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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“From now to 2019, SMRT has significant future capital commitments in the region of $2 billion. How do we put this $2 billion in context? Well, it is more than three times the cumulative profits that it has made in the last five financial years. Page: 11 The most important thing is to reassure Members of this House and the commuting public that the Government is committed to ensuring that public transport fares always remain affordable. In this regard, it is worth noting that households have generally been spending a smaller proportion of their income on public transport over the last 10 years – a point that I made in previous Committee of Supply (COS) debates and I will again show this in the coming COS debate in March. In addition, during fare exercises, special attention is paid to vulnerable groups, such as senior citizens, persons with disabilities and lower-wage workers. For this year, fares will remain unchanged for these groups of commuters in the April fare exercise and, generally, the fares for more than 1.1 million commuters will be held constant. Er Dr Lee Bee Wah (Nee Soon): Mdm Speaker, I would like to thank the Minister for his comprehensive reply and patience. The fact is that whenever there is a fare review, it attracts a lot of discussion amongst residents. The fact is that the operators are allowed to do business beyond bus and trains, and so, residents expect them to cross-subsidise. The fact is that both SBS Transit and SMRT recently reported huge jumps in profits. If I remember correctly, SBS Transit reported a 27.8% jump in 2014 profit and SMRT a 58.4% increase in Q3 profit. Therefore, I would like to ask the Minister to seriously consider the fare review formula. Can this formula include profitability instead of just about operating cost?”
“The continued fall in oil prices in 2014 and the start of this year will generate some cost savings for the transport operators. I should point out, however, that energy costs comprise about 20% of the operating costs for the sector, which is why the Energy Index is only 20% of the fare formula. Other costs, which include salaries for bus drivers and other public transport workers, account for the remaining 80%, and these have continued to experience upward pressure. We also expect operating costs to go up when higher operating standards come into effect from 2016. Notwithstanding this, overall, we are likely to see a negative fare adjustment of about 1% for the fare review exercise in 2015, because the energy costs have come down significantly in 2014. The 2015 fare adjustment that we will do at the end of this year will take into account all the indices of 2014. When deciding on the fare adjustment, the PTC also has to ensure that the overall public transport system remains financially viable. Er Dr Lee has asked if the public transport operators could absorb the fare increase out of their profits. The fact is that operating buses and trains is not a highly profitable business; far from it. In fact, of all the profits that are generated, roughly about 95% comes from the non-fare business and, at most 5% comes from operating trains and buses. Only in the recent quarters have fare revenue and income crept marginally above costs. Operators, however, need to make profits, for example, to pay for future capital expenditure. In a previous Sitting of this Parliament and in reply to a supplementary question from Er Dr Lee Bee Wah, I mentioned that SMRT has significant future capital commitments from now to 2019, somewhere in the region of $2 billion. We spoke about that.”
“Mdm Speaker, fare adjustments are guided by the fare adjustment formula and process recommended by the Fare Review Mechanism Committee (FRMC) and were accepted by the Government in 2013. The formula is pegged to changes in the core Consumer Price Index (CPI), Wage Index and Energy Index over the preceding year, less 0.5% for productivity gains. The core CPI and the Wage Index constitute 40% each of the fare formula. The Energy Index, constitute the remaining 20%. The formula broadly reflects the operating cost structure for the public transport operators. The FRMC had also recommended that fare review exercises be conducted annually. This is so that commuters do not have to endure a sudden, large fare adjustment after a few years. This formula and process for fare adjustment is valid for five years, until 2017, and we will review it again thereafter. Page: 10 Er Dr Lee has asked how the recent 2.8% fare increment was derived and why fares were increased despite the sharp drop in oil prices. Er Dr Lee will recall that the full fare adjustment quantum considered by the Public Transport Council (PTC) in the 2013 fare review exercise was actually 6.6%. So, they considered 6.6% for the 2013 fare review exercise. But the PTC was mindful of the impact of a large fare increase on commuters. So, the Council decided to grant only a 3.2% increase, or less than half of the 6.6% increase. The remaining 3.4% was carried over to the fare review exercise for 2014. If we add this 3.4% to the negative 0.6% for the 2014 fare adjustment quantum, we, therefore, get a total fare adjustment quantum of 2.8% for the 2014 fare review exercise. In short, the current fare increase was due to the carry-over from the last exercise and the fall in oil prices in 2013 helped to mitigate this.”
