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.”
The complete record
Every one of 597 lines we hold for Lui Tuck Yew, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 12 of 12.
“Sir, the Downtown Line Stage 2 (DTL2) remains on track for completion in 2015. The Member has asked specifically about the Bukit Timah corridor. Tunnelling and station works along some parts of this corridor have met with adverse soil conditions. In addition, some of the contractors have had to restrict their working hours due to complaints about noise and inconvenience. This has resulted in the works for some segments experiencing slippage from their original planned schedule, although I should add that this is not uncommon for a project of this scale and with construction so near to built-up areas. LTA is taking measures to keep the overall DTL2 project on schedule. For instance, it is working with the contractors at these stretches to extend project hours when and where possible. LTA is also exploring the feasibility of shortening the period of installation for track-work and Electrical and Mechanical (E&M) works. Page: 1336 LTA is monitoring the progress of the DTL2 closely and, at this point in time, does not see the need to revise the 2015 targeted timeline. I thank Members, as well as the communities in the vicinity of the worksites, for their continued patience and support. While the construction of new lines inevitably brings with it some inconvenience, the lines will greatly benefit residents and businesses when completed.”
“I am offering a choice to residents. Page: 1331”
“Perhaps, let me put the situation in perspective. Sir, if I were to look at what has happened over the last two years, from 2011 to the end of 2012. There were 11 ERP rate decreases, and eight ERP rate increases. If I were to take into account the reduction in hours in the evenings along the CTE, the Singapore River Line, the Saturday ERP, there have been 25 ERP rate decreases over the past two years. These are accounting for half-hour blocks. So, that is number one. Number two is that along the CTE, if I look at the entire stretch, southbound, at the start of 2011, from 7.30 to 9.30 in the morning, the ERP rates were between $1.50 and $6.00. Now, even with the latest increase, for the same period, they are $1.00 to $5.00. I think that puts a certain perspective to the increase. And we must remember that, taken over the extended period of time, there were actually more decreases than increases. The last is that I hear the call to scrap the evening ERP altogether, but we want to also make sure that we provide options to people who would like to have a smoother travelling experience in the evening. And if you look at what has happened over the past year, since the changes to the ERP, during the period before 8.00 pm, you actually had an increase in traffic speed northbound along the CTE and, after 8.00 pm, particularly from 9.00 pm onwards, you actually had the speeds coming down. So, I think shortening the hours preserves the option that for those who want to have a smoother ride home, they can pay the dollar, use it before 8.00 pm; for others who choose not to do so, they can ride after 8.00 pm.”
“Sir, Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) rates are reviewed every quarter, as well as during the June and December school holidays every year. On expressways, rates are adjusted generally by $1 when traffic speeds fall outside the optimal range of 45km/h to 65km/h. Speeds at two locations on weekdays – the southbound Central Expressway (CTE) after Braddell Road from 7.30 am to 8.00 am, and the westbound East Coast Parkway (ECP) from 8.30 am to 9.00 am had been falling, and were below 45km/h in the current quarter. ERP rates were, therefore, adjusted upwards by $1 at these two locations. The ERP revenue that will be collected is dependent on the number of motorists who choose to continue driving on these routes within these time slots. However, let me stress that the aim of the ERP is to manage congestion, and not to raise revenue. No reduction in road tax is planned as the ERP rate increases are a routine adjustment in response to the latest traffic conditions. Our public transport system is able to cope if some of the affected motorists switch to public transport. Page: 1330 Er Dr Lee Bee Wah (Nee Soon): Thank you, Sir. I have two supplementary questions. When ERP was introduced years ago, Minister for Transport at that time said that it is not for revenue generation, therefore, the road tax will be adjusted accordingly. So, with the revision of the ERP upwards, we will expect revenue to increase. Why is it that there is no reduction in the road tax? Question number two, increasing the ERP to $4.00 along CTE is quite a shock to many of my residents who use CTE every day. This is especially so because CTE has just been expanded – additional lane added. Why is it that the Ministry needs to increase the ERP? Are there any plans to scrap the evening ERP along CTE?”
“If I may give a little bit more clarity on the total cost overrun. From an initial budget of about $12 billion, it went up to $20.7 billion. So, it is about $8.7 billion in total. If we take away the GST component for this $8.7 billion, it comes up to an increase of about $8 billion. Seventy-five per cent of that increase came about as a result of either construction cost, technical requirements or the improved connectivity that I was talking about. Why I said that Downtown Line 1 attributed to a larger part of this increase in cost is because of the time when the tender was called. And if Members recall, from 2007 to 2008, construction prices as well as material prices went up significantly. Page: 1203”
“I thank the Member for the supplementary question. The answer actually depends on when the tender was put out. So, more recently, because of the lack of work around the world and also in the Middle East, we have actually seen more responders to the tenders that we have put out. And we hope that in this way, we also get more competitive pricing. But as much as possible, we try to make sure that for such major projects like this, we cut it up into many chunks of different sizes and in this way, we allow different-sized companies, including some of our local ones which may not be as significantly capitalised as some of the international companies, also the chance to participate in the tender.”
