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.”
The complete record
Every one of 704 lines we hold for Raymond Lim Siang Keat, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 3 of 15.
“Fourth, the 3% rebate. PTC took the period after the fares had been restored as the starting point for the fare system. This is the correct position because the 3% rebate was just temporary. Regardless of whether PTC had implemented distance fares or not, the fares would have been restored. They took that as the position and benchmarked it from there. The last question: how many senior citizens had benefited, ie, those travelling less than 5.2 km? If Members look at the data that we have, 75% of senior citizens take at least one journey per week that is less than 5.2 km. They would benefit. This is not the only thing. Senior citizens who take transfer journeys will also benefit. The latest data we have – ie, post implementation – is that 64% of the senior citizens would take at least one transfer journey a week. When we combine this information and look at it on a weekly basis, we have about seven in 10 senior citizens benefiting with distance fare.”
“I think the Member has taken the full allotment for the year for supplementary questions. Let me take the questions one at a time. First, can the refund be made less onerous? I think TransitLink has tried its best to make it as simple as possible. For commuters who want to claim a refund because of this error, they can do so in three ways: they can call, they can go online and they can go to the ticketing office. After verification of the claim, TransitLink would then send each commuter two vouchers for two single trip rides, regardless of distance. On average, the claim for distance discrepancy is about 10 cents. The operators have given the commuters a voucher which is higher than that value and, with that, the commuters can hop on not just the basic bus services but also the express and premium bus services. Can this refund be done automatically? The current system does not allow that. We need to look at the issue in perspective. The occurrence is 0.2 % of all the bus stop pairs in our system. I do not think what TransitLink is providing now is onerous. There are different ways of claiming – call, go online, go to the office. And they will post the vouchers to the commuters. Commuters do not have to go back to their office. Second, the review process going forward. PTC has instituted a review process. Whenever there is a permanent change to the system, the operators are required to report that every quarter. The Land Transport Authority (LTA), being a third party, would run audits on the system. Third, the post-implementation validation results and sharing the information with the public, which I have just done so. I have spoken in Parliament – this is quite a public platform. It will be taken note of that this is where we stand now.”
“The number of commuters affected by these errors is likely to be small as only journeys that cross over to the next fare band as a result of the discrepancy are affected. As at 9th August, TransitLink has provided refunds for a total of 38 claims due to distance errors. Going forward, the PTC has put in place a regular review process to ensure that the fare system is updated and reflects the changes that occur on the ground. Dr Lim also asked whether there should be a review of the distance-based fare structure. This initiative was previously debated in this House and there was strong support for it as a fairer system for all. The distance fare system is a sound concept that will serve us for the long run. As PTC Chairman Mr Gerard Ee has said, it would take time for people to get used to it and feel the benefits. We recognise that there are adjustments involved in the transition to distance fare, and that some commuters have to pay higher fares because of the change. However, we ask for commuters’ understanding as we are moving towards a fare system which is fairer for all. For low-income families including senior citizens who may need assistance with fare increases under distance fare, the Government will continue to assist them through various community-led initiatives and work support schemes under the Community Development Councils and the CCC ComCare Fund.”
“What the PTC has done in introducing distance fare is to ensure that transfer journeys do not result in higher fares than equivalent direct trips. There is therefore no financial incentive under distance fare for commuters to transfer if the direct journey is of the same distance. However, if a commuter is able to shorten his travelling time or distance by making transfers, distance fare gives him the option to do so. This increases the flexibility for commuters rather than reducing it. On Ms Sylvia Lim’s question on whether distance fare will increase travel stress during peak hours by encouraging more commuter transfers and creating more congestion points, our assessment is that the opposite would occur. Commuters would now be incentivised to choose the shortest distance possible – be it a direct or transfer journey – to get to their destination, thus, making the most efficient use of public transport resources. Dr Lim Wee Kiak has asked about the extent and impact of the distance discrepancies and the measures taken to prevent such errors in the future. Given the scale of the exercise in introducing distance fare, it is inevitable that there would be teething issues during implementation. LTA has acted on commuters’ feedback and made the necessary adjustments to the system. To date, errors have been found in the distance data for 13 bus stop pairs which represent 0.2% of the total number of bus stop pairs in the system. These were due to errors in the dataset caused by ground changes, such as road diversions. Most discrepancies were in the range of 0.2 to 0.3 km, which is only a fraction of the 1-km fare band.”
“In all, PTC took data from 24 million journeys made over a one-week period for this analysis. The exercise confirmed that the impact of distance fares on commuters is very close to what PTC had expected. Overall, 68% of all commuters saw average weekly fare savings under distance fare, slightly above the 63% originally projected. This may indicate that some commuters have already started to optimise their journeys by taking advantage of the flexibility under distance fare to choose less circuitous routes to their destinations. Ms Irene Ng, Dr Lily Neo and Mr Zaqy Mohamad have asked about the impact of distance fare on senior citizens. For senior citizens, the PTC had in fact tried to do as much as possible to ensure there is a clear majority who would benefit from distance fare. Under distance fare, senior citizens enjoy a 25% discount from adult fares. To reduce the impact on senior citizens travelling long distances, the fares were set such that they do not have to pay any additional fare for journeys longer than 7.2 km. The outcome was a fare structure that would provide seven in 10 senior citizen commuters (70%) with fare savings. Again, these projections have been validated by the actual fare data collected in July, which show 74% with fare savings and 26% with fare increases. At the extreme ends, 5% of senior citizens save more than $2.30 weekly, while 5% see an increase of more than $0.77 weekly. Ms Irene Ng mentioned that the elderly may find it physically taxing to make transfers to enjoy the benefits of distance fare. It is a misconception that commuters need to make transfers to benefit from distance fare or that the PTC is forcing senior citizens to make transfers.”
