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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“Mdm Speaker, since the launch of the Bus Service Enhancement Programme (BSEP) a year ago, in 2012, a total of about 250 new buses have been added to the industry fleet under the Bus Service Enhancement Programme (BSEP). This is out of the 550 buses that the Government had committed to. On top of these 550 buses, the operators themselves will add in another 250. But here, I am talking about the 550 buses and we have, over the past one year, added about 250 of these buses. By the end of this year, more than half of the 550 buses committed by the Government will be on our roads. Fourteen new bus routes have been introduced and 111 of the existing bus services have been improved. The feedback that I am getting from the ground on the BSEP is positive. Many people are asking whether and when they can have the BSEP buses and new routes in their constituencies. Therefore, we have been discussing with the public transport operators on how we can accelerate this programme and I intend to implement the introduction of the bulk of the 550 buses by the end of 2014, instead of 2016. Mr Gan has also suggested the shortening of bus routes to improve bus reliability. This is, indeed, a very good suggestion and an important one, as empirical data tell us that longer trunk routes are far less reliable than shorter routes. Therefore, we will continue to optimise the bus routes to improve the reliability of our buses when suitable opportunities arise, such as the opening of new rail lines or new integrated transport hubs. Page: 53”
“Mdm Speaker, first, let me thank Mr Ang Wei Neng for his suggestions on how to improve the categorisation of the COEs for private cars. Indeed, his suggestions and those of a number of other Members of Parliament have been very helpful in this regard and we tried to look at them very closely and we had, of course, not been able to adopt all the suggestions that were put forward, but I thank you all nonetheless for giving the inputs. On making the Early Turnover Scheme (ETS) even more attractive, well, this is in the early stages. We had committed to run this programme for two years. We are starting to receive feedback already and we certainly will take this feedback and others that will come in into consideration when we look at how we can further improve the scheme going forward. On Cat C COEs, I understand the point that is raised by the Member because, today, we obviously have the light goods vehicles, the heavy goods vehicles and the very heavy goods vehicles all lumped into the same category and, therefore, there is some concern that we may be disadvantaging some of the lighter goods vehicles in this regard and this is something that the Ministry will look at going forward. Page: 52”
“Mdm Speaker, as at the end of August 2013, a total of 101 commercial vehicles had been replaced under the Early Turnover Scheme. Interest has started to pick up in recent months, with 52 of these commercial vehicles replaced in August alone, compared to 49 in the first three months. We would certainly like to see higher take-up rates for the Scheme, going forward. In this regard, we have received feedback for possible enhancements to the Scheme and we will consider these suggestions in due course. I understand that rising Certificate of Entitlement (COE) prices is one of the cost-related challenges faced by businesses. To help businesses with this aspect of their cashflow and to provide them more flexibility, the Minister for Finance had announced in this year's Budget the lifting of the restriction on vehicle owners who renew their Cat C COEs for five years so that they can now renew again for a further five years thereafter. Since the announcement, about 96% of Cat C COE renewals have been for five years instead of the 57% prior to the policy change. So, now, almost all the Cat C renewals are for five years instead of about half prior to this change. There are also several schemes to help businesses with general cost concerns. These include the Productivity and Innovation Credit Scheme which offers tax reductions to companies that invest in improving productivity and driving innovation. Page: 51”
“From time to time, agencies, such as LTA, STB and URA, do receive feedback about shortage of coach parking spaces in areas of tourism interest, such as the Kampong Glam Conservation Area, the Chinatown Conservation Area and the Merlion Park. For such places, where it is feasible and there is available state land, the Government has implemented temporary roadside and surface coach parks. However, it is not always possible to have such coach parking facilities in the immediate vicinity of the attraction. To further assist travel agencies, tourist guides and their coach drivers, STB has issued an advisory to inform them of all the coach parking locations and drop-off/pick-up points for popular tourist spots and retailers in central Singapore. For new tourist attractions, LTA has been working closely with the developers to ensure that sufficient coach parking lots are provided within their premises. There has been only one case of a Malaysia-registered bus caught entering Singapore to ferry tourists to Malaysia in 2013, and none in the prior two years.”