“Madam, with your permission, may I take Question Nos 1 and 2 together, please?”
“The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) requires all Singapore carriers to provide their pilots with relevant information for their preparations before each flight. This must include weather information, Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs), status of the aircraft, the estimated passenger and cargo load for the flight, and the recommended flight plan, amongst others. Our airlines usually provide the information through a pre-flight information package prepared by the respective airlines’ flight operations centres. CAAS does not mandate that such information for the pilots be provided through pre-flight briefings. This is consistent with international practice. Page: 145”
“Mdm Speaker, let me assure Members of the House that our MRT system is designed to protect commuters in case of fire or smoke in the tunnels or trains. Our underground MRT stations and tunnels are equipped with smoke extraction and tunnel ventilation fans to expel smoke and to supply fresh air in the event of a fire. The materials used for our trains conform to strict fire safety requirements so that smoke emission and the level of smoke toxicity are minimised during any fire outbreak. LTA's Code of Practice on Incident Management requires our rail operators to have plans to ensure passenger safety during emergencies and to ensure that their officers are trained to execute these plans promptly and efficiently. For instance, in the event of a fire or smoke in the MRT tunnel, the operators will have to alert SCDF immediately and route affected trains to the nearest station, away from the source of the fire or smoke. If passengers have to detrain onto the tracks, the operators are required to activate the tunnel lights and ventilation system to provide a safe evacuation path. Page: 17 The operators' readiness to handle such emergencies is tested regularly by LTA and relevant agencies, such as the SCDF and SPF, through checks as well as table-top and simulated exercises. For example, in August 2013, LTA conducted a joint exercise to test SBS Transit's readiness to respond to an incident of smoke in the tunnels of the North East Line. The learning points were then shared with the rail operators to improve their emergency preparedness.”
“Over the past three years, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) has received around 200 pieces of feedback relating to the language abilities of bus captains, most of which were on their ability to converse in English. Currently, all bus captains are required to demonstrate basic competency in conversational English before being deployed. Upon receiving a legitimate piece of feedback, LTA will inform the Public Transport Operators, who will send the bus captain for a refresher course. The bus captain will be redeployed only after passing a language test.”
“It is difficult to estimate the costs as the travel patterns of the senior citizen group can vary considerably with different policies in place and because we only have the data of those who hold the senior citizen concession card and not that of the entire senior citizen population. That said, to give an idea of the costs for which the Member has requested, the annual cost of travel incurred by the 580,000 senior citizen card holders, all of whom are Singaporeans 60 years old and above, is about $200 million annually. If we look only at the card holders who are 65 years old and above, and 67 years old and above, the cost is about $125 million and $95 million respectively. With free travel, the travel patterns may change and the estimates may rise due to induced travel demand. Furthermore, the population of all Singaporeans 60 years old and above is about 660,000 today and rising, more than the 580,000 senior citizen card holders and, therefore, the estimates are on the low side. Another consideration would be that all senior citizens who are 60 years old and above already enjoy today, generous discounts of 25% to 59% off adult fares, depending on the distance they travel. Senior citizens who travel frequently can also cap their public transport expenditure by using the monthly concession pass priced at $60. Given these generous discounts and the significant additional cost taxpayers and other commuters will have to foot, I am not sure we need or should move to completely free travel for our senior citizens at this time. We will, however, revisit this issue from time to time and continue to pay very close attention to fare affordability for vulnerable groups of Singaporeans, including senior citizens.”
“The North-South Expressway (NSE) is a major project and will be carried out in phases over a number of years. The detailed engineering study is ongoing and requires more time than initially envisioned due to the complexity of the project. Thereafter, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) will conduct the tender for construction, which will take about six months. Thus, construction will likely only commence in 2016. The locations of all the entries and exits for NSE are available on LTA’s website. The construction area of NSE will not overlap with that of the two MRT stations. Nevertheless, before construction works begin, LTA will carry out traffic impact assessments and engage affected stakeholders on mitigation measures. For roads that are affected by construction works, lane for lane replacements will be provided wherever possible. Even with these mitigation measures, some inconveniences are inevitable and we seek the public’s understanding. Page: 97”
“Please refer to the answer provided to Mr Lim Biow Chuan’s earlier question [Please refer to Question No 23.] which also addresses Mr David Ong’s concerns regarding the findings of the investigations and the measures put in place to prevent further intrusions.”
