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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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 5 of 15.
“As part of the Land Transport Masterplan, the Eastern Region Line (ERL) will be built by 2020. The ERL will serve residents in Tanjong Rhu, Marine Parade, Siglap, Bedok South and Upper East Coast areas. Visitors to the area will find it even more convenient to use public transport. LTA is currently studying the precise alignment of the ERL and the location of each station. It has to consider many factors such as travel demand, land use patterns, ease of access, physical site characteristics and local constraints, in consultation with planning agencies such as the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA). More details will be announced when they become available. Today, the East Coast area is well-served by many bus services along East Coast Road, Upper East Coast Road and Marine Parade Road. These buses provide direct connections to the Central Business District (CBD), many major destinations across Singapore, and also link to nearby MRT stations on the East-West Line, such as Eunos, Kembangan and Bedok. In addition, the East Coast Park is served by an additional bus service on weekends and public holidays to cater to the higher travel demand. There is also a variety of non-basic services that serve different needs, including Fast Forward or Express, Night, Premium and Shuttle services. COMMUNITY MEDIATION CENTRE 10. Dr Fatimah Lateef asked the Minister for Law (a) what is the number of cases referred to the Community Mediation Centre annually for the last two years; (b) what is the breakdown for the common cases referred; and (c) how many were successfully mediated and how many proceeded with legal course of action following the mediation. Mr Shanmugam: (a) What is the number of cases referred to the Community Mediation Centre annually for the last two years?”
“In event of any system fault, the CSO can provide fast recovery to resume train service and attend to passengers who are in need. EXTENSION OF MRT TO EAST COAST 9. Dr Lim Wee Kiak asked the Minister for Transport when can the public expect the MRT lines to be extended to the East Coast which has been drawing huge crowds especially on weekends and public holidays.”
“From 2007 to 12 July 2009, there were 92 incidents of MRT service disruption which lasted more than 10 minutes. Of these 92, 30 lasted more than 30 minutes. Twelve of these 30 were caused by people entering the train track area and one was due to a passenger activating the emergency push button. The remaining 17 incidents were caused by equipment-related faults. To ensure that the MRT system operates safely, reliably and efficiently, the two MRT operators carry out regular preventive maintenance on the systems. The maintenance programme the operators follow is based on the Original Equipment Manufacturers’ manuals, codes of practices and industry standards. The driverless trains have the same basic safety features as that for trains operated by drivers. For example, they have an Automatic Train Protection system that ensures trains keep a minimum safety distance between each other, limits the speed of trains to safe levels and ensures that the doors open on the correct side of the trains. In addition, the driverless train systems have additional features for monitoring and fault reporting purposes. The critical systems of the driverless trains are also fully backed up to ensure that the train service can still continue to operate in the event of failure of the primary systems. Besides the additional features, the interior of the driverless trains can be monitored by officers in the Operation Control Centre (OCC) through the Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) systems. In the event of an incident, the officers in the OCC can assess and take action to address the situation. The operators also typically station a customer service officer (CSO) in each driverless train during peak periods.”
“A key flight safety measure is the strict height limits imposed on tall structures in the vicinity of the airport, including the areas under the landing and take-off flight paths of Seletar Airport. This ensures that there is no unauthorised construction of tall buildings that could pose a danger to any aircraft in flight. CAAS further requires tall buildings to be lit with fail-safe obstacle lights to enhance their visibility to aircraft pilots at night. Aircraft noise and flight safety are not issues new to the Seletar Airport. The various measures I have described are already in place. Going forward, these measures will still be relevant with the development of the Seletar Aerospace Park. The CAAS will regularly review the measures for improvement where appropriate, taking into account the advent of new technology that could enhance flight safety, and further minimise noise disturbance to residents. US PROPOSALS TO CHANGE TAX REGIME (Impact on Singapore) 23. Mdm Halimah Yacob asked the Minister for Trade and Industry whether his Ministry could give an assessment of the possible impact on Singapore arising from the US proposals to change its tax regime which would affect US companies operating here.”
“The potential impact of aircraft noise on residential areas has been taken into consideration in the planning of the Seletar Aerospace Park. Consultancy studies carried out by CAAS and JTC showed that while there is expected to be some increase in aircraft noise experienced by nearby residents, this will still be well within development planning norms, established internationally, for residential areas near an airport. Notwithstanding this, CAAS has put in place several noise abatement measures to reduce noise levels in the vicinity of Seletar Airport. CAAS disallows older and noisier jet aircraft that do not meet international standards on aircraft noise from operating in Singapore. Jet aircrafts which operate to Seletar are newer-generation ones which are quieter. To further curb aircraft generated noise, CAAS introduced altitude restrictions requiring aircraft to be no lower than 1,500 ft (about 450 metres) when they have to overfly the residential areas to the west and south of Seletar Airport. Depending on the prevailing wind direction at Seletar Airport, aircraft will have to land from the north or the south. To avoid aircraft overflying the residential areas and thereby reduce the noise disturbance, CAAS will as far as possible, minimise aircraft landings from the south. In addition, Seletar Airport prohibits training flights and cargo flights between the hours of 10:00 pm to 7:00 am daily. Regarding the safety of aircraft flight paths and whether aircraft are away from high-rise flats, let me assure the House that there are well established international safety standards and templates on air space around an airport that have to be met.”
“Disbursements from the fund are by application only, and only proposals that meet the stipulated requirements will be approved. While a $1 million budget has been set aside, actual utilization will depend on the merits of the proposals LTA receives. As for Dr Lim’s question on fare adjustment, this is up to individual companies to decide as the setting of taxi fares has been de-regulated. It is ultimately a commercial decision that individual taxi companies have to make taking into consideration various factors, including the impact on their taxi drivers amongst others. CONVERSION OF SELETAR AIRPORT INTO AEROSPACE HUB (Noise pollution on nearby housing estates) 22. Er Lee Bee Wah asked the Minister for Transport with the proposed conversion of Seletar Airport into an aerospace hub (a) whether the Ministry has taken into consideration the impact of noise pollution on nearby housing estates; (b) what steps are being taken to keep the flight paths for aircraft away from high-rise flats; and (c) what are the safety considerations in drawing up the flight paths.”
