Raymond Lim Siang Keat
Singapore
“Mr Chairman, Sir, we launched a slew of measures over the past three years to effect a major transformation to our land transport system. These cover not just big projects like our $60 billion investment to double our rail network but also smaller and equally important things like bus route information at every bus stop and parking guidan…”
“I think the better approach to help Singaporeans cope with the cost-of-living pressures is that which has been outlined by the Finance Minister. That is, instead of trying to bring specific costs down, it is better to give help on the income front.”
“From the experiences of these ongoing public education initiatives, CFC is in the midst of developing a set of guidelines on proper cycling behaviour on dedicated cycling paths. Apart from these efforts, TP has been giving customised talks in schools and at community-level events to provide tips on safe cycling.”
“Er Lee Bee Wah: Sir, I would like to thank the Minister for the comprehensive answer. I have four supplementary questions. Since the announcement of the NSE, I have been receiving overwhelming feedback from my residents from three condominium developments.”
“The Member's second question refers to the noise mitigation measures. LTA actually has considerable experience in doing these. This is not the first time that LTA, because of the compact nature of Singapore, has had to build a major road in close proximity to residential areas.”
“Yes, on a weekly basis. The second question is how much have been claimed to date. We started this on 18th December 2010. As at the end of last year 28th December, we have a total of about 169,000 transactions. We have refunded about $46,000. There was $300,000 overcharged and $46,000 refunded.”
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“Sir, we have already started implementation in January. It is an ongoing process. I would just like to stress that it is not as though we have done this one-off exercise and that was it. This has to be on a continual basis because needs change, travel patterns might change. We did the first four in January. I am not sure whether any bus services were affected in the Member's ward but we would have sent him an advisory, explaining whether any changes would be taking place in this particular exercise. We can understand that most people would like direct connectivity. When we do planning, LTA and the public transport operators really have to decide at the margins because the resources are scarce. Do we put in the extra resources to create a new direct service, or do we put the extra resources in enhancing an existing service where we might have a transfer element in it? These are the things we have to balance. Sometimes, the reason why we cannot give a direct service is because those resources might be better used in one where there is a transfer service. So, residents might still have the bus service to connect from point A to point B, but they might need to make a transfer. We are working on making transfers as seamless as possible so they will be convenient.”
“I think the better approach to help Singaporeans cope with the cost-of-living pressures is that which has been outlined by the Finance Minister. That is, instead of trying to bring specific costs down, it is better to give help on the income front. And so, the Member should look at the package that the Finance Minister has announced, for example, the Growth Dividends, the Workfare Income Supplement and so on. This is a bettter approach because if we make increases on the income side, then we leave it to the individual to decide how best to spend the money, rather than to target specific items such as road tax or other expenditure items.”
“I think the first question the Member raised was the real-time bus arrival information, and whether we could proliferate it to all the bus stops in Singapore. I am speaking from memory, so I may be off here. We have about 3,600 bus stops. What LTA has done is to look at usage, that is how many people use the bus stops and the flow in deciding where to put this bus arrival information. I am not sure whether Sembawang and Yishun qualify but we will have a look at this. What is important is that we should have multiple platforms to deliver this information. My children get it on the mobile phone – there is a service which you can use. You can also go on to the Internet, find the website and you can find the bus arrival information. Intelligent Route Information System (IRIS) is one such example, the Member is right. Individuals can also go to the Journey Planners websites. We will try to proliferate this. I think the Member has made an important point. The more information people have, the better they can manage their time, thus lower the frustration level in waiting for buses. On taxi surcharges: this has been de-regulated but the LTA will work closely with the operators to see how best to get this done. I accept the Member's point. The Member is saying that it is better if the person knows exactly what the different charges are before the person boards the taxi. If we could get the information panels up, a commuter would know exactly what the different charges are. It would help, so, we will look into that.”
“Mr Chairman, Sir, we launched a slew of measures over the past three years to effect a major transformation to our land transport system. These cover not just big projects like our $60 billion investment to double our rail network but also smaller and equally important things like bus route information at every bus stop and parking guidance system in the CBD. We have gone at a hectic pace and have left no stone unturned in our quest to improve our land transport system to ensure a liveable city. In a recent study on Green Cities in Asia by the Economist Intelligence Unit, Singapore's comprehensive, integrated strategy for land transport was highlighted as an exemplar project for transport for others to follow. The study made special mention of measures like increasing public transport mode share, expanding the rail network, integrating rail and bus services, centralising bus planning and controlling vehicle population growth. Sir, these are precisely the measures we have introduced under our Land Transport Master Plan and we will not rest in our pursuit of them.”
“These QoS standards will deliver a better call-booking experience to commuters and will take effect starting October 2011. Mr Hri Kumar and Mr Seng Han Thong asked if we have any plans to provide commuters with more information on the service performance of taxi companies and to make fare structure information clearer. LTA believes that such information will enhance competition and benefit commuters. LTA will therefore publish the taxi companies' monthly performance in QoS standards. It will also publish the results of its quarterly Mystery Customer Audit (MCA). This audit surveys the service provided by taxi drivers, such as whether drivers are polite, help with luggage and are familiar with destinations and routes. Commuters will then be able to distinguish taxi companies that provide better service from those that do not. To provide more information on taxi fares for commuters and tourists, LTA will enhance the displays at taxi stands and the Public Transport Information Guide. LTA will also continue to conduct regular surveys to monitor passengers' waiting times at selected taxi stands with high demand. These results are published on LTA's website and on the information panels at these taxi stands. This will enable commuters to find out about the average waiting times at these taxi stands when they arrive at the queue so that they can make a more informed decision. These results are also shared with the taxi companies, so that taxi drivers are better aware of the demand conditions. LTA will continue to work with the taxi companies and National Taxi Association to review how service in the taxi industry can be further improved to better meet the needs of commuters.”
“Mr Low Thia Khiang asked why new taxi operator licence (TOL) holders will need a fleet of 400 taxis in the first year and 1,000 taxis in the fourth year for licence renewal. LTA has not made any such decision. It had discussions with industry stakeholders on various ways to raise service quality, including the possibility of adjusting the minimum fleet-size requirement. But no decision has been made and the consultations are ongoing. Mr Hri Kumar and Mr Seng Han Thong have asked if we have any plans to raise the standard of taxi services and how this can improve the matching of supply and demand for taxi services. Mr Ong Kian Min mentioned recent complaints on the difficulty in securing call-bookings. As Mr Hri Kumar pointed out call-bookings are an effective way in which demand and supply of taxi services can be better matched in terms of when and where the commuters want it. To improve on call-bookings, LTA will raise the Quality of Service (QoS) standards. LTA monitors these standards on a monthly basis and levies penalties on companies that fail to meet the required standards. Currently, LTA monitors the call-booking performance of taxi companies over three-hour blocks that span the evening peak from 5.00 pm to 11.00 pm on weekdays. LTA will now monitor this performance on an hourly basis to better reflect commuters' experience on the ground. This will motivate taxi companies to improve their operations and be more responsive to the changing demand for taxi services. Call-booking demand during the morning peak hours has also increased over the years. Therefore, LTA will also extend the call-booking standards to cover the morning peak period from 6.00 am to 11.00 am during weekdays.”