“In the last six months, foreign-registered vehicles made about 9 million trips into Singapore, or about 1.5 million trips per month. About 67% are made by motorcycles, 24% by cars and the remainder by goods vehicles, buses and taxis. More than 90% of these trips are of two days' duration or less, with about 80% of one-day duration only. We do not have statistics on the nationality of the vehicle owners. Under the Road Traffic Act, Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents are not allowed to drive or use foreign-registered vehicles in Singapore, unless they meet certain conditions. They must prove that they work and reside in West Malaysia, and have paid the relevant Singapore registration fees and taxes for these vehicles as if they were registered in Singapore. Furthermore, they are allowed to drive their Malaysian-registered vehicles into Singapore only for up to 28 weekdays a year, in addition to weekends and Singapore public holidays. Similar to foreigners driving foreign-registered vehicles into Singapore, they must pay the applicable Vehicle Entry Permit fee, which is $20 per day for cars, when they enter Singapore, and the vehicles must not stay in Singapore for more than 14 days per visit. LTA takes strong enforcement action against individuals who drive or use a foreign-registered vehicle illegally. The maximum penalty is a fine of up to $5,000 or imprisonment of up to six months.”
“The Travel Smart project is a pilot study to help understand the impact of various organisational practices and interventions in shaping the travel patterns of employees. The 12 participating organisations, with a total of 25,000 employees, will develop and implement Travel Smart Action Plans, which include initiatives like flexi-work measures, and installation of shower and locker facilities and cycling facilities, amongst others. Each of the 12 organisations can claim up to $20,000 from LTA's Travel Smart Reimbursement Grant to subsidise their costs. We will also be looking into customising travel incentive programmes, together with the Travel Smart organisations, to further encourage their employees to shift their travel times outside of the morning peak period. Preliminary feedback has been encouraging. We will review the results in early 2014 before deciding how best to expand the programme. Aside from Travel Smart, MOM and WDA had launched a one-stop programme called "WorkPro" on 1 April this year to build progressive workplaces for their employees. WorkPro includes a Work-Life Grant that provides funding support of up to $160,000 to help employers implement and sustain the use of flexi-work arrangements, such as flexi-time, to improve work-life harmony. Page: 167”
“LTA is starting a trial to install road noise barriers at three locations to study their technical feasibility and effectiveness. The overall Page: 166 study will take about three years to complete and LTA will consider the feasibility of implementing such noise barriers at other locations after the trial. Meanwhile, for the Central Expressway (CTE), noise mitigation measures were implemented during the widening. These included planting more trees along stretches facing residences, and using a more porous road pavement mix that helps to lower traffic noise. LTA will continue to explore with the relevant agencies additional measures to lower noise levels for the CTE.”
“The Circle Line was opened in stages from 2009. There were three service disruptions of more than 30 minutes each year from 2010 to 2012. In 2013, there have been none so far. Most of these disruptions were due to teething issues with its power system, it being a new line with new technologies. LTA and SMRT are now in the process of replacing the power cables. This should be completed this year. The cable replacement programme, as well as more frequent maintenance checks on the cables, will hopefully reduce the number of service disruptions on the Circle Line. For the North East Line, we have seen more instances of disruptions beyond 30 minutes recently, mostly due to faults caused by stress corrosion cracking of components that secure its overhead power system, particularly in the tunnels between HarbourFront and Outram Park stations. This is due to unique and unexpected climatic conditions in these tunnels which are not observed in the tunnels of other lines, or even in the other parts of the North East Line further away from this particular stretch. These occurrences of stress Page: 122 corrosion cracking took place over time and did not show up in the initial years of operation. SBST has already replaced the affected components in this stretch of the tunnels and has stepped up the frequency of checks. LTA and SBST are also assessing the suitability of using more corrosive-resistant materials in the longer term. The service reliability of the North East Line should improve as these measures are put in place.”
“There was one fatal accident at the traffic light junction of Lentor Avenue, Ang Mo Kio Avenue 6 and Yio Chu Kang Road in the first half of this year, on 25 January. Prior to this, there had been no major traffic accident at this junction for the last three years. Nonetheless, as MOT had shared in a response to the Member in April, we had asked LTA to take a closer look at the safety of the junction. Following the review, LTA will implement full traffic light control for right-turn movements for motorists approaching that junction along Lentor Avenue and Ang Mo Kio Avenue 6 by the end of this year. Motorists will have to wait for the traffic light to show the green arrow before making a right turn, even when there is a gap in the oncoming traffic. Motorists who cause death due to reckless or dangerous driving, or rash or negligent acts, face a maximum penalty of five years' imprisonment as well as a fine and a driving ban upon conviction. These penalties are aligned with other Page: 114 criminal acts under the Penal Code where a death is unintentionally caused.”