“The Land Transport Authority, in close consultation with the Taxi Operators Association and taxi companies, decided to set up a fund as a temporary measure, not only to help the taxi industry cope with the current economic downturn, but also with the view to gear the industry up for upcoming developments when the economy recovers and when major projects like the Integrated Resorts open. The fund serves three objectives. First, it aims to improve the service levels of taxi drivers, so as to enhance the overall delivery of service to commuters, by co-funding initiatives such as programmes on good service behaviour, proposed by the companies. This is in line with the purpose of the Taxi Operator Licence framework, which seeks to ensure taxi companies deliver a high level of service by complying with Quality of Service standards. Second, it encourages the industry to do more to stimulate demand, by co-funding initiatives from the taxi companies for up to one-third of the cost of the promotional activities, but this will expressly exclude any direct subsidy of taxi fares. Third, it serves to improve convenience and accessibility for taxi commuters during major events like the Singapore Formula 1 Grand Prix and the Singapore River Hongbao, by supporting additional infrastructure facilities such as temporary taxi stands. Such efforts will, on the whole, help the taxi industry better match the current taxi supply with demand, while continuing to improve service levels for the benefit of commuters. LTA’s objective is not just to help the industry cope with the downturn, but to also position the industry for the economic recovery and to better meet the additional demand expected when major projects like the Integrated Resorts open later this year.”
“Furthermore, even though elderly taxi drivers are currently tested on their physical attributes, such as visual, cognitive and driving abilities, the tests do not replicate the actual working conditions that taxi drivers face, such as extended hours of driving, and the higher susceptibility to fatigue due to age. Hence, the testing regime does not obviate the need for an age limit as another safeguard. For safety reasons, the Land Transport Authority has adopted a conservative approach in extending the age limit of taxi drivers from 70 to 73 in 2006, and will continually review whether further adjustments are possible. Ultimately, we have to ensure that the interests and safety of taxi drivers, as well as their passengers and other road users, are adequately safeguarded. ASEAN HUMAN RIGHTS BODY (Singapore's position) 25. Mr Siew Kum Hong asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs (a) what is Singapore's position on the draft terms of reference for the proposed ASEAN human rights body; and (b) what is the progress of the work of the High Level Panel.”
“Driving a taxi requires taxi drivers to be physical fit and mentally alert every moment that they are on the road. Given the long working hours they spend on the road, they face more difficult driving conditions than most other drivers. The ability to deal with these challenges decreases as a person ages. For this reason, an age limit of 70 years was introduced for taxi vocational licence holders in the 1970s as a prudent safeguard to protect the well-being of taxi drivers, their passengers and other road users. The age limit was raised to 73 years in 2006. As for driving instructors, the maximum age limit is 70. This age limit ensures that they still possess the necessary skills and reflexes to control the vehicles driven by their students. As for other driving licences, there is also an age limit for Class 4, 4A and 5 licences (these are for heavy vehicle and bus drivers), and this is set at 70 years. In fact, holders of these licences need to go for a medical check up and a proficiency test every year starting from the age of 65 all the way till 69. While there is no age limit for motorcycle and motorcar licence holders at present, each licence holder needs to provide a medical report issued by a registered medical practitioner, certifying that he or she is physically and mentally fit to drive a motor vehicle once every three years, starting from the age of 65. It is not appropriate to compare the age limit imposed on taxi drivers with that of other driving licences as the circumstances faced by taxi drivers are more onerous than those of other licence holders.”
“It is very useful to read the fare review mechanism. It is found on the PTC website. It specifies that if the fare formula is negative, which means both fall, the PTC has the power to order a fare reduction, for example, next year. It is part and parcel of the whole fare review framework. PRIVATE SCHOOL EDUCATION (Measures to tighten governance) 14. Mdm Halimah Yacob asked the Minister for Education what immediate measures will the Ministry put in place to protect students from poor governance and standards and loss of fees pending the introduction of the Private Education Bill later this year. 15. Assoc. Prof. Kalyani K Mehta asked the Minister for Education (a) when the academic quality accreditation scheme for private schools/universities will take effect; (b) what new strategies the Ministry has to effectively address the problem of bogus teachers in the private school industry; and (c) whether the Ministry intends to do a comprehensive inter-ministerial review of the current state of private schools in Singapore.”
“Insofar as it impacts the CPI and the ROTA, yes it does, but indirectly. Mr Speaker: Last question, Mr Foo.”
“The Member is correct. The fare review mechanism spells out when the PTC can deviate and what are the factors they take into account. The return on total assets (ROTA) is one of the reality checks that the PTC has to take into account.”
“So the fare reduction package is not only "2 cents", but in fact "2 to 14 cents" per journey. For journeys that involve more then one transfer, the reduction is even more, 26 or 38 cents. In working out the fare reduction package, the PTC had sought to benefit as many commuters as possible, particularly those who make transfers. Currently, six in 10 commuters, a majority, make at least one transfer a week. These commuters will enjoy significant savings because of the increase in transfer rebate. In fact, all commuters will benefit in the longer term from these changes. The increase in transfer rebate brings us closer to distance-based through-fares, where a direct journey will have the same fare as a transfer journey of comparable distance. By reducing and ultimately eliminating the transfer penalty, all commuters would be given more choice over the routes for their journeys. They would not be penalised for choosing to make transfers if doing so were faster, more direct or provided a better travel experience.”
“Mdm Phua suggested that the PTC adopt greater transparency in its deliberations. In fact, the maximum allowable fare adjustment each year is transparent, as it is determined by a formula based on publicly-available indicators such as CPI and wages. Conditions for deviations from the formula are also specified in the 2005 Report of the Committee on the Fare Review Mechanism. If and when a deviation is warranted, the PTC will clearly explain its decision, as it did in 2007 when it rejected the operators' applications to increase train fares. However, the recent announcement by the PTC and operators to reduce fares was outside the fare review framework. This was because the operators had decided not to apply for a fare increase under the fare review formula this year. Being mindful of the current economic conditions, they instead took the initiative to work with the PTC to pass on more than the savings they will receive from the Budget measures to commuters. Together with the PTC, they decided on an overall 4.6% reduction in bus and train fares. This is a significant reduction as it more than offsets the fare increases of the past three years combined (0.7% in 2008, 1.1% in 2007 and 1.7% in 2006). Commuters on the whole will pay total fares that are less than what they paid in 2006. Some commentators have presented the fare reduction package as only a 2 cents reduction. This is misleading. We need to look at the whole fare adjustment. This year, the fare adjustment formula allows for a fare increase of up to 5%, or 6 to 7 cents. On top of foregoing this 6 to 7 cents fare increase, the operators decided on a further 2 cents reduction across the board, and the PTC concurrently increased the transfer rebate by 10 cents.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, Mdm Cynthia Phua asked why public transport fares have not fallen by a similar amount as oil prices. This is really a question about the link between oil prices and public transport fares. When the Public Transport Council (PTC) decides on fare adjustments each year, the adjustment is based on a formula that is pegged to changes in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and the Wage Index (WI) over the preceding year, and not oil prices. Oil prices, therefore, impact public transport fares only indirectly through their impact on the CPI. This means that fares will not fluctuate to the same degree as oil prices, as oil impacts the various components of the CPI to different degrees. Furthermore, an increase in one component in the CPI may be offset by falls in others. Thus fares will not drop as much when there is a dramatic drop in oil prices. But equally, when oil prices shoot up, fares will also not shoot up as much either. We explicitly decided not to allow direct pass through of fuel and wage costs to commuters by the operators. This is to give operators every incentive to operate efficiently, and keep costs as low as possible. This was why last year, despite a 40% increase in diesel prices, the increase in CPI and WI was only 2.1% and 6.9% respectively, leading to an allowable fare adjustment of just 3%. As the PTC also made the operators absorb a large part of the increase in transfer rebate then, fares went up by only 0.7% in October last year. So, the fare formula not only incentivises the operators to be efficient, it also moderates the effects that drastic spikes in oil prices have on public transport fares. In this way, commuters are protected while the public transport system is kept sustainable.”