“Taxis occupy the same road space as cars and are therefore subject to the same ERP rates as cars. This is what ensures that our roads are not gummed up with traffic. Bus lanes should remain limited to buses as it carries far more people than taxis. Bus lanes allow our buses and roads to transport more people more quickly and smoothly, allowing over 26,000 taxis to join in will set this back. Mr Seng Han Thong asked if there are any guidelines for setting taxi fares that taxi companies can take reference from to avoid infringing on the anti-competition Act. His suggestion is that the Government considers regulating taxi fares by setting formulae and guidelines like how the Public Transport Council (PTC) regulates public transport fares. Sir, the taxi industry is deregulated. This is because taxis are not like buses and trains. Taxis are not an essential service that most Singaporeans rely upon as their principal means of transport. Taxis are, indeed, closer to private transport. In some ways, it is better than owning your own car as you have a driver who takes care of the driving. The market structure is also different. There are only two basic bus and train operators. This can give them considerable pricing power, which can be abused if left unchecked. In contrast, there are seven taxi companies. Competition helps to keep fares competitive. Like other competitive industries, the taxi industry is subject to regulatory oversight under the Competition Act. Taxi companies are allowed to make individual decisions on fare setting, and the Competition Commission of Singapore (CCS) will investigate if there is any anti- competitive behaviour by taxi companies such as collusion.”
“Furthermore, our system is already progressive. There are separate COE categories for small cars and big cars, so that buyers of small cars and big cars do not bid against each other. The Additional Registration Fee (ARF) and road tax for cars are also set based on the Open Market Value (OMV) and engine capacity respectively. Hence, purchasers of bigger or more expensive cars pay more in ARF and road tax than other buyers. Our COE system should not be further burdened with having to prejudge which families deserve how many cars. Different families come in different sizes and have different needs. The market mechanism is best left to decide this. We will focus on doing all we can to improve our public transport system and make it a choice mode. This will better meet our transport objectives. 5.00 pm Mr Chiam See Tong, in his cut, suggested that we waive the ERP charges as has been done in the case of TV and Radio Licences. The ERP charges, Sir, is a not a revenue measure. The ERP charge is a congestion measure: it is to deal with congestion on the roads. It is to help us ensure smooth flowing traffic. By waiving ERP charges, it does not mean that the congestion goes away, it remains there. In fact, when you drive, you get stuck, there is a hidden cost to it. The cost of the fuel spent and the time wasted. Dr Lim Wee Kiak asked whether taxis can be accorded lower ERP charges and be allowed to travel in bus lanes to ease traffic congestion. ERP charges are meant to help ensure smooth flowing traffic on our roads by managing the demand for driving. Any vehicle that contributes to the congestion is charged the appropriate ERP rate according to how much it contributes to the congestion.”
“LTA also consulted international tunnel experts with extensive experience building and operating long road tunnels for our earlier projects like the KPE. The local context and climate were important factors. For example, the NSE will need to carry substantially higher traffic. Our tropical climate also means we need to adopt much more stringent ventilation provisions than tunnels in temperate countries to comply with temperature requirements within the tunnel. So the design that was chosen for the NSE was the one best suited for our local context and climate. Mr Ong Kian Min also suggested that covering up the semi-tunnels will free up more land space above. However, most of the semi-tunnel will already be constructed underground. Hence, contrary to what he expected, if we covered up the semi-tunnels, we will need to find more land for additional ventilation buildings. Mr Ong Kian Min asked if there is a systematic way for LTA to disseminate traffic information to our radio stations. LTA has been providing such traffic information on real-time basis to MediaCorp since 1998. Since 2008, LTA has also purchased dedicated air-time on four MediaCorp radio stations to broadcast LTA's traffic information in four languages. As for response time for incidents on the expressways, LTA's traffic marshals would respond on scene within eight to 15 minutes. Mr Seah Kian Peng suggested that each family be limited to one car. The COEs for a family's second and third cars should be priced much higher. The objective is to have fewer cars on our roads. However, such measures do not go to the heart of the issue. The way to have fewer cars on our roads is to limit the overall growth of the vehicle population through the use of quotas, as our COE system does.”
“Apart from reducing the demand on the transport network, transport capacity in the less crowded direction, such as outwards from the city during the morning peak, can also be better utilised. On the staggering of operating hours, this is already something that some schools, in close proximity to each other, have implemented in localised areas. A growing number of workplaces, including the Civil Service, have also adopted more flexible office hours for their employees. This allows people to determine what best suits their individual situations and preferences. However, large-scale adoption is not straightforward as there are several issues to consider, including the potential economic cost of staggered business hours. Sir, I will now turn to the issues raised by Members on managing road use. Senior Parliamentary Secretary Teo Ser Luck will address the questions on meeting the diverse transport needs of Singaporeans. Mr Ong Kian Min asked whether other ventilation options were considered in the design of the North South Expressway (NSE). He cited Gotthard and Arlberg Road Tunnels in the Alps in Europe as examples of long road tunnels that do not seem to require large ventilation buildings. Sir, like the NSE, both the road tunnels that Mr Ong mentioned do need ventilation centres. In fact, the Arlberg Road Tunnel that Mr Ong mentioned is said to have a ventilation shaft that is over 700 metres in height and the deepest in Europe. The difference is that in Singapore, we are a land-constrained and built-up city, whereas those road tunnels are built in the rural regions in the Alps. Their ventilation structures may therefore appear less obvious against their backdrop. For the NSE project, LTA considered various ventilation schemes, including those adopted in Europe.”
“It also shows that the number of commuters who benefited from distance fares has continued to increase. Overall, 71% of commuters saw weekly fare savings compared to the 63% that was originally projected. And the figure for senior citizens is higher, at 76% in January 2011, compared to the 70% originally projected. In fact, as the public transport operators (PTOs) pointed out in their recent results announcements, average fare revenues of the public transport operators have fallen since distance fares was introduced. More commuters are making use of the flexibility afforded by distance fares, and optimising their journeys by choosing the best routes to reach their destination. I would like to assure Members that the fare system is robust. LTA and the public transport operators identified a number of errors in the bus stop distances last year, and these have been rectified. To ensure the accuracy of the bus stop distance data going forward, the Public Transport Council has put in place a framework requiring bus operators to ensure that bus stop distances are updated regularly. We take these issues seriously, and everything possible has been done to preserve the integrity of the fare system. Dr Lim has also suggested that we manage demand rather than supply to alleviate crowding on our public transport network. At the planning level, we are already working with land use agencies like URA, to plan for well-distributed employment nodes closer to homes to mitigate the pressure on the public transport network. Minister Mah mentioned this last week. More housing units will be injected in the west and in the city to improve the job-worker distribution.”
“For example, real-time bus arrival information systems have been installed at selected bus stops and will be extended to more bus hubs in the future. A suite of information portals has been introduced progressively to help commuters to plan their trips better. The PublicTransport@SG portal, which provides public transport information, bus arrival time and bus routes, attracts over 3.5 million page-views a month. The One.Motoring portal, which reported over 12 million page-views a month, provides useful traffic information to motorists. Last year, LTA went mobile with the portal MyTransport.sg. MyTransport.sg is an aggregation of mobile services under one portal. Commuters can now access transport information like bus routes, or traffic news on their mobile phones, and plan their journeys using different modes of travel to reach their destinations faster. This portal was rated highly by My Paper, and attracts an average of about 500,000 page-views a month. Dr Lim and Mr Seah have also asked about distance fares. Distance fares is a key component of the integration of our hub-and-spoke public transport network, and allows commuters more choices and greater flexibility in selecting their routes. Mr Seah asked if distance fares has really benefited commuters. If Members look at what has been happening since the system started to stabilise, I think people see the benefits. Mr Wang Min Sheng, for example, wrote in to Lianhe Zaobao and gave a few examples of his public transport journeys where he enjoyed savings. He also said, "I welcome the move to such a fare system. I am confident to say that there are Singaporeans who, like me, have enjoyed savings." Our latest data for January 2011 supports his view.”
