Lui Tuck Yew
Singapore
“What they do is that they report to me on a three-monthly basis. After the December 2011 incident, I felt that the way LTA was overseeing the operators needed some improvement. In the past, we were looking at the outcomes and the indicators that we get every so often.”
“SMRT has also combed through the tunnels to ensure that there are no other leaks with water dripping onto trackside installations and will be installing data loggers at all traction power substations within the next two months to better monitor the condition of the insulators.”
“But because we think that actually it could have lasted us longer if it was better maintained over the years, therefore, you also take a discount from what the Government would otherwise have to pay. But the formulas are all set out in the White Paper. I believe I have answered the Member's questions.”
“The tight labour market is, indeed, a challenge for the bus industry. To address this, a multi-pronged strategy is needed. To attract more local bus captains, both operators have raised entry level base monthly salaries by about $400 since the Bus Service Enhancement Programme (BSEP) commenced in 2012.”
“Over the past three years, there were 355 cases of fare evasion and 162 cases of passengers assaulting taxi drivers. Passengers found guilty of fare evasion may be fined up to $1,000 and repeat offenders may be fined up to $2,000 or jailed for up to six months, or both.”
“The insolvency of Alpine Bau affected the completion timeline of three stations, namely, Tan Kah Kee, Sixth Avenue and King Albert Park, and their associated tunnels.”
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“(proc text)] [(proc text) The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. – [Mr Lui Tuck Yew.] (proc text)] [(proc text) Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed. (proc text)] Page: 83”
“It is just the legal requirement to put in place, now that it is no longer a voluntary contribution by the operators, but a mandatory contribution that the Public Transport Council imposes on the operators. So, let me assure the Member that there is no intention to increase headcount to continue to manage such a fund. Finally, I come to the third area, which is on deregulation and to let urban residents solve their own problems. I am not so sure I fully understand the point raised and I suspect this "sharing economy" term is just a little bit too complex for me. My thinking about it is that if I take it to its logical conclusion, does it mean that we do away with fixed bus routes and service standards? Does that result in a lot more chaos, simply because we do not have the reliability and certainty that the bus network provides today? So, yes, we have, to some extent, allowed the public bus operators providing Premium Bus Services to run in a manner that is quite different and less restrictive, compared to the public transport model that we have. We will continue to do so, including the experiment that we are now doing, the Beeline service, which allows people to crowdsource, group their requirements and then make their own arrangements for buses to serve them and provide a direct point-to-point transfer to their destinations. But I think, by and large, it is probably better for us to retain what we already have in the public bus network, properly regulated, high service standards and to make sure that the operators deliver on them. [(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.”
“When I came to MOT in 2011, I was looking at different modes of transport. What I noticed was that in the preceding years leading up to 2011, the taxi fleet had grown at about 4% annually for a number of years, while ridership had grown at 2%, which meant that supply was outstripping demand. "Does it matter?" one might ask. Well, it does matter because, obviously, taxis require COEs, too. When you allow the taxi companies to bid and acquire too many COEs, number one, it deprives others of the COEs and, number two, it results in an inefficient system. And so, we have put in place the taxi availability framework requiring taxis to be on the road for a number of kilometres a day, as well as during certain hours of the day. As an outcome of that, we see more taxis now having a hirer and a relief driver, which means that the taxis are more intensively used, not that the drivers need to drive more. But because there is a hirer and a relief driver, the taxis are more intensively used, and we have seen the Page: 82 percentage of taxis on the roads increase from 82% to 90% during the peak hours. That roughly translates to about 2,000 more taxis available on the roads during the key hours. On the Public Transport Fund, the Member mentioned something about the operators making contributions to the Government. Actually, the operators do not do that. They do not contribute to the Government; they contribute to the Public Transport Fund. In the past, MOT was managing the contributions, as well as working with the People's Association, to disburse the Public Transport Vouchers. It will continue to be so after the legislative amendments.”
“Mdm Speaker, first of all, let me thank Mr and Mrs Chiam for their kind thoughts and good wishes. Perhaps, I can respond to the three points that Mrs Chiam has raised. Let me respond to them in reverse order: first, on pricing policy for taxis; second, to clarify on the Public Transport Fund and then, third, for me to seek a little bit more clarification and clarity on deregulation and what it means to let urban residents solve their own problems. First, on the pricing policy for taxi fares and the proposal to allow surge pricing and to, basically, let taxis charge whatever they wish at whatever periods of time. I am not so sure that this brings us forward rather than back, because if you go back to the 1970s with the pirate taxis, that was essentially what happened. I am not so sure that that is a better system. On comparing the ratio of taxis per citizen in Singapore versus other cities around the world, indeed, we have the data. That is why we can quite categorically say that we have far more taxis in Singapore per 1,000 residents, compared to other cities. So, if I may, just to share with Members the numbers that we have. In Singapore, we have approximately 5.2 taxis per 1,000 residents. Our fleet size is about 28,000; number of residents is probably about 5.4 to 5.5 million. So, about 5.2 taxis per 1,000 residents. In New York, the ratio is 1.6 taxis per 1,000 residents. In Hong Kong and London, it is about 2.5, 2.6 taxis per 1,000 residents. What that means is that actually, in Singapore, we have at least two to three times the number of taxis per 1,000 residents, compared to New York, Hong Kong or London. We have two to three times the number of taxis per 1,000 residents, compared to these other cities.”