“Sir, if I may explain a little bit more about the tender process. Basically, it is a two-stage process. We, first of all, evaluate the tender returns based on the quality of the returns and thereafter we open the envelope to review the prices, and we take into account the composition between quality as well as the price of the tender in order to decide on which is the most suitable and appropriate bidder for that particular stage of the project. Page: 1202 Secondly, with regard to provision for more entrances, I believe that part of the additional cost that I mentioned earlier came about as a result of an increase in about 30 entrances that we incorporated into the existing Downtown Lines. So, there were about 30 entrances that were built into the various stages of the Downtown Line.”
“For all development projects, we ensure thorough scrutiny and review at various stages, and work closely with the Ministry of Finance on cost management and value maximisation. LTA also adopts best practices in its tendering and contracting processes, reaps economies of scale through bulk supply contracts, where possible, and attracts overseas international contractors to tender for rail projects as well, in order to keep prices competitive.”
“Overall, when compared to the original $12 billion budget, most of the increase in the revised budget can be attributed to Downtown Line 1. Page: 1201 Sir, Mr Png also asked about risks for fluctuating construction costs. As is the practice for LTA's major construction tenders, price fluctuation clauses for key materials were included in the Downtown Line tenders. This will also be the case for the Thomson Line contracts. In these clauses, LTA would bear the downside risk for any increase in the cost of key materials from the tender price. At the same time, LTA would also enjoy the upside savings should the cost of the materials come down. Moreover, because LTA bears this risk associated with the cost of key materials, which is beyond the contractors' control, tender prices would be lower because the contractors would not need to factor in this risk premium in their tender. This approach is in line with best practices across other Government agencies and across the world. For example, the material costs for Downtown Line 3 were higher than tendered because market prices for materials went up subsequently. However, LTA enjoyed some savings for DTL1 and DTL2 contracts compared to the tendered prices, through the price fluctuation clauses, as the prices of key materials came down somewhat after the tenders were awarded. In case there is confusion, let me point out that these subsequently reduced market prices were still higher than in early 2007, when we planned the original $12 billion budget, but if the prices of materials remain at around current levels, then we should expect to see some savings from the revised budget of $20.7 billion. Finally, Sir, let me assure Members that we are prudent in managing public funds.”
“Sir, we announced an original budget of $12 billion for the Downtown Line in early 2007. Subsequently, we revised the budget upwards to $20.7 billion. Approximately half of the increase is due to the increase in construction costs from late 2007 onwards, because of the sharp growth in overall construction demand in Singapore. The prices of construction materials also increased significantly. For example, market prices for key materials, such as steel bars and concrete, spiralled upwards by 60% and 14% respectively from late 2007 to mid 2008. Actual tender prices were therefore higher than what we had originally envisaged in early 2007, when we planned the $12 billion budget, and we had to revise the budget upwards. The increase in budget was also required to make enhancements to the line that was initially based on a set of preliminary engineering and planning parameters drawn up in 2006-2007. For instance, the original alignment was extended from 40 km to 42 km and an additional station was added. Also, for several of the stations, we decided to improve their design to provide for more entrances and underground links to improve connectivity and access for commuters and pedestrians. Sir, let me explain that the initial planning for the Downtown Line, including the original $12 billion budget, was based on preliminary studies. Detailed engineering and architectural plans were finalised only later, as is typically the case for such major projects. These detailed plans also took into account URA's long-term land use plans which were updated after 2007, and, hence, resulted in some significant changes to the original plans for the Downtown Line.”
“Mr Speaker, with your permission, I would like to take Question Nos 6 and 7 together.”
“Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) rates are set by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) based on the latest traffic conditions on the affected stretch of road. At each quarterly review, ERP rates are adjusted, generally by $1, when traffic speeds fall outside the optimal range of 45 km/h to 65 km/h on expressways, and 20 km/h to 30 km/h on arterial roads. There is no maximum fee set at any gantry. New roads are planned to cater for the increase in travel demand along key corridors and to enhance the overall road network. When planning road capacity, LTA takes into account existing and projected traffic conditions, considering the growth in residential, commercial and industrial developments in various parts of Singapore, and also the addition of new MRT lines, demand management measures such as the ERP and lowered vehicle growth rates, which would encourage a shift in travel mode towards public transport. LTA works closely with other Government agencies such as the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), in its transport planning. Page: 1162”
“To encourage more people to use public transport, we have accorded priority to buses on our roads through various measures such as bus lanes, the mandatory-give-way-to-buses scheme, and the "B" signal at traffic junctions. As we roll out the BSEP, we will further enhance and expand these bus priority measures, to facilitate smoother bus rides for commuters. At the same time, LTA will continue to monitor traffic speeds, and, where necessary, implement measures to manage traffic demand to try to ensure that during peak hours, traffic can flow within the optimal range of 20 km/h to 30 km/h on arterial roads, and 45 km/h to 65 km/h on expressways. All these are part of efforts to provide a balanced transport solution that benefits the most number of Singaporeans possible, taking into consideration our land constraint which means that we can ill afford to further grow our road capacity significantly. In fact, in improving the quality, coverage and efficiency of our public transport system, including bus services, we hope to encourage more car-owners to switch to public transport. This will be a key and probably the only sustainable way of ensuring that we are able to keep traffic on our roads moving at reasonable speeds. Page: 1161”
“Traffic lights along this stretch of Havelock Road are already linked and optimised to allow high traffic throughput while balancing the green time available to the major intersecting roads of Eu Tong Sen Street and New Bridge Road. With the improvements, the traffic queue along the Havelock Road exit from the CTE is usually kept within the slip road, minimising the impact on traffic flow in the main CTE tunnel. However, from time to time, built-up congestion can result in tailbacks. As the surrounding environment is densely built-up, there is no scope to increase the capacity of the current road. In anticipation of travel growth along the north-south corridor, the Government has committed plans to build the North-South Expressway (NSE) and the Thomson MRT Line which will provide alternatives to the CTE to access the CBD from the north. Page: 1161”
“Sir, the taxi operators received 84 complaints of physical and verbal abuses against taxi drivers since 2011, of which six criminal charges were filed. During the same period, 67 cases of physical abuse2 against public bus drivers were reported to the bus operators, of which 41 criminal charges were filed. Page: 1148 The authorities and the operators take a serious view of any physical or verbal abuse of public transport drivers and various steps have been taken. For instance, the operators conduct training for their public transport drivers on handling difficult passengers. In the event of an emergency, taxi drivers are able to alert their operator call centre by activating a distress button or via their walkie-talkies. The call centre will contact the taxi driver to offer assistance, and alert the Police if the driver cannot be contacted. For public bus drivers, they can seek assistance by activating the emergency button in the driver's cabin. This will alert the Bus Operation Control Centre (BOCC) which will contact the Police for assistance and despatch their traffic inspector to the scene to assist the driver. Page: 1148”
“The Land Transport Authority issued a total of 2,645 summonses for illegal modification offences for all vehicle types in 2010. These increased to 7,322 in 2011, and 7,239 summonses were issued in the first eight months of this year. The number of motorcycles caught for illegal modifications was 341, 1,175 and 1,405 respectively over the same periods. No offenders were jailed during these periods. LTA's enforcement actions are currently focused on owners of illegally-modified vehicles; we are tightening the enforcement regime against such owners in the Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill presently before Parliament. No summonses have been issued against motor vehicle workshop owners so far. LTA is reviewing the enforcement regime against workshops. Page: 1147”
“Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) rates are reviewed every quarter, as well as during the June and December school holidays every year. On expressways, rates are adjusted generally by $1 when traffic speeds fall outside the optimal speed range of 45km/h to 65km/h. Speeds at two locations – the southbound Central Expressway (CTE) after Braddell Road from 7.30am to 8.00am and the westbound East Coast Parkway (ECP) from 8.30am to 9.00am on weekdays – had been trending down and had fallen below 45km/h in the current quarter. ERP rates were, therefore, adjusted upwards by $1 at these two locations. Page: 1144”
“Sir, the Western Loop of Punggol LRT will be opened in tandem with the developments around the Punggol West area. LTA will continue to monitor the pace of developments, and will work with the operator on opening up the Western Loop when developments pick up. In the meantime, LTA is reviewing the public transport plans for the Punggol area to provide transport and connectivity options. These include enhanced bus services, and new bus routes, under the Bus Services Enhancement Programme. Page: 1144”