“The one-year free travel trial was launched on 24 June 2013 to alleviate congestion on the rail network by offering commuters free travel for the rail leg of their journey if they exit any of 16 city area stations before 7.45 am, and up to 50 cents discount for exits between 7.45 am and 8.00 am. So far, the trial has resulted in about 7% decrease in exits for the peak period of 8.00 am to 9.00 am, and about 19% increase in exits for the pre-peak period of between 7.00 am and 8.00 am. Another way of looking at the effectiveness of the trial in smoothening the morning peak period travel is to compare the ratio of exits for the peak period hour between 8.00 am and 9.00 am, with that for the pre-peak hour between 7.00 am and 8.00 am. For the 16 city MRT stations, encouragingly, this ratio has gone down to 2.1 after the Page: 108 implementation of the free travel trial, compared to 2.7 before the trial. It is still early days yet for us to draw conclusions about what the sustainable changes will be. We will continue to monitor the trial and will provide a more detailed assessment in due course.”
“When planning bus routes, while LTA tries to ensure comprehensive connectivity, it has to balance this with the limited resources available and, hence, not all requests for bus services can be met. As for the Member's specific request, part of Potong Pasir Estate is within walking distance of Potong Pasir MRT station on the North East Line, which provides Potong Pasir residents a direct connection to Orchard Road at Dhoby Ghaut MRT station. Service 142 connects residents to Potong Pasir MRT station as well as to Toa Payoh MRT station on the North-South Line, which is just three stops away from Orchard MRT station. In addition, multiple bus services on Upper Serangoon Road provide direct links to the city. Given these existing connections, there are currently no plans for a new direct bus service between Potong Pasir and Orchard Road. Page: 76”
“Many affected commuters also had difficulty boarding buses at Woodleigh and Serangoon stations, due mainly to the heavy commuting traffic during the evening peak period which delayed bus arrivals. I take a very serious view of how this incident was managed. When LTA put in place stricter requirements for incident response following the Committee of Inquiry's recommendations last year, the intent was to avoid subjecting passengers to great discomfort during train disruptions. In this incident, the required timing to commence detrainment was not met2. LTA is investigating the circumstances for the delay in detrainment, and will continue to work with both operators to improve incident management. Since last year, the public transport operators have refined their incident management plans and processes. LTA, in turn, has updated the Codes of Practices on incident management to include lessons learnt from past incidents, and conducts random surprise audits at train stations to ensure that operators are adequately prepared to deal with disruptions and are familiar with the execution of their incident management plans. In addition, LTA regularly conducts table-top and ground deployment exercises with both operators to enhance their preparedness and capabilities in handling disruptions. LTA shares lessons learnt from these exercises as well as from past incidents and audits with both SMRT and SBST. I have emphasised to LTA that it must continue to work closely with them to continuously improve their incident management. Page: 65”
“LTA and SBS Transit (SBST) are still investigating the cause of the train fault that disrupted services on the North East Line on 19 June 2013. Preliminary investigations show that when the train fault occurred at about 6.15 pm, SBST attempted to recover train operations by pushing the faulty train to Hougang station and allow passengers to alight there before withdrawing the train from service. This is the normal procedure, when the safety of passengers is not compromised and lighting and air-conditioning in the train are still functioning. Passengers will then avoid having to detrain in the tunnel and walk along the tracks to the nearest station. However, in this instance, the rescue train and the faulty train could not be coupled, and the push-out operation was not successful. SBST then decided to commence detrainment. Throughout the process, SBST staff were on hand to provide assistance to the detrained passengers. Page: 64 At the same time, SBST activated bus bridging services and allowed free boarding on regular bus services for commuters at other affected North East Line stations. Short loop train services were also maintained between HarbourFront and Woodleigh stations. At bus bridging points, LTA and Police officers were deployed for traffic and crowd control. SBST put up signages and made public announcements in trains and at stations to update commuters on the disruption and the alternate services available. Nevertheless, as I had noted in my immediate response to the incident that evening, SBST's management of the incident could have been better. Many commuters have given feedback that more information could have been made available in a timely manner.”
“Finally, let me put this free pre-peak travel trial in the context of all the other initiatives that we are undertaking to increase the capacity of our rail network and reduce train crowding. These include new rail lines, additional trains, and upgrading projects like re-signalling of the North-South and East-West Lines, all of which will be ready progressively in about two to three years' time. We are determined to do whatever it takes to reduce crowdedness on our rail network, both in the short term and the longer term.”