“Thus, if fares were to be lowered for commuters travelling long distances as Er Lee Bee Wah and Ms Irene Ng had suggested, it would mean that the fares for another group of commuters who travel shorter distances would go up. To find the appropriate balance, PTC followed the principle of benefiting as many people with lower fares as was possible. However, as distance fare corrects the earlier inequity of fares between direct and transfer journeys, the fares for some direct journeys have to go up in conjunction with lower fares for transfer journeys with the removal of the transfer penalty. In studying the impact of distance fares on commuters, the PTC used actual travel data from the fare system, which represented the prevailing travel patterns of commuters. This is far more comprehensive than a survey, as the data is derived from actual fares paid by the entire population of commuters using contactless smartcards. The PTC’s projected impact analysis showed that 63% of all commuters would see fare savings in their weekly public transport spending under distance fares compared to the restored fares upon the expiry of last year’s temporary rebate of 3%. As for the commuters who do not see immediate benefits in terms of lower fares now, they may benefit in the future as their travel patterns may change and new rail lines and connections open. We are already seeing this happening with the opening of the Circle Line from Dhoby Ghaut to Marymount. Mr Zaqy Mohamad asked if surveys were conducted to validate the projected impact analysis since the distance-based fare system was introduced. The PTC has indeed conducted a post-implementation validation exercise, not based on just a survey but using the actual fare data collected in July under distance fare.”
“Sir, Members have raised several issues on distance fare. Let me start by explaining the rationale for distance fare. Distance fare is a fairer fare system. Previously, commuters making transfer journeys were effectively paying more to keep the fares lower for commuters who take direct journeys. The Public Transport Council (PTC) has now removed this cross-subsidy or transfer penalty so that all commuters pay the same fare for the same distance travelled. This way, commuters can choose the best way to reach their destination without having to worry about paying extra fare if they make a transfer. The concept of distance fare is therefore a good one. The issue now is in the implementation. In this regard, the PTC had to consider how to distribute the costs associated with implementing such a system. PTC sought to reduce the burden on commuters by having the operators bear the lion’s share of the costs. Dr Lim Wee Kiak asked if the operators would consider returning a portion of their profits to the commuters. The operators are in fact already bearing the larger part, about two-thirds, of the costs of the transition to distance fares. Overall, the operators have borne a permanent reduction in fare revenue of about $88 million per year, as a result of distance fare. For the remainder of the cost, the PTC had the unenviable task of distributing it amongst the various commuter groups – between direct and transfer travellers, short and long distance travellers as well as adults, senior citizens and student/child travellers. If the PTC lowers the costs for one commuter group, another commuter group would have to pay more.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, may I have your permission to take Question Nos. 1 to 7 together? Mr Speaker: Yes.”
“Fatimah Lateef asked the Minister for Manpower (a) if he will provide an update on the placement of foreign workers into proper dormitories proposed to be built around Singapore; and (b) whether his Ministry will enforce a stricter adherence to guidelines and surveillance of workers renting and staying in private apartments and landed property/residential areas so as to cut down social disamenities.”
“The accident statistics for taxis have to be seen in the context of the much longer distances that taxis travel compared to other vehicles such as cars. When the accident rates are normalised to the mileage travelled, taxis are not worse than the general car population, with an average accident rate of 0.17 per 1 million km travelled for taxis in 2009, compared to cars at 0.28 per 1 million km. Nevertheless, we share Assoc. Prof. Fatimah Lateef's view that it is important that adequate provisions are made for the training of taxi drivers and to ensure that they drive safely on our roads. The Land Transport Authority has these in place. For a start, an applicant for a Taxi Driver's Vocational Licence (TDVL) must have held a Class 3 driving licence for a continuous period of one year immediately prior to the application for the TDVL. Applicants then undergo a training course and a test covering the various aspects of holding a vocational licence, including conduct required of a taxi driver, relevant rules and regulations, key routes and landmarks, and the names and location of key buildings. Even after obtaining their vocational licences, TDVL holders must continue to maintain acceptable driving and disciplinary records, failing which their TDVL may be suspended or revoked. The recent economic downturn did not see any significant increase in the number of TDVLs issued. The number of new TDVLs in the past one year (May 2009 to April 2010) was 4,200, compared to 3,600 in the preceding year (May 2008 to April 2009) and 4,800 two years ago (May 2007 to April 2008). SUPPLY OF HOUSING FOR FOREIGN WORKERS 9. Assoc. Prof.”
“The treatment of the Segway Personal Transporters (SPTs) in different jurisdictions differs. Some allow SPTs to be used on roads with certain restrictions and conditions, while others restrict the use of SPTs to footways. This is to help minimise risks of accidents to the SPT users and other road users. This is all the more so in a highly urbanised city like Singapore where accident statistics show that vulnerable road users account for up to 80% of accidents which result in fatalities and serious injuries. It is because of this safety consideration that we have not permitted SPTs onto our public roads. WRITTEN ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS OPTIMUM NUMBER OF FOREIGN TALENT FOR SINGAPORE 1. Mdm Ho Geok Choo asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs (a) what is the optimum number of foreigners/foreign talent needed to keep Singapore productive; and (b) what further measures are needed to ensure that there is a right mix of foreign talent who can value add to Singapore's capabilities and social cohesion.”
“ABSCONDMENT OF FOREIGNERS CHARGED WITH CHEATING CASINO 59. Ms Sylvia Lim asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs (a) how three foreigners charged in court in April 2010 with cheating the Resorts World Casino managed to abscond while their cases were pending; and (b) whether these incidents indicate a need to tighten up pre-trial procedures or border controls.”
“However, we fully recognise that more needs to be done and a longer-term approach is needed to improve the overall system capacity significantly. We have already put in place various initiatives which will start coming on-stream next year. Firstly, the LTA has embarked on the Jurong East Modification Project (JEMP) to relieve the existing infrastructural constraints that limit our ability to run more frequent train trips during the peak periods. Together with the purchase of 22 additional trains, this will mean an enhancement in the capacity of NSEWL by about 15% when the project is completed in 2011. With this, trains can run more frequently during the peak periods and commuters can look forward to a more comfortable train ride and shorter waiting times. Besides the JEMP, the opening of the remaining Circle Line in 2011 will also help to relieve crowding levels on existing lines. Beyond these, work on the Downtown Line has begun, and the Government is also making significant investments to improve the density of the MRT network to cater to future travel demand. Where necessary, even more trains for the NSEWL as well as for the North East Line (NEL) would be purchased to cater to the anticipated ridership increase. Let me assure the House that we are fully committed to ensuring that our MRT network, which is the backbone of our public transport system, would have the capacity to meet the needs of the commuting public. We will do what we can to ensure that the train crowding situation is dealt with appropriately and expeditiously. [6] Average January - May ridership for 2009 and 2010 were 1,393,013 and 1,518,624 respectively. [7] The maximum safety loads of a six-car train and three-car train are 1,920 and 931 passengers respectively.”