“I agree that we can be a more gracious society. If we visit our MRT stations at peak hours, you will see that we now have service ambassadors. SMRT has introduced service ambassadors and also more public announcements. We try to educate people on a certain etiquette at the station. This is really an ongoing process. I will give a simple example. When the train pulls up, you should actually allow those inside to come out first. But some commuters are in such a hurry that before those inside the cabin can come out, they are rushing in, causing a huge jam. We have for some time now drawn those yellow lines that you can see at our MRT stations, and we have our service ambassadors guiding the people. The other thing that they do is to try to get them to distribute more evenly in the train. Again, if you go down to the stations at peak periods, you will see that the cars at the ends can actually take people in; so we try to distribute the passengers. And in between, in the intermediate cars, there is a tendency of bunching everybody at the door of the train; so, again, these service ambassadors try to educate people and tell them to move in. I think some of our commuters are concerned that if they were to move in to the middle of the train, they will not be able to get out at their station. But this is not really true. The dwell time is enough and they will be able to get out. So, I agree that we should educate people, so that we will have a more gracious society.”
“I think Mr Seah is taking the Member's advice to heart – if you are persistent enough, he said, it might work. Road growth is just one of the factors. So, Mr Seah is right – road growth is 0.5%. But as I mentioned earlier, there are other factors, like public transport improvement and IT improvement in road management technology. So there are other factors at play and this is the reason why when we do long-term planning, we do not say that we are now going to fix this rate in perpetuity. We would say, well, we fix it, but we will review it over three years, so that we have a sense of where we are and we do not try to lock it in.”
“Transport for London cuts it at 12 minutes. Anything below 12 minutes, the timetable is the same like ours, they give the frequency range. So if you go to any of our bus stop today – and mind you previously we did not have bus information panels at all our bus stops – now we have 4,500 of them. If you go and have a look at it, there is a frequency range. So it tells you that the first bus is 6.24 am in the morning, for instance and in the morning peak periods, 6.30 to 8.30 am, the frequency would be from 10 to 12 minutes. So that is how they do it. When it is a frequent service, they give a frequency range. No difference from London. Now beyond that, when the headway is longer than 20 minutes, you then can give actual timing because when it is longer, the bus can adjust to be sure that they arrive, say, at 11.20 pm. That you can do. But when it is frequent, you cannot because if there is a traffic jam somewhere, you will miss that. So you tell people how frequent it is. Should we work towards tightening this further from 20 minutes? This is something that we will definitely look at.”
“First, in answer to Mdm Phua, it is under the Road Traffic Rules. And if I could beg your indulgence, Sir, I think Mr Seah asked something else. There are two parts to it. If I could also answer the first part, he says well, people have already adjusted so what else, what other adjustment is necessary. I beg to differ. Because people have adjusted to the 3% vehicle population growth rate and we have announced in this House that we are going with 1.5% going ahead so they would have factored that in. If I say because the economy has slid in the last few months, I shift the growth rate further down to 1% or 0%, I would have undermined the expectations of people. There is an impact on people's lives if we cut the COE quota. What do you think will happen to the COE prices if I tightened and squeezed it? It might actually go up after I have announced that I am going to do a lower vehicle population growth rate. So I beg to differ. I do not think that people have already factored all of this in, that it is going to go down to 1%. They have factored 1.5% in making the adjustment and so we should not just change it. Ms Eunice Olsen's question was, is it better to have timetables at the bus stops? My answer is yes, if we can do it, we would. Let me explain where we are now. I think in her speech she mentioned that in first world cities they have timetables. I visited London, I visited Australia and I asked the same question, "Where do you draw the line?" They draw the line in the same way, like us. They draw the line that they will give timetables at the bus stops when the bus arrival is not frequent. So you have to define a cut off – what do you mean by "not frequent". In Singapore we do it at 20 minutes, in London, it is about 12 minutes.”
“When you make policies, you try your best not to inject uncertainty into it unless there are compelling reasons for you to change. If you create regulatory uncertainty in policy-making, people who depend on it will lose confidence. So unless there are compelling reasons, you do not change. So when we work out what is sustainable for the vehicle population growth rate, we look at the long-term fundamental factors – what is the road growth going ahead, what sort of public transport improvements we are putting in, what sort of road management technologies will come on stream, and then we make the decision. As I mentioned last year, when we make this decision, we do not lock it in permanently. We said, "Let's do it for three years." We have not even started. So if we change this decision even before we start, it will create uncertainty. The economic conditions change rapidly so if we were to do what Mr Seah suggests, to just peg it to prevailing economic conditions, we are going to end up with what people call "up and down economics". If you look back to August 2008, how many people predicted the Lehman collapse in September? Also ask yourself, how often have we revised our GDP growth forecast? It is really changing rapidly. So we are going to implement a vehicle population growth rate in terms of what should our sustainable rate be into the future. If the long-term factors change, then we would adjust the vehicle population growth rate.”
“I really do not know whether what I say would go a long way with the PTOs. I just want to manage Members' expectations. Let me clarify what I said which I thought I had made quite clear. There are actually two parts to this polytechnic student concession issue. One is that, as the Member correctly said, this is a decision for the public transport operators; they decide on concessions. He is again right that there is a cross-subsidy element between those who are paying full fares and those who are on concessions, and the public transport operators would have to weigh this. But in this current difficult economic climate, I would encourage them to see how best they can help to lower transport costs for polytechnic students. But, on the part of the Government, the approach that we have taken is to provide targeted help for families who need it the most. For the Government to come in and provide the subsidy for polytechnic students, it would be an across-the-board subsidy and not a targeted approach. Therefore, it would benefit polytechnic students from wealthy households and those from poor households. But this is not our approach. We prefer to use a targeted approach and we have various schemes to help them – the Workfare Income Supplement and GST Credits. And if they need more help, there is the CCC ComCare Fund.”