“Sir, the Public Transport Council (PTC) and Land Transport Authority (LTA) received 32 complaints of passengers failing to pay taxi fares in the first six months of this year. Between January 2008 and June 2011, complaints of non-payment of taxi fares averaged 10 every year. Following an effort by the taxi operators and the National Taxi Association to encourage taxi drivers to lodge reports against taxi fare evaders, the number of complaints rose to 66 in the six-month period from July 2011 to December 2011. In the last five years, only one serial taxi fare evader has been convicted under the PTC Act. Two other cases are currently pending Court mention. To simplify the process of seeking claims and redress, taxi operators have a standard form for their drivers to lodge reports on non-payment of taxi fares. Some taxi operators also accept electronic submissions. After the reports are lodged, the taxi operators will then assist their drivers to recover the unpaid taxi fare from the passengers, failing which they will refer the case to the PTC and LTA for investigation. Page: 1134”
“LTA has a rigorous process to decide public transport routes. It regularly analyses ticketing data collected by the public transport fare system. This provides information on ridership patterns and growth on individual routes, and allows LTA to compare the demand with capacity on those routes. To complement the analysis, LTA conducts field surveys at public transport nodes to gain a first-hand understanding of the ground situation. LTA also draws on regular feedback collected by its Community Partnership Network from the grassroots and local communities on improvements they would like to see in public transport in their neighbourhood, and also on feedback from individuals through channels, such as email and various media platforms. Page: 1012 That said, requests to implement a new route or improve existing routes will still have to be subjected to resource and financial considerations, and I hope that Members can appreciate, therefore, that not all requests can be met. For new developments, such as HDB's Build-to-Order (BTO) sites, LTA works closely with the various land agencies to project population numbers and distribution, the pace of development, and public transport ridership, and then plans the public transport infrastructure. This holistic manner of collecting data for route planning has, for example, helped LTA to work with Public Transport Operators to deliver a steady stream of bus service improvements through the on-going Quarterly Bus Review Process, and also the Bus Service Enhancement Programme (BSEP). Page: 1012”
“Sir, 87 taxi drivers were found flouting the LTA rule on obtaining more than the authorised fare in 2010. Of these drivers, 14 were repeat offenders. In 2011, 80 taxi drivers, of which 18 were repeat offenders, were penalised for flouting the rule. For the period from January to August 2012, the number has come down to 37 taxi drivers, six of which were repeat offenders. Page: 1011”
“I thank the Member for bringing up this point. Indeed, LTA is very mindful of the possible impact on Hwa Chong Institution as well as the estate on the Bukit Timah side. In fact, that was actually of a greater concern compared to my side of Bukit Timah on the Dunearn Road side. LTA will try to be as comprehensive as possible, both in terms of the site surveys and in terms of the instrumentation. But we would appreciate that given the very diverse geology and also we do not want to over-do things, that it is sometimes not possible to foresee every possible eventuality. After all, I think perfect foresight is as rare as 20:20 hindsight is common. So, LTA will continue to watch the area very closely. If there is feedback from the residents, they will take action to investigate it as soon as possible and, if necessary, take step to do the rectification works. Page: 965”
“In late August, early September of 2012, LTA noticed that the sensors were telling them of some movements of the soil. At the same time, LTA was also alerted by some residents that they were experiencing cracks in their houses. So that is really the timeline for what we saw in the Watten Estate area. And thereafter, LTA went in, walked with the house owners as well as the contractors to take precautionary measures, both to deal with the defects that were observed as well as to take additional precautions around the Tan Kah Kee site. Page: 965”
“On whether LTA is aware of the possibility of groundwater seepage, certainly that is something that they are very mindful of. There were two previous occasions that I recall when buildings were similarly affected by previous construction works. One was in Bussorah Street during the construction of the Circle Line. The more recent one was around the city area – Cross Street, I believe – during the construction of Downtown Line 1. What they do prior to construction is to do a comprehensive survey of the ground and assess what they think would be the likely impact area. If there are buildings within the likely impact zone, then they would take necessary actions to strengthen the grounds or to protect the buildings. They would also place sensors to try and give them as much early warning as possible of impending soil movements. We would appreciate that the geology in Singapore is actually very diverse and complicated. Along the same Downtown Line, you will run into segments where you have very, very hard rock, huge boulders. In fact, that takes massive amounts of work and explosives in order to remove. On the same stretch, you would run into alluvial and marine clay. It differs from station to station and each stretch of the tunnel. But LTA strives to be as comprehensive as possible. On the sensors, if I were to move a little into the history of this, we first had some isolated feedback on cracks back in June 2011 from the area. In June 2011, we had not even started excavation works because the bulk excavation works only started in December 2011. As a precaution, LTA extended the surveys that were placed over onto the Watten Estate Park site. Those sensors were installed in early 2012.”
“Where there are indications of problems, LTA will institute restorative measures without delay.”