“The Land Transport Authority (LTA) provides system-generated vehicle registration numbers at no cost to vehicle owners. Most vehicle owners accept these numbers. However, those who wish to choose their own vehicle registration numbers have Page: 152 the option of doing so and are levied a fee for the option. Owners can bid for a new vehicle registration number at a minimum bid of $1,000 and use it on an existing vehicle with a replacement fee of $300. Alternatively, an owner can use a registration number from another vehicle, including the vehicle which he owned previously. In both instances, the numbers are of the owners’ choice. The fees for using a registration number from an existing vehicle is, therefore, set at the same level as the minimum cost of using a bid number, which is $1,300.”
“If the operators do not comply with the OPS, they can be penalised up to $1 million, or 10% of the licensee’s annual fare revenue of the affected rail system, whichever is higher.”
“The incident of vandalism that occurred on 5 May 2014 is still being investigated and details cannot be disclosed at this juncture. As for the incident on 8 November 2014, the Police announced on 21 November 2014 the arrest of two German nationals. Further details cannot be disclosed as the trial is ongoing. Following the incidents, Land Transport Authority (LTA) had directed both operators to review their security measures and to take immediate steps to remedy any gaps and vulnerabilities found within the depots. Amongst others, SMRT has secured the potential entry points via the drainage system and further enhanced its security patrols. LTA has also reminded the two operators to ensure that pre-operation checks of both train interiors and exteriors continue to be conducted prior to their launch for service in the morning. The Ministry takes a serious view of security breaches. LTA, as the chair of the Public Transport Security Committee, is working with the relevant agencies and the public transport operators to review the security of all our train depots, as well as other critical infrastructure in the public transport system. Specifically for MRT depots, LTA’s Code of Practice sets out the baseline security standards with which PTOs are expected to comply, such as specifications for the perimeter fencing, Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) surveillance and the lighting of the depot. To further enhance the security of the MRT network, LTA intends to introduce new security-related standards within the Operating Performance Standards (OPS) which all operators are required to meet under their existing licences.”
“The requested information is provided in the table below: Page: 151”
“Under the Street Works Act, a public street refers to any street where the general public has right of way and it is vested in the Government. All other streets are private streets. Private streets can be converted to public streets upon request by the owner or otherwise, provided that the physical conditions of the road and its design meet the Land Transport Authority (LTA)’s requirements for public streets and the LTA assesses that conversion is beneficial for the general public. The Street Works Act also provides for public streets to be converted to private streets. Such applications are typically made by private developers or property owners, for example, to amalgamate a public street with adjacent private land for redevelopment and are assessed by the LTA on a case-by-case basis.”
“Illegal parking poses a threat to the safety of other motorists and pedestrians and impedes traffic flow. With effect from 1 January 2015, all motorists who repeat an illegal parking offence within 12 months will pay a higher tier of fines. This is to serve as a stronger deterrent and applies to illegal parking along any public road, including those in private residential estates. If there are parking issues in private residential estates, the community and grassroots Advisers may engage the Land Transport Authority (LTA) to discuss appropriate parking schemes.”
“School bus services are customised to meet the needs of individual schools and parents, and school bus fares will need to take into account specific operating considerations, such as route distance, capacity of buses and the number of students along the route. As such, they are not amenable to a common fare structure. On the other hand, capping school bus fares arbitrarily may result in a situation where some schools and students are under-served. For these reasons, it is better to let school bus fares be market-determined. MOE schools use a competitive process to invite bids from the operators. The competitiveness of fares proposed by tenderers is one of the key evaluation factors considered by the schools, although the eventual fares payable are negotiated between the parents and the successful operator. On our part, the Government has put in place measures to help school bus operators keep their operating costs low so that they can offer more competitive fares. For example, private bus owners are given a 50% road tax rebate if their buses are also used to provide school bus services. Those registered as School Buses are exempted from Certificate of Entitlement requirements. Page: 129”
“LTA has embarked on a trial installation of noise barriers at three locations to assess their suitability and effectiveness. The construction of the barrier at the Anak Bukit Flyover of the Pan Island Expressway was completed in October 2014. Installation for West Coast Highway and the new flyover along Braddell Road is planned for completion in mid-2015 and end-2016 respectively. LTA will try its best to conclude the trial and assessment as early as possible.”