“LTA has looked at this and will expand the facilities at some of these to accommodate more buses, reduce bus dwell times and minimise localised congestion. This will mean faster journeys and shorter waiting times for commuters. This programme was piloted at the bus stop in front of Block 270 at Bukit Panjang. Bus dwell times have been reduced after the bus stop was expanded to allow more buses to pull into the bus bay for passengers to board and alight. The LTA has identified more than 30 existing bus stops that can be upgraded to "bus hubs", including some at Woodlands Centre Road and Commonwealth Avenue West and will be doing so progressively, starting at the end of this year. Dr Lim and Mr Seah Kian Peng asked about our efforts to improve the integration of our rail network and bus services to achieve seamless, convenient and efficient travel for commuters. By assuming the role as the central bus planner, LTA is now able to plan the rail, bus and road networks in a more holistic manner. This includes planning for supporting infrastructure such as bus depots, as well as Integrated Transport Hubs, where air-conditioned bus interchanges and MRT stations are co-located with retail and commercial activities to provide added convenience for commuters. Ten Integrated Transport Hubs were announced in the LTMP. Two new ones, in Serangoon and Clementi, will begin operations in the second half of this year. LTA has planned for more integrated transport hubs to be built in the medium term, in Bukit Panjang, Hougang Central and Yishun. Apart from ensuring that the requisite infrastructure is in place, we also want to provide commuters with more information to facilitate their journey decisions.”
“When interviewed by the Straits Times last year, for instance, 66-year-old retiree Jimmy Yap said that the changes to Service 76 gave him a direct link from Parkway Parade mall to his flat. Mdm Koh Geok Lin also wrote to us to say that the new route "makes it so much easier for elderly people, especially with heavy purchases". LTA will continue to make such improvements to bus services where possible. To recognise the important role that public buses play in our public transport system, the Government will exempt public omnibuses from Additional Registration Fees (ARF) payable, starting from 10th March 2011. Public omnibuses are already exempted from the Vehicle Quota System but were subjected to a relatively low ARF rate of 5% of the Open Market Value (OMV) of the vehicle. The Government has decided to completely exempt public omnibuses operated by SBST and SMRT Buses from the ARF payable. This will help our public bus operators, as they renew or expand their bus fleets. In the coming year, SBST and SMRT will bring in about 400 new buses, including high capacity ones like double-deckers. These buses will replace some of their existing bus fleet, and also be injected to improve existing service levels. Commuters can look forward to more comfortable rides on the new buses and improved bus frequencies when they are put into operation. Improvements to bus services are not the only things that bus commuters can look forward to. LTA will also improve existing infrastructure for a better bus commuting experience. In our bus network, some major bus stops act as a transit hub where multiple bus services call and connections to onward journeys can be made.”
“For example, bus speeds along Upper Thomson Road have improved by about 20% as a result of the bus lanes, resulting in significant reductions in travel time from Ang Mo Kio to Newton. We have also expanded the Mandatory-Give-Way-to-Buses Scheme, which imposes mandatory right-of-way for buses leaving bus bays, and has reduced the time buses take to exit bus bays by up to 73%. LTA has implemented this scheme at 202 bus bays islandwide, up from 44 a year ago. LTA will continue to implement this scheme at bus bays that are found to be suitable. This year, the LTA will be commencing a small scale trial to explore different ways of making the signal priority for buses at traffic junctions more effective. Dr Lim and Assoc. Prof. Dr Muhammad Faishal asked for an update on the central bus planning. Since assuming the role of the Central Bus Planner, LTA has engaged various stakeholders in its bus planning consultation. The reaction to the consultation exercise has generally been positive. Our public consultation with the grassroots and various stakeholders will not stop there but is an ongoing process. LTA will continue to engage the community at various levels through its network of Community Partnership Managers, and progressively implement bus route changes that benefit as many commuters as possible. Assoc. Prof. Dr Muhammad Faishal asked how commuters have benefited from the central bus planning. The benefits range from providing better connectivity to MRT stations such as Service 410 that was diverted at Shunfu Road to provide greater access to Marymount MRT Station and Shunfu market, to that of making it more convenient for the elderly to access bus services in Marine Terrace by amending Service 76.”
“For example, more double deck buses have been deployed for Services 79 and 95 and additional trips will be injected for Service 169 during the evening peak. 4.45 pm This brings the total number of bus services that have improved since this process started in June 2010 to 51, or one in five bus services. These enhancements allow service levels to be kept above and beyond the standards set by the Public Transport Council. Both operators will continue to identify more bus services that can be improved in the ensuing quarters. Starting next Monday, SMRT Buses will also introduce a new Express Bus Service 971E. This will offer Bukit Panjang residents an additional travel option to the CBD. Express Bus Service 971E will run from Bukit Panjang to the city during the morning peak hours, with a travel time generally comparable to taking the LRT and MRT. This is in addition to the Express Service 868 that SMRT Buses implemented recently. Service 868 was introduced under the Parallel Bus Service Scheme and runs from Bukit Batok West Avenue 5 to Temasek Avenue. It has been useful in providing an alternative mode of transport for residents staying along sections of existing MRT lines where there are persistent heavy passenger loads during the morning peak hours. Dr Lim Wee Kiak and Mr Ong Kian Min have asked about the speed and reliability of bus services and how bus schedules can be improved. To improve bus journeys, we have given buses greater priority on the roads. Today, we have 155 kilometres and 23 kilometres of normal and full-day bus lanes respectively, and bus journey speeds along these lanes have increased by an average of 7%.”
“The Circle Line extension to Marina Bay in 2012, Downtown Line Stage 1 from Bugis to Chinatown in 2013, North South Line extension to Marina Pier in 2014, Downtown Line Stage 2 from Bugis to Bukit Panjang in 2015, the Tuas extension in 2016, and Downtown Line Stage 3 from Chinatown to Singapore Expo in 2017 – a section every year for the next six years. We will also start major upgrading works for the signalling system for the NSEWL this year. The new signalling system will allow trains to run at intervals of 100 seconds at peak periods, compared to existing intervals of 120 seconds. Commuters will benefit through shorter waiting times. Additional trains will also be bought to reap the full benefits of the upgraded signalling capability. The resignalling works will be completed in phases between 2016 and 2018 and increase capacity by up to 20%. There are also plans for the NEL to receive around 12 additional new trains in about four to five years' time. The additional trains will cater to the future ridership growth along the north-east corridor from Harbourfront to Punggol. They are expected to increase the capacity for the NEL by up to 50%. Let me move to our bus services. We are closely monitoring the loading levels and reliability of our bus services. Last year, LTA started a quarterly review process with the public transport operators, to identify heavily-utilised bus services and improve their capacity along crowded sectors of the route during the peak periods. Later today, LTA and the public transport operators will announce the latest round of service improvements. A total of 21 heavily utilised bus services will see improvements, through measures such as deploying higher capacity buses and adjusting scheduled headways.”