“In addition, PTC will require each taxi company to have only one set of unit fare amounts for all its standard taxis, and one set of unit fare amounts for all its premium taxis. Each taxi company will also be required to have only one booking fee each for peak-period, off-peak and advance bookings for all its standard taxis; and likewise for all its premium taxis. We are making a few other changes through this Bill to further clarify PTC's functions and powers. The Bill will enhance the penalty fee regime to better deter fare evasion. Today, PTC can only take action against fare evaders if they have already travelled a distance on a bus or train service when they are caught. Clause 18 clarifies the definition of "fare evasion", so that PTC can also take action against those who are caught attempting to travel without paying an appropriate fare, for example, after they have tailgated other commuters at train fare gates. Public transport officials will thus be able to better enforce against fare evaders. The Bill also clarifies PTC's regulation of fares of non-public bus services. Currently, as a formality, operators of such services have to seek PTC's approval for the fares that they charge. Henceforth, they will only need to abide by the general fare pricing policies approved by PTC. In summary, Mdm Speaker, this Bill enhances and formalises PTC's powers so that it can carry out its public transport functions more effectively. The Ministry of Transport (MOT), together with LTA and PTC, is committed to delivering a high quality and affordable public transport system for Singaporeans, and this Bill brings us another step forward. With that, Mdm Speaker, I beg to move. [(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)] 5.15 pm”
“Clause 16 will provide PTC with the powers to mandate contributions from the public transport operators when fares are increased. Clause 11, together with clauses 24 and 25, which make consequential amendments to the Land Transport Authority Act and the Rapid Transit Systems Act, will formalise the channelling of penalties from train and bus regulatory lapses to the Public Transport Fund. FRMC also recommended various enhancements to the fare concessions framework. Previously, PTC had to rely on the public transport operators to propose concession schemes as part of their fare applications. Clauses 15 and 16 of the Bill will give PTC the power to require the operators to implement new concession schemes as part of its decision on fare applications. As is the practice now, PTC will take into consideration the impact of the fare concessions on other commuters who will have to cross-subsidise these concessions. Let me move on to taxis. As announced in March this year, the Government, after having consulted commuters, taxi drivers and taxi companies extensively, plans to largely standardise the taxi fare structure while leaving fare amounts deregulated. A more standardised structure would allow commuters to compare fares across taxis more easily. Fares can still adjust according to market forces within this structure. To enable this, we will make amendments to the PTC Act to empower PTC to standardise the taxi fare structure. Clause 14 of the Bill introduces sections 23B and 23C to empower PTC to issue a taxi fare pricing policy order. The order would specify the aspects of Page: 79 the taxi fare structure that are required to be standardised across all taxis.”
“It empowers PTC to undertake surveys or other arrangements to obtain public feedback on matters relating to the provision and improvement of public transport. PTC will also conduct research on global trends, developments and best practices, and benchmark our public transport system against that of comparable cities. To perform these functions, PTC will need to enter into contracts and agreements in its own name and transact with entities outside of the Government. To enable it to do this, clause 4 reconstitutes PTC as a body corporate. Page: 78 As Members of the House will recall, FRMC was convened in 2012 to review and recommend improvements to the public transport fare formula and mechanism. In 2013, the Government accepted FRMC's recommendations, which were mostly implemented in the 2013 and 2014 Fare Review Exercises. The proposed amendments to the PTC Act will formalise these recommendations in legislation. One of FRMC's key recommendations was for PTC to be given some flexibility to carry forward a portion of the fare adjustment quantum as determined by the fare adjustment formula at each Fare Review Exercise. And this carry forward will then be considered at the next Fare Review Exercise. Clause 16 of the Bill repeals and re-enacts sections 24AA and 24AB to formalise the carry forward mechanism. FRMC also recommended that more resources be systematically set aside to help the needy cope with fare increases. In the last two fare exercises, contributions from the public transport operators and penalties from train and bus regulatory lapses were channelled into the Public Transport Fund to fund Public Transport Vouchers for needy families. Clause 11 formally establishes the Public Transport Fund as a Government fund under the Minister for Transport.”
“Mdm Speaker, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time". The Public Transport Council (Amendment) Bill seeks to amend the Public Transport Council Act in three key areas to support developments in public transport. First, it will institutionalise the new role of the Public Transport Council, or PTC, in advising the Minister for Transport on public transport matters. Second, it will formalise the Fare Review Mechanism Committee's (FRMC's) recommendations in 2013, which the Government had accepted. And third, it will empower the Public Transport Council (PTC) to standardise the taxi fare structure. Let me elaborate. As PTC divests its role as a bus service regulator, on which I had spoken during the Second Reading of the Bus Services Industry Bill, it will refocus its resources to take on the role of an independent advisor to the Minister for Transport on public transport matters. PTC, by design, has a broad and diverse representation from society, which includes academia, labour union, industry and the people sector. This make-up is invaluable as it allows PTC to objectively weigh the considerations of commuters, the Government and public transport operators, to provide balanced recommendations on how the public transport system can be improved. The new role will complement PTC's existing mission of regulating public transport ticket services and fares, where it has to balance the interests of the public with the long-term viability of the public transport operators. Clause 5 of the Bill, therefore, gives PTC the responsibility to research, evaluate and recommend to the Minister improvements to public transport services.”