“Every day, millions of Singaporeans ask the same question when making a particular trip: "Should I hop onto a bus or train, or should I drive the car?" If out of every five car trips, one is taken on public transport, then indeed we are on the way to success. I am encouraged by letters such as this one, written by Mdm Doris Chan. Mdm Chan lives in the Shunfu area, and used to commute by car to her office in Beach Road. But since the middle of last year, she has switched to public transport. She wrote to LTA recently, noting the improvements to public transport which is faster now and, with the higher transfer rebate, more attractive. She also says, "I don’t have to worry about traffic jams, steering the car or avoiding other vehicles which is stressful. I don’t need to worry about how to 'escape' ERP gantries, or what amount to pay. On the bus, I can just relax, look out the window and enjoy the scenery. I now get to see things in my neighbourhood that I used to miss before – new buildings, friends walking along the road. And best of all, walking to the bus stop and MRT station is good exercise, and reduces my weight!" I hope that there will be more people like Mdm Chan. Taxi Service”
“We have received numerous feedback from OPC owners, such as the limited outlets where the OPC day licences can be purchased; the cost and risk of holding a large stack of OPC day licences, the problem of paper licences running out; allowing OPCs to be used freely on Saturdays; and the feedback from normal car owners that it is not attractive to convert their cars to OPCs because one has to wait until the car is deregistered before the full OPC benefits can be realised. So, for a start, we have identified three areas to look into. First, LTA will review how to make it more convenient for motorists to purchase the OPC day licences. LTA is studying how to implement an electronic licence scheme to replace the current paper licences. LTA will be holding focus group discussions with OPC owners to seek their views on this. Second, we will study the feasibility of giving cash rebates for those who convert their existing cars to OPCs, which will be more attractive than the conversion scheme today where the cash is only paid out when the car is deregistered. Lastly, we will relook into the restricted hours for OPCs, in particular, the Saturday restrictions, with some corresponding adjustments to the tax concessions of the OPC scheme. Mr Chairman Sir, let me conclude by saying that this is a time of significant change in our land transport system. We aim to keep our city "liveable", by improving public transport and managing excessive road usage. I have touched on the many initiatives we have implemented or will carry out to achieve this overarching goal. But whether we succeed or fail is not determined by Government policies alone. It is ultimately determined by the decision of each and every Singaporean, every time he or she steps out of the house.”
“Mr Foo asked if the Government will consider making Off-Peak-Cars (OPCs) more attractive to motorists. I think he also made the same point to me last year. He has since spoken to me and he is a persuasive man. So this year, I shall not disappoint him. OPCs have been with us since 1994. In fact, we started off with the Weekend Car Scheme in 1991. In the last few years, the OPC scheme has been gaining popularity. At the end of 2005, there were only about 5,000 OPCs. Today, we have about 42,000 OPCs, an eight-fold increase over a three-year period. They currently make up about 7.7% of the car population. The OPC scheme is something we should encourage. It provides an alternative and a lower-cost means for people to own cars, and as its name suggests, helps to alleviate peak hour congestion on our roads. Those who own OPCs will tell you that they do not use their cars on a daily basis to commute to work during the restricted hours. They either make use of public transport or they plan their schedule to avoid the restricted hours. This fits into our overall objectives to better manage traffic congestion on our roads, particularly during the peak periods, and help to moderate ERP charges. Hence, we will study how we can make the OPC scheme more attractive and convenient to motorists, to encourage more car owners to opt into the scheme.”
“These fundamental factors are critical in determining the sustainable vehicle population growth rate. Nevertheless, when we do the next review, we will consider all the suggestions from Members. Hence, for the QY09 which begins in May 2009, LTA will be issuing a total COE quota of 83,789. This is about 24% less than in QY08. Part of this quota is to allow the vehicle population to grow by 1.5%. The bulk is to replace vehicles that LTA anticipates will be deregistered this year. Some have pointed out that our vehicle growth rate in the last few years has exceeded the 3% annual growth rate. The reason why this has happened is because the number of vehicles deregistered actually turned out quite differently from the numbers projected when we worked out the COE quotas for the respective years. This is not to say that the COE system does not work. It does, because any errors in projection are always corrected in the current or subsequent years. Since the COE system was introduced in 1990, our vehicle population has grown at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of about 3% as intended. The COE system has therefore been effective in keeping the growth of the vehicle population within the prescribed growth rate on a long-term basis. However, I think that there is scope to review how we project COEs to replace vehicles that are deregistered, as suggested by Mr Foo, to see if the methodology can be improved to more closely match the COE quotas released for the year with the actual number of vehicle de-registrations. It will improve the responsiveness of the system, but there will, however, be trade-offs, such as more uncertainty over the quota released. Hence, LTA will consult the motor vehicle industry as part of its review.”
“Since the introduction of the Certificate of Entitlement (COE) system in 1990, we have kept the vehicle population growth rate at 3% per annum. Last year, we announced in the LTMP that we would lower it to 1.5% from Quota Year 2009 (QY09) onwards. At 1.5%, it is still higher than our road growth going ahead, which is about 0.5% per annum. Dr Lam Pin Min asked if it is sustainable for vehicle growth to surpass road growth. Mr Cedric Foo and Mr Seah Kian Peng asked if LTA would consider a lower growth rate of 1% from QY09 as the economy has worsened and COE prices have fallen. Mr Seah asked me the same thing last year. I think the point I made last year remains valid. In the longer term, I agree that we may have to reduce the vehicle growth rate further. However, it is also important, when making changes, to do so gradually so that people have sufficient time to adjust. We have implemented quite significant changes to improve our public transport system and to manage road use, and we are not finished yet. It will take time for the impact of these changes to take effect and for people to adjust. As we have already taken the step to halve the vehicle population growth rate to 1.5% for the next three years, we should only do a review after some time to see if a further reduction is required. On Mr Seah’s suggestion that the severity of the economic downturn is another reason to review the growth rate now, my view is that the vehicle population growth rate should not be dependent on prevailing economic conditions which are volatile and unconnected to long-term factors like the pace of road construction, public transport improvements and progress in road management technology.”
“While I am all for further reducing ERP rates, it has to be predicated on traffic conditions not worsening as a result. As for Upper Boon Keng Road, we implemented ERP there in April 2008 because speeds along that stretch of road had fallen below 20 kph. Today, traffic is flowing smoothly within the range for optimal flow. I think the important point to make here is that we have to use an objective way to determine when ERP rates should go up and down, which is what LTA has done. So when the traffic speeds along Upper Boon Keng Road go above the optimum speed range, which so far has not happened, LTA will certainly reduce the ERP rates. Giving motorists more traffic information will also help them make better choices on the routes to take and help LTA to manage traffic congestion better. For those who listen in on the radio in the morning and evening peak hours, you may have heard regular capsules called "LTA Traffic News". LTA has, since October 2008, procured airtime on four MediaCorp radio stations to disseminate traffic news. Mr Lim would be pleased to know that the stations broadcast traffic updates up to five times more frequently during the morning and evening peak hours than in the past. The updates can be heard at about once every eight minutes during the peak periods. Feedback from listeners have been positive. LTA did a poll last month. More than 80% of the respondents have found the service useful in helping them to plan their routes. Mr Lim asked if LTA would consider a dedicated radio station to disseminate traffic news. LTA is currently studying the feasibility of such an idea. 4.00 pm Mr Chairman, Sir, congestion is a function of both vehicle usage and vehicle population.”
