instead. On cervical cancer, HPV-DNA testing for women aged 30 to 69 was introduced in mid-2019, following STRC's recommendation due to its higher sensitivity and lower frequency required, compared to the Pap smear. MOH and our partners will keep on striving to encourage more Singaporeans to go for early screening and follow-up, and update our strategies when new evidence arises. Mental well-being continues to be a top concern based on recent engagements with youths, which highlights the need to do more. Mr Melvin Yong and Dr Lily Neo, amongst many others, have recognised this and have asked how we can improve youth mental health services and make them more accessible. Minister Indranee Rajah has announced MOE's efforts to further support student well-being through mental health education and peer support cultures in schools.”
“We would like to thank Dr Lily Neo for her suggestions to improve screening and follow-up. The screening rate for breast cancer is about 39% and the rate of late-stage breast cancer diagnosis has remained around 28% between 2008 and 2017. There is therefore room for improvement. Oftentimes, all that is needed is a change in mindset. Misconceptions and fears are common barriers – thinking that screening is not necessary when one feels healthy, that "it is better not to know", and that mammograms are painful, are just some of the examples. To counter these, the Health Promotion Board (HPB) holds annual breast cancer awareness campaigns, conducts on-the-ground activities and uses social media to expand their reach. They will continue to work with partners to encourage more women to go for screening regularly. To enhance the take-up rate, breast cancer screening must also be made accessible and affordable. In this regard, the Singapore Cancer Society (SCS), Breast Cancer Foundation (BCF) and the National Healthcare Group Diagnostics (NHGD) introduced the Community Mammobus programme, where the first mammogram is free of charge and subsequent ones are $10 for Singaporeans. About 9,300 individuals have benefited from this programme since its launch in 2018. Mr Charles Chong asked whether there are plans to expand Screen for Life to include additional tests, and Dr Lily Neo also suggested alternative screening tests for selected cancers such as colorectal cancer and also mentioned about the Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) test for stomach cancer. MOH and HPB refer to the Screening Test Review Committee's (STRC) recommendations in deciding which screening tests to provide at a population level.”
“Besides supporting them in their professional development, I will share more later, we have been partnering them to anchor and provide holistic chronic disease management through the Primary Care Networks (PCNs). Similar to polyclinics, PCNs are embracing team-based care. Thanks to their support, we are on track to have at least half of CHAS GP clinics participating in the PCN by end 2020. More than 500 PCN GP clinic partners are caring for over 100,000 patients with chronic conditions, up from about 70,000 last year. One of these patients is Mdm Lam. She was diagnosed to have diabetes and hypertension in 2007 and started visiting Jurong polyclinic to manage her chronic conditions. In 2015, she switched to Frontier Family Medicine Clinic (FMC) as she wanted to have one regular doctor to help manage her medical conditions holistically. She has also enjoyed having Frontier FMC closer to her home. Since then, she has been regularly consulting Dr Thia, whom she is now very comfortable with and who is familiar with her medical conditions. With Frontier FMC joining the PCN in 2018, Mdm Lam also benefited from team-based care, including nurse counselling, and diabetic foot and eye screening. Now, Mdm Lam does not have to run around for multiple appointments as the PCN clinic coordinator ensures her screenings are done conveniently at the clinic on the same day as her consultation with Dr Thia. She is grateful her care team has helped her understand her medical conditions better, and that has helped her improve and keep her medical conditions in check 3.00 pm With the continued expansion of the PCN, more patients like Mdm Lam will benefit from this scheme. Like chronic diseases, early detection and management of cancer can make a world of difference in health outcomes.”