“This has provided Singapore and our ASEAN neighbours air rights that are above what each ASEAN member state has concluded bilaterally with China. ASEAN has also begun air services negotiations with other Dialogue Partners, including South Korea, Japan and the EU, and we look forward to concluding liberal and mutually beneficial air services agreements with them.”
“ASEAN has concluded three air services agreements which collectively provide for unlimited passenger and cargo air services between all ASEAN cities with international airports. The agreements are integral to ASEAN’s vision of a Single Aviation Market, in support of the establishment of an ASEAN Economic Community by 2015. Almost all the ASEAN member states have ratified the instruments and I am hopeful that we will meet the 2015 timeline to establish this intra-ASEAN open skies. Intra-ASEAN travel has grown strongly at a compounded annual growth rate of 13% from 2009-2013. Looking ahead, some analysts have projected an annual growth rate of 8% for the next 20 years. Establishing an intra-ASEAN open skies will promote air connectivity within ASEAN and bring about even greater flows of trade, investment and tourism in the region. For Singapore, pursuing a liberal air services regime in ASEAN and beyond would enable more carriers, local and foreign, to operate to and from Changi, strengthening Changi’s network and connectivity and anchoring Singapore’s position as an air hub in support of our economic development. A liberal ASEAN air services regime would also facilitate ASEAN’s air services liberalisation efforts with major Dialogue Partners. These ASEAN-Dialogue Partner air services engagements enable ASEAN to leverage its collective strength to negotiate air services agreements that are more ambitious than what each ASEAN member state would be able to achieve bilaterally with the Dialogue Partner. Page: 121 For instance, through the ASEAN-China air services engagement, both sides have concluded the ASEAN-China Air Transport Agreement and two Implementing Protocols.”
“Mdm Speaker, Singapore's Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP) fee seeks to equalise the cost of owning and using a foreign-registered vehicle Page: 30 in Singapore, with that for a Singapore-registered vehicle. Malaysia's proposed vehicle entry levy, on the other hand, appears to be more akin to a toll on foreign-registered vehicles for revenue purposes. If so, we will consider matching in some form after the details of the levy are confirmed, including whether it is imposed only at Malaysia's border with Singapore or at all of its borders.”
“4%, we get the fare adjustment quantum of 2.8% for the ongoing fare review exercise. If I put it another way, supposing we had implemented the full 6.6% fare adjustment quantum in the previous fare review exercise, and we did not carry over 3.4%, then, indeed, we would have a fare adjustment for this year that is negative, and it would be negative 0.6% this time round. If I look ahead to the next fare exercise, and this is the fare exercise that we will conduct towards the end of this year, called the 2015 Fare Review Exercise, and this is using the data from the full year of 2014, the drop in 2014's energy prices could possibly translate to a negative fare adjustment. Based on available data, and we do not have the full year's data as yet, I would have to say that it could be in the region of negative 1%. What I have just provided are the numbers according to the fare formula. We will have to leave it to the Public Transport Council to assess the public transport operators' applications for fare increase, the fare adjustment quantum as given by the formula, and the affordability of public transport for Singaporeans, amongst other things, and decide on the fare adjustment.”
“Mdm Speaker, the fare formula is pegged to changes in the Core Consumer Price Index, Wage Index and Energy Index over the preceding year and reflects the operating cost structure of the public transport operators. So, the Core Consumer Price Index and the Wage Index will each account for 40% of the fare formula, while the Energy Index will account for 20%. For the ongoing fare review exercise which we began in November 2014, we are looking at changes in the indices in the year 2013. It is important to remember that while we started in November 2014, we used the data and indices in the year 2013. Energy and fuel costs are reflected in the Energy Index component, as mentioned earlier, which accounts for 20% of the fare adjustment quantum. The value of this component for the on-going 2014 fare review exercise is negative 12.6%, due to lower energy prices in 2013. However, the Core Consumer Price Index and Wage Index, which make up the remaining 80% of the fare adjustment quantum, had gone up in 2013, and they are plus 1.7% Page: 29 for the Core Consumer Price Index and plus 4.3% for the Wage Index. Taking these changes in the indices into consideration, the fare adjustment quantum for the year 2014 yielded by the formula is negative 0.6%. So, for 2014, using the index indices in 2013, the formula yielded negative 0.6%. Some of you may recall that in the last fare exercise, the fare adjustment quantum was 6.6%. However, it was assessed that 6.6% would be too much of an increase in one go, and the Public Transport Council therefore decided that it would implement only a 3.2% increase in the 2013 fare review exercise and carry over the remaining 3.4% to the on-going 2014 fare exercise. So, when we add this year's negative 0.6% to the carried-over 3.”