“The change in traffic impact is not just at gantries that have had their rates changed but also on adjacent gantries and time slots. So if we review the rates more frequently, we will be making decisions prematurely. Overall, this would reduce the effectiveness of the ERP system. As to why ERP is levied on some roads even when there appears to be no congestion, the reasons vary. Mr Lim has cited Nicoll Highway and Upper Boon Keng Road as examples. The rates for ERP gantries around the cordons in the city are determined based on the speeds of different baskets of key roads. Cordon ERP is meant to deal with congestion in a specific area comprising a network of roads rather than to deal with congestion on a specific road. Nicoll Highway is one in a basket of roads in a cordon. Within the basket, some roads are more free-flowing than others, and if we can fine-tune the system to take this into account, we will. For instance, the whole city used to be one large cordon. But LTA has now divided it up into three separate cordons: the Orchard Cordon, the Bugis-Marina Centre Cordon and the Shenton Way-Chinatown Cordon. Breaking this up has allowed us to better fine-tune the ERP rates. For example, the Orchard Cordon does not start operation until 12 noon on weekdays, while there is no ERP for the Shenton Way-Chinatown Cordon on Saturdays. However, if we were to lower the ERP rate for just one road in a cordon compared to adjacent roads, say the ERP gantry at Nicoll Highway, motorists will simply decant over to Nicoll Highway and jam it up. This is why gantries in the same cordon have the same ERP rate, and it is determined by a basket of roads within the cordon.”
“I am glad to say that this is indeed what happened and by November last year, traffic conditions had improved significantly. Of the six new gantries planned for November, we did not have to install four of them. We also deferred the gantry at Serangoon Road, and in the end, only had to implement the gantry on the PIE near Eunos. The changes to the existing gantries were also not as extensive as we had earlier thought necessary. This answers Mr Foo’s question on how effective has the ERP changes been. I have said that ERP is to manage congestion and not a revenue measure, and that the Government will be happy to collect less if drivers drove less. So if economic conditions lead to changes in travel patterns and less road usage as Mr Seah said, LTA will take them into account and will adjust the ERP rates accordingly. This was what happened in the latest quarterly rate review in February 2009, when LTA lowered ERP rates at 15 gantries. In fact, based on what we have seen so far, if demand for driving continues to fall, the additional ERP revenue collected per year will be about $50 million, and not the $70 million we had earlier estimated. But rest assured that we will not reduce the $110 million in road tax reductions and $200 million in ARF reductions that we have already announced. Mr Foo asked if ERP rates should be reviewed more frequently so that it is more responsive to changes in traffic conditions. Let me explain why LTA reviews ERP rates on a quarterly basis. LTA has found empirically that traffic conditions take some time to stabilise each time ERP rates are adjusted. Drivers may change their behaviour several times after a rate change before they settle into a steady pattern.”
“First, we have to continue to increase and optimise our road capacity where we can. We will continue to build roads, and leverage on technology to maximise their capacity. To answer Mr Foo, we are studying how best to use GPS technology to further optimise road capacity. However, there is a limit to how many more roads we can build or widen. Secondly, we have to control the demand for our roads. Congestion is a function of both vehicle usage and vehicle population. Hence, we will need to continue to control our vehicle population as well as their usage. Third, we need to put in place viable and more efficient alternatives to the car in order to ensure we have a sustainable transport system. That is why we continue to invest heavily to improve our public transport system. While our strategies to keep congestion in check will revolve broadly around these three strategies, circumstances and behaviour will change over time. We will thus need to continually review the balance between them to ensure that the right balance continues to be struck. We will also need to fine-tune existing measures and explore new ways of achieving these three objectives. When we launched the LTMP in early 2008, we announced that we would enhance the efficacy of the ERP system by using a new set of criteria to determine ERP rates. We took a phased approach by first implementing the changes in the city area in July 2008, before extending it outwards progressively. We were hopeful that by introducing the changes to the ERP system in such a phased approach, we can allow improvements from early phases to flow through the whole road network so that we end up having to do less later.”
“We are now in tough economic times. Mdm Cynthia Phua asked about the fare formula. The fare adjustment formula is not a cost-plus formula. It pegs fare increases to macro-economic factors such as the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and the Wage Index, rather than the operators’ specific costs. This ensures that the operators have to be efficient if they want to be profitable, as they cannot pass their costs on directly to commuters. So as Mdm Phua pointed out, the formula is not directly linked to fuel prices but has an indirect link through the CPI. However, based on the fare formula, the maximum fare adjustment this year would have been close to five per cent. This is why I am pleased that the PTOs have announced that they would work with the PTC to reduce fares this year. Like Mr Ong, I hope the PTC and the PTOs will find ways to lower transport costs in addition to passing on the savings from the Budget. Mr Foo and Mr Lim asked that distance-based through-fares be effected as soon as possible. I agree that this is an important initiative to enhance the attractiveness of our public transport system. However, the PTC will have to decide whether, in the current bad economic conditions, it is better to go ahead and implement it this year, or is it better to phase it in so as to minimise the burden of adjustment on both commuters and the PTOs. The PTC will make its decision together with the fare revision by the end of this month. Let me now cover the second key thrust in the LTMP – managing road usage. Dr Lam asked about the long-term strategies for managing road usage. To keep traffic flowing smoothly on our roads, we have to adopt a holistic package of measures as no single measure can achieve this.”
“Once the new bus network has been implemented, LTA will then look at how best to package the bus routes for competitive tendering. Mr Alvin Yeo raised the issue of industry competition. We are not looking at competition 'in' the market where operators compete head-to-head for market share. Experience elsewhere has shown that in the public transport sector, this type of competition will destroy integration and lead to wasteful duplication. Instead, we are looking at competition 'for' the market where the operators compete to provide a package of bus services or run a rail line. By introducing greater contestability to the public transport sector, commuters will benefit as the operators would be incentivised to improve efficiency, service quality and innovation. Thus the public interest is best served not by simply having a single public transport operator, as Mr Yeo suggested, but by ensuring there is the threat of competition to keep these dominant market players on their toes. Mdm Cynthia Phua and some Members in last week's Budget Debate have asked that polytechnic students’ concession fares be lowered. The operators decide on concessions. However, I would encourage them to see how best they can help in these difficult times. As for the Government, our approach has always been to provide targeted help to those most in need. Polytechnic students are a large and diverse group – there are students from wealthy families and students from less well-off families. We should not ask taxpayers to subsidise the fares of polytechnic students who can well afford it. For less well-off households, there are various Government measures to help them such as the Workfare Income Supplement, GST Credits and if more help is needed through the CCC ComCare Fund.”