“We are continuing to monitor the loading on both the Bukit Panjang LRT (BPLRT) and Sengkang and Punggol LRT systems, and are in the midst of various engineering studies with the operators. To cater for ridership growth on the BPLRT, LTA is working with the operator on the additional trains needed to enhance the capacity of the BPLRT system. We expect to finalise the details by the second half of this year. This year will also see the opening of a new section of our rail network. We expect Stages 4 and 5 of the Circle Line (CCL) to be operational by October this year. This will enhance accessibility for an estimated 200,000 residents and 120,000 workers who live or work along the section of the line from Marymount to Harbourfront Stations. When fully open, we expect the CCL to help relieve crowding levels on critical stretches of existing MRT lines by about 10%-15%. In addition, some 16 new trains will be delivered for the CCL by 2015, to cater for future ridership growth. Our longer term plans to expand our current network and increase the rail capacity on the existing lines are also proceeding apace. We would like to assure Dr Lim that we will open the new lines in phases, rather than open them when they are fully completed. This approach ensures that commuters will be able to take advantage of the speed and reliability of rail travel earlier. We will be opening a section of rail every year for the next six years.”
“SBST will add one more train to Sengkang East in May, to alleviate crowding during the morning peak. As a result, the morning peak capacity on the Sengkang East LRT will increase by 14%. SBST will also run the Punggol LRT East Loop in both directions throughout the day from June 2011. This will result in improved travel times, as commuters will have a choice of either direction of travel on the Punggol East LRT. There is more good news for commuters. In the past, SMRT and SBST ran extended last train services to 2.00 am on the eves of three holidays – Christmas, New Year and Chinese New Year. Both public transport operators will henceforth extend the last train to 12.30 am at city stations on the eves of all other public holidays as well. Assoc. Prof. Fatimah Lateef has, on several occasions, asked about the plans to open Woodleigh Station on the NEL. Woodleigh Station has remained closed since the NEL began operations in 2003 because of low commuter traffic in the vicinity. The pace of new developments around Woodleigh has since picked up, and Assoc. Prof. Fatimah Lateef will be happy to hear that SBST has decided to open the station in June this year. Many commuters, especially those living near Woodleigh Station and also in the Braddell Road and Joo Seng area, will benefit from this. Like Woodleigh Station, Damai Station on the Punggol LRT was constructed in anticipation of future developments in the area. As there are new developments in the area, SBST has decided to open Damai Station in June this year as well. With the opening of the Damai Station, Punggol East Loop will be fully operational in June.”
“While we are very mindful that the implementation of the Land Transport Master Plan (LTMP) is very much a work-in-progress, such survey results affirm that we are heading in the right direction. We will do more to improve our public transport system. These surveys help us to identify what matters most to commuters so that we can focus our efforts on them. Dr Lim Wee Kiak and Mr Ong Kian Min have pointed out that our trains and buses are crowded. We have been proactively working with the public transport operators on several measures that will bring relief to our commuters. First, by growing our rail capacity aggressively. Second, pushing hard to improve our bus services on multiple fronts, from faster travel time to better information. And, third, paying close attention to details to ensure that the transport system is seamlessly integrated, for the benefit of the commuter. First, improving our rail capacity. For this year, commuters can look forward to the following: Shorter waiting times. Starting this Sunday (13th March 2011), SMRT will increase train services by adding another 420 train trips per week. About a week later, SBS Transit (SBST) will start adding another 170 train trips per week during the morning and evening peaks, as well as off-peak hours. In May, we will open the new platform at Jurong East Station and remove the bottleneck there. This will allow SMRT to run more trains during the peak hours on the North-South-East-West Lines (NSEWL). Together, these improvements mean that trains will come at higher frequencies. Commuters therefore will have shorter waits to board the trains, and enjoy more comfortable journeys overall. [Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Matthias Yao Chih) in the Chair] We are also monitoring the passenger loads at Sengkang LRT.”
“Sir, I thank Members for their comments and suggestions, and will address the key ones on public transport. Our aim is to build a land transport system that puts the needs of the people at the centre. Improving our public transport system is a critical part of this as most Singaporeans rely on the bus or train as their principal means of transport. This is why we are doing everything possible to improve our rail system, our bus system, and to ensure that all the pieces of our public transport system fit together, with the commuter as our focus. Dr Lim Wee Kiak has asked if these public transport improvement measures have been successful. To ensure that we have an accurate sense of how our public transport system is serving commuters, LTA has commissioned a Public Transport Customer Satisfaction Survey every year since 2006. The results by SIM University (UniSIM) for 2010 showed that overall satisfaction with our public transport services has remained high, at above 90%, despite the increased ridership on the public transport system. *Cols. 4315-4316. Late last year, the Straits Times conducted its own independent straw poll to find out how commuters felt about our bus services. More than 80% gave it a thumbs-up. In addition, six in 10 commuters interviewed felt that bus services had improved in the last two years. More recently, the travel and lifestyle website CNNGo, labelled Singapore as one of the "coolest" countries in the world. The Straits Times subsequently asked some 200 Singaporeans to list some of the things that they thought made Singapore "cool". The outcome? "Good transport system" topped the list, ahead of "Food" at number three and "Shopping" at number five.”
“From the experiences of these ongoing public education initiatives, CFC is in the midst of developing a set of guidelines on proper cycling behaviour on dedicated cycling paths. Apart from these efforts, TP has been giving customised talks in schools and at community-level events to provide tips on safe cycling. At these talks, TP shares case studies of traffic accidents involving cyclists and the benefits of using a pre-riding checklist for cyclists. In addition, road safety exhibitions which provide safety tips for cyclists have been held at HDB neighbourhoods, schools and workplaces. With support from various stakeholders, CFC will continue to be committed to the cause of shaping and promoting good cycling behaviour through our public education and enforcement efforts. BARRIERS FACED BY SMES IN RAISING SKILLS OF LOW-INCOME WORKERS 10. Assoc. Prof. Paulin Tay Straughan asked the Minister for Manpower what are some of the barriers faced by small and medium-sized enterprises with regard to (i) raising the skill levels of low-income workers; and (ii) hiring Singaporeans.”
“One of the key objectives of the Cycling Facilitation Committee (CFC) is to establish a common, community-led approach to address and better coordinate public education and enforcement efforts on cycling. The CFC recognises that the combined efforts of various Government agencies and local communities to implement these measures are the primary driver to shape and promote safe cycling behaviour. Since its formation, CFC has been piloting a number of initiatives to create greater awareness on safe cycling. The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has worked with local communities and other Government agencies to distribute brochures on safe cycling to the residents during the recent launches of the initial phases of cycling paths in Tampines and Taman Jurong. Such public education efforts will continue with the progressive launch of cycling paths in the cycling towns. CFC also found that Safe Cycling Clinics and Volunteer Cycle Warden Schemes are amongst the more successful community engagement efforts to educate cyclists on the common practices for safe cycling. Since September 2009, the Safe Cycling Task Force (SCTF) and Traffic Police (TP) have conducted 27 cycling clinics for a total of 9,500 participants within Tampines Town at community events, schools and foreign worker dormitories. There are plans to have these Safe Cycling Clinics replicated in the other cycling towns. Tampines has also put in place a Volunteer Cycle Warden Scheme, which involves the grassroots and resident volunteers to police any unsafe cycling behaviour at "hotspots" such as junctions and bus shelters. Similar engagement efforts to educate cyclists have been carried out successfully in Aljunied, Eunos and Paya Lebar with the support of the local communities and LTA.”