“Mdm Speaker, the Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP) fee aims to minimise the cost difference between owning and using a foreign-registered vehicle and a Singapore-registered vehicle here in Singapore. This framework, however, provides for VEP free hours and days such as during the weekends when the traffic on our roads is less heavy, so as not to unduly discourage foreigners from visiting Singapore. Currently, about one in 10 foreign-registered cars entering Singapore needs to pay the VEP fee, or about 10% of them. The average daily number of foreign cars entering Singapore on weekdays and weekends is 10,900 and 12,100 respectively over the six months' period between April and September of this year. The corresponding figures for last year were 11,900 and 13,600 respectively. So, there has been a decline from last year to the same time period this year, and this is from April to September period. I note the Member's suggestion on revising the VEP-free periods. We will consider this and we will also factor in the possibility of Malaysia implementing its proposed charge on non-Malaysia-registered vehicles entering Malaysia. Page: 40”
“The East Coast stretch of the Thomson-East Coast Line was first announced as the Eastern Region Line as part of the 2008 Land Transport Master Plan, with an estimated completion date of 2020. The subsequent detailed architectural and engineering studies revealed that complex construction works and substantial service and road diversions would be required. The integrated four-in-one rail and bus depot, which is complex to build but will result in sizeable land savings, as well as the Downtown Line 3 Extension have added further to the project timeline. Hence, the estimated completion timelines have been revised to 2023/2024.”
“Over the past three years, LTA has received an average of 70 complaints per year about drivers who use their private vehicles to pick up passengers for a fee. A total of 51 drivers have been caught during this period, with more drivers caught in the last year. Convicted offenders may face a fine and jail term and have their vehicles forfeited.”
“For instance, from discussions, it is likely that if we harmonise the fare structure, taxi companies will level up the fares across their different taxi models. Rentals will also likely rise for drivers who are driving older taxis and paying lower rentals. I am not sure that commuters and taxi drivers would be pleased with this outcome. We will take more time to discuss with stakeholders. On the issue of surcharges, they play an important role in better matching supply and demand when and where there is a persistent shortage of taxis, for example, at certain times of the day or in certain locations where it is financially less attractive for taxi drivers to ply. Surcharges give taxi drivers the incentive to do so. Therefore, while a surcharge system is by no means perfect and adds to the complexity of the fare structure, it may be necessary in order to ensure widespread availability of taxis. Many other cities, such as New York, London and Perth, also use them to regulate supply and demand. Page: 164”
“Since Taxi Availability standards were introduced in January 2013, the percentage of taxis on the roads during peak periods has increased from about 82% in 2012 to 87% in the first eight months of this year. This means that about 1,400 more taxis are available during peak periods. The percentage of taxis plying at least 250 km daily has increased from about 75% to 78% over the same period. The daily taxi utilisation rate or the proportion of total taxi mileage under hire, has increased from about 65% to 68%. In short, more taxis are plying the roads and more commuters are using them. Taxis take up road space and contribute to traffic congestion. Hence, the right and fair thing to do is for taxis to similarly internalise the cost of congestion through ERP, just like every other vehicle on our roads, including public buses, cars and commercial vehicles. A monthly fixed charge seems like an attractive idea, but what should the charge be? If it is too high, no taxi driver will purchase it. If it is too low, taxis would contribute unfairly to congestion vis-à-vis other vehicles. There is currently already the City Area Surcharge for taxi trips originating from the CBD between 5 pm and midnight every day. In addition, some taxi companies reimburse their drivers for the CBD ERP charges if they are unable to pick up a passenger within 15 minutes of entering the CBD. This is a practice to be encouraged. LTA is still studying and discussing with stakeholders the harmonisation of the taxi fare structure. The issue is complicated as the fare structure fundamentally reflects the different rental costs of different taxis. And different stakeholders, ranging from commuters, taxi drivers to taxi companies, have different interests.”