“We have seen significant growth in train ridership in the last few years and share commuters' concern that our trains are getting more crowded today, particularly during the peak hours. For this year, the average daily ridership on the North-South East-West Lines (NSEWL) has gone up by about 9% compared to the same period last year[6]. As a result, the maximum train passenger loading on the most congested stretches of the NSEWL during the morning peak-of-peak has also crept up from about 1,400 per train in 2008 to about 1,450 to 1,500 currently. These loadings levels are within the regulatory limits of 1,600 passengers per train, or the equivalent standing space of about 5pax/sqm, as stipulated under the LTA's Operating Performance Standards (OPS), and are below the safety limit of the trains, which are designed to carry well in excess of 1,900 passengers[7]. Addressing the issue of train crowding has been one of our top priorities. The LTA has been working with SMRT to implement various measures to enhance capacity and manage crowding. What SMRT has done has been to put all the available trains into service during the peak periods and constantly monitor and adjust the train operating and deployment patterns to meet the constantly-changing loading patterns on its network. This has ensured that our MRT system does not breach the regulatory limits. And wherever possible, SMRT has added more train trips so that loading levels can be brought down further, without compromising the need for safety and maintenance. In total, SMRT has injected over 1,100 train trips. Other initiatives to manage train crowding include the introduction of in-train and station platform announcements and deployment of service ambassadors to facilitate the boarding and alighting of commuters.”
“I think we all wished that there was requisite situational awareness, in answer to her last question, because there are different layers of security. They did notice the graffiti, but as I have said, they took it as an advertisement. Going forward, they have stepped up their visual checks on the train exterior, going out. I think they need to work out a system of coordination where this sort of information is floated up. As for whether we conduct audits and checks, we review that constantly, whether it is for bus interchanges, depots or MRT stations. SECURITY ON PUBLIC TRANSPORT (Suspected terrorist plot on Orchard MRT station) 20. Ms Ellen Lee asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs (a) whether his Ministry can provide more information on the suspected terrorist plot on Orchard MRT station; and (b) what his Ministry is doing to proactively respond to this threat besides the current measures already undertaken by LTA, SBS Transit, SMRT and the Police (including the Public Transport Security Command). 21. Ms Sylvia Lim asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs what role does the Government play in ensuring that security on public transport is not compromised.”
“One of the Member's questions was: who looks after public transport security? As I mentioned in my reply, we have an inter-agency group, which is the Public Transport Security Committee (PTSC), chaired by the Chief Executive of LTA but he has all the relevant agencies in there. As SMRT had acknowledged, there was a serious security lapse. That was why it had taken immediate steps to rectify this. The other question that she asked is on the role that the Government plays. I will just touch on this because a Question is coming up later. I think it is a shared responsibility when it comes to public transport security. The public transport operators have a primary responsibility like all business entities to ensure the security of their facilities, operations and that of their commuters. On the part of the Government, through the PTSC, it provides an overall security framework and coordinates the work of the various agencies. Her final question is on whether we conduct audits. Yes, we do that. For instance, in all the bus interchanges and MRT stations, we constantly check this on a monthly basis to ensure that the security systems are in place and effective.”
“Sir, as I have said, we will take into account not just Changi Airport but international best practices on how best to get this done. We share the Member's concern. The public transport system is a system that carries large numbers of people everyday. We are deeply conscious of this. So the PTSC will do a thorough review and see what more we can do to enhance safety and security.”
“This checking of MRT train interiors before leaving the depot and going into operation is part of the current procedures to ensure that MRT trains do not have any articles or items in them which could pose a security risk to commuters. Several SMRT staff had, in fact, noticed the graffiti but mistook it for an advertisement. This incident at Changi Depot serves as a timely reminder to all of us that are involved in ensuring security to remain vigilant at all times. It is important that agencies learn lessons from this incident and take action to rectify the shortcomings. In doing so, we will continue to take a measured and risk-based approach towards security while not impairing the efficiency of our public transport system.”
“Mr Speaker, my Ministry takes a serious view of the breach of security at SMRT's Changi Depot. Following the incident, both public transport operators, SMRT and SBS Transit, have taken immediate steps to strengthen the security at their train and bus depots. Measures include the installation of more CCTV cameras and concertina wire along the perimeter fence of the train depots, increased security presence in terms of the numbers of guards and the frequency of patrols, and stepped up checks of both the interior and exterior of trains and buses before they depart for service. In addition, the inter-agency Public Transport Security Committee (PTSC), chaired by the Chief Executive of the Land Transport Authority (LTA), is undertaking a comprehensive review of the security of our entire public transport system. The PTSC's review will take about six to eight months to complete. Through this system-wide review, we aim to address any security gaps and see to practical improvements that need to be made to enhance the security of Singapore's public transport system. In doing so, the PTSC considers international best practices, as well as those from other sectors, including Changi Airport. However, we should also bear in mind that there are differences in risk levels and ground practicalities between MRT train depots and Changi Airport. The PTSC would thus have to arrive at a set of recommendations best suited for our public transport network. As for why the graffiti was not spotted before the train left the depot, SMRT had explained that, prior to the incident, only the interior of train cabins were checked before the trains were launched into the network.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, may I have your permission to take Question Nos. 18 and 19 together as they are related?”
“I will take the second question first. We already have a speed limit. Actually, the speed limit is now 60 kilometres per hour. I think that helps to reduce injuries to workers when there is a collision. The Member's other point is on insurance coverage. We now have a Workmen's Compensation Act, and I think that should be covered under the Act. SECURITY AT TRAIN AND BUS DEPOTS 18. Dr Lim Wee Kiak asked the Minister for Transport in view of the recent breach of security at the SMRT depot (a) what is the Ministry doing to strengthen the security at all train and bus depots/interchanges; (b) what is the procedure for all train carriages/buses to be checked by the transport operators before they go into service each morning; and (c) why was the graffiti on the SMRT train not spotted and the train allowed to leave the depot. 19. Mr Baey Yam Keng asked the Minister for Transport whether he will consider enhancing security measures at MRT train depots, benchmarked against those at Changi Airport, considering the relative number of passengers carried by a train and a plane.”