“I announced in 2018 that our network of polyclinics will be expanded to 30-32 polyclinics by 2030, from 20 today. Since then, we have announced 10 new polyclinics, six of which will open by 2023. In response to Mr Chong Kee Hiong's feedback for a polyclinic in Bishan, as well as Mr Sitoh Yih Pin’s suggestion to build one in Bidadari, I am glad to say that your prayers have been answered. We will be developing a polyclinic in each of these areas by 2030. With Bishan and Bidadari polyclinics, we will achieve our target of having 32 polyclinics by 2030. To Dr Chia Shi-Liu's query, the new polyclinics will offer similar services as existing ones, including medical treatment for acute conditions, chronic disease management, women’s and children’s health services, and radiological, laboratory and pharmacy services. Dr Chia also asked about our primary care transformation journey. This involves promoting a regular family doctor, which is important for continuity of care, especially for patients with chronic diseases who need long-term follow-up. To work towards this goal, we shared last year that polyclinics are scaling up team-based care, where patients with chronic diseases see a regular care team. We are not far from achieving this goal in the private primary care sector too – two-thirds of Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) cardholders with chronic diseases have a regular doctor. This demonstrates how integral private sector General Practitioners (GPs) are to our primary care transformation efforts, which brings me to Mr Chong’s and Dr Chia's queries about support for GPs in providing better and more holistic care.”
“Mr Chairman, for Singaporeans to continue to have good access to quality and affordable healthcare, we must press on to transform our healthcare system in the long-run, even as we face threats like COVID-19. With Singaporeans living longer, primary care plays increasingly crucial roles in maintaining one’s health throughout their lives. Our Vision, “One Singaporean, One Family Doctor”, remains relevant while we provide all Singaporeans with affordable and quality care, near their homes. Mr Chairman, may I display some slides, please.”
“LTA has also enlisted the help of our local primate specialist, Dr Andie Ang – we all know her very well – to study these together with the EIS consultant. There has been actually quite a number of mitigating measures suggested by Dr Andie Ang and we are currently working very closely with her. With respect to the Member's specific question on the worksite, like I have mentioned, we will await the study, but definitely we will see how we can optimise the site in order to minimise the impact on the primates that he has mentioned – Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello and Raphael. We will make sure that the impact will be kept to a minimal, as much as possible. As to the Member's second question on the Advisory Panel, I think we shall wait for LTA to make the necessary announcement.”
“I would like to thank Mr Louis Ng for his supplementary questions and his interest in the Central Catchment Nature Reserve (CCNR). Before I dwell into the questions that he has asked, I would like to assure the House that LTA, as well as MOT, have been working very, very closely with the nature groups in this journey. We have been engaging the nature groups and various stakeholders very intensively over the past six to seven years. I myself have met the nature groups' leadership on many occasions; even my predecessor, Minister Josephine Teo had done the same. And this trust that we have built between MOT, LTA and the nature groups (NGs), is a very strong one. Therefore, I would like to reassure Mr Louis Ng as well as the rest of the nature groups' leadership, that we continue to work with them, even after the announcement of the alignment of CRL. In fact, post-announcement, LTA has already engaged has already engaged the advanced engineering study consultant to look into the design of the alignment of the stations for CRL Phase 2 and that includes the optimisation of the worksite at A1W1. We shall wait for the report of the study before we can ascertain exactly how much we can optimise A1W1. But rest assured that we are also in a discussion with SICC to see how we can use some of the non-play sites within the golf course, so that we can minimise the impact of the the engineering works to the environment. At the same time, we have also engaged an environmental impact study sub-consultant who will work with the advanced engineering study consultant to study the environmental impact of Cross Island Line Phase 2 on key biodiversity areas along its alignment. I understand that Mr Louis Ng is also quite concerned about the Raffles Banded Langurs.”
“I would like to thank Mr Ang for that supplementary question. And I understand that he is equally concerned about the welfare of the workers. The announcement of this enhanced training and support package was just made less than a week ago, on Monday. As I am aware, it is already quite well-received on the ground. Definitely, we will be working with SSG, e2i, WSG, CAAS and NTUC to see how we can jump-start some of these training courses for the air transport industry, especially the cabin crew that Mr Ang Hin Kee asked about in his cut. I would also like to update Mr Ang that the SIA Group, for example, will be taking up around 6,000 training places under this enhanced training and support package. And we understand that this package will benefit up to 8,000 air transport workers. And SIA Group also planned to schedule the crew for training, hopefully from April onwards, taking into consideration things like the network and rostering requirements. But rest assured, I will be happy to accept the invitation by Mr Ang Hin Kee to visit them once you are ready.”
“As Mr Yee Chia Hsing said, we did not become a major international aviation and maritime hub by chance, but through having a bold vision and thorough planning. We will continue to invest for the future, and sow the seeds for sustainable and competitive transport sectors. I will now hand over to Senior Minister of State Janil Puthucheary, who will explain our strategies for a sustainable land transport system.”