“With the e-Day Licence system in place, OPC drivers, most of whom are law-abiding, would no longer have their journeys disrupted because of OPC enforcement checks when they use their OPCs during restricted hours. Instead, OPCs sighted on the roads during restricted hours will be recorded and subsequently verified against the backend records to establish if a valid e-Day Licence had been purchased. Given the substantial financial savings that OPC owners enjoy, there is a need to guard against abuse of the scheme by the errant minority. The enforcement regime under the e-Day Licence scheme has been more effective in detecting OPC violations. Since the implementation, the number of detected OPC offences had increased from about 1,300 a year in 2008 and 2009, to about 12,000 offences in 2010. ENSURING SAFE CYCLING IN SINGAPORE 9. Er Lee Bee Wah asked the Minister for Transport (a) if he will update the House on efforts of the Cycling Facilitation Committee set up in 2009 to establish a common code of practice for safe cycling and its public education and enforcement efforts against reckless cycling behaviour; and (b) when will the Ministry implement any of its recommendations.”
“The Off-Peak Car (OPC) scheme offers new and existing car owners the option to save on car registration and road taxes in return for restricted hours of usage. Car owners who register a brand new OPC will enjoy an upfront tax rebate of up to $17,000 as well as annual road tax discounts. Normal cars converted to OPCs also enjoy equivalent rebates. In exchange for these substantial tax concessions, OPCs cannot be used during restricted hours unless the OPC users purchase a $20 day licence. The Electronic Day (e-Day) Licence system for Off-Peak Cars (OPCs) was implemented on 23rd November 2009 to replace the paper licence scheme. Under the e-Day Licence system, OPC users have the added convenience of purchasing their e-Day Licences through a range of new channels such as online purchase via www.onemotoring.com.sg, AXS kiosks, and mobile-SMS services between 6.00 am and midnight daily. These are in addition to Singapore Post outlets and Automobile Association of Singapore offices where paper licences were previously purchased. Under the new system, OPC users also have the flexibility to purchase their e-Day Licences after using the OPC as long as they do so before 2359 hours the next day. These changes are significant and beneficial to OPC users as they no longer have to pre-purchase the paper licences and display them in their vehicles during the restricted hours. Prior to the launch of the system, there were press releases to announce the details of the new system. Letters and guidebooks were sent to all OPC owners. Information on the scheme is also available on LTA’s website www.onemotoring.com.sg.”
“They are studying it right now. They are doing the engineering studies and I think they will try to complete it as soon as possible and explain to the Member's residents once they are done. One of the estates in the Member's constituency – I think it is Bullion Park Condominium – came up with a suggestion on how to put the screen. LTA is looking into all of these suggestions. Yes, the project takes six to seven years. It is a major project that goes from the North to the South. Can we complete it in phases? I think this is something that LTA can consider to see how best it can be done. DEATH AT RECENT "LOSE TO WIN" PROGRAMME 6. Dr Lam Pin Min asked the Minister for Health (a) what circumstances led to the demise of the participant from the "Lose To Win" reality TV programme organised by the Health Promotion Board; (b) whether there were sufficient safeguards in place to ensure participants were selected carefully and the weight loss programme executed safely; and (c) whether there were any other adverse consequences experienced by other participants of this programme. 7. Dr Ong Seh Hong asked the Minister for Health (a) whether he will provide details on the "Lose to Win" programme of the Health Promotion Board (HPB) to encourage people to lose weight and the medical and scientific basis for such promotion of health; (b) what were the causes that led to the death of a contestant; and (c) what assurances can be provided that future HPB health-related promotions will not compromise public safety.”
“The Member's second question refers to the noise mitigation measures. LTA actually has considerable experience in doing these. This is not the first time that LTA, because of the compact nature of Singapore, has had to build a major road in close proximity to residential areas. They have done this before, and have been fairly successful in ensuring that it complies with the NEA's standard for road traffic noise. Those measures that I have mentioned in my reply are things that they have done before, whether it is dense planting, using porous asphalt or shaped screens to reflect the noise inwards. These are things that they have had some experience with. Could the Member repeat the third question? Er Lee Bee Wah: How long will LTA take to study all these measures? As I understand, they are at the studying stage. Like the shaped screens, I think there is no project that uses the shaped screens as yet.”
“First, I would like to thank the Member. I know the Member has been working hard and bringing the concerns of the residents to the LTA. LTA has found this very useful, and I think the Member's decision to form a working committee in her constituency to look into this matter is a good one. The Member has my assurance that LTA will work very closely with her on how best to address these concerns. Let me now take the Member's four supplementary questions. On the issue of whether we could convert the semi-tunnel to a closed tunnel, I have explained in my reply why we could not do so. LTA, in the planning process, considered as one possibility a full tunnel in the affected areas. To do that, they needed to find land to put the ventilation building. The ventilation building is quite sizeable – 15,000 square metres, which is close to two-and-a-half football fields. They have to find land for that. The possible land sites had competing uses. Members know that in Singapore, our scarcest resource is land. So in any project that we do, we try our very best to minimise the land take. We have a Master Planning Committee, chaired by the URA Chief Planner, comprising all the land-use agencies from MINDEF to HDB. They sit whenever there is a major road project like this, looking at all these competing land uses for the land. They decide on what is the appropriate balance. In the case of a major road project, they need to balance the need to minimise the land take against the need to minimise the potential disamenities of the major road project. They went through a very rigorous process over a few years looking into these, and the road configuration they decided upon is what they feel would maximise the overall benefit for Singaporeans, as a whole, in the long term.”
“Er Lee Bee Wah: Sir, I would like to thank the Minister for the comprehensive answer. I have four supplementary questions. Since the announcement of the NSE, I have been receiving overwhelming feedback from my residents from three condominium developments. Due to the overwhelming feedback from the affected residents, I would like to ask the Minister whether he would consider converting the semi-tunnels that are close to the residential area to full tunnels. The second question: how sure is the Minister that the noise mitigation measures just mentioned, for example, the planting, porous asphalt and shaped screens, will work? The third question: how long will LTA take to conclude the details of these noise-mitigation measures studies? Lastly, the six to seven years of construction period is very long for the affected residents. Can the Minister look into phased completion, that is, to get the contractor to finish the stretch near to the residents in a shorter duration?”
“The possible sites for these ventilation buildings such as the undeveloped land around Lentor Avenue and Yio Chu Kang Road are encumbered by the existing MRT viaduct or currently form part of MINDEF’s training ground, or are close to Yio Chu Kang MRT Station where the land has been set aside for high-density residential use. To place a ventilation building on any of these sites would put at risk the operations of a live MRT line or impede training for our national defence, or constrain our ability to have more homes in close proximity to the Yio Chu Kang MRT Station. In addition, a ventilation building in the vicinity of Bishan Park would also be required. However, this would adversely affect PUB’s Active, Beautiful and Clean (ABC) upgrading programme at the heavily-used park. I hope Members will understand that some difficult decisions had to be taken in order to bring about a major road project like the NSE. The Government had to decide on an alignment and expressway design that takes into consideration the competing land uses while still meeting its intended purpose. We recognise that some premise owners and residents may have concerns with noise from the NSE. Let me assure Members that, regardless of the configuration, LTA will ensure that the NSE will comply with NEA’s standards for road traffic noise when the NSE is in operation. LTA will conduct a detailed engineering study and implement appropriate mitigation measures wherever necessary. Possible measures include dense planting, the use of porous asphalt on the road surface, and design features such as shaped screens at the openings of the semi-tunnels to reflect traffic noise away from residents as much as possible.”