“I will pass that suggestion to the Ministry of Manpower and they could have a look at whether or not this will act as another deterrent.”
“The Member’s question is about the penalty framework, whether or not it should also be applied to employers. This is something that we are looking at. I think I mentioned in my reply that it is not just penalties on the drivers but also on the employers because we recognise that sometimes the employers are equally culpable in the non-compliance of the safety rules. The Member's other suggestion was whether or not we are going to put up notice boards at worksites.”
“On the Member’s first question on when the stringent licensing regime will come in place, this is something which the Ministry of Manpower and Ministry of Home Affairs are currently working on. They will announce it when ready but they are studying this carefully. On whether we could put in safety belt for lorries, the workgroup actually studied and considered this and consulted safety experts on this. But the conclusion was if we were to put safety belts for lorries which were supposed to carry goods, it might actually create other safety issues, and cause different types of injuries to those being carried. His last question was whether we could impose the same six months timeline for heavy lorries. We studied this. It is really a question of capacity. If we could, we would have done it but we are trying to do the bulk. So about 60% will be done in six months and the remainder, a little later or few months later.”
“LTA, TP and MOM, together with industry stakeholders, will continue public education efforts on road safety as well as develop targeted programmes such as safety talks, videos and posters for various stakeholder groups to raise awareness of the safety regulations for lorries carrying workers. Mr de Souza has asked whether the Ministry will consider legislating that employers must transport their workers in buses. The measures that are in place, and to be effected in the next year, would help to achieve the desired objective of mitigating the risks of workers who need to travel on lorries in the course of their work. We should allow the measures to improve workers’ safety on lorries to take effect and study their effectiveness before concluding that they are insufficient and going for a ban. The efforts put in by all the relevant agencies underscore the Government’s concern about the safety of workers transported on lorries. Employers and drivers must also play their part as safety is also their responsibility as well.”
“Besides the vehicle safety-related measures which would help minimise the extent of injuries when accidents do occur, the drivers also play a crucial role in transporting the workers safely. The Traffic Police (TP) already has a strict enforcement regime and penalty framework against errant drivers who speed, drive recklessly or dangerously. In response to Dr Lam Pin Min’s suggestion on reducing the speed limit of lorries which transport workers, it is not recommended as it will increase the speed differential between lorries and other vehicles on expressways and this will itself give rise to other safety issues. Our focus should be on ensuring that drivers keep to the existing speed limits and drive safely. Hence, besides enforcement which I will touch on shortly, LTA and TP will explore the use of technologies and devices to better control speeding by lorries used for carrying workers. Also, to ensure that foreign drivers who ferry workers or goods in the course of their work are fully competent and familiar with driving on our roads, the Ministries of Home Affairs and Manpower will develop and implement more stringent conditions for licensing these drivers. The details on these measures will be announced when they are ready. LTA and TP have also stepped up their enforcement efforts and will continue to take strict enforcement action against errant drivers. Resources will be increased to sustain the stepped-up level of enforcement. Penalties for speeding and non-compliance with vehicle safety rules will be enhanced with higher fines as well as demerit points for greater deterrence. In addition, appropriate legal actions will be taken against both the employers and the drivers depending on the nature of the offence. The details will be announced in due course.”
“A longer lead time was given to these two measures to allow businesses to phase in their operational changes and make decisions on their existing assets. Since the fatal lorry accident on 22nd June, LTA has reviewed the situation and identified four areas through which to further enhance the safety of workers on lorries. They are: (i) vehicle-safety related measures, (ii) driver-related measures, (iii) enforcement and penalties, and (iv) public education. On vehicle-safety related measures, Mr Christopher de Souza, Mr Yeo Guat Kwang, Mdm Halimah Yacob and Dr Lim Wee Kiak have asked whether these remaining two measures should be brought forward. We have decided that it would be prudent to do so, and it will be done as follows: (i) All light lorries used to transport workers will have to be fitted with canopies and higher side railings within the next six months, that is, by 1st February 2011. Heavy lorries used to transport workers will need to comply by 1st August 2011. (ii) The doubling of the minimum deck space requirement per seated worker to eight square feet will be implemented for both light and heavy lorries by 1st August 2011. The requirement for canopies and higher side railings is being phased in as there are capacity constraints in our local workshops. We have looked at the accident statistics which show that 75% of lorry accidents resulting in fatalities to workers involve light lorries. Also, light lorries, as compared to heavier lorries, are generally less able to withstand the forces of collisions in an accident. As such, we have put priority for light lorries to be retrofitted first.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, this is an issue that the Government takes seriously. Last year, Senior Parliamentary Secretary Teo Ser Luck explained in this House that the safety measures in place and enforcement efforts have generally been effective in keeping the fatality and injury rates of passengers carried at the back of lorries low. Nonetheless, a workgroup led by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) recommended a series of measures to further enhance the safety of workers transported on lorries. Most of the measures were implemented on 1st September 2009 and 1st January 2010. Enforcement records showed there has generally been a high level of compliance to these safety rules. There has been on average a 50% fall in the number of violations of these rules in the first four months of this year, compared to the last four months of last year. The accident statistics during the 10-month period before and after the new measures were implemented show that the injury cases have reduced by about 17%. However, for fatality cases, it is too early to draw conclusions given the very small numbers involved, with three cases for the 10 months before 1st September 2009, and three cases for the 10 months after, all of which happened on the unfortunate 22nd June accident. There are two remaining measures from the workgroup recommendations that we had planned to implement on 1st September 2012. They are: first, all lorries used to ferry workers must be fitted with canopies and higher side railings. This has been a requirement for all newly-registered lorries since 1st January 2010, and was to be extended to existing lorries on 1st September 2012. Second, the minimum deck space requirement per seated worker will be doubled from four to eight square feet.”
“Sir, with your permission, can I take Question Nos. 13 to 17 together as they are related to the same matter?”