“Sir, the property damage in Watten Estate resulted from ground settlement, likely due to an unexpected and rapid drawdown of groundwater during the excavation works for the Downtown Line 2. This is at the Tan Kah Kee Station site, which is more than 100 metres and more away from the Watten Estate area, across Bukit Timah Road, across the canal and across Dunearn Road. Once LTA was alerted to the incident and had made its assessments, more recharge wells were installed to pump in water and stabilise the ground settlement. LTA has also installed additional instruments to monitor groundwater levels. Since the early days of the incident, there have been no further reports of property damage. LTA has taken prompt action to make temporary repairs to the property damages for the residents while investigations to ascertain the actual cause of the ground settlement continue. When tunnelling work for Downtown Line 2 is completed around the end of 2013, LTA will make good the damage to properties caused by the construction. Let me assure the House that LTA places paramount importance on safety and will take all appropriate precautions in the construction of our road and rail projects. Before LTA commences any construction works, it first undertakes a comprehensive engineering assessment to ascertain the effects of the construction work on its immediate surroundings. This includes very extensive investigations of soil profile, historical land information as well as surveys of surrounding areas. Detailed analyses are also carried out to determine the zones likely to be affected by the excavation works, and the engineering protection works required. As construction commences, LTA continues to closely monitor water seepage and ingress that may result in changes to groundwater levels.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, first of all, may I have your permission to take Question Nos 8 and 9 together?”
“Chaired by Minister of State for Finance and Transport, Mrs Josephine Teo, the Committee is driving the holistic planning of Changi's future development, including implementing the civilian use of Runway 3, developing a new passenger Terminal 5, and planning for related infrastructure, facilities and transportation links. These investments will shape and support Changi Airport's long-term growth, and anchor Singapore's continued competitiveness as a global air hub. Page: 932”
“The Qantas-Emirates development underscores the rapidly evolving landscape in the aviation sector and the intense competition that Singapore faces as an air hub. It is a timely reminder that we must not take our hub status for granted. The Government is determined to ensure that our air hub maintain the highest level of competitiveness and edge in service, efficiency and connectivity, and, hence, remain a premier hub of choice, not just for travellers from Australia but all over the world. Indeed, new technology and industry developments shape and disrupt established patterns of air travel, presenting both challenges as well as opportunities. While ultra-long range aircraft allow some traffic to by-pass Singapore and fly non-stop to their destinations, such aircraft can also be used to open non-stop routes that were not previously possible, from Singapore to far away cities, such as in Latin America and North America. Singapore Airlines' ultra-long range flight using the Airbus A340-500 aircraft for non-stop service to New York is one such example. A key reason for the continued success of the Singapore air hub is connectivity. To encourage airlines (both Singapore and foreign carriers) to grow their operations at and through Singapore, the Government will continue to expand Air Services Agreements with key markets. CAG will also work closely with all airlines to strengthen our Airport's extensive network, and ensure that the passenger experience at Changi remains a key factor differentiating us from our competitors. Page: 932 To cement Singapore's future as a leading air hub, the Ministry of Transport also established the multi-agency Changi 2036 Steering Committee earlier this year.”
“Last month, Qantas and Emirates announced a partnership that will see Qantas' London-bound flights from Sydney and Melbourne routed through Dubai instead of Singapore. At the same time, Qantas was reported to have plans to restructure its Asian network, to re-time its flights from Australia to Singapore to enable more seamless connections to Asian cities, and increase its capacity on those flights. Page: 931 The re-routing of flights through Dubai affects about 1% of Changi's total number of flights and up to 2% of Changi's total passenger traffic. We understand that they are made in response to commercial challenges that Qantas is facing in its international operations, which were reported to have incurred an operating loss of A$450 million in the year ending June 2012. Despite the withdrawal of Qantas' flights to London, Singapore remains well connected to London by British Airways and Singapore Airlines, with SIA having recently started a fourth daily flight between Singapore and London. At the same time, Changi Airport remains an important air hub for Australian travellers, with 10 passenger airlines operating more than 220 weekly services between Singapore and seven points in Australia. We believe that some of these airlines will capitalise on Qantas' partial withdrawal from Changi to gain market share, for example, Australian passengers who may prefer to fly through and stop-over in Singapore en route to London, rather than through Dubai. Changi Airport Group (CAG) will support these efforts. CAG will also work with Qantas on its plans to grow its Asian network through Changi Airport, building on the 90 weekly flights that Qantas currently operates between Singapore and Australia.”