“One of our guiding principles is to avoid making any radical, 'Big Bang'-type changes to bus services. Commuters make more than three million trips on buses every day, and we are conscious that any change must be gradual. Otherwise, there will be mass confusion. Our approach instead is to identify any gaps in connectivity, try to plug them, and see where bus services can be streamlined to improve efficiency of the network. Another point that I should highlight is that even after LTA has taken over route planning, painful trade-offs will still be necessary. Take, for example, a feeder bus service which has quite a circuitous route. I am sure Members are familiar with complaints from some residents that their feeder service makes "one big round" before it reaches the MRT station. One option for LTA is to 'straighten out' the feeder route, so that it is faster. But this means that some residents who used to go, say, to the market that is along that "one big round" would now lose their direct service and may need to take a transfer. To help identify and resolve these sorts of trade-offs, and to answer Mr Lim, LTA will hold a series of dialogues in each Group Representation Constituency (GRC) and Single Member Constituency (SMC), to consult local grassroots leaders whose residents are affected by the changes. The consultations will start in the second half of 2009. LTA will present the design of the existing bus network in the constituency, explain the proposed changes and invite comments. We will also take suggestions, highlight the trade-offs involved and the choices that the community can help to make. Members of the public will be able to channel their feedback through their local grassroots leaders and constituency representatives.”
“Public transport is the most efficient means of carrying people, but this presumes that there are enough passengers on the bus. If the system is not financially sustainable, the impact may not be felt immediately. But over time, it will pull down the quality of the whole system, as the network will not be able to generate enough revenue for the operator to invest and upkeep the quality of bus services. Mr Lim asked LTA not to automatically shut down bus routes that are not profitable on their own and to try other ways such as reducing bus frequencies. We will consider his suggestions. In fact, let me reassure him that LTA’s approach will be to consider the overall viability of the bus network, rather than insist that every bus route on its own must make a profit. But this does not mean that we can add economically unviable services to the network in an indiscriminate manner. Otherwise, sooner or later, the whole network would suffer. On the issue Dr Lam has raised of whether we can allow bus services to duplicate routes that are also served by the rail system, LTA will have to decide on such instances judiciously, based on the best way to use the available resources. On stretches of rail corridors that are already congested, bus services are allowed today to run in parallel with trains, but there are also many other instances where such duplication will not make sense. 3.45 pm This is an example of the balance between competing requirements that will need to be struck. LTA will look for the best way to benefit as many people as possible while maintaining the overall viability of the bus network. LTA will consult industry experts, transport operators and grassroots representatives on the planning principles and strategies to adopt.”
“However, these plans are always being improved. Our city is constantly being renewed. So let me reassure Mr Ong that LTA will continue to work with other agencies, such as URA, to review the plans for our city and study the suggestions Mr Ong has raised. Going forward, LTA will be carrying out the more complex initiatives in the LTMP. The key initiative for public transport will be centralised bus network planning. Currently, even though bus routes are approved by the PTC, the bus network is planned by the bus operators. LTA will take over the role of the central bus network planner from this year onwards. Dr Lam Pin Min asked how this would benefit commuters. When LTA takes over bus network planning, a single agency would be able to plan the entire transport network – bus, rail and roads – holistically as one integrated system, from the commuter’s point of view. Centralised planning will allow us to make the entire public transport journey, from the start to the end, as integrated and as seamless as possible, so that travel is faster and more convenient. For example, feeder bus routes will be reviewed to provide more direct and faster connections to the bus interchanges and MRT stations. Mr Cedric Foo, Dr Lam Pin Min and Mr Lim Biow Chuan have asked for an update on central bus network planning. LTA is now drafting a blueprint for the future network, with the objectives of improving journey quality, increasing integration across public transport modes and services, streamlining the hub-and-spoke design of our network, while ensuring the overall financial viability of the bus network. Financial viability is an important discipline that bears highlighting.”
“CCL3, together with the rest of the Circle Line which will open from 2010 onwards, will add more capacity to our MRT system. The Circle Line will help commuters save travel time, by reducing the need to make detours into the city centre in order to transfer across MRT lines. LTA expects that about 10 to 15% of commuter trips that are currently made on some of the most heavily-loaded sections of the existing MRT lines will move over to the full Circle Line once it is opened, reducing the crowding levels that we experience today. Beyond this, Stage 1 of the Downtown Line will open from 2013, giving commuters in the city the direct rail link between Raffles Place, Marina Bay and Suntec City, that Mr Ong Kian Min asked for. URA and LTA have worked closely on the planning for Marina Bay. These plans will include some of the things Mr Ong asked for – seamless connectivity by public transport and better pedestrian facilities. By 2018, the Marina Bay area will be served by four MRT lines – the existing North-South Line, the Circle Line, the Downtown Line and the Thomson Line. Most commuters will have access to an MRT station within a walking distance of no more than 400 metres on average. As part of the plans for the Marina Bay area, we are working on having our MRT stations seamlessly integrated with an extensive pedestrian network, includ- ing underground, street-level and upper-level walkways. Where feasible, we would also have air-conditioned underground pedestrian cum shopping malls, similar to City Link Mall, to connect developments and transport nodes. In future, the public will be able to walk underground and in air-conditioned comfort all the way from Raffles Place MRT station to the Marina Bay Sands Integrated Resort, via the Marina Bay Financial Centre.”
“Mr Ang Mong Seng suggested that we add more cars to each train, to bring the current six cars per train to eight. We have indeed looked into this, but decided that it would not be feasible. Our train depots, track turnarounds, and MRT station platforms are all sized for six-car trains. To accommodate a longer train, we would have to lengthen all these, which would be very costly and disruptive, taking several years to complete. A point worth emphasising here is that besides raising the capacity of our present rail lines, a major thrust of the LTMP is to build new rail lines – the Circle Line, Downtown Line, Thomson Line, Eastern Region Line as well as various extensions to the current lines. This new infrastructure will double the size of our MRT system by 2020. Mr Foo asked for an update on our new rail lines. We will try to bring forward the completion schedule as much as possible, where technical constraints allow and where it is cost-effective to do so. LTA has worked with its contractors to review the timelines, and I am pleased to announce that the completion of the North-South Line Extension (NSLe) will be brought forward from 2015 to 2014. This extension will provide better connectivity and accessibility to future developments in the Marina South area. Even if we keep to the announced schedule, we will open new extensions or stages of new lines every other year from now until 2020. In two weeks, on 28th February 2009, the Boon Lay Extension (BLE) on the western edge of our MRT network will start running. And I am pleased to announce that on the 30th May 2009, Circle Line Stage 3 (CCL3), from Bartley to Marymount, will be opened for passenger service.”