“Rubber bungs, otherwise known as gap fillers, have been installed on the platform edge of all above-ground MRT stations since 1997. However, gap fillers were not installed at underground stations because the design of the Platform Screen Doors ruled out their installation on the platform edge. LTA has since studied the option of fitting gap fillers on trains instead of the platform edge and this has been implemented for Downtown Line trains. New trains for the North East Line and Circle Line will also be fitted with gap fillers and the public transport operators will retrofit older trains during their mid-life refurbishment. We are also studying this for the North-South and East-West Lines. Page: 146”
“Strictly speaking, under today's regulations, electric scooters cannot be used on public roads as they do not meet the safety and technical requirements for motor vehicles and LTA can enforce against such where necessary. However, electric scooters can be used within private premises, such as Sentosa, with the consent of the premise owners and, hence, we do not disallow their import into Singapore. The Traffic Police also advises caution on the use of electric scooters on footpaths, as some of the models are able to move at significant speed. Page: 137 That said, these regulations may be too blunt and rigid. We recognise that some personal mobility devices, if used appropriately, can enhance short distance travel. The Pedestrian and Cyclist Safety Committee, chaired by Parliamentary Secretary (Transport), is reviewing how we can reasonably facilitate this trend while ensuring the safety of pedestrians and other road and footpath users.”
“I thank the Member for that supplementary question. As I mentioned in reply to Mr Zainal Sapari earlier, what we can assure Members and commuters is that we will anonymise and aggregate the data. If we look at the situation today with all the mobile devices and how they are being used and how that can actually already be used to track the location of any particular individual, I would think that the situation with the GNSS-based system should not be of any concern.”
“Mdm Speaker, I want to thank the Member for the two very good questions. First, we want to try to make sure that it is an equitable system. Today, I think what happens is that for as long as you pass the gantry, you are charged the same amount, regardless of the extent of travel along the priced road. Going forward, we do have the option of pricing it in a different way. We will have to make sure that we take into account some of the implications on different groups of users and to try and arrive at as fair a solution as possible. Page: 38 The second supplementary question was on the enlargement of the area. I had said earlier when I spoke on this subject in May last year – at the point of transition, only those congested roads that are then priced would be priced when we move to the GNSS-based ERP system. Subsequent to that, we will continue to adopt the same principles as we have today, which is that pricing is actually based on congestion along the affected roads.”
“I think this is certainly something that we will pay very close attention to. What I can assure Members is that the data is aggregated and is anonymised, and that is usually how we would treat the information from traffic systems.”
“However, exactly how much motorists will be charged, whether for short or long distance travel, will depend, amongst others, on the state of congestion then and what it takes to shift the traffic. Second, GNSS-based ERP is a smart technology where every vehicle can become a sensor for LTA to develop a more accurate and "live" picture of the traffic situation and intervene as necessary. Third, the same data can be broadcast to motorists to help them better plan their journeys and avoid congested roads. While GNSS-based ERP can, indeed, improve traffic management as I have described, it alone cannot ensure that our roads continue to be relatively smooth-flowing overall. This requires a holistic approach through vehicle growth and population controls and the enhancement and promotion of public transport.”
“Mdm Speaker, the 18-month System Evaluation Test was a technical assessment to determine if Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) based on the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) technology can broadly carry out three functions. One, to conduct and enforce congestion charging, including distance-based charging; two, to collect and disseminate traffic data; and three, to provide other value-added services, such as electronic road-side parking. The conclusion is that it can. The tender for GNSS-based ERP is ongoing and, as such, I should not disclose any of our cost estimates as it may well skew the tender submissions. What is clear, however, is that maintaining the current gantry system, which has been in place since 1998, will not be financially prudent. The annual operating cost has risen by 80% over the last decade and a large part of the system is coming to the end of its life-cycle and will have to be replaced even if we do not move to a GNSS-based system. Physical gantries also take up land that could be freed up for more roadside greenery, for example, which would also be visually more pleasing. Although I have no doubt that many motorists would miss the presence of those gantries when they are eventually removed, especially as we have come to love them very much when they are not switched on. Page: 37 The GNSS-based ERP can help traffic management in several ways. First, it can allow for distance-based pricing along the congested roads where we decide to implement ERP, which is more equitable as motorists will be charged according to the distance that they travel on these congested roads.”