“In 2009 we reduced the vehicle growth rate from 3% to 1.5% for a period of three years, and said that we will assess in 2012, whether a further reduction is necessary. There are several factors that we need to take into account in deciding on what the vehicle growth rate should be. The improvement in the public transport network as pointed out by Mrs Tan is one important factor but it is not the only one. The projected road growth of 0.5% for the next 10 to 15 years, advances in road management technologies to better optimise our road capacity, and success of usage restraint measures as well as other initiatives to bring about a shift towards public transport would also be taken into consideration. In addition, factors which affect travel patterns including population growth, the changing demographics and the distribution of housing and employment centres also need to be taken into account. For a policy with wide implications like the vehicle population growth rate, it is prudent for us to take a measured approach to any changes. As we have only reduced the vehicle population growth rate to 1.5% for just over a year, we should allow time for the impact of these changes to take effect and for people to adjust before considering further changes. WRITTEN ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS INVESTMENTS PLAN IN CHINA 1. Mdm Ho Geok Choo asked the Minister for Trade and Industry in view of China's red-hot property market (a) how have Singapore's investments in China held up; (b) what is our long-term investment plan; (c) what advice can the Ministry give to Singapore businesses who plan to enter China's property market; and (d) whether there has been any cases of Singapore businesses affected by the sudden upswing.”
“The Member is saying why not we put the concessions into the tender. As I said, if we do a bus tender and we do it on a qualitative basis, we will allow them to do it on their own accord. They can say that this is the concession policy that they would put forward. But as I said, I will be very slow in stipulating to them how best to run the concession policy. As I mentioned just now, the critical question is do we help polytechnic students from low-income needy families? The answer is yes. As a Government, we help. So I am not quite sure where the disappointment is. The Government actually helps quite a fair bit. On Ms Sylvia Lim's point about other countries subsidising the concession for the elderly or disabled. They have a model completely different from ours. Their model is basically a state-run system. If you look at all the European public transport operators, they are running a deficit of about 40%-60% in a year. This 40%-60% does not mean it is free. Where does the 40%-60% come from? It is through the taxpayers. We have decided that our model is to have commercially-driven entities, but with the Public Transport Council regulating them to ensure that fares remain affordable and service standards are not compromised. This model has worked well for us.”
“The Member asked about feeder services in Lorong Ah Soo. I am not familiar with the details. The LTA will look into this. The other question is more about policy with condominiums coming up, surely we should look at what is the impact on traffic in that particular area. I think that is a legitimate point. If the LTA is not doing it now, I think this is something that they will look into.”
“If you are saying that we should specify, I would be slow in doing that because as Mr Teo Ser Luck mentioned just now, to do this, you are really asking for cross-subsidies from full-fare paying passengers. We need to balance this and we have left it to the operators to do so. I think the critical issue is we do we provide help, for those in need, whether they are elderly, polytechnic students or disabled. And the answer is "Yes", except that we provide it in a different way. Some would say why do you not subsidise the specific expenditure? Then we do not have to stop at transport – what about electricity, utilities? We have said that is an inefficient way and it is far better for us to help the needy families with financial assistance, like the Workfare Income Supplement, and leave it to the needy families to decide how best to use the financial assistance, rather than to subsidise specific items that we think we should help them with. The other question is taxis – where do I see taxis? As I have mentioned, taxis are really personalised door-to-door chauffeur services, closer to the high-end of private transport.”
“Dr Lim's first question was how is it that we persistently had the over-projection. He thinks it should have washed this out in the following year. The reason is that we persistently over-projected every year. We spread it out over a certain period of time to correct it. But if we over-projected last year, and if for the current year it is over-projected again, we would add to the problem. We have done this for 10 years and it is exremely difficult to project. We have to forecast the economy, to project what is the demand going ahead. The economy is an important factor. It is really not easy and, I guess, if the LTA chaps could have done that, they would not be in LTA. They will be "shorting" the market or "buying it long". The fluctuation creates a certain amount of policy noise. As I mentioned in my speech, in early 2000s, it looked as though 3% was okay, when that was because we were actually growing at 1%. And then in the late 2000s, we asked why is it all of a sudden so congested? We were making up for the earlier under-projections so the congestion starts to go up, and since we over-projected at the same time, we raised that spike. That is the reason it does not wash out because we continually made the same over-projection error. On working with the institutions like Nanyang Girls, it is a good suggestion. We will have to work with the Ministry of Education, and employers, if we want to stagger the time. This requires a whole-of-Government effort. The question on whether we should stipulate elderly concessions into bus tendering – as I have mentioned, we are not just looking at price, but we are looking at certain qualitative elements. It is a decision which the public transport operators would have to make if they want to put that as part of their bid.”
“After the proposals are finalised, LTA will have to seek the views of the bus operators and close the loop with the communities again before eventually seeking the PTC's approval for the changes to be implemented. The process of reviewing bus routes will continue on a regular basis as travel needs change. But there is no need to wait till the next cycle. To answer Assoc. Prof. Dr Faishal, LTA currently has many channels of communications, and each CCC has a Community Partnership Manager attached whom grassroots leaders can forward feedback and make suggestions to. The changes to the bus routes will be phased in progressively, starting from the end of this year. This is to give commuters time to adjust, as well as operators time to make changes to their operations. The first few changes to be made will include proposals to improve connectivity to MRT stations and local amenities. LTA will provide details of these service changes in due course. At this point, I would like to say a big thank you to all the advisers, grassroots leaders and residents who have given of their time and contributed to the process.”
“Unless there is sufficient demand to support these new bus services, it would only drag down the overall financial health of the operators. Besides, more congestion would be generated. Commuters may not feel it immediately but, over time, this would eventually lead to higher fares or poorer services. 2.15 pm Thus far, LTA has met just over half of the 14 GRCs and nine SMCs. These are extensive consultations with both advisers and their grassroots leaders and have been a very useful two-way exchange between LTA planners and the community. While the LTA planners have gained valuable feedback on their proposals, the grassroots leaders have also gained a better understanding and appreciation of the trade-offs involved. Some residents were able to come up with alternative suggestions. An understanding of the considerations makes for better suggestions. I think many Members will be able to identify with Assoc. Prof. Dr Faishal's observation that his residents who attended the session found it useful. LTA targets to complete all consultations in a few months' time. Once LTA has completed these consultations, it will carefully evaluate and reconcile the different inputs. Some of our bus routes span the island and serve several constituencies. So the different GRCs may have different views. For example, when LTA suggested splitting Service 63 to make it more reliable, the grassroots leaders in Tanjong Pagar GRC supported the move. But when LTA consulted Marine Parade GRC, the grassroots leaders there preferred to keep the service as it is. So LTA will have to assess the proposal's benefit to commuters overall.”