“The one-year trial for free pre-peak travel aims to alleviate the morning peak hour crowding on the rail network on city-bound routes, which typically experience the highest level of crowding. A 10% to 20% shift should result in a more comfortable ride for commuters. The trial was launched on 24 June 2013. The results in the first two weeks have been encouraging. On average, comparing the first two weeks' data with the exit patterns in May and June 2013 before the start of the trial, and making appropriate adjustments for overall ridership changes so that higher or lower ridership and seasonal effects are corrected, we are seeing about 6% to 7% decrease in exits for the peak period of 8.00 am to 9.00 am, and about 18% to 19% increase in exits for the pre-peak period of between 7.00 am and 8.00 am. Another way to measure the effectiveness of the trial is how much we have been able to smoothen the morning peak in our rail network. Again, this will take time to fully study, but just based on the exit patterns of the past two weeks, we are seeing some smoothening. Prior to the trial, peak period exits for the one-hour period between 8.00 am and 9.00 am through the 16 city MRT stations was around 2.7 times that of the one-hour pre-peak period between 7.00 am and 8.00 am. The first two weeks of the trial has reduced this ratio to about 2.1 times. Flexible work arrangements will help this initiative to succeed. The Public Service has implemented flexible working hours, which enables its staff to take advantage of the free pre-peak travel trial, and we are also working with several large private sector organisations to likewise offer flexible working arrangements. I would like to encourage more employers to adopt flexible work Page: 63 arrangements.”
“Certainly, I share those same concerns because my constituency is on the other side of the same road. So, believe me, I have great, Page: 61 great interest to make sure that any delay is kept to the minimum possible, because we know it affects the residents, we know it affects the students. We want to reinstate Bukit Timah and Dunearn Roads as quickly as possible. And therefore, LTA is looking at all means available to it to keep the disruption to the minimum and the delay to as short a time as possible. 4.00 pm”
“The Member is right that we have terminated their contracts. There is no option for them to come back nor do we believe that they have the ability to do so. On the options available to us, we, of course, will file our claims with the insolvency administrator at the right moment. The due date is, I believe, in the middle of August. In the meantime, we hold quite a significant sum of money as a result of the performance bond, the retention sum and works that had been completed, but we have not yet been able to make payment to Alpine. So, we do have some money under LTA that rightfully would have belonged to Alpine if the project had been completed to our satisfaction.”
“In the meantime, let me assure Members that we would want to try to Page: 60 keep the completion of the Downtown Line project with as little delay as possible because this is, certainly, a key priority for the Ministry.”
“Mdm Speaker, I understand that Mr Christopher de Souza1 had also filed a similar question on this issue and so I hope that my answer would also help to shed some light on what is happening in your part of the constituency. Alpine, which is the main civil contractor for two of the contracts on Downtown Line Stage 2 unexpectedly filed for insolvency on 19 June this year. The contracts are for the construction of King Albert Park, Sixth Avenue and Tan Kah Kee stations and they include the tunnels that connect these stations to Botanic Gardens. Following Alpine's insolvency, LTA's immediate priority was to ensure the safety and security of the worksites and equipment. Partially completed structures were secured and specialists were called in to maintain the tunnel boring machines and the recharge wells. LTA worked with MOM to ensure that Alpine's workers were properly looked after. While all works on site have been suspended, LTA has appointed subcontractors to ensure safety on site and to carry out maintenance of the machines and recharge wells before new contractors are appointed. Following this, LTA will need another few weeks to assess the full impact to the work schedule and cost implications. Unfortunately, given these circumstances, there will be a delay to the Downtown Line Stage 2 project timeline, as well as additional costs to be incurred to complete the outstanding works, as new contractors would need to be appointed. LTA will do everything possible to keep the delay to the minimum possible, but we will need some time to properly assess what this delay will entail and also the additional cost involved.”
“Stadium MRT station was designed with more fare gates than other stations, which are located on two large, ground-level concourses, to accommodate large crowds. There are also two sets of fare gates, one at each end of the station, for better accessibility. In addition to these infrastructural provisions, SMRT will also work closely with the Sports Hub to coordinate their crowd management measures. These Page: 153 include operational measures, such as running more trains at higher frequencies and deploying additional mobile fare gates. For better crowd management, SMRT will also provide signage, queue posts and ushers to guide commuter movement within the station.”
“In determining whether a pedestrian crossing is needed, LTA will take into account the traffic volume, road geometry as well as pedestrian safety and convenience. Generally, signalised crossings will be provided at locations with a high volume of pedestrian and vehicle interaction. In the event where the provision of a signalised crossing would adversely affect bus and traffic speeds, LTA will consider other types of crossing facility, such as pedestrian overhead bridges or underpasses.”