“The rail operators actually need to pre-arrange these services with the bus operators and there are provisions already in the bus contracts to support such arrangements. Next is on the removal of the CEO, and Mr Gerald Giam mentioned some of the clauses that have been included in the legislative framework. If there is persistent underperformance of service levels, LTA has step-in rights. I think we know that then, it would not just be the CEO that will be affected if we have to take such a drastic step. Finally, to conclude, Mdm Speaker, we have spent a number of years studying overseas models of bus contracting. I believe we have carefully designed the contracts for our local operating context, ensuring that we encourage good performance, seamless integration and interfacing between multiple operators and safeguarding a Singaporean Core in our workforce. In conclusion, let me say that the new legislative framework, while supporting the transition to bus contracting, seeks to provide greater regulatory certainty and clarity for existing and potential operators. This will, in turn, benefit commuters as well as their employees. Page: 76 [(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. – [Mr Lui Tuck Yew.] (proc text)] [(proc text) Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed. (proc text)] Page: 77”
“We will, as much as possible, try to retrofit some of these newer standards into the existing interchanges and depots. But for the newer built ones, for example, the new Bulim bus depot, we have enhanced the crew rest areas, staff lounges and canteens, and even for temporary interchanges, like the one in Yishun, we have Page: 75 built bigger staff lounges, a canteen and dedicated staff toilet facilities. Mr Ang Wei Neng brought up a very pertinent point about the difficulties that Bus Captains face. On the part of commuters, I think all of us can certainly do more to be more patient, tolerant, forgiving and also to encourage the Bus Captains along, because, indeed, their hours of work are very long and tedious. Finally, Mr Gan Thiam Poh suggested putting in place measures to ensure the transfer of expertise from foreign operators to locals. I would like to share with Mr Gan that LTA has emphasised the importance for operators to develop a strong Singaporean Core within its operations and has required operators to commit to base locally any non-Singaporean management staff that is overseeing bus service operations for the entire duration of the contract. These measures would ensure that any expertise and knowledge are retained within a skilled Singaporean workforce. Mr Gerald Giam also brought up two other issues. One, on crisis response and the arrangements between the rail operators and the bus operators. The rail operators are responsible and they are also required to pay for the free bus bridging. This would continue under bus contracting. It includes all public bus services at designated bus stops and bus bridging services.”
“Certainly, the interest and welfare of staff are safeguarded by the guidelines that have been issued by the Public Transport Tripartite Committee that was formed in September 2014 and chaired by Senior Minister of State Josephine Teo. This defines the obligations and responsibilities of both the incoming and the outgoing operators on employment terms, employee benefits, as well as professional training. Essentially, it boils down to three broad guidelines. One, that all affected employees must be offered a job; two, that it is on no worse-off terms; and three, that employees can choose to join either the new operator or to stay on with the current operator where feasible. On our part, I would say that the Government has also made a concerted effort to encourage skills upgrading, enhance remuneration and to have better facilities for Bus Captains. Mr Thomas Chua would be pleased to note that improving the bus driving profession is already part of the SkillsFuture initiative. As Mr Ang Wei Neng pointed out, increasing the remuneration of bus drivers is only part of the equation and, hence, taken together as a whole, I believe that the SkillsFuture initiative for Bus Captains encourages skills expansion to improve the profession and to bolster the Singaporean Core in the bus sector over the longer term. We are also exploring new initiatives to tap on younger as well as alternative sources of employees to replace the maturing workforce in the medium to long term. Mr Ang also requested that we improve facilities for Bus Captains. I agree with him. I am glad to share that LTA, in consultation with the National Transport Workers' Union, has been building bus depots and interchanges with better facilities and rest areas to improve the welfare of Bus Captains and staff.”
“The slew of assets from buses to depots and interchanges will be the responsibility of LTA to renew and to replace while the onus is on the operators to make sure that the conditions are met and the maintenance is carried out as required. Mr Gan also suggested issuing public bonds to finance our bus assets and infrastructure. LTA recently established a medium-term note programme, which will allow it to tap the bond market over the next few years for the financing of land transport infrastructure developments. We can explore, together with the Ministry of Finance (MOF), whether some of these issues from this programme can be public bonds. Next, let me talk about bus service industry staff. We know that staff members are the bedrock of our system and I think all four Members have spoken on this, which attests to the importance of the issue. It also provides me the opportunity to, perhaps, share a little bit more on what is being done for the industry staff, in particular, the Bus Captains. Page: 74 We expect bus contracting to bring about some improvements to the bus driving profession. Bus operators are expected to study the local operating context in submitting their proposals and pricing their bids. They would need to familiarise themselves with the labour situation in Singapore and will have to consider enhancing their human resource practices and making offers that are attractive enough to potential employees. Prospective bidders are required to submit their manpower plans as part of their bids, including plans and milestones for local recruitment and retention. LTA will give positive consideration to bids that provide a strong plan for local recruitment and retention. Mr Gerald Giam mentioned the transition arrangements.”
“This incentivises them not just to meet, but to outperform the benchmarks, for which they will be rewarded with incentives proportionate to the extent of their performance. Likewise, deductions will be made and these are proportionate to the extent by which they have underperformed the benchmarks. As LTA will own the operating assets, including the buses, the bus fleet management system that monitors mileage and other performance indicators and fare equipment, let me assure Mr Gan that our systems and technologies will be streamlined across multiple operators, because it is LTA's intention to provide these common systems. But where the operators prefer to use their own systems, for example, their scheduling software for producing the bus schedules and driver duties, they are required to ensure that their systems can interface seamlessly with our existing platforms. Mr Gerald Giam raised a number of queries on asset maintenance and renewal. As part of the contract, the operators are required to adhere to LTA's maintenance requirements. These maintenance requirements are actually based on the manufacturer's recommendations. LTA will carry out audits to ensure compliance. It will also deduct from their service fee for failure to meet these key performance indicators (KPIs). When operators transit, they will be responsible to make good any shortfalls to buses that are found not roadworthy or not fit for operational purposes. On the point of asset renewal and replacement, this is LTA's responsibility. Likewise, for condition surveys on depots and interchanges.”