“From 1 January 2011 to 21 September 2012, there were 26 cases of taxi fires that occurred on the roads reported to SCDF. In 21 of these cases, the probable cause was engine overheating, while four cases were likely caused by electrical short circuits. The remaining case was caused by sparks resulting from a road accident. The taxi operators conduct regular preventive and corrective maintenance of their taxi fleet to keep them in roadworthy condition at all times. To ensure this, LTA subjects all taxis to compulsory inspections every six months. Page: 930”
“Taxi drivers are not allowed to charge fares above that set by their respective taxi companies. LTA will take stern action against errant taxi drivers. Under the Vocational Licence Points System (VLPS), a taxi driver will be penalised with a fine of $500 and 12 to 21 demerit points depending on the amount overcharged. The driver will also be liable for a minimum of four weeks' suspension and his licence will be revoked if he accumulates 21 or more demerit points within 24 months. Taxi fares were deregulated in September 2008 to allow taxi operators flexibility to price their services according to the cost of service provision and to respond to changes in market conditions. Regulating taxi fares would take away this market-friendly flexibility. It would also not in itself prevent taxi drivers from overcharging their passengers. Such errant behaviour would be better addressed through the enforcement actions I described earlier. Page: 902”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, public transportation in Singapore is significantly subsidised by the Government. Before I go on to share more on what and how the Government subsidises public transportation, let me say at the onset that under our model, the transport operators bear the operational costs for running the system, and these operational costs are recovered largely from public transport fares. The Government, on its part, bears the cost of infrastructure development which includes capital intensive infrastructure like MRT tunnels, stations, depots as well as bus interchanges, terminals and bus stop shelters. Page: 726 The Government also pays for the first set of operating assets for rail, such as the trains and signalling systems. This funding by the Government for capital items represents a significant subsidy to the public transport system, and has helped ensure that our fares remain affordable. For example, over the past 10 years, from 2002 to 2011, such Government investments in public transport have amounted to around $17 billion. In addition to what I have just stated, the Government has also provided targeted financial aid to low-income Singaporeans over the years to help mitigate the impact of fare increases. In the last five years, more than $10 million of such aid was disbursed. 3.00 pm”
“The Table below provides the average number of vehicles passing under the Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) gantry on the Central Expressway (CTE) south of Braddell Road from 7.30 am to 8.30 am in the past four quarters. Traffic volume has increased by about 15% since the completion of the CTE widening project in December 2011. ERP rates are set based on traffic speeds. The Land Transport Authority (LTA) uses speeds obtained from Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) devices, such as the Expressway Monitoring and Advisory System (EMAS) cameras, along the priced stretch of expressway to review ERP rates. For a period of two weeks every quarter, speeds are measured over continuous half-hour intervals during peak hours. Since 2008, the 85th percentile of speeds measured has been used to trigger ERP rate changes. This will generally assure 85% of motorists of smooth travel on ERP-priced roads.”
“With the Bus Services Enhancement Programme (BSEP), commuters can progressively expect new bus routes, shorter waiting times, less crowded buses and better bus network connectivity. It is still early days, but let me assure the Member that we are committed to making significant bus service improvements throughout the island. To this end, we will periodically review the rollout of the BSEP and assess the adequacy of the programme and funding. Our focus right now, however, is to get the BSEP implemented as quickly as possible, including to work with the Public Transport Operators to have enough bus drivers recruited and trained.”
“LTA is monitoring bus services in Sembawang that experience high peak period ridership, for improvement as part of the Bus Service Enhancement Programme (BSEP). Advisers and community leaders for Sembawang have also been consulted on the constituency's needs, and LTA will try its best to accommodate their requests within the resource constraints. Over the next five years, we expect to roll out about 40 new routes island-wide, which is a 15% increase in basic bus routes. Existing bus services would also see significant improvements, in terms of shorter waiting times and less crowded buses, with at least one in three existing bus services being improved within the next one year. Let me assure the Member that his residents in Sembawang town will get a fair share of these improvements.”
“Our public transport bus drivers work an average of eight to nine hours daily, including overtime, over a six-day work week, which comes up to around 50 hours or slightly more a week. MRT train drivers work an average of 130 hours over a 21-day period, which averages around 44 hours a week, with overtime work typically arranged under exigencies of service. I understand that bus drivers in the United Kingdom work an average of nine to 10 hours daily5 while bus drivers in Australia work an average of 12 hours daily, including overtime6. Our Public Transport Operators (PTOs) must adhere to the requirements under the Employment Act when scheduling duties for their bus and train drivers. For instance, the Act stipulates that the normal hours of work shall not exceed 44 hours per week. Employees must also not work for more than 12 hours a day, including overtime, with a limit of 72 hours of overtime in a month. To ensure that our drivers have sufficient rest, regular breaks are scheduled in their duty rosters. For example, SBS Transit plans its bus driver rosters such that bus drivers do not work more than 12 hours per day, and no more than 72 hours of overtime per month. SMRT rosters its train drivers so that they do not drive a train for more than four hours without a break.”