“Mr Speaker, the North-South Expressway (NSE) is a major road project that will provide a high speed road link to the city centre from residential estates such as Woodlands, Sembawang, Yishun, Ang Mo Kio and Toa Payoh. Many residents will directly benefit from the NSE as travel time to the city is expected to be reduced by up to 30% after its opening. Without the NSE, congestion on major roads along the North-South corridor, such as the CTE and Thomson Road, will build up with the expected future growth in households living in the North. We estimate that the entire NSE project will cost between $7 billion and $8 billion, and that construction will take about six to seven years. The Government proceeded with the NSE project only after careful planning and deliberation. We considered various factors, including the need to minimise land acquisition and land take, and to mitigate the potential disamenities that could result from the project. We also strived to adopt the most cost-effective solutions available. As far as possible, LTA has designed the NSE as a full tunnel in the highly urbanised areas. However, this is not always feasible. The NSE was designed as a semi-tunnel between the SLE and south of Ang Mo Kio Avenue 9, and between Sin Ming Avenue and north of Pemimpin Place after careful consideration. In order for these stretches to be full tunnels, more land would be needed for ventilation buildings. These are large buildings, each requiring around 15,000 square metres of land. They have to be sited close to the tunnel, and at certain intervals to fulfil ventilation requirements.”
“Yes, on a weekly basis. The second question is how much have been claimed to date. We started this on 18th December 2010. As at the end of last year 28th December, we have a total of about 169,000 transactions. We have refunded about $46,000. There was $300,000 overcharged and $46,000 refunded. Would we consider extending the claim period? Right now, we have given six months. It is quite a long time. I think we can look at it closer to that day. Right now, six months is sufficient. We will see where it goes from here. MEASURES TO ASSIST DISPLACED PMETS IN FINDING NEW JOBS 16. Mdm Halimah Yacob to ask the Minister for Manpower if he would provide (i) an update on the measures that are in place to assist professional, managerial, executive and technical staff to upgrade their capabilities as well as in finding new jobs for those who have been displaced due to restructuring or retrenchments; and (ii) the number of people who have benefited from such schemes for the past three years.”
“I gave the Member the answer just now on the EZ-Link card. Through the CEPAS card, 6.9% were overcharged and 2.1% were undercharged. That is the first question –”
“Affected commuters need not make a special trip and can get their refund when they next top up their cards. Unclaimed refunds will be contributed to the Public Transport Fund which will go to benefit needy families. Going forward, the Public Transport Council has put in place a framework to require bus operators to ensure that bus stop distances are updated correctly and on time following changes to the bus stop locations. Failure to do so could result in penalties.”
“Sir, the LTA and the public transport operators have completed a thorough review of all 6,600 bus stop pairs in the system. This review was undertaken after LTA found distance discrepancies in 13 bus stop pairs after the launch of distance fares on 3rd July 2010. In this review, distance discrepancies were found in 68 bus stop pairs (about 1% of total bus stop pairs) which led to overcharging, and 30 bus stop pairs (about 0.45%) which led to undercharging. On a weekly basis about 6.9% of CEPAS cards were overcharged and 2.1% were undercharged. LTA and the bus operators have since apologised for the errors and for the inconvenience caused to commuters and have taken steps to refund commuters that were overcharged due to the distance errors. In response to commuters' feedback received on the old refund process, LTA has made improvements so that it is now faster and more convenient for affected commuters to get their refunds. Commuters can get a full refund on the spot and at their convenience at any TransitLink Add Value Machine (AVM), TransitLink Ticket Office or Concession Card Replacement Office which are available at most MRT stations, bus interchanges and selected bus stops. Commuters need not remember the bus service numbers, nor fill in any form. They only need to present their CEPAS cards to receive the refund if they are eligible for one. Senior citizens who are not familiar with the Add Value Machines can approach any TransitLink Ticket Offices with their cards. The staff at the Ticket Offices are trained to check the cards and refund the correct amount into their cards on the spot. To give commuters more time, a period of six months has been given for refunds.”
“In the case of breakdowns, the operator has a comprehensive Rail Incident Management Plan (RIMP) and Standing Operating Procedures (SOPs) to manage the situation, and minimise inconvenience to commuters. This includes helping commuters disembark safely, providing timely updates to the public, ensuring prompt restoration of services and providing alternative forms of transport like free bus bridging services for disruptions exceeding 30 minutes. In addition, the operator works with various agencies such as the Singapore Civil Defence Force to ensure that these plans are updated regularly, to ensure their relevance in dealing with various scenarios. In the most recent incident in November 2010 which was reported in the media, commuters had to be evacuated by walking along the viaduct. SMRT staff were deployed to guide passengers back to the station platforms. I assure you that the commuters were safe at all times. We would also like to assure Mr Liang that the LTA remains committed to ensuring the delivery of quality service to commuters, and will continue to monitor the service levels on the BPLRT closely. WRITTEN ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS FLEXIBLE WORK SCHEMES IN THE CIVIL SERVICE 1. Mdm Halimah Yacob asked the Prime Minister (a) whether he will provide an update on the flexible work schemes available in the Civil Service; and (b) how these have benefited employees to cope better with their work-life balance.”
“From 2008 to November 2010, BPLRT experienced 32 disruptions exceeding 10 minutes. Of these disruptions, eight lasted more than 30 minutes. The longest disruption lasted for four hours in September 2009. The majority of these disruptions were the result of technical faults to the signalling system or trains, and the remainder were due to track intrusions or extreme weather events. The operator, SMRT Light Rail Pte Ltd, is required to meet the Operating Performance Standards (OPS) prescribed by the LTA. Amongst others, the operator is required to comply with the System Service Availability (SSA) standard, which stipulates the availability of LRT services at 99.5% in any month. Over the last three years, BPLRT has met the SSA standard, averaging 99.93% monthly. In months in which the breakdowns occur, the system availability falls, but the operator has managed to recover the services such that they have been able to meet the 99.5% availability requirement for the month. Nevertheless, the occurrence of any disruption is an inconvenience to commuters. The LTA works proactively with the operator on measures to ensure that the expected level of service delivery can be maintained. On its part, the operator carries out regular and preventive maintenance for BPLRT, including pre-emptive replacement of critical equipment based on manufacturers' recommendations. The operator is also engaging Bombadier, the original equipment manufacturer of the BPLRT, to study how the reliability of the BPLRT system can be further improved. In spite of these measures, service disruptions occur from time to time.”
“In addition, NAC is stepping up its facilitation role to first, co-locate artists and arts groups within commercial developments such as shopping centres or mixed use creative clusters and second, for artists and arts groups to tap on existing facilities in schools, community and commercial buildings, vacant state properties for project and short-term needs. The latter was echoed by the arts community during the public consultation exercise, who articulated that there is scope to tap on state properties or spaces in Government-sponsored institutions that may not be fully utilised. The Arts and Culture Strategic Review (ACSR) Steering Committee, led by Mr Lee Tzu Yang, Chairman, School of the Arts, is also looking at ways to encourage community and corporate support and partnerships in the mid- to long-term as an important component of the review, and will publish its full recommendations after the review. In conclusion, I would like to assure Ms Audrey Wong that we will carefully consider all feedback and consult with stakeholders to ensure that our support measures remain relevant to the arts industry. BUKIT PANJANG LIGHT RAIL TRANSIT SYSTEM 37. Mr Liang Eng Hwa asked the Minister for Transport (a) for the past three years, what is the number breakdown occurrences at the Bukit Panjang Light Rail Transit (BPLRT) and how long are the stoppages; (b) whether the BPLRT system has met the level of service standards required; and (c) whether there are adequate back-up plans to assist commuters in the event of a breakdown.”