“Mdm Speaker, let me thank the Members who have spoken on the Bill and for their expressions of support. The keen interest in the bus industry is certainly justified, given that many Singaporeans take buses on a daily basis. So, it is critical to have a robust legislative framework to support bus contracting such that the industry is motivated to provide a high level of service. This is why my Ministry has put forward this Bill to streamline the contracting and regulatory functions for the bus sector under LTA. Mr Gan Thiam Poh asked for more details on the incentive-penalty scheme in our bus contracts to encourage service reliability. The bus service reliability framework in our bus contracts will be an expanded and more rigorous version of the trial that we launched in February last year. But it is limited today to about 40 services. Under the contracting model, it will be expanded to cover the entire bus network. Similar to London's Quality Incentive Contracts, there are two components. One, the Excess Wait-Time assessment for services with shorter wait-times, where the commuters are likely to "turn up and go"; and secondly, the On-Time assessment for services with longer wait-times, where the commuters are likely to plan ahead. The measurement of Excess Wait-Time encourages bus operators to actively manage enroute bus arrivals to minimise bus bunching or long gaps. For services with longer wait-times where passengers typically refer to the timetable in order to catch a specified bus, we Page: 73 have the On-Time Adherence standard to encourage punctual bus arrival timings. The incentive-penalty framework encourages operators to improve their service reliability performance along a scale.”
“I will now highlight some of the consequential amendments in other Acts. Parts IV and IVA of the Public Transport Council Act which license bus services and bus service operators, and Part VB of the Road Traffic Act which licenses bus depot and bus interchange operators, will be repealed as the powers will have been consolidated under LTA with this Bill, as I earlier explained. LTA will also be vested with the function to operate any bus service, bus depot or bus interchange under the Land Transport Authority of Singapore Act, to enable LTA to be a step-in operator, if necessary. Finally, to ensure a seamless change of regulatory authority from PTC to LTA, and in consolidating all bus regulatory roles in LTA, clause 55 sets out savings and transitional provisions for subsisting licences under the PTC Act and Road Traffic Act. Existing licences will retain their existing terms and conditions until expiry. The licensee will only have to renew its licence upon expiry, and only then will the new licence terms and conditions apply. In summary, Mdm Speaker, this Bill accords LTA regulatory oversight over bus service, bus depot and bus interchange operators. The proposed framework enables us to transition the public bus industry to a contracting model, where the Government will be able to more holistically plan the transport network and respond in a more timely manner to changing Page: 62 travel needs. All of these eventually lead back to our ultimate goal, which is, to better serve public transport commuters in Singapore. With that, Mdm Speaker, I beg to move. [(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)] 4.04 pm”
“For example, clause 19 requires Class 1 bus service licence holders to seek LTA's approval in appointing or removing their chief executive officer, chairman of its board of directors or any of its directors, to ensure that public bus service operators have a competent leadership and board able to discharge their Page: 61 responsibilities. Part 4 of the Bill sets out the licensing regime for bus depot and interchange operators, and is largely similar to the provisions under the Road Traffic Act today. Clause 24 sets out the considerations that LTA must consider in granting the licences, while clause 26 allows LTA to impose conditions relating to the level of service, operation, safety and security of bus interchanges and depots. Part 5 of the Bill sets out step-in arrangements when a Class 1 bus service operator, bus depot operator or bus interchange operator is no longer able to continue operating the services. Clause 30 enables the Minister for Transport to make a step-in order when the licence in question is suspended, revoked or surrendered; or if the public bus services contract is terminated or suspended; and it is in LTA's opinion when necessary to take over the operations of the licensee. The step-in order will authorise LTA to directly take over, or to contract a step-in operator to take over the operations, and require the licensee to facilitate the handover of the operations. Clause 39 enables LTA to impose regulatory sanctions, including written censures, modification of licence conditions, additional financial guarantees, financial penalties and suspension or revocation of the licence in circumstances, such as a breach of licence conditions or a contravention of the provisions of the Bill, codes of practices or directions.”
“Similar to the current licensing framework under PTC, there will be two classes of licences. A Class 1 bus service licence, similar to the Bus Service Operator's Licence today, is for the operation of a package of 10 or more services. A Class 2 bus service licence, similar to today's Bus Service Licence, is for the operation of a single bus service. Clause 13 sets out the considerations when LTA assesses licence applications, such as the applicant's financial capability to operate the services. Clause 15 sets out the conditions which LTA may impose in the licences. Both licence classes include conditions pertaining to the safety and security of passengers and the requirement to provide a performance bond or other financial security as needed. Let me explain in more detail how the two classes of licences apply. Class 1 bus service licences will be required by the major bus operators that serve a large number of commuters. These include the operators for all the 12 packages of public bus services that LTA will be tendering out over time – SBS Transit, SMRT Buses, Tower Transit Singapore and any other operators that win the tenders for the other bus packages – while the Class 2 bus service licences, on the other hand, are required by private bus operators and operators of individual public bus services like City Direct Services. Accordingly, the Bill places more stringent qualifying criteria and obligations on Class 1 bus service licensees versus the licensees in Class 2.”