“For instance, one common feedback was that services covering long distances were unreliable. This is not surprising, since by the time the bus reaches the end of the service, all the traffic-related delays along the way would have been accumulated. Minister Raymond Lim has just spoken about how we are increasing bus frequencies and implementing bus priority measures to address this. Another solution would be to split long bus routes into two shorter complementary routes. But the trade-off would be that for the minority of commuters who use it for longer inter-town travel, they would now have to make a transfer. LTA has to study and obtain feedback carefully on where the route should be split so as to minimise the impact to commuters. Most other route changes would only require fine-tuning. However, there are also instances where an amendment is meritorious but may not be desirable to the commuters. Take for example, service 315 which serves my constituency in Serangoon. The service currently cuts through Serangoon Gardens, en route to the Serangoon MRT station, which makes the journey longer. LTA’s proposal was to "straighten" service 315 by bypassing Serangoon Gardens. However, doing so means Serangoon North residents would have to forego a direct service to Serangoon Gardens, where the market and food centres are located. After weighing the trade-offs involved, the community felt that it was better to keep to the status quo. One common suggestion is that LTA should consider adding new bus services to plug gaps instead of amending existing ones, so that such trade-offs could be avoided. While it may seem a convenient option, this too has a trade-off. New bus services require investments in additional buses and drivers.”
“Muhammad Faishal have asked about the progress of the move to have LTA take over the role of bus planning from the operators and the outcome of its public consultation with the community. LTA, in its new role as central bus planner, has developed a draft Bus Route Master Plan for consultation purposes. This master plan maps out the detailed bus routes, service specifications and infrastructure facilities for our bus network over the next three to five years. LTA is guided by three key principles when planning bus routes. First, to improve journey quality. This includes greater transfer convenience, better service reliability and, where possible, shorter journey times. Second, to have better integration between bus and rail, with buses feeding the MRT network directly and quickly for a more effective hub-and-spoke model. The last, but no less important, is to maintain the overall financial viability of our bus system. Instilling financial discipline is essential if we want a sustainable and affordable public transport system. LTA has been working with a consultant to review the bus network. The consultant’s assessment is that the current bus network, which has evolved over the years, is already comprehensive. Undertaking a substantial overhaul of the system would cause major disruptions to commuters’ daily routines. This was consistent with the conclusions of the public consultations. LTA paid special attention to modifying and improving the existing bus network so as to plug any gaps in connectivity. LTA has been meeting communities across the island to discuss its proposals. Let me now share some of the challenges which will require fairly substantial changes to the bus routes.”
“LTA will continue to work closely with Traffic Police to see how better to address this. Dr Lim Wee Kiak has asked about the role of taxis and how taxi services can be improved. Taxis bridge the gap between cars and mass public transport like buses or trains as they provide commuters with a personalised door-to-door service. Therefore, it is important that commuters can get taxis where and when they need them. Market forces are best able to determine the size of the taxi fleet and the fares so that the supply of taxis can meet the different needs of commuters. LTA's key focus is to ensure service standards are upheld and, where appropriate, enhanced. LTA also works closely with the taxi companies and Taxi Operators' Associations (TOA) to facilitate the workings of the industry. For instance, LTA has set up a common taxi call booking number, making it easier for commuters to call for a cab. It has also set up temporary taxi stands during major events such as the F1 to cater for increased taxi demand. Mr Chairman, Sir, the Land Transport Master Plan (LTMP) sets out a comprehensive plan to meet a stretched target of 70% public transport mode share by 2020. Some of them, such as a more extensive rail network are welcomed, but others, such as a more effective ERP system, less so. We have made progress with measures that can be implemented quickly, but some others are more complex and will take time to see through. There is no silver bullet to solving our land transport challenges. We will need to stay the course if we are to build a land transport system that can meet the needs of an inclusive, liveable and vibrant global city. The Second Minister for Transport (Mrs Lim Hwee Hua): Mr Chairman, Sir, Mr Seng Han Thong and Assoc. Prof.”
“LTA will provide more details of the online system closer to when it will be ready in the second quarter of 2010. LTA has also been working with HDB to increase the number of Park and Ride carparks, especially at popular locations. Starting 1st May, we will have three more Park and Ride sites with 90 lots. These three sites are located near Queenstown, Yio Chu Kang and Buona Vista MRT stations. Dr Ahmad Magad has asked whether Park and Ride users could be given Public Transport fare subsidies. This is already the case today – not in the form of a subsidy for the fares but a discount for the parking. The $30 that goes towards the parking is a significant discount from the $65 or $90 a month, a Season Parking Ticket for a HDB car park will cost. Dr Lim Wee Kiak and Dr Ahmad Magad have also suggested promoting car sharing schemes or car rental for those who only need to use the car for a short period. From an overall transport perspective, more people sharing a car in effect increases the use of that car. But we recognise that there is a niche market for such services and we will leave it to private enterprises – some of which Dr Ahmad Magad has named, to meet such demand. Mr Ong Kian Min has pointed out that illegal parking obstructs the flow of traffic and causes congestion. Currently, the Police and their Traffic Wardens enforce against illegal parking on public roads, focusing their efforts on hotspots, such as those mentioned by Mr Ong. Last year alone, there were about 250,000 summonses issued against motorists who stop or park illegally. This works out to more than 20,000 summonses per month. However, the enforcement officers cannot be present everywhere, especially during peak hours.”