“With these developments, more journeys can be carried out entirely on the cycling path network, as Mr Yee Chia Hsing has pointed out. Lastly, we need to develop the right culture of graciousness. This is critical in densely populated Singapore, where users of different modes of transport are constantly in close proximity. The Active Mobility Advisory Panel (AMAP) will continue to promote greater acceptance of active mobility in Singapore by focusing more on engagement and educational measures, and calling on all path users to be safe and considerate. Going forward, how can we do better, together? I would like to suggest a simple way, which is to look out for each other. On roads, motorists should practice good road safety habits and be vigilant and look out for other road users. On paths, device users should watch out for other path users and ride safely and considerately. Pedestrians should also be alert to their surroundings and keep to the left unless overtaking. They should walk on footpaths wherever they are, located adjacent to cycling paths. We will also continue to monitor the environmental impact of our other land transport projects. Take, for instance, the Cross Island Line. We have engaged stakeholders extensively since 2013 and will continue to do so even as the project enters the Advanced Engineering Studies phase. Concerning the proposed worksite near the Singapore Island Country Club (SICC) that Mr Louis Ng mentioned, LTA is committed to exploring how the worksite's footprint can be optimised and is in discussions with SICC to make use of its non-playing areas. Mr Chairman, we will stay resilient in this challenging period of COVID-19 and together, we will weather this storm.”
“Towns which currently lack cycling paths or have many active mobility device users will have cycling paths built first. For towns with cycling path networks, we will continue to enhance connectivity, so that residents can enjoy more seamless access to key transport nodes and amenities like the town centre, MRT stations, eateries and malls. And as Mr Ang Wei Neng has highlighted, constructing cycling paths in mature towns require trade-offs, especially in densely built-up mature towns. In some cases, we may have no choice but to reclaim grass verges and affect trees. In others, we may need to re-purpose roads. By 2026, Singapore's cycling path network will be expanded to 1,000 km. With this, eight in 10 HDB residents will be a few minutes away from the cycling path network. Most HDB residents will be within 250 m from the nearest cycling path. This cycling path density is comparable to cities such as Amsterdam or Copenhagen. HDB Residents can expect to reach their nearest town centre within 20 minutes using active mobility modes. By 2030, we would have trebled the cycling path network to 1,320 km. Singaporeans will benefit from a comprehensive cycling path network connecting all HDB towns. The expanded cycling path network will allow more inter-town journeys to be carried out entirely on cycling paths. Active mobility device users can look forward to a safer and more seamless riding experience, with fewer interruptions. In addition, residents in Queenstown, Geylang, Jurong West, Sembawang, Yishun and Ang Mo Kio can rely on the Queenstown-City and Geylang-City routes, the Round Island Route, and North-South Corridor for journeys from their homes to the city before 2030.”
“One requirement is that companies must ensure that all riders they hire in the course of work have third party liability insurance. LTA will specify minimum requirements for these insurance policies. Mr Dennis Tan also pointed out the importance of public education and enforcement. That is why we are introducing a mandatory theory test for all e-scooter and power-assisted bicycle (PAB) riders to educate and raise awareness. We have also enhanced the penalties to strengthen deterrence against offences like speeding and reckless riding. LTA will not hesitate to take errant riders to task. Regarding Mr Dennis Tan's suggestion to disqualify riders who commit serious offences from riding, we will work with the Active Mobility Advisory Panel (AMAP) to study if it is necessary to do so, depending on the safety situation going forward. Several Members have asked about our infrastructure plans. They will be pleased to know that we are accelerating the development of cycling paths. We have previously announced that there would be 750 km of cycling paths by 2025. We will bring this milestone forward by two years, reaching 800 km of cycling paths by 2023, which is not that far away – about three years away. The Government plans to invest over $1 billion as part of the Islandwide Cycling Network (ICN) programme to bring the cycling path network closer to Singaporeans' doorsteps. By 2023, all HDB towns will have cycling paths. All HDB residents will have direct access to a wider cycling path network that is almost double the existing network. Residents can look forward to the cycling path plans for their towns within the year. LTA is working closely with Government agencies and local communities to ensure that the cycling path network meets the needs of the residents.”