“Competitive tendering also means that bus operators have to compete for the right to run bus services, which will raise bus service quality in a cost-competitive manner, thereby benefiting commuters. This Bill will provide the legislative framework for LTA's new role as the contractor of public bus services. It will also transfer the powers to regulate the bus services industry from PTC to LTA. The planning, contracting and regulatory functions for public bus services will, henceforth, all reside within LTA, which will enable us to streamline processes and manage bus services more holistically. The Bill will also consolidate the regulation of bus services, bus Page: 60 depots and bus interchanges within one Act, to provide a clearer regulatory framework for bus operators and potential bidders for public bus services contracts. Mdm Speaker, I will now describe the key provisions in the Bus Services Industry Bill. Part 2 of the Bill sets out a bus services procurement framework that enables LTA to enter into contracts with bus operators to run public bus services planned by LTA. These include both feeder and trunk services, as well as services, such as the City Direct Services. Clause 7 sets out the content of public bus services contracts, such as the duration of the contract and the performance standards to be met by the public bus operators. Clause 8 enables LTA to enforce these contractual performance standards. Part 3 of the Bill empowers LTA to license bus operators and impose conditions on licensees to safeguard commuter interests. Clause 11 requires any person who wishes to operate a bus service for a fare, on a pre-determined timetable and on a fixed route for journeys with two or more bus stopping points in Singapore, to apply for a licence.”
“Mdm Speaker, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time." The Bus Services Industry Bill seeks to establish the legislative framework for a contracting model for public bus services. Allow me to briefly recap why we are moving to a contracting model. Bus services are a key pillar of our public transport system. Every day, about half of our public transport trips, or over 3.7 million trips, are taken on a public bus. Under today's framework, SBS Transit and SMRT Buses are issued 10-year licences by the Public Transport Council (PTC) to operate public bus services. The Land Transport Authority (LTA) plans the bus routes. The operators determine how many buses to operate on these routes according to ridership needs and the regulatory service standards set by PTC. This framework has generally served Singapore well. We have maintained a reasonably good level of bus services while keeping fares low. This is largely because the bus operators are careful about cost, as they have to cover their capital and operating expenses through revenue collected, in particular, fares. The flip side of this, however, is that operators have tended to be slow to respond to changing travel demand and expectations, and to increase capacity and improve service standards. Hence, last year, my Ministry announced that the bus industry would be restructured to a contracting model from 2016. Under this model, LTA owns the buses, determines the standard of bus services to be provided and tenders out the contracts to run them. The contracting model will enable the Government to respond more expeditiously to changes in travel demand.”
“I think it is not always clear when the end-of-life is. There may be an estimate given but, because of varying conditions, that can always change. In any case, I suspect that perfect foresight is as rare as 20/20 hindsight is common.”
“What they do is that they report to me on a three-monthly basis. After the December 2011 incident, I felt that the way LTA was overseeing the operators needed some improvement. In the past, we were looking at the outcomes and the indicators that we get every so often. But by the time the indicators take a clear turn for the worse, it probably is a little bit too late. That was number one. Two is that because we were initiating a whole series of major projects, there was a need to make sure that there was proper coordination, both between the regulator and the operators as well as within the operator itself. I wanted to have more direct oversight of all these different arrangements. So, I initiated the joint teams and I required them to report to me every three months. What we have done more recently is to step up the audits by LTA on the operators, both planned and surprise audits, and also to embed a dedicated team from LTA in SMRT so that we can have a better insight of what is happening, on an almost day-to-day basis. Page: 26”
“As I have said before on sleeper replacements, it is an ongoing process. The sleepers do not deteriorate to the same extent, even though they may be within the same locality and that is borne out by some of the pictures that I have seen over time. So, Page: 25 you may have one or two sleepers within the section that have deteriorated more significantly than any of the others. What we do is, on an ongoing basis, we will replace them. But at a certain point in time, when the assessment is that in order to be at the top of the curve, you would want to replace them en masse and with a different set altogether, in this case, with concrete sleepers. Were there any risks to commuters? The answer is no. On the signalling system, actually, the signalling system is still working reasonably well. Part of the reason why we initiated the upgrading of the signalling system was because we wanted to be able to run the trains at shorter headways. The current signalling system allows trains to operate at 120 seconds. The newer systems, including that in the North East Line, for example, will allow you to run trains at tighter intervals. And we wanted to be able to do that in order to add capacity to NSEWL, and that was one of the primary reasons why the signalling upgrading project was initiated. On conflicts and delays between the operator and the regulator, as I have explained before, it is actually a fine balance. If they have too cozy a relationship, you get worried; if they are at loggerheads all the time, you will get worried, too. So, we expect a certain healthy tension because one is operating it and one is regulating it, doing the audits, doing the checks, providing some of this feedback to urge the operator to take certain actions and to expedite what they are doing.”
“But because we think that actually it could have lasted us longer if it was better maintained over the years, therefore, you also take a discount from what the Government would otherwise have to pay. But the formulas are all set out in the White Paper. I believe I have answered the Member's questions.”
“If you look at the sleepers, for instance, and you are talking about the wooden sleepers, there were two sets of wooden sleepers that were used. One set had deteriorated more quickly than the other, even though it was installed later. Therefore, it is a little bit hard to give the Member a definitive timeframe as to how long these sleepers can last because it depends on their conditions, the type of wood, how it is treated and a variety of different factors. Therefore, the more important thing is actually to monitor them on a consistent level and replace them on an ad hoc basis as and when necessary. But when it reaches what is considered the critical threshold, then you want to consider changing them out, replacing them en masse and, in this case, we are doing so by replacing them with concrete sleepers. Page: 24 For the third rail, the programme is ongoing and we will be able to replace the third rail in its entirety by 2017. There is a slight delay to the programme because there was a need to try and de-conflict all the works that are ongoing, like replacing the sleepers which we give priority to, the re-signalling which we also give added priority to, over the third rail. But this is ongoing now and its replacement will complete in 2017. On who is responsible for initiating the review, it is the operator's responsibility because they are responsible for the maintenance and, so, they will have the best idea of the condition of these different components. As to who bears the cost, there is a formulation, quite a complicated one, in the original White Paper, which I do not intend to go into, but we had talked about this previously. Basically, the Government bears part of the cost of the replacement and renewal.”