“This slows down the entire line. Second, we will also need to buy more trains. Over the years, we have gradually added more trains to the NSEW Lines. We started with 66, now there are more than 100. But we need to add even more if we are to increase train frequencies further. That is why LTA announced in July last year that it will carry out the Jurong East Modification Project (JEMP). The JEMP will relieve the current infrastructural bottleneck by creating an additional train track and platform at Jurong East station to turn trains around faster. This will allow trains to run more frequently. To take advantage of this improvement, we are purchasing an additional 22 trains concurrently for the NSEW Lines. This answers Mdm Phua’s question on whether there are any other infrastructural improvements. We will also accelerate the JEMP by one year, and will now aim to complete it by 2011 instead of 2012. With the JEMP, the headway during peak periods can drop to about two minutes along the busiest stretches of the NSEW Lines. This represents an increase in capacity of about 15%. So commuters will be able to enjoy more frequent train arrivals and a more comfortable ride. This improvement will cost us about $800 million, and enable the NSEW Lines to meet projected demand all the way till 2020. Beyond 2020, LTA will study whether to embark on other projects to further increase the capacity of our existing lines. For example, we can upgrade the signalling system, buy more trains and expand our depots. The cost can be massive and implementation likely to take a long time – about eight to 10 years. So I have asked LTA to examine this very carefully, together with other agencies, such as the Ministry of Finance, to decide how best to proceed.”
“So even if a commuter cannot immediately board the first train that arrives, he knows that it will only be a few more minutes before another train comes along which he can board. There have been other initiatives to improve train services. The train operators have introduced service ambassadors to encourage passengers to move to the centre of train cabins, and to the ends of station platforms. All 66 first-generation trains on the North South/East West (NSEW) Lines have been refurbished. There is now more space in each train. As for comfort, LTA’s Operating Performance Standards (OPS) is 1,600 passengers per train, or five passengers per square metre. This is the level that operators are not allowed to breach, based on the actual response of commuters in the local context. Our trains have not yet hit this level. Even at the most crowded stretches in the morning peak of peak, say at Toa Payoh southbound, the trains are carrying an average of 1,300 to 1,450 passengers. This is about four passengers per square metre, comparable with Hong Kong, and better than London’s five, Tokyo’s seven and Shanghai’s eight. Looking ahead, more can and will be done. Our current train frequencies are about the best that the system can do under current constraints. To improve, we need to do two things. First, we need to upgrade the MRT infrastructure. If we try to improve headways without doing so, the trains will start bunching up at certain chokepoints, one of which is the Jurong East MRT station. Besides being an interchange station, it is also the terminating station for the trains from Bukit Batok to turn around. However, Jurong East station currently has only one track for the trains coming from Bukit Batok to turn around. They cannot do so quickly enough.”
“In October, LTA set up a Public Transport portal that provides all public transport information from a single website. Underlying all these initiatives is our vision that our public transport system should be a seamless and unified system. 3.30 pm Mr Cedric Foo and Mdm Cynthia Phua asked about the crowding situation in our trains. Last year, public transport ridership grew by 7.4%, the fastest rate in many years. However, if we look closer at the numbers, we see that since the onset of the financial crisis in September 2008, ridership growth has been decelerating. It was 9.4% year-on-year in September; in October, it went down to 6.4%; in December, it was 4.9%. Preliminary estimate in January 2009 was that public transport ridership had dipped by 3.1% year-on-year. The reason could be because of the lunar new year holidays falling in January this year. Last year, it was in February. But it could also be that the economic slowdown has led to cutbacks on discretionary trips. Whether these trends persist will depend on the contrary factor of people switching from cars to public transport if the economy weakens. However, what is critical for us for the long term, from the strategic point of view, is to ensure that there is adequate public transport capacity going ahead. This is critical if we want to persuade Singaporeans to shift from cars to public transport. An immediate step that we have taken is to increase the frequency of train trips during the rush hours. There are now 12% more train trips during the morning and evening peak period. Since the beginning of 2008, SMRT and SBS Transit have added some 900 additional train trips a week. The trains are now running at intervals of about two to four minutes during rush hours.”
“A bus commuter, Mr Mark Ivan Lee, wrote to the Straits Times online Forum last month with his observations of the efforts bus captains and service leaders have put in to keep to their schedule and to please their customers. Thirdly, we have also offered commuters more bus choices since the liberalisation of the Premium Bus Service (PBS) scheme two years ago – from 10 to over 70 today. Commuter feedback has been positive. More importantly, commuters have voted with their feet – total ridership on PBS has increased by almost 60% in the period from November 2007 to the end of last year. Fourthly, to make it more convenient to take a bus, we have sought to let commuters know when their bus is arriving, so they can adjust their travel plans. If you are an SBST commuter, you can already use the IRIS system with your mobile phone. Before you leave the house for the bus stop, just SMS IRIS to find out when the next bus will arrive. My children are a big fan of this. As they always seem pressed for time, this helps them decide whether they can walk to the bus stop or sprint for it. LTA is now building upon this system, conducting a six-month trial to put in an integrated SMS system that can include all public buses and not just SBST’s. There are now more of such tools to help commuters make better decisions and choose the best ways to get to their destinations. In July last year, TransitLink introduced a public transport journey planner that is integrated across modes and operators. The planner works out a few route options for you to get to your destinations. It tells you which bus or train to take, where to transfer, how long is the journey and how much it will cost.”
“For bus services in the Geylang and Serangoon areas, the weekend and public holidays' load is now about 60% to 80%, so it is still below capacity. In other words, the issue is whether there is sufficient demand to warrant higher frequencies. But, nonetheless, PTC will look into this. Secondly, we have worked on improving bus travel time and reliability. To achieve this, LTA has extended the network of normal bus lanes from 120 km to 155 km, and tripled full-day bus lanes from 7 km to 23 km. Bus speeds have increased by up to 8% for normal bus lanes and 13% for full-day bus lanes. Traffic speeds in the other lanes have remained above the optimal speed threshold. Commuters have benefited from these new bus lanes. Mr Ho Kok Khun wrote to the Straits Times Forum on 4th December. He said that with the bus lanes implemented in Yishun and Ang Mo Kio, bus commuters now enjoy a smoother, faster ride, saving 10 to 15 minutes when they travel to town. Ms Eunice Olsen would like buses to be better at arriving on time. I share her desire. The PTC’s regulations ensure that buses usually start their journeys on time. But whether the bus arrives at individual bus stops as scheduled depends on the traffic. Our buses share the roads with other vehicles, and as every motorist knows, traffic conditions can be unpredictable. Hence, it is difficult to guarantee bus arrival times. But we can improve their accuracy and reliability. The extension of our bus lanes has helped to make the bus journey more reliable, by allowing buses to travel unimpeded by other traffic. The two public transport operators have also invested in operational control systems to guide buses in real-time, to minimise bunching and help keep bus arrivals regular. These efforts have not gone unnoticed.”