“As with any new scheme being introduced, there may be uncertainties among some stakeholders as to how the changes will affect them, including how the new Framework may affect the existing perks and grants they currently enjoy. There is no immediate plan to radically revise NAC's other grant schemes, as a result of the introduction of the new Framework for Arts Spaces. Instead, the new Framework will complement NAC's current arsenal of support, such as grants, scholarships and other capability development initiatives that help artists and arts groups develop their art, achieve greater sustainability and reach out to audiences. Any major revisions to these other support schemes will be done in close consultation with the various stakeholders. Next, I welcome Ms Wong's suggestion to encourage private and community support for arts spaces. Indeed, a significant component of the new Framework for Arts Spaces looks beyond the properties under NAC, to spaces and facilities in the private, public and people sector that can be tapped on to create new spaces for the arts and the community. The plan is to house artists and arts groups within communities in each of the three regional centres and in each of the four sub-regional centres outside of the city centre by 2015. The NAC has begun conversations with partners to match artists and arts groups with communities where they can be involved in the project conceptualisation and design development of new civic spaces and facilities. This endeavour will help artists and arts groups generate more community support and present artistic creations that entertain, enrich and inspire Singaporeans.”
“The recent changes to the Arts Housing Scheme are necessary and part of a rigorous policy review process to ensure that NAC's support schemes for artists and arts groups stay relevant and efficient. To achieve this, the NAC had conducted extensive public consultation sessions with the arts sector during the review of the Arts Housing Scheme. One recurrent feedback that we have received was that the one-size-fits-all Arts Housing Scheme could not meet the different needs of artists and arts groups at their various stages of development. In particular, new and emerging arts groups had little or no access. Indeed, in the 2009/10 report of the Auditor-General, it was noted that arts housing resources could be better optimised. AGO noted that more than 50% of Arts Housing tenants had occupied their premises for over 10 years, with more than one in five of these having occupied them for more than 20 years. There was clearly a need to introduce more targeted schemes to cater to the diverse requirements and aspirations of the whole spectrum of artists and arts groups. Among the enhancements NAC will introduce include the Incubation Scheme, which provides young and emerging artists and arts groups a chance to test out their ideas. For developing artists or arts groups, more stability is critical to give them time to deepen their artistic programmes and build up their base of audiences and supporters. For mature artists or arts groups who may have the capacity and vision to contribute beyond producing their own practises, NAC will partner them with facilities that support their work in developing the next generation of practitioners or building deeper engagement with the community.”
“We are committed towards a people-centred transport system, and have been rolling out improvements progressively on our public transport network and pedestrian facilities to make it safer and more convenient for the elderly and the less ambulant. We have been studying ways to improve existing pedestrian overhead bridges for the less mobile segments of our population. This includes the possibility of retrofitting selected overhead bridges in the immediate vicinity of MRT stations with lifts. We have shared that this is a thorough study, covering not just the selection of bridges and technical feasibility, but also how the lifts will be operated and maintained once they are installed. As this is a significant undertaking, we are weighing this carefully against cost considerations and other available alternatives. We expect to complete the study by the end of first quarter 2011. NEW FRAMEWORK FOR ARTS SPACES 36. Ms Audrey Wong Wai Yen asked the Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts (a) whether the new Arts Housing Framework announced recently will result in changes to existing grants schemes for artists and arts groups; and (b) whether the Ministry intends to encourage private sector's support to develop more rehearsal, studio, and performance or exhibition spaces for Singapore arts sector. RAdm [NS] Lui Tuck Yew: I would like to thank Ms Audrey Wong for her interest in the future direction of the NAC in providing support for artists and arts groups. Ms Wong's question raises two key issues: first, whether the new Framework for Arts Spaces would lead to a change in NAC's existing grant schemes; second, whether there is intention to encourage private and community support for arts spaces. I will address these points in turn.”
“In fact, the Marina Reservoir was commissioned in November 2010 and has started contributing towards Singapore's water needs, helping to ensure that Singaporeans continue to enjoy a clean and sustainable supply of water. NATIONAL PRODUCTIVITY FUND FOR CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY 32. Er Lee Bee Wah asked the Minister for National Development with the recent setting up of the $250 million National Productivity Fund for the construction industry (a) what is the take-up rate in terms of the number of (i) contractors (ii) designers (iii) suppliers and (iv) those in other categories; and (b) how the fund has driven up productivity for the construction industry.”
“So far, IDA has not imposed any financial penalty on the three mobile operators as they have been able to meet the QoS standards. Members of the public can find more information on these QoS standards on IDA's website. (4) The definition of service coverage is based on signal strength. The availability of service coverage is therefore the ability of a network in achieving a minimum signal strength of -100dBm. (5) Examples are shops, food courts and supermarkets. UPDATE ON SALINITY OF MARINA BARRAGE AND ECOLOGICAL EFFECTS 31. Mr Seah Kian Peng asked the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources whether he will provide an update on the salinity of Marina Barrage and the ecological effects on the surrounding areas as well as the rivers feeding into it. Assoc. Prof. Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: The Marina Reservoir has provided three benefits: augmenting Singapore's water supply, alleviating floods, and creating a new lifestyle attraction. With the completion of the Marina Barrage, desalting of the reservoir began in April 2009 and has steadily progressed through natural replacement by rainwater. To better understand and mitigate possible ecological impacts as the salinity changes, an external study was commissioned by PUB prior to the desalting process. Close monitoring of the reservoir and surrounding ecology since the onset of the desalting process has so far shown no undesirable effects, but PUB will continue to monitor the situation. I am pleased to inform that the desalting of Marina Reservoir is largely completed. While there remains a bottom layer of brackish water which is being reduced, the upper layer of Marina Reservoir is sufficiently desalted for extraction.”
“The Infocomm Development Authority (IDA), has received a total of 91 complaints on mobile telephone service coverage from January to October last year. This forms 11.2% of the total complaints received by IDA. One of the issues highlighted was an inability to make calls due to low signal strength, and poor service coverage within buildings. Currently, mobile operators have to comply with the Quality of Service (QoS) standards that IDA has set out to ensure acceptable mobile telephone service coverage. There are two key QoS standards: (i) 95% coverage on street level and in tunnels, and (ii) 85% coverage at public access areas within buildings(4). Public access areas include (a) main lobby areas, (b) high human traffic areas, such as podium floors, multi-storey car-parks, and basement levels with services for the public(5), as well as (c) basement car park areas. The in-building coverage QoS requirements do not apply to areas within private buildings that are not publicly accessible, such as private offices and residences. This is because owners of private properties would sometimes refuse to allow mobile operators access to their property to install the necessary equipment that would boost radio coverage. While the current arrangement is for mobile operators and property owners to commercially negotiate on how best to provide better service coverage within these private areas, IDA would actively request mobile operators to look into ways to improve service coverage when there is feedback on poor coverage. The QoS standards are measured monthly, and IDA requires mobile operators to submit QoS reports every quarter to show compliance. IDA also conducts audits on operators' QoS performances. Mobile operators who fail to comply with IDA's QoS standards may be fined.”