“SMRT has also combed through the tunnels to ensure that there are no other leaks with water dripping onto trackside installations and will be installing data loggers at all traction power substations within the next two months to better monitor the condition of the insulators. Lastly, we will be making NSEWL less susceptible to such power trips by increasing the touch voltage threshold for the 64P safety mechanism to levels similar to international standards, as well as the newer Circle and Downtown Lines.”
“Mdm Speaker, as explained at the Land Transport (LTA)-SMRT joint briefing on 29 July 2015, the disruption on 7 July on the North-South and East-West Lines (NSEWL) was caused by intermittent tripping of the power system at multiple locations. Chloride deposits, possibly exacerbated by a water leak in the tunnel, lowered the electrical resistance of a third rail insulator between Tanjong Pagar and Raffles Place stations. This allowed electricity to flow through the insulator to the ground and led to a higher-than-normal voltage difference between the running rail and the ground. Because the running rail is connected throughout NSEWL, the higher voltages would show up at multiple locations across the network. The movement of trains further elevated the voltages. When confronted with abnormal voltage, the 64P safety mechanism would be activated as a safety precaution. This safety mechanism is widely used in overseas systems, such as Japan's as well as in all our rail lines. In this instance, the safety mechanism was activated to trip the power at multiple locations across the two lines. Page: 23 As to whether it was design or maintenance flaws that precipitated the incident, I would say that LTA's investigation is ongoing and so it is perhaps premature to prejudge the conclusion. But, as a general rule, I would say that if there are design flaws, we are likely to see it pop up within three to five years or so of operating the line, rather than to see it come up 25 years or so after the start of operations. In the interim, SMRT is replacing all the third rail insulators.”
“Over the past three years, there were 355 cases of fare evasion and 162 cases of passengers assaulting taxi drivers. Passengers found guilty of fare evasion may be fined up to $1,000 and repeat offenders may be fined up to $2,000 or jailed for up to six months, or both. Voluntarily causing hurt is a criminal offence under the Penal Code, and offenders can be fined up to $5,000 or jailed for up to two years, or both. Taxi drivers are also protected under the Protection from Harassment Act enacted last year, under which offenders face a fine not exceeding $5,000 or imprisonment not exceeding 12 months, or both. We assess that the penalties are appropriate for now, but will continue to review regularly. We encourage all taxi drivers to take up appropriate medical and income insurance. However, on the question of whether we should make it mandatory, different drivers have different needs and some may decide that they do not need as much insurance as others. This is a decision best left to individual drivers.”
“Currently, commuter travel between Punggol and the Yio Chu Kang and Seletar towns can be sufficiently supported by buses. The Land Transport Authority (LTA) is also studying the implementation of a new bus service to connect the north and north-east regions, as part of the Bus Service Enhancement Programme. As with other towns, LTA will continue to monitor travel demand and study the feasibility of new rail lines where necessary. Page: 155”
“The Land Transport Authority (LTA) is currently trialling road noise barriers at four locations with high traffic volumes and noise levels, namely, the Anak Bukit Flyover of the Pan-Island Expressway (PIE), the new flyover along Braddell Road, the West Coast Highway, and the section of the PIE next to Swiss View and Greenbank Park. The trials will allow LTA to evaluate the effectiveness and visual impact of noise barriers, as well as better understand the challenges in their installation, maintenance and design. Thereafter, LTA will consider the feasibility of installing such noise barriers at other locations.”
“Residents of Pasir Ris, Punggol and Sengkang West are already directly connected to the rail network via the East-West Line (EWL) and the North-East Line (NEL). Page: 154 The eastern stretch of the Downtown Line (DTL3) is designed to serve the corridor between EWL and NEL that does not have access to the mass rapid transit (MRT) network today. The Circle Line (CCL) is an orbital line that improves connectivity between the major radial lines. Extending the DTL or CCL to Pasir Ris, Punggol and Sengkang West would affect these primary objectives and sub-optimise their operations. The Cross Island Line is still in the study stage and more details will be provided when the study is completed.”
“The insolvency of Alpine Bau affected the completion timeline of three stations, namely, Tan Kah Kee, Sixth Avenue and King Albert Park, and their associated tunnels. The Land Transport Authority (LTA) and their contractors have worked hard to make up the lost time by mobilising resources from other completed DTL2 stations and extending work hours where possible. They also restructured the work processes and coordinated concurrent activities for the project where feasible. For example, to expedite the testing and commissioning of the systems, LTA and their contractors carried out the works simultaneously on different parts of the line. To overcome the lack of cabling connection across the affected section to the Operation Control Centre at Gali Batu Depot, a Local Control Centre was set up at Little India station to allow early commencement of testing for this stretch of the line.”
“Progress has been better than expected. Officers from the Land Transport Authority have worked very hard and innovatively with the new contractors to make up for the delay caused by the insolvency of the original contractor, Alpine Bau. Downtown Line 2 will now be opened on 27 December 2015, instead of the first quarter of 2016 as earlier forecast.”