“The issue of parking within private estates entails multiple and varied considerations and there is no "one-size-fits-all" solution. For example, some residents would like to park their cars outside their houses, or would like spaces for visitors to park on an ad hoc basis. Other residents may request parking restrictions, especially in estates where there are commercial establishments, to deter patrons from parking within the estate. LTA therefore adopts a consultative approach by working with the local communities to understand their needs and problems. In estates where residents are willing to exercise tolerance and co-operation, LTA adopts a light touch enforcement stance. Nevertheless, LTA will still take strict enforcement action against vehicles parked indiscriminately or causing serious obstruction to traffic flow, or when there are persistent complaints from the residents. In areas where the local community is supportive of paid parking as a more effective means to regulate parking, LTA will work with URA to implement it where feasible.”
“To this end, various exercises involving the PTOs, relevant stakeholders and Government agencies including the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) and PUB, are conducted periodically.”
“All existing MRT stations are required to conform to minimum platform and crest levels stipulated under PUB's Code of Practice on Surface Water Drainage4 during the design stage. For MRT stations and associated structures that cannot meet these requirements due to site constraints, LTA would, in consultation with PUB, implement alternate preventive measures, such as floodgates and flood barrier walls, to ensure that entrances to MRT stations have flood protection of at least a metre above the surrounding land. For example, LTA installed a floodgate at the Chinatown Station entrance at Pagoda Street as the entrance height was not able to meet PUB's requirements for crest protection. Notwithstanding the above, as minimum platform and crest levels are measured from surrounding ground and road levels, the flood protection of existing MRT stations has to be reviewed periodically to take into account changes in the surrounding levels of MRT stations and the associated structures. Following a joint review with PUB in 2011, LTA will implement additional flood protection measures such as floodgates and flood barrier walls in three phases. The first phase, which will include six MRT stations in low lying downtown areas – City Hall, Little India, Novena, Orchard, Raffles Place and Tanjong Pagar – is already being implemented. The second phase, which includes another 11 stations and associated structures, is scheduled to commence implementation by this year. In addition to the above measures, LTA requires both Public Transport Operators (PTOs) to have robust flood management plans and procedures to effectively handle flooding situations in our stations should they occur.”
“Sir, Passengers In Excess of Capacity (PIXC) is a crowding indicator for commuter rail in the United Kingdom which essentially measures train loading against intended capacity. In Singapore, we do not use the PIXC. Instead, operators must comply with Operating Performance Standards (OPS) for train loading. Today, they are required to keep train loading within the regulatory limit of 1,600 passengers per six-car train or 800 passengers per three-car train. This is determined based on the equivalent standing space of about five persons/square metre, which is comparable to or lower than crowding levels on other MRT systems around the world. If the operator breaches these standards, they can be fined up to $1 million under the Rapid Transit System (RTS) Act. I assure this House that commuter safety is paramount in running our system. The regulatory limits are set well below the safety limit of trains, which are designed to carry around 1,900 commuters per six-car train. LTA is keeping a close watch on passenger loading along the busier stretches of our rail network, and working with the operators to proactively manage the crowding situation. We will certainly not allow the crowding situation to reach anywhere close to the safety limit of our trains.”
“Between end-2006 and end-2011, our total vehicle population grew from 778,257 to 932,007, an increase of 153,750. With these figures, it is easier to put into perspective the various changes we have made to our COE system in the past few years, including the claw-back of COEs. Between 1999 and 2010, the quotas of COEs were determined by projecting vehicle de-registrations for the year ahead using past de-registration trends. If there was any over- or under-projection of the actual number of vehicles deregistered, the quotas for subsequent periods were adjusted to correct for this. In 2010, we changed to the current methodology of recycling COEs using actual vehicle de-registrations, which removed the need to do subsequent adjustments. However, 17,558 over-projected COEs in Quota Years 2008 and 2009, representing less than 2% of our vehicle population, still had to be clawed back. As we had also brought down the annual allowable vehicle population growth rate from 3% to 1.5% starting from 2009, we decided to have this claw-back paced out over a few years. Between April 2010 and July 2012, 12,769 COEs, or about 73% of the 2008-09 over-projection, were recovered from COE quotas. The claw-back of the remaining 4,789 COEs was deferred for one year, till next August. Overall, the claw-back has been relatively modest, affecting the total vehicle population by about 1.4% in all so far. Since we implemented these COE changes and adjustments from 2009, the vehicle growth rate has been brought down to 2.2% in 2010 and 1.1% in 2011, closer to the 1.5% annual allowable growth rate.”
“In 2008, we launched the Land Transport Master Plan (LTMP), with an ambitious target to raise our public transport mode share to 70% during the morning peak by 2020. Based on LTA's Household Interview Travel Survey (HITS) then, which was a comprehensive survey involving some 10,000 households, the public transport mode share was 59% in 2008. After some four years of implementing the LTMP, it is timely to take stock of our progress. Public transport ridership has increased significantly during this period, with daily public transport journeys growing from 3.62 million in 2008 to 4.14 million in 2012, a 14.4% increase. Hence, LTA is now in the midst of conducting another comprehensive travel survey, HITS 2012. With the results from HITS 2012, and our on-going public consultation to review the LTMP, we will provide an update to this House in due course on the current public transport mode share, as well as changes we intend to make to the LTMP to further improve this mode share, and to achieve our 70% target. This will include initiatives and projects to improve the coverage, capacity and reliability of our public transport system, such as expanding the MRT network, improving bus services and enabling greater public transport connectivity. I will announce our detailed plans after our review of the LTMP.”