“Category D has been created for motorcycle buyers so that they need not compete with other vehicle buyers when bidding for a COE. Splitting Category D further would result in a much smaller quota available in each sub-category. This may lead to more volatility in quota and prices.”
“The breakdown of vehicles registered to individuals in 2012, 2013 and the first eight months of 2014 are in the table below. The numbers include vehicles registered using Certificates of Entitlement (COEs) from Category (CAT) E, or the Open Category, which can be used to register any vehicle. The numbers exclude vehicles registered to companies. Page: 149”
“The northern part and north-eastern parts of Singapore are currently served by the North-South Line (NSL) and the North-East Line (NEL). These lines connect to the East-West Line (EWL) and the Circle Line (CCL) to provide connectivity to the eastern and western regions of Singapore. The upcoming MRT lines will further improve connectivity. The Downtown Line (DTL) is currently connected to the NEL and will be connected to the NSL by 2016 when DTL 2 opens4. Second, the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL), which is currently under construction, will provide residents from Woodlands a direct connection to the eastern region. Third, the Cross-Island Line (CRL), when completed by around 2030, will connect major residential towns in the North-East, such as Hougang and Punggol, to the East and West of Singapore.”
“The objective of Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) is to manage congestion. Stopping all ERP charges by noon on Fridays will likely lead to more congestion on roads such as Havelock Road and expressways such as the northbound Central Expressway (CTE), where there is heavy traffic on Fridays. This is not a desirable trade-off as traffic congestion, at any time of the day, affects our quality of life, including family life, our living environment and our enjoyment of it and the efficiency of the economy. Page: 133”
“Around 84% of senior citizens have senior citizen transport concession cards today. From analysis of usage data, senior citizens tend to travel at all times of the day, with no distinct period of peak usage. Currently, senior citizens enjoy discounts of 25% to 55% off trip fares, depending on the distance of the journey. Since April 2014, senior citizens who travel frequently can also buy a monthly concession pass, which limits their monthly spending on public transport to a maximum of $60, half the price of an adult monthly concession pass. The Public Transport Council reviews public transport concessions regularly. It will continue to do so.”
“Sleeper replacement for MRT tracks remains on schedule. For the North-South Line, 43% of the sleepers have been replaced and the rest should be completed by the second quarter of 2015. Train speeds will be restored to the normal levels of 60-80 km/h by end-September 2014 for the Kranji-Yew Tee segment, and by the first quarter of 2015 for the segment near Keat Hong. For the East-West Line, the tender is in progress and the sleeper replacement works is scheduled for completion by the end of 2016. Page: 119”
“Certificate of Entitlement (COE) policies are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Page: 148 There are several measures to help businesses manage the cost of vehicles. First, commercial vehicles are subject to lower vehicle taxes. The Additional Registration Fee for commercial vehicles is set at 5% of the vehicle's Open Market Value (OMV), compared to an effective rate of 100% to 180% of OMV for cars. They also enjoy lower effective road tax and are exempted from diesel fuel taxes. Second, businesses are allowed repeated five-year renewals of their COE. This facilitates their cash flow management. Third, under the Early Turnover Scheme, businesses can transfer any unused COE life to a new vehicle and enjoy discounts if they replace their more pollutive Pre-Euro/Euro I diesel commercial vehicles. In addition, they only need to pay a discounted Prevailing Quota Premium and do not need to bid for a new Category C COE. These measures are complemented by other Government schemes to assist all small and medium enterprises directly with tax deductions, grants or micro-loans.”
“The nine Peak Period Short Services (PPSS) introduced since April 2014 have an average ridership of about 650 rides per day. They have helped alleviate crowding, with the utilisation rate on the parent feeder services falling by about 5% to 7% during the peak hour. All PPSS have met the contracted service standards and there are no major differences in service standards among the providers. The Land Transport Authority currently has no plans to introduce a PPSS for Service 302 as it will be improving the frequency of the parent service under the Bus Service Enhancement Programme later this month. Service 302 has also been placed on the Bus Service Reliability Framework which should lead to an improvement in regularity over time.”