“Premium bus services (PBS) offer a higher quality of service. Commuters pay a higher fare to enjoy a faster and more direct journey, Page: 152 and a more comfortable ride and, hence, under this scheme, every commuter is guaranteed a seat. If there is more demand, PBS operators may choose to add more trips.”
“The sale of a used vehicle is a private transaction between a buyer and a seller. The onus is on both parties to agree on how the owner would transfer the ownership of the vehicle to the buyer. LTA has measures in place to ensure that used car transactions are properly carried out. The buyer and seller can arrange for concurrent payment and registration of the transfer of vehicle ownership with LTA if they meet certain pre-requisites, such as having cleared all outstanding vehicle loans and have obtained the necessary identification documents. Upon the transfer, LTA will issue a notification letter to both parties to inform them of the change in ownership. This can also be verified online at the OneMotoring website. LTA also works closely with the Consumers' Association of Singapore (CASE) and the Singapore Vehicle Traders Association (SVTA) to promote industry best practices, including CaseTrust accreditation for motor vehicle dealers.”
“Under the Road Traffic Act, private vehicles are meant for private use and are not allowed to be used for hire and reward. LTA takes a serious view of this and will deploy enforcement officers on the ground when such information is received. Convicted offenders may face a fine and jail term, and have their vehicle forfeited. In 2013, LTA issued warnings to three Malaysian vehicle owners who were suspected to have used their vehicles for private hire in the Rochor area. Passengers who take such vehicles should note that motor insurance policies do not cover such uses and victims will have no Page: 151 recourse to compensation in the event of an accident.”
“The National Taxi Association and the Public Transport Council have collaborated with major taxi companies, such as Comfort, CityCab and SMRT Taxis, to produce a decal advisory on fare evasion, which states the penalties for fare evasion. LTA encourages all taxi companies to prominently display such decals in their taxis. There are no plans to produce decals on penalties related to assault offences. The authorities take any physical abuse of taxi drivers seriously, and will press criminal charges. Together with taxi companies, they are also taking various steps to ensure the safety of taxi drivers. These include training drivers to handle difficult passengers, and installing taxis with distress buttons that can be activated in an emergency.”
“In the three-and-a-half years from 2010 to June 2013, there were a total of 32 major incidents which involve more than 30 minutes of service disruption on our MRT lines. Of these, 17 were on the North-South-East-West Line; nine on the Circle Line and six on the North East Line. If normalised as a proportion of total train-kilometres operated, for the North-South East-West Line and the Circle Line, the number of such service disruptions has come down from January 2011 to May 20131. For the North East Line, due to the two incidents in June, we expect this proportion to go up slightly. We do not classify breakdown incidents according to mechanical, electrical and electronic infrastructure failures. Instead, the majority of service disruptions result from technical faults in the trains, power system or signaling system. The way we classify MRT incidents helps to facilitate the monitoring of trends according to the system in which faults occur, for LTA and the operators to then develop targeted strategies to address these faults.”
“The Traffic Impact Assessment (TIA) study for Haus@Serangoon Garden has been completed. Based on the TIA, the increase in traffic when the 97-unit residential project is completed is within the capacity of the existing road network. In any case, to improve the traffic flow within Serangoon Garden estate, LTA had implemented several measures in 2012. These include the junction improvement at Serangoon Garden Way/Berwick Drive and the provision of an additional left turn storage lane along Serangoon Garden Way leading to Serangoon Garden Circus. Additional lane markings and traffic signs had also been added at all four approaches to the roundabout to guide motorists and enhance safety. LTA will continue to monitor the traffic situation and consider additional measures where necessary.”
“Senior Citizens today already enjoy discounts of about 25% to 55% off adult fares when taking public transport, with concession hours extended to full-day since 2011. There are also various social assistance schemes available to help needy Singaporeans, including Senior Citizens, cope with the general cost of living. In addition, the Fare Review Mechanism Committee is reviewing public transport fare concessions and its report will be released around the middle of this year. I await its recommendations.”
“We place strong emphasis on ensuring the safety and security of all commuters on our public transport system. Police officers patrol stations and trains regularly, during both peak and non-peak periods, to project their presence and deter crime. More in-train CCTVs are also being installed as deterrence. Designating ladies-only carriages during peak hours is an option we have considered. However, there are practical difficulties and challenges. In particular, it would affect overall train capacity. From a social perspective, we would also have to consider whether it is in our society's interests to gender-segregate public places. That said, we are certainly open to other suggestions about what more we can do to provide better security, or even just to enhance the sense of security, for female commuters.”