“One such scheme which some Members have given their strong support for is the Park and Ride scheme. Dr Lim Wee Kiak and Dr Ahmad Magad will be pleased that LTA will step up their publicity of the scheme. Today, of the 37 sites, there are 15 within 400 metres of an MRT station or bus interchange that are less than half-full. LTA will use the PublicTransport@SG portal to provide additional information on the Park and Ride scheme, such as the walking path from Park and Ride sites to the nearest transport node and possible cost savings from using Park and Ride. It will also tap on the road tax renewal process to send Park and Ride leaflets to motorists and put big foot markers at the less popular Park and Ride sites to direct users to the nearest transport node. Dr Ahmad Magad has suggested making it more convenient for drivers to join in on a sustained basis, such as a GIRO-linked season parking scheme. We have considered this, but decided to keep the validity of the Park and Ride sets to one month as LTA felt that it is more equitable to give all interested buyers a more frequent chance to buy them on a first-come-first-served basis, rather than have a part of the supply locked out for three months or more, particularly for the popular sites. But I will ask LTA to re-look at Dr Ahmad Magad's suggestion after LTA has had a chance to review the response to its latest initiatives. LTA and TransitLink are also working together to make it more convenient for Park and Ride users to obtain their monthly Park and Ride sets through a new online system. Those who purchase their sets online will not need to queue at the ticket counters when sales open. They can pick up the sets from any TransitLink ticket counter at their convenience.”
“They felt that the recycling method has the advantage of being more transparent as they can estimate the COE quotas by monitoring the de-registration rates. Some may recall that this is similar to the pre-1999 methodology. The key difference is that the quota then was calculated on a yearly basis. This meant that there was always a one-year lag which was not sufficiently responsive and so we adopted a forward-looking projection approach instead. The difference now is that we will recycle every six months, in order to be more responsive to changes in de-registration patterns. We do not rule out shortening the recycling period further to make the system even more responsive. As with all changes, we will allow the industry time to adjust first. LTA will be providing the details of the new quotas shortly. Since 2009, we have reduced the annual vehicle population growth rate by half, from 3% to 1.5% for three years. We will review it then to see whether further reductions in the growth rate is necessary as some Members have suggested. Before leaving this issue, let me also clarify the misconception that the vehicle population growth rate reduction from 3% to 1.5% was the main reason for the sharp 30% drop in the COE supply last year. This is not true. The bulk of each year’s COE supply is from the replacement COEs, not the new COEs from the allowable growth rate. It is the recent trend of lower de-registration rates that is largely responsible for the falling COE supply. To some extent, this is self-compensating because lower de-registrations also mean that there will be fewer car owners bidding for COEs to replace their cars. We will also look at other ways to encourage drivers to switch to public transport for their daily commute.”
“Members such as Dr Lim Wee Kiak and Mr Ong Kian Min have pointed out that the vehicle population has grown faster than the allowable growth rate in the last few years. The reason for this is that a large part of the total supply of Certificates of Entitlement (COEs) for any given year depends on LTA’s estimate of the number of vehicles that would be de-registered in that year. If, as in recent years, it over-estimates, then the growth in vehicle population will exceed the allowable growth rate. LTA corrects for such over-projections in subsequent quota periods. Thus, the average growth rate from 1990 to 2008 was 2.8%, close to the 3% target. However, the problem with this approach is that even though it achieves the 3% target in the long run, the short-term fluctuations in the growth rate are not desirable. It may have given the impression that a 3% growth rate was tolerable in the early 2000s as our roads did not seem to be congested when part of the reason was because the vehicle population growth then was actually about 1%, whereas in the late 2000s, our roads felt more congested as actual growth rate was more than 5%. Hence, I informed this House last year that we are looking at a better way to determine the replacement COEs each year. LTA has since completed its review. From April 2010, after this quota year ends, rather than releasing replacement COEs based on the projected de-registrations in the coming year, we will base it on actual de-registrations that have already taken place and recycle it back into the system. In its review, LTA had sought the views of the various motor trading associations. They are generally supportive of the proposal.”
“This is because any success in achieving higher speeds on the roads through the pulling power of a better public transport system will encourage other commuters to drive and replace those who have switched. Similarly, it is not possible to build ourselves out of congestion. Widening roads to deal with congestion is like dealing with obesity by loosening the belt. The increased capacity leads to increased traffic, so the problem just recurs but on a bigger scale. Other cities such as London, Stockholm and Amsterdam have come to the same conclusion – both pull measures, such as a high-quality public transport system, so people have an attractive alternative to the car; and push measures, such as congestion charging to curb excessive use of cars, are needed. 2.00 pm Since releasing the LTMP, we have enhanced the efficacy of the Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) system. To answer Ms Jessica Tan, these ERP changes have been effective with significant improvements in traffic conditions within the city and on the expressways. As a result, not all the new gantries announced were needed and some rates were reduced. In fact, looking back further, it is significant that we have been able to keep at least 95% of our road network congestion-free during the morning peak hour since we started tracking this indicator six years ago. This is despite having a 30% increase in vehicle population while road space only grew 7%. Since 25th January, we have also revised the Off-Peak Car (OPC) scheme. More than 660 new cars have since registered as OPCs and some 500 normal car owners have converted to the scheme. These rates are well in excess of the 570 and 20 per month respectively before the revision. While it is still early days, these initial results are encouraging.”
“LTA has set up a joint workgroup with the National Transport Workers' Union and the bus operators to see how best to safeguard the welfare of bus drivers. But I think it is useful to put things in perspective. A public transport modal share of 70% by 2020, up from 59% today can only mean a lot more public transport ridership – that means more public transport workers, more bus captains and more station staff will be in demand. In fact, the operators are finding it a challenge to find enough workers and have been working with the Unions to get more Singaporeans to take up these jobs. We intend to start competitive bus tendering gradually from the second half of 2011. We will start with, perhaps, one or two pilot packages and let these have some time to run before we make firm decisions on the rest of the network. And let me assure Mr Seng Han Thong that our intent is to evaluate the bids on factors other than price, such as quality attributes like headways, comfort and reliability. Mr Chairman, Sir, let me now turn to the key issues raised on managing road usage. Several Members like Dr Lim Wee Kiak, Mr Hri Kumar and Ms Jessica Tan have asked what is our long-term strategy in managing road usage? The key tenet of our strategy is to recognise that there is no single solution to this problem. We often hear people say that congestion will be solved if we had a better public transport system or more roads. Unfortunately, experience has proven otherwise. Tokyo and Seoul have first-class public transport systems but are still plagued by horrific morning peak-hour traffic jams.”