“Service 371 was introduced in January 2014, as part of the Government’s Bus Service Enhancement Programme, to provide residents of the new Build-To-Order flats in Rivervale Delta with a direct connection to Sengkang MRT and bus interchange. The service currently operates at peak period headways of 10 minutes and will be improved further to not more than eight minutes by end-2016. Residents can also access the Rumbia Light Rail Transit (LRT) Station and other bus services, such as service 50 along Sengkang East Way, services 62 and 85 along Sengkang East Drive, and service 86 along Rivervale Drive, all of which are within a five- to 10-minute walk.”
“The tight labour market is, indeed, a challenge for the bus industry. To address this, a multi-pronged strategy is needed. To attract more local bus captains, both operators have raised entry level base monthly salaries by about $400 since the Bus Service Enhancement Programme (BSEP) commenced in 2012. They have also introduced the Progressive Wage Model to enhance career progression for bus captains and technicians. To professionalise the industry, new bus captains are trained and certified under the Public Transport Singapore Workforce Skills Qualifications Framework. The Land Transport Authority, in consultation with the National Transport Workers’ Union, is also building bus depots and interchanges with better facilities and rest areas for bus captains and staff. The Public Transport Tripartite Committee, comprising members from the Government, public transport operators and union, and chaired by Senior Minister of State for Finance and Transport, Mrs Josephine Teo, will continue to explore further measures to attract and retain good workers for the industry.”
“North East Line (NEL) commuters will enjoy greater connectivity to areas served by the Downtown Line Stage 2 (DTL2), as they can transfer via Little India station to reach the city centre and schools, malls and recreational areas in the Bukit Timah area. Up to 20% of NEL commuters, or about 90,000, will benefit. Downtown Line Stage 3 is on schedule to open in 2017 as planned. There are no plans to extend it to Punggol, Sengkang and Ang Mo Kio as DTL3 is intended to connect areas in the East that are not directly served by the MRT network today, such as Ubi, Kaki Bukit and Bedok Reservoir.”
“In the event of a rail disruption, the rail operator is responsible and pays for free bus boarding near an affected station, and this will continue after the transition to bus contracting. These include all public bus services at designated bus stops and bus bridging services to ferry commuters between affected train stations. The rail operator is required to pre-arrange these services with bus operators. There are provisions in our bus contracts to support these arrangements.”
“So far, 10 City Direct services and 14 peak period short services operated by private bus operators have been introduced as part of the Bus Service Enhancement Programme (BSEP). Altogether, 80 buses are deployed across these 24 bus services. The average ridership per trip is around 40 to 50 passengers for the City Direct services, and around 30 passengers for the peak period short services. Twelve more City Direct services will be introduced by next year, including three new services to serve Punggol, Sengkang and Hougang towns.”
“Mdm Speaker, I thank the Member for his two supplementary questions. On the redevelopment of the Town Centre, obviously, this is something that will be done together with the URA, as well as other Government agencies which, I think the Member would be aware, have some tentative plans already for the area. On the flow of buses, I think for the current interchange located where it is, there have been a number of things that we have done – left turn on green arrow and localised widening of, for example, Choa Chu Kang Avenue 4, done over a period of time, finishing before the middle of next year. As I talk about the possible redevelopment plans over the next three to five years, certainly, we will take into consideration how we can improve on the flow of buses in the new location, if that materialises.”
“I would say within the next three to five years.”
“Mdm Speaker, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) has assessed that the capacity of Choa Chu Kang Bus Interchange remains sufficient today, even with the additional bus services introduced as part of the Bus Service Enhancement Programme. During peak periods, the bus operator deploys marshals on the ground to facilitate commuter and bus circulation. LTA has also embarked on various traffic improvement measures around the interchange to smoothen the flow of buses. Over the medium term, my Ministry and other agencies are looking into redeveloping the Interchange in line with broader redevelopment plans for the Town Centre.”
“Category E (or Open Category) Certificates of Entitlement (COE) can be used to register vehicles from any category. This provides some flexibility in the Vehicle Quota System to accommodate changing demands for different types of vehicle. Currently, all vehicle categories contribute 10% of their quota to Category E. This rate has been Page: 176 gradually reduced from 25% over the last three years, with the most recent reduction from 15% to 10% taking effect in February 2015. We will continue to review the contribution rate to Category E periodically to strike a balance between the demand within each category and the need for flexibility for the system.”
“Mdm Speaker, the Third-Party Taxi Booking Service Providers Act, passed earlier this May, requires service providers to dispatch only licensed taxis and taxi drivers in response to a taxi booking. The Act also allows the Land Transport Authority (LTA) to collect trip data from these providers, which LTA will take into account when assessing the taxi companies’ call booking Quality of Service performance. There are no plans to apply the same regulations and concessions for taxis to private hire vehicles. LTA is, however, studying measures to enhance commuter safety when taking such services.”
“Aircraft arriving and departing Seletar Airport follow flight paths designed to minimise the noise impact on surrounding residential estates such as Yishun and Yio Chu Kang. Whenever the wind conditions permit, CAAS will direct aircraft to land from, and take off towards the north, in which case the aircraft would not fly over any residential estates. However, there are instances whereby aircraft have to land from or take off towards the south due to the direction and speed of the wind. This could result in some noise to residents living along the flight path. CAAS has put in place various noise abatement measures. For example, aircraft are required to fly at an altitude of at least 1,500 feet (about 450 metres) over residential areas around Seletar Airport to reduce the noise impact on the ground. Training flights and cargo flights are prohibited from operating at Seletar Airport between 10.00 pm and 7.00 am daily. CAAS and the operator of Seletar Airport (Changi Airport Group) regularly review the extent of aircraft noise around Seletar Airport and assess if the measures to mitigate noise are sufficient. The most recent study was concluded in November 2014. The study found that current and future anticipated noise levels over residential areas around Seletar Airport are within the noise parameters of land-use planning guidelines for residential developments around the airport.”