“There are today more than 40 public agencies located near the 16 city centre MRT stations. Under the Public Service's staggered work hour policy, approximately 14,000 public officers working in these agencies have the option to start work earlier to benefit from the free travel trial. Requests by officers to start work at a particular time are usually made directly to their supervisors and do not always require a formal application. Supervisors will generally approve such requests as long as work outcomes and service deliverables to the public are not compromised.”
“The Singapore Land Transport Authority (LTA) and the Malaysia Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD)8 had jointly awarded the contract for the architectural and engineering consultancy study for the RTS Link between Singapore and Johor Bahru to the consortium of AECOM Singapore Pte Ltd, AECOM Perunding Sdn Bhd and SA Architects Sdn Bhd. Under the contract, the consultant has to develop feasible alignment options for the RTS Link and carry out a detailed engineering design of the adopted option. The option to be adopted will be decided by the Singapore-Malaysia Joint Ministerial Committee (JMC) for Iskandar Malaysia (IM). In addition to AECOM, seven other companies submitted bids for the contract, namely Arup Singapore Pte Ltd, CPG Consultants Pte Ltd, Egis Rail from France, Jurong Consultants Pte Ltd, Meinhardt Infrastructure Pte Ltd, Mott MacDonald Pte Ltd and TY Lin International Pte Ltd. Their prices ranged from around S$28 million to more than S$60 million. The awarded contract sum of S$52.8 million for the RTS Link consultancy study is to be shared equally between Malaysia and Singapore. Singapore's share is S$26.4 million.”
“LTA adopts a range of measures to manage traffic congestion, including infrastructure improvement, traffic light timing adjustment and enforcement. At the vicinity of Clementi MRT station, infrastructure improvements were implemented before the opening of the Clementi Integrated Transport Hub to cater to the anticipated increase in traffic. These included additional exclusive turning lanes for traffic turning into different parts of the Hub, extended bus bay and junction widening at Commonwealth Avenue West/Clementi Avenue 3. LTA has also stepped up enforcement against illegal parking and waiting, especially around the bus bay next to the MRT station. CCTVs will be installed soon as a further deterrence.”
“We are mindful to adopt a balanced approach by taking into consideration both the tangible and intangible aspects of projects. Decisions are not made on monetary costs and benefits alone. The preservation of heritage landmarks and national icons has always been an important consideration in our planning process, and will continue to be so going forward.”
“Let me start with a brief background on the Fort Canning Tunnel. The tunnel was first mooted when URA formulated the Civic District Master Plan for the Bras Basah area, back in 1988. There was active public engagement on the plans back then, particularly on the issue of retaining the National Library building. Options to improve the transportation network in the area were carefully studied. The conclusion was that a realignment of Stamford Road and a tunnel through Fort Canning Hill was the best option to realise the Master Plan's objective of creating a vibrant and pedestrian-friendly civic district around the Bras Basah area. The tunnel would provide the most direct link for traffic from Marina Centre and the Central Business District to Orchard Road, and, in turn, siphon traffic away from the Bras Basah area, making it more pleasant for pedestrians. Therefore, the Fort Canning Tunnel was not justified by traffic benefits alone, but to realise other benefits for the public and in optimising land use for the area. When constructing the tunnel, LTA chose the method of tunneling that would cause the least disturbance to the surroundings and saved about 35 trees, including an iconic 50-year-old Terap tree. Since its opening in January 2007, the Fort Canning Tunnel has served its objectives. Traffic has been diverted from Stamford Road, and public buses can now ply smoothly with minimal delays at junctions. With the narrowing of Stamford Road from four to three lanes, pedestrians too have a better walking experience in the area. It is difficult, if not impossible, to attach a dollar value to heritage landmarks and national icons when evaluating the costs and benefits of a project.”
“In planning the capacity of future MRT lines and stations, various factors are considered, in particular travel patterns resulting from population projections, the geographical distribution of residences and employment, and the utilisation rate of public transport. Buffer capacity is then provided, through procuring more trains than is required in the initial years, and preparing plans in advance to buy more trains to scale up capacity according to demand. For the future lines which LTA is currently planning, we will also be studying the feasibility of building the lines and the stations to be able to accommodate longer trains than what may be needed in the initial years, to provide additional buffer capacity. However, at the same time, we have to balance this wish for buffer capacity against trade-offs like higher costs and the opportunity cost of greater land-take. For existing lines, it is difficult and very complex to expand MRT stations to accommodate longer trains. Amongst others, we will likely need to acquire additional land around the stations. Even if this were possible, modifying the stations would require significant engineering works and likely involve shutting down existing station operations for extended durations. For existing high traffic stations, LTA will instead implement enhancement works where we can to improve the circulation and distribution of passengers, such as providing more entry and exit points and more platform space.”