“LTA attends our CCC meetings regularly, and takes feedback and suggestions constructively and responsively. Of course, not all suggestions can be implemented. But LTA would implement what is possible, and explain what is not possible. LTA representatives also work with our grassroots leaders to figure out practical solutions. Today, I no longer receive negative feedback from my grassroots leaders about LTA". We have taken a similar approach, to consult the communities as LTA develops the Bus Route Masterplan. Mr Seng Han Thong and Assoc. Prof. Dr Muhammad Faishal have asked for an update on bus route planning. The key to this exercise is to provide a platform where the views of the community in all the GRCs and SMCs would be taken into account on a systematic basis. The measure of its success is thus not how many big changes are there, but rather how effective the consultations have been in taking into account the views of the communities affected. We should be mindful that every bus route change affects someone, so we should only proceed if it is for the better and has good support from the community. Minister Lim Hwee Hua oversees this initiative and will be giving an update later. Once the review of the bus network is completed and implemented, we intend to gradually open up our basic bus service industry for more competition, by making the right to operate bus services contestable. Competition raises service standards, enhances efficiency and keeps costs competitive. Injecting greater contestability into our bus industry is a major change. It is critical to get the policies right. LTA is studying the issues very carefully.”
“The system is designed to be able to cope safely with a higher load of passengers than what we see today. And to enhance the safety of commuters, we are progressively installing platform screen doors at all elevated MRT stations. Even for those areas which have traditionally been rated lowest, such as waiting time and reliability for bus commuters, and comfort and waiting time for MRT users, we have seen improvements. But we will continue to work with SBST and SMRT to find ways to further improve customer satisfaction, especially in those areas which matter most to commuters – crowdedness and waiting time – where I believe there is still room for the operators to do better. And that is why we are re-doubling our efforts in those areas. When we launched the LTMP in 2008, we recognised that it is important to consult and engage the communities that we serve, and have thus assigned Community Partnership Managers to each constituency. This is a two-way process – there is a LTA "face" for the community to provide feedback and complaints; at the same time, LTA can better explain to residents the considerations and constraints involved. In the process, we are better able to meet the needs and demands of the commuting public, and build a transport system that everyone has a stake in. The feedback from the Advisors has been very good, as Dr Muhammad Faishal has noted. Minister Lim Swee Say, Advisor to the Buona Vista Grassroots Organisation wrote to me, and I quote: "LTA used to be one of the agencies most complained about by grassroots leaders on the ground. But in the past one to two years, we have seen noticeable changes in its commitment to engage the ground.”
“It will detail your walking route, from Parliament to the station, then tell you which MRT line to take, the train frequency and, when you reach Newton station, how to walk to Newton Circus – giving you for completeness, the estimated time you will take for each part of your public transport journey. One way to increase awareness of such tools is to link it to a single portal that people are familiar with. LTA will shortly be launching a new mobile channel called MyTransport.sg. It will be a one-stop platform, offering a suite of mobile services from transport-related portals, including LTA's ONE.MOTORING and PublicTransport@SG portals. So where are we today? Are these LTMP measures having an impact in improving our public transport system? To get an accurate assessment of how we are faring, we need to go beyond anecdotal feedback to see whether these stories – often colourful, good and bad – represent the general state of affairs or otherwise. This is why LTA has commissioned a Public Transport Customer Satisfaction Survey annually since 2006. The latest survey, conducted by UNISIM in October last year, has been completed and the results are encouraging. Overall, more than nine in 10 commuters were satisfied with our public transport services. Compared to the 2008 survey, we saw an improvement of 4% points, from 89.5% to 93.8%. The improvements have been across the board. Ms Jessica Tan who raised the issue of safety and security in our public transport system will be pleased to know that this was the highest rated attribute by commuters with 90.7% satisfied, up from 88.3%. This is a reflection of the importance we placed in ensuring that our public transport system is safe and secure with emphasis on regular reviews and testing.”
“As we open more rail lines and extensions, more commuters will find that a combination of bus and train trips, strung together into a single journey will likely get them to their destinations more quickly. The key thing is to ensure that our hub-and-spoke model works well, in a manner that benefits the commuter. With LTA now planning both bus and rail routes in an integrated manner, and with the new distance-based through fares, we can better achieve this outcome. Commuters often comment that they are unsure when the bus will arrive. Ms Jessica Tan will be pleased to hear that we are working to improve transfers in several ways. We are trying to make public transport more seamless. First, as I mentioned earlier, more frequent buses help to reduce waiting times during transfers. Second, is to provide commuters with bus arrival information, so that they can make informed choices. SBST already has its IRIS Next bus system. LTA is developing a similar system which integrates the bus arrival information from both operators. I thank Mr Ong Kian Min for helping to spread awareness of the Google Maps for Singapore. LTA and Google held an event at Dhoby Ghaut station in November last year to launch this service. It is a wonderful tool, if Members have not accessed it, they should really access it, then they can see how good it really is. For instance, if you feel after a long day sitting in this House, that you need both exercise and food, say, at Newton Circus, this Google Map will direct you to the nearest MRT station from Parliament which is City Hall.”
“As for the next major RTS Line, the Downtown Line (DTL), we can look forward to the opening of its first phase, from Bugis to Chinatown, in three years' time, 2013. These improvements would be more than sufficient to meet the current public transport demand and cater for growth over the next few years. Beyond that, the new lines to be rolled out – the rest of Downtown Line, Thomson Line, Eastern Region Line – would not only provide significant increase in our rail capacity to cope with long-term population growth but greatly increase the coverage and connectivity of our rail network. Third, we will also continue to work on improving the commuter experience. We will remove completely the transfer penalty that a commuter pays when he or she has to transfer from say bus to bus or bus to train. When we started out, commuters were given a transfer rebate of 25 cents, which only partially offsets the transfer penalty of about 60 cents. The Public Transport Council (PTC) has reduced this penalty in the last two years by increasing the transfer rebate to 50 cents. This year, the PTC will see how best to get rid of it altogether, in a manner that will benefit the majority of commuters. Come July, commuters travelling the same distance will then pay the same fare for the same type of service, regardless of whether they travel direct or make transfers. This will be the most significant change ever made to the structure of our public transport fares. When the new fare structure is in place, we hope that commuters will look at the entire public transport network as an integrated whole, and take full advantage of the choices offered to get to their destinations.”