“We will ensure that Changi Airport continues to meet high service standards by expanding and enhancing airport infrastructure ahead of demand, and remains a hub of choice. We will also continue to pursue initiatives to enhance aviation safety and security for the travelling public, addressing evolving challenges in these areas. To develop the wider aviation industry, we will continue to roll out programmes and initiatives that enhance productivity and innovation, and work to ensure a ready pool of talent for the sector. Page: 47 Prime Minister's Office (Monetary Authority of Singapore) (Addendum to the President's Address)”
“We will work with key stakeholders over the next one to two years to develop an updated LTMP to guide key land transport developments over the next 10 to 15 years. Our maritime and aviation sectors continue to be key pillars of our economy. We will continue to strengthen our maritime and air links and create a pro-business environment to grow these sectors. The expansion of Pasir Panjang Terminal is proceeding on schedule. We will build ahead of demand to cater for future growth and ensure that our port continues to deliver a high level of service and operational efficiency. We will also continue to attract and anchor a core group of ship owners and operators in Singapore. This will in turn drive the growth of a comprehensive suite of maritime services and contribute to our growth as an international maritime centre. Greater efforts will also be made to align maritime research and education to build our expertise and intellectual capital in the sector. The Straits of Malacca and Singapore (SOMS) is our economic lifeline. Keeping the SOMS safe and open to international shipping is critical. We will thus continue to work with the international community to enhance the safety in this important waterway. Singapore's liberal aviation policy remains a cornerstone of our strategy. We will continue to pursue air services liberalisation at both bilateral and multilateral levels, including working through ASEAN. Following the corporatisation of Changi Airport in 2009, we have seen the airport operator demonstrating greater focus and nimbleness in meeting the needs of airlines and passengers and growing air traffic.”
“To make our transport system more barrier-free and elderly-friendly, more MRT stations will have additional barrier-free routes through additional lifts inside stations or at overhead bridges near stations. Today, one in three bus services is wheel-chair accessible. In five years, this will grow to some eight in 10 services. We will review both rail and bus financing frameworks to keep fares affordable even as services improve. The Public Transport Fare Adjustment Formula will be reviewed to balance affordable fares with an efficient and sustainable public transport industry. We will also ensure that public transport remains accessible to low-income groups. We will continue to fine-tune our car ownership and usage measures. We will have to reduce the vehicle population growth rate further given the constraints we face in expanding the road network. We will study measures to make Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) more effective and targeted. There is scope to fine-tune ERP application where trips are predominantly home-bound and some congestion is tolerable. We are looking into the possible implementation of a next generation ERP system based on Global Navigation Satellite System technology. Such a system will address the limitations of the current gantry-based system and increase the scope for real-time intelligent traffic management systems that can improve the driving experience. Page: 47 The transport sector will do its part to reduce air pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions, and new schemes will be implemented to encourage the take-up of low-emission vehicles. After the 2011 Concept Plan Review is completed, it will be timely to review the LTMP and our rail and road infrastructure plans.”
“We will create an attractive living environment for Singapore with a people-centred land transport system, and strengthen our position as a leading transport and logistics hub by enhancing our global connectivity. Over the next five years, we will see the realisation of substantial investments in our public transport infrastructure and significantly enhance the capacity and service levels of our rail and bus systems. We are making steady progress in implementing the Land Transport Masterplan (LTMP). We will strive to achieve our mode share target of 70% for public transport by 2020 by delivering a high quality and integrated public transport system that is an attractive and viable alternative to the car for regular commutes. The Government will continue to invest heavily to expand our rail network. Beyond the $20 billion invested in our existing rail lines and the $60 billion for the new rail lines committed under the LTMP, we are also finalising plans for additional lines and extensions beyond 2020 to improve the network and serve new areas. We will develop a five-year action plan to improve bus capacity, service and connectivity. To improve bus service reliability, we will upgrade major bus stops and implement more bus priority measures. More integrated transport hubs will also be built to enhance bus-rail transfers and provide commuters with better real-time bus information. To enhance commuter experience and the accessibility of our transport nodes, we will improve last mile connectivity, with more sheltered walkways, underground pedestrian networks and linkages to nearby buildings, especially in the city. There will also be more cycling paths and bicycle parking facilities at transport nodes.”