“From August 2012 to January 2013, about 5,000 used cars were sold monthly, based on the data of cars that were transferred from motor vehicle dealers to buyers via the Land Transport Authority's Temporary Transfer Scheme (TTS). As at 7 May 2013, about 3,800 used cars, or 55% of the around 7,000 used cars that were in the TTS before the car loan restrictions were imposed on 26 February 2013, have been sold. The implementation details for the framework to exempt the physically disabled or their caregivers from the car loan restrictions were made available on 15 April 2013. As at 7 May 2013, MAS has received one application from a borrower under this framework. MAS has also received queries on the framework and expects to receive more applications in due course.”
“The installation of CCTVs to deter illegal parking is currently prioritised for locations along public roads. LTA will work with the community and other relevant agencies on other solutions for the localised parking problems at Sennett Estate.”
“LTA has awarded a contract to repaint the existing footbridge near St Andrew's Village. The repainting of the footbridge commenced on 22 March 2013 and is expected to be completed by end April 2013. Page: 156”
“LTA has engaged a consultant to study stretches of the KJE and PIE (near Jurong) that are suitable for reversible flow lanes. The study is still ongoing.”
“The road level difference between the northbound and southbound lanes of Woodlands Road between Mandai Road and KJE will be adjusted after the construction of Downtown Line 2 is completed, and LTA will consider a controlled right turn from Stagmont Ring Road to Woodlands Road.”
“The island-wide railway noise measurement study found stretches of MRT tracks close to residential areas where noise levels exceed NEA's guidelines of 67 decibels (dBA) averaged over an hour (Leq 1-hour). Noise levels near turnout sections of rail viaducts tend to be higher. LTA will progressively install noise barriers at these hotspots. Due to the physical constraints in carrying out the works, the programme will be closely co-ordinated with other ongoing MRT renewal works, such as sleeper replacement. The first phase comprising 16 stretches of plain line track along the eastern and western sections of the East-West Line, and the Woodlands section of the North-South Line will be implemented between 2014 and 2016. This includes the stretch along Choa Chu Kang Street 62 to Pang Sua Park Connector, which will benefit residents staying near Yew Tee MRT station. The second phase, which will include the Keat Hong area, is expected to be completed by 2020. Details are still being worked out.”
“Of the 4,653 bus stops we have today, 4,484, or 96% are wheelchair-accessible. The remaining 169 bus stops are not yet accessible to persons in wheelchairs, due to reasons, such as site constraints, which would require adjacent properties to be redeveloped first. LTA will continue to work towards making all bus stops wheelchair accessible by upgrading them when opportunities arise.”
“LTA works closely with the local communities to understand and prioritise their different travel needs and requests. In deciding on new routes or service improvements, LTA also incorporates planning information, public feedback, data from its ticketing system, and ground checks. New routes are typically added in areas where there are new public housing developments, such as Yishun, Sengkang and Punggol, and generally implemented in tandem with their completion. With more buses on the road, more priority will be given to them. Today, there are about 180 kilometres of bus lanes and over 200 locations where the Mandatory Give Way to Buses Scheme is implemented. Over the next two years, the coverage of bus priority measures will be enhanced with 30 more kilometres of bus lanes and the Mandatory Give Way to Buses Scheme will be increased by another 150 bus stops. The number of bus hubs, where several buses can pick up passengers at the same time, will also be quadrupled from the existing 10. Enforcement of bus priority schemes will be stepped up, as infringements will result in delays for buses.”
“LTA will also work with the utility agencies to tighten the monitoring and maintenance regime to prevent rupture of underground water pipes which will weaken the ground and lead to formation of sinkholes. Page: 132”
“A motorcyclist was reported to be slightly injured trying to avoid the sinkhole. To minimise the occurrence of sinkholes, prior to any major underground construction, LTA carries out comprehensive investigations of ground conditions and ensures that appropriate construction methods are used. Extensive instrumentation is installed to monitor the ground and building settlement at all times. In addition, LTA closely monitors the condition of the roads, especially those near to excavation sites or where tunnelling works are ongoing, to look out for signs of ground settlement or movement. Tunnelling control parameters are also strictly followed to ensure safety. In addition, LTA checks for potholes, cracks and other physical defects on all roads in Singapore regularly. I assure Members that the safety of motorists is of utmost importance. My Ministry takes a serious view of these incidents. LTA will step up its monitoring efforts. This includes installing more extensometers, which are geotechnical instruments that locate and measure settlement, displacement and deformation in soil and rock, as well as opening up small sections of the pavement or road surface adjacent to excavation sites to physically check for the presence of any voids underneath. To minimise the risk of sinkholes forming due to soil erosion into abandoned utility structures underneath public streets, as in the case of the sinkhole that re-collapsed at Clementi Road, LTA will work with the utility agencies and companies to check their underground structures and records, and to carry out the necessary removal or rectification works.”