“As part of the plans, we will be implementing cycling infrastructure starting with seven towns, focusing on the development of dedicated off-road intra-town cycling paths to major transport nodes and key amenities, and enhancing bicycle parking facilities. There is also a longer term plan to implement an extensive network of cycling paths in Marina Bay. In addition, to complement these efforts, the Cycling Facilitation Committee, which the Senior Parliamentary Secretary Mr Teo Ser Luck chairs, adopts a Government-community partnership approach to provide guidance on the "software" aspects such as safe cycling, public education and enforcement issues, and other best practices to facilitate cycling in these seven towns. Apart from these efforts to facilitate cycling, we will continue to work with the community to progressively roll out cycling initiatives and cycling infrastructure to other parts of the island. We do not have a pre-determined target cycling modal share, but we would plan and scale up the infrastructure to support cycling at a pace that meets the needs of the community. (3) Source: Pucher and Buehler "Making Cycling Irresistible" Transport Reviews, Vol. 28, 2008. COMPLAINTS ON MOBILE TELEPHONE RECEPTION 30. Mr Lim Biow Chuan asked the Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts how many complaints have been lodged with the Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) in the past 12 months about poor mobile telephone reception. RAdm [NS] Lui Tuck Yew: I thank Mr Lim for his interest in the standard of mobile telephone service coverage, and would like to take this opportunity to explain the measures to safeguard consumers' interests.”
“Sir, cycling makes up a small proportion of trips in Singapore today, estimated at about 1.4% of all trips made, comparable with many cities in Australia, the United States of America and the United Kingdom, where the modal share of cycling is around 1%. Cycling modal share can vary quite significantly depending on very localised factors. For instance, cities like New York, Sydney and London have mode shares between 0.5% to 3%, while cities which are known to be extremely bicycle-friendly such as Amsterdam, Munich and Copenhagen have mode shares ranging from 13% to 29%(3) . Apart from the facilitative role which Government plays in promoting cycling in some of these cities, there are many defining factors which influence and determine the modal share of cycling. Some of these factors would include geographical landscape, culture, climate and road use patterns. Over the years, cycling has gained popularity among our citizens and has evolved into an alternative option for short-distance trips in local areas, linking commuters from residential areas to major transport nodes such as MRT stations and bus interchanges. We have also observed that most cycling trips made are intra-town trips to transport nodes and key amenities such as town centres or neighbourhood centres which are within a distance of 3 km to 5 km. In recognition that cycling can be positioned as a non-motorised transport option especially for intra-town short trips and potentially enlarge the catchment to transport nodes such as RTS stations, we have launched the National Cycling Plan in July 2010.”
“Priority was also given to the East-West Line as it has more elevated stations than the North-South Line. We expect work on the East-West Line stations to be completed by the third quarter of this year. Works for Choa Chu Kang Station, which is on the North-South Line, are scheduled to commence later this year, for completion by mid-2012. MINIMUM AGE REQUIREMENT FOR FOREIGN DOMESTIC WORKERS 9. Mdm Halimah Yacob asked the Minister for Manpower (a) how the Ministry ensures that maid agencies comply with the minimum age requirement for the employment of foreign domestic workers; (b) whether the Ministry will consider reducing the minimum age requirement from 23 years to years to protect young foreign domestic workers and ensure better compliance with the minimum age requirement; and (c) what recourse and protection do employers have against maid agencies that flout this requirement.”
“For commuters on the station platforms, the operators regularly broadcast safety reminders for passengers to wait behind the yellow lines on the platforms, and station Customer Service Officers (CSOs) at platforms to ensure that passengers do not rush onto the trains. Train drivers are also trained to keep a lookout for potentially dangerous situations and to take preventive actions when necessary. In spite of these measures, accidents sometimes occur. We view these incidents seriously, and require the operators to submit reports identifying the causes of the incident and the safety mitigation actions to avoid similar occurrences in the future. As Member Mr Zaqy Mohamad has highlighted, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) is also in the process of installing Half Height Platform Screen Doors (HHPSD) at all 36 elevated MRT stations of the North-South and East-West Lines (NSEWL). The installations are targeted for completion by 2012. To date, the platform screen doors are operational at nine MRT stations: Pasir Ris, Yishun, Jurong East, Clementi, Bukit Gombak, Lakeside, Bukit Batok, Chinese Garden and Eunos. More are on the way very soon. Carrying out platform screen door installations on an operational MRT Line is a challenging task. Installation work can only commence after revenue service hours, so that daily train operations are not affected. Works are therefore limited to a narrow window of about two-three hours each night. We seek the public's patience and understanding on this, and remain committed to completing the installation of the platform screen doors as soon as possible. LTA has prioritised the installation works by targeting more crowded MRT stations such as Jurong East, Clementi and Yishun.”
“Mr Zaqy Mohamad asked the Minister for Transport (a) if he would provide an update on the number of accidents involving passengers and service staff falling or being on MRT and LRT tracks over the past three years; (b) what measures have been put in place to reduce such passenger and work accidents; and (c) whether the Ministry will consider bringing forward the installation of platform screens at passenger interchanges such as Choa Chu Kang MRT station, which serves as a node for MRT, LRT and bus services. The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Transport (Mr Teo Ser Luck) (for the Minister for Transport): Sir, from 2008 to 2010, there were 73 incidents of commuter track intrusions on our MRT and LRT systems. Of these, 51 or 70% were deliberate, with passengers going onto the tracks to retrieve dropped items, or crossing the tracks as a shortcut. The remaining 22 cases or 30% were accidental, typically involving commuters that fall onto the track due to some illness. In the same period, there were two accidents involving service staff on train tracks. Safety procedures are put in place to ensure safety for all rail commuters and service staff. Works on tracks and guideways are governed by track access procedures and safety procedures to ensure work safety for staff. Areas that are safe for access are clearly demarcated. Should there be a need for service staff to encroach into areas outside of these boundaries, the train Operation and Control Centre (OCC) will hold all trains stationary before the access is authorised.”
“Sir, as explained earlier, the COE policy is to control the vehicle population growth rate. This is to prevent, as I said, gridlock on our roads. It is not a policy which seeks to stabilise COE prices. We do not really control that because the bulk of the supply comes from de-registration. So, it really depends on Singaporeans' decisions on whether to de-register their cars or not. On the second question raised, which is a suggestion on pay-as-you-bid, the GPC for Transport discussed this some years back. It was a suggestion which they looked into in great detail and they came to the conclusion that there were certain shortcomings in the system. It would add complexity to the system, in particular when you have one particular model with multiple values on it, depending on what you bid for the COE, because different bidders will pay different COE prices. What was important was that they studied the spread of prices. Right now, we have the lowest successful bid which clears the COE quota. When they looked at the spread, they found that there was a clustering towards the lowest successful bid, about 20%-30% above it. LTA looked at it again, and again the clustering was there. It was not as though the highest bidders were pulling up all the prices. The Member's final question was on COE financing. MAS has looked into this, and studied this. There is no evidence that existing car loan financing rules that are in place pose a systemic threat to the financial system. The non-performing loan is extremely small. So MAS, at this stage, will not be acting to change the car financing rules but expects financial institutions to, of course, exercise prudence when granting car loans. ACCIDENTS ALONG MRT AND LRT TRACKS 8.”