“It is not practical to install noise barriers along roads and traffic junctions. Gaps will be needed in the noise barriers for bus stops, and for vehicular and pedestrian access. These gaps would render noise barriers ineffective. Pedestrian safety would also be compromised as their view of on-coming traffic could be blocked. The Estuary meets the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA)’s setback guideline of 15 metres from the road. However, in response to residents’ feedback on excessive road noise, the National Parks Board has planted more trees along the road fronting the condominium. The Land Transport Authority (LTA) and other agencies will continue to engage the condominium management on other mitigating measures, including for them to install structures to absorb or deflect the noise.”
“The noise levels from train operations are generally consistent throughout the day. The perception of high noise levels in early morning and at night may be due to the low ambient noise during these times. We try to minimise such noise by ensuring that the operator maintains train wheels and tracks well. Where train noise goes above a certain level, we will consider installing noise barriers. In addition to the 14 km of noise barriers that LTA is building in Phase 1, another 9 km of noise barriers will be built starting from 2016 in Phase 2. We will consider the Members’ Page: 138 requests for Khatib and Bukit Batok. We will announce more details of Phase 2 by the end of this year.”
“The number of illegal parking violations has fallen sharply since the introduction of CCTV enforcement in April 2014, from a monthly average of 915 per location to 131. This is less than 15% of the original number of violations and testifies to the effectiveness of the CCTVs in deterring illegal parking. All 70 locations where the CCTVs have been installed have seen significant improvements in traffic flow and public bus operations. About one in six illegal parking summonses was issued to taxi drivers. We adopt the same enforcement approach for taxis and other vehicle types. This means that aside from controlled areas indicated by double yellow zig-zag lines or a single white zig-zag line, where any stopping is an offence that carries demerit points, at other locations, taxis are allowed a reasonable time to stop by the roadside to pick up or alight passengers.”
“The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has completed a series of road improvements works in Jurong East since 2011. These include the widening of Jurong Town Hall Road and Jurong East Street 11, and the construction of new roads, such as Jurong Gateway Road and Gateway Drive. With the completion of the Ng Teng Fong General Hospital, Jurong East Street 21 will also be widened from a dual one-lane road to a dual two-lane road. To minimise localised crowding due to chartered bus pick-ups and drop-offs, and parking queues at JEM and Westgate, LTA is introducing more alighting points for buses and more information on availability of parking in the vicinity. Page: 125 With the siting of Singapore’s High Speed Rail terminus at Jurong East, LTA will further improve the road network there to support the terminus and surrounding developments. Public transport services serving Jurong East are also being improved significantly. Apart from additional trains for the North-South and East-West MRT Lines and the upgrading of the signalling system, crowding at the Jurong East station should be reduced when Downtown Line Stage 2 opens by the end of this year. Jurong East will also be served by the Jurong Region Line and Cross Island Line in the longer term.”
“Currently, enforcement of cycling prohibition rules is carried out by agencies, such as the Traffic Police and National Parks Board, and is conducted in a targeted fashion, usually in response to public complaints. Some Town Councils also enforce against errant cyclists on Housing and Development Board common property, such as covered walkways. We announced in March this year that going forward, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) will be the lead agency for cycling-related policies. One of its roles will be to coordinate the enforcement effort across agencies to ensure consistency. However, we cannot rely on enforcement alone. We need cyclists to also play their part, follow the rules, cycle safely and give way to pedestrians. To this end, LTA and the Traffic Police work closely with community leaders to conduct talks and distribute information at schools, workplaces and foreign worker dormitories to promote safe cycling habits. LTA is finalising the details of the consultation exercise and will share them shortly.”
“The Land Transport Authority (LTA) is working with the Urban Redevelopment Authority and the relevant land use agencies to review the redevelopment plans for the town centre, which will include an assessment of when the Choa Chu Kang Bus Interchange can be upgraded or redeveloped into an integrated transport hub. In the meantime, to improve the flow of buses exiting Choa Chu Kang Bus Interchange, LTA had removed a taxi stand and installed railings along Choa Chu Kang Avenue 4. A stretch of Choa Chu Kang Avenue 4, between Choa Chua Kang Loop and Choa Chu Kang Drive, will be widened to improve the nearby traffic junctions by the second quarter of 2016. The bus operator has also deployed marshals on the ground to facilitate passenger and bus movements.”
“The two trials that were conducted from 2010-2012 indicated an approximate 25% improvement in fuel efficiency, with less conclusive results for emissions. The fuel savings were, however, insufficient to offset the 140% higher cost, compared to normal buses. ComfortDelGro Engineering, which partnered the Land Transport Authority (LTA) for the trials, estimated the trials to cost $1.7 million. LTA's share came up to about Page: 125 $660,000. SBS Transit's on-going diesel hybrid bus trial, as mentioned in the Sustainable Singapore Blueprint 2015, was started in March this year at the manufacturer’s initiative. It is intended to test the performance of the manufacturer’s diesel hybrid buses in Singapore’s climate. There is no funding from the Government for this trial. In view of the significantly higher cost and unproven reliability in our local climate, we have decided not to adopt diesel hybrid buses on a large scale for now. However, we will continue to monitor prices and find opportunities to trial different models of such buses. Page: 126”