“Sinkholes can occur naturally when earth beneath the surface is eroded, typically by water, resulting in subterranean cavities. In the excavation of underground structures, cavities can form when water or fluvial sand leaks into the excavated area. If these cavities are not detected and filled up in time, they will eventually cause a sinkhole. For the Downtown Line, there has been only one incident of sinkhole to date. This happened on 16 March 2013 at Woodlands Road. Investigations show that due to the varied nature of the ground conditions, the excavation works of Downtown Line Stage 2 (DTL2) had led to differential ground settlement, causing an underground water pipe to rupture. The soil movement, coupled with water from the ruptured pipe, weakened the ground under the road and resulted in the sinkhole. On 23 July 2012, there was also an incident of a localised road depression along Bukit Timah Road resulting from tunnelling works for DTL2. The depression was detected promptly and action was taken to remedy it, before it deteriorated to become a sinkhole. For both incidents, there was no injury to motorists or pedestrians, nor damage to vehicles. Page: 131 There had been a number of other sinkhole incidents, but these were not related to any MRT construction activity. In the Keppel Road incident in January this year, investigations found that the sinkhole was caused by an old water pipe bursting. A car was trapped but no one was hurt in the incident. In the two cases on Clementi Road in March 2013, preliminary investigations show that the erosion of soil into an old abandoned utility manhole may have caused the sinkhole and led to the road caving in again after the first sinkhole had been filled.”
“LTA designs traffic junctions with safety as the paramount consideration, while ensuring reasonably smooth traffic flow. LTA frequently studies and reviews traffic junction designs based on international best practices, and applies them to local conditions. Safety enhancements that have been implemented recently include a separate set of traffic lights to control right-turning movements, lighted road studs along pedestrian crossings and advance warning lights for traffic signals turning red. For the specific junction at Lentor Avenue and Yio Chu Kang Road, there has not been any major traffic accident in the last three years. Nevertheless, we note the Member's feedback and LTA will do a safety review for that junction. Page: 128 Currently, motorists who cause death due to reckless, rash or negligent driving can receive a maximum penalty of up to five years' imprisonment, a fine and a driving ban, upon conviction. These penalties are aligned to other criminal acts under the Penal Code where a death is unintentionally caused. The Singapore Police Force reviews the adequacy of the penalty framework regularly and will impose harsher penalties if required.”
“As I have mentioned earlier, there is no intent in the very, very near term to make further changes, until we have greater clarity on the changes and the impact of the changes, then we will consider what else needs to be done. 2.15 pm”
“Madam, let me thank Mr Cedric Foo for that clarification. I think the intent of his question is: is there a possibility and in what way can we put more COEs to Category A? I would say that there have been a number of quite major changes recently for the financing restrictions as well as the ARF. My belief is that it would take a number of bidding cycles, certainly two or three, before we see some clarity as to what is happening, what COE premiums are going to be like and whether there will be a shift of consumer behaviour from the larger to the smaller cars because of the ARF, the higher downpayment and because of the need to repay within five years and the ability to borrow less. We do not know but we think the possibility is that it may put more pressure on Category A COEs. I think that was his point. What we want to see is what is the outcome of the measures that have been introduced, before we take the next set of moves. There has been no shortage of suggestions on a related line – basically, do a redistribution of the COEs. Should we then confine it to Categories A, B and E, or should we include also Category C and Category D because I know there were advocates for Category C for it to have more COEs – and more COEs for Category C, more COEs for Category A. They have to come from somewhere because I think we are quite clear that we do want to maintain the growth rate at 0.5%. The second suggestion is, instead of using 1,600 cc, to use some other category. And indeed, we may consider that or a combination of different criteria so that we can draw a somewhat different line between Category A and Category B cars. These are all preliminary thoughts.”
“Gross cost model – gross cost is the term where basically, the Government takes the revenue risk while we pay them a certain fee to run the buses regardless of the passenger load. It is too early to say as to whether we will apply this to the two PTOs going forward. There is certainly a possibility. It is done in many other cities. In London, they use the gross cost model. But let us settle on what we can do with the private operators first before we decide Page: 75 further.”