“The Land Transport Authority (LTA) is carrying out a trial installation of noise barriers at three locations, namely, the Anak Bukit Flyover of the Pan-Island Expressway, the West Coast Highway and a new flyover along Braddell Road. The trial will allow LTA to evaluate the effectiveness and visual impact of such barriers as well as ascertain the challenges in installation and maintenance. This will take some time, but LTA will try to conclude the trial as early as possible and assess the suitability of these noise barriers for other locations. Page: 135”
“The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has installed audible pedestrian signals (APS) at 860 of about 6,000 signalised pedestrian crossings3, based on requests from the Singapore Association of the Visually Handicapped (SAVH) and from visually-impaired individuals. LTA takes into consideration the needs of visually-impaired pedestrians as well as the impact on other stakeholders when setting the operational hours of the APS. Generally, the APS is activated from 7.00 am to 9.00 pm daily so that the audio signals do not adversely affect residents living nearby. In some cases, for example, at junctions near the SAVH premises, LTA has acceded to their request for the APS to commence earlier at 6.00 am and end later at 11.00 pm. "On-demand" APS devices can potentially allow more APS to have longer operating hours. LTA is happy to explore this and other measures that can assist visually-impaired pedestrians to cross the road safely.”
“The Land Transport Authority (LTA) uses a variety of data, including those from telematics devices, such as global positioning systems and ticketing systems, to measure bus performance. All bus services plying through Yew Tee, Chua Chu Kang and Keat Hong passed the regulatory Quality of Service (QoS) standards in the past year. Nevertheless, we believe there is room for improvement. Hence, under the Bus Service Enhancement Programme, we had added three services and 35 buses to serve these three Page: 133 areas. Two bus services, 188 and 302, are also in the Bus Service Reliability Framework trial launched in February. Over time, this should improve the regularity of the bus services.”
“Since February 2013, owners of Category C vehicles (goods vehicles and private buses) are allowed repeated 5-year renewals of their Certificates of Entitlement (COE). Should they deregister their vehicles before the end of the COE period, they will receive a pro-rated refund of the premium paid. Therefore, owners are paying only for the COE that they have used. Allowing goods vehicle owners to renew COEs on an annual basis, as suggested by Mr Ong, may lead to greater variability in deregistrations, as owners decide on deregistration or renewal from year to year depending on the prevailing COE premium, amongst other considerations. This may cause the Category C COE supply to become more volatile and less predictable, leading to more uncertainty for businesses.”
“Several taxi companies already offer a variety of payment options, including new cashless payment options, such as mobile payment and Near Field Communications payment. We will continue to encourage the taxi companies to do more. Currently, cashless transactions, such as NETS, form about 10% of all taxi fare transactions. Taxi companies take one to three working days to credit the amount earned through NETS into their drivers' bank accounts. The Land Transport Authority (LTA) did not receive any feedback on delay in the crediting process in the past year, but will nevertheless encourage taxi companies to shorten this processing time, where possible, for the benefit of their drivers.”
“There are about 1,600 registered ready-mix concrete trucks, of which 19% are classified under pre-Euro and Euro I emission standards and 4% under the Euro V emission standards implemented in January this year. Page: 93 The vehicular speed limit for ready-mix concrete trucks is set at 40km/h due to safety considerations. The wet concrete carried in their revolving drums increase their risk of overturning at higher speeds. Such trucks have to comply with the vehicular speed limit at all times, even when the road speed limit is higher. They are prohibited from expressways, which are designed for higher speed travel, at all hours, to minimise the risk of collisions and accidents. Permits for ready-mix concrete trucks to use expressways can be granted under exceptional circumstances, such as when a construction site can only be accessed via an expressway. These are typically granted for off-peak hours only for the same safety reason.”
“Currently, residents in Keat Hong are connected to the Choa Chu Kang MRT Station via bus services 172, 300 and 975. To keep pace with new demand from upcoming residential developments, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) will deploy additional buses to augment the capacity of the existing bus services and introduce new services where needed. Building a new MRT station in the middle of an operating rail line is technically challenging, costly and would impose significant inconvenience on commuters and also potentially on residents because of possible land acquisitions depending on the location. That said, when it becomes necessary, LTA will study the feasibility.”