“Last year, the Public Transport Council (PTC) introduced new standards for feeder bus services, so that at least 85%, or more than four out of five, feeder services during peak hours must run at headways of 10 minutes or less from August 2008. This will be further tightened to 90%, or nine in 10 services from August 2009. LTA also worked with SBST and SMRT to improve headways of trunk buses on ERP affected corridors, to make sure that all of them have headways of less than 12 minutes. This will be further tightened to 10 minutes for all buses from August 2009 instead of 15 minutes previously. As a result, SBST and SMRT have together added more than 100 additional bus trips during the morning and evening peak periods to improve services. The services that have been improved are running more frequently, with headways shorter by 17%. This means that commuters do not have to wait as long at the bus stop, because the bus arrives sooner. It also means more capacity and, hence, it is easier to get onto a bus during the peak periods. All this is possible because SMRT and SBST have been buying more buses and hiring more drivers, and they will have to continue to do so to provide a higher quality of service. This year, they are putting another 470 new Euro V buses on the road, and stepping up their recruitment drives. Mr Chiam See Tong asked whether we can increase the frequency of bus services on Sundays, when there are more foreigners using public transport. The PTC’s regulations already require 85%, or more than four in five public buses, to run at headways of not more than 20 minutes during off-peak hours, including Sundays. The operators in fact often do better than this.”
“Mr Chairman, Sir, I thank Members for their comments and suggestions. Early last year, we completed an extensive review of our land transport system and launched the Land Transport Masterplan (LTMP). The LTMP guides the overall development of our land transport system over the next 10-15 years. To pursue the overarching goal of "ensuring a liveable city", the LTMP sets out three strategic thrusts. First, to make public transport a choice mode. Second, to manage road usage. Third, to meet the diverse needs of our people. Mr Cedric Foo and other Members have asked for an update on the implementation of the LTMP. Let me highlight the key measures – first, in public transport and then managing road use. My colleagues, Senior Minister of State Mrs Lim Hwee Hua and Senior Parliamentary Secretary Mr Teo Ser Luck will cover other topics later on. The LTMP calls for very significant changes to the public transport landscape. In 2008, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) focused on the improvements that we can make quickly, whilst laying the groundwork and making progress in those areas which require more time. Ms Jessica Tan asked about our progress in improving public transport. Members including Ms Tan, Mdm Cynthia Phua and Ms Eunice Olsen have asked for higher-quality public transport with better connectivity, especially for bus services. I agree. Buses are a key part of our hub-and-spoke public transport network. The measures we have taken to improve our bus services are: (1) increase bus frequencies; (2) increase travel speed and reliability; (3) offer more choices; and (4) provide better public transport information. Firstly, increase bus frequencies.”
“Yes, we did consider other possibilities: One, of course, is at grade, it should be cheaper because it is on the surface. But, in terms of the benefits foregone, it will be much higher because you forego the developments on the surface. So, I would like to assure the House, that when it comes to infrastructure projects such as the MCE, the Government takes a stringent financial approach. The transport agencies would evaluate the cost and match that against the benefits from that particular infrastructure project. And only when the benefits outweigh the costs, in this case, including the cost increases, would the transport agencies proceed. But that is not the end of the matter. After that, it goes up to the finance ministry, which is another layer, they will look into it, they will conduct their own detailed studies to ensure that the benefits outweigh the costs, before giving the go-ahead to the transport agencies to proceed with the project. So, I would like to assure Members that the Government exercises prudence and discipline when managing scarce physical resources. INCIDENCE OF DROWNING IN THE SINGAPORE RIVER (Safety measures) 14. Dr Lam Pin Min asked the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources (a) what is the incidence of drowning in the Singapore River over the past 3 years; (b) what are the causes of such drownings; and (c) what measures have been put in place to minimise accidental drownings.”
“To my knowledge, we are not assisting any contractors in their tender bids. They have submitted their tenders and we evaluated them and we have awarded it accordingly to their tender offers.”
“The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) has required tighter specifications for temporary works such as earth retaining systems during excavation. The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) has also required LTA to comply with the latest international fire safety standards. Notwithstanding the cost increases, the Government will ensure that essential infrastructure projects such as the MCE are completed in time to support Singapore's long-term growth.”
“Sir, The Marina Coastal Expressway (MCE) is a new strategic east-west transport link between Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway (KPE) and East Coast Parkway (ECP) at Fort Road and Ayer Rajah Expressway (AYE), with connections to Marina South and Straits View areas. The MCE is required to support the projected increase in traffic volume generated by the high-density developments in the Marina Bay (MB) area. The Government is committed to complete the project by 2013. In 2007, the Government gave the approval to construct MCE at a budget of $2.5 billion. The budget was based on preliminary engineering design and construction prices estimated in 2006. There has since been a substantial increase in the project cost, primarily for three reasons. First, construction costs in general have gone up. The construction industry has seen steep increases in the prices of materials and resources due to shortages locally and internationally. To mitigate this, LTA has put in place measures such as full price fluctuation clauses for concrete and steel reinforcement. This reduces the risk that contractors face and consequently, helps lower their tender bids. It will also allow LTA to take advantage of any subsequent fall in construction prices without compromising project timelines. Second, LTA's further investigation of soil conditions have revealed that certain stretches of the MCE have weaker soil conditions than originally thought. This will require the contractor to put in more robust and deeper temporary structures during construction and carry out additional works to improve the soil. These measures are necessary to ensure safety during construction. Third, there have been additional safety requirements put in by the relevant authorities.”
“LTA has taken great care in designing the pilot to ensure safety for all road users. The pilot locations are along roads that have a speed limit of 60 km per hour or lower. As with pedestrian zebra crossings, motorists are given adequate warning. Two consecutive give-way triangles have been painted on the roads, and special traffic signs put up, 50 metres to 70 metres away so that motorists have sufficient time to react when approaching a Give Way to Buses Zone. To ensure that motorists know about the pilot, LTA has sent detailed information brochures in the four official languages to all registered car owners and taxi companies. Similarly, LTA has worked with the bus operators to train bus drivers, so that they clearly signal their intentions and watching out for vehicles when pulling out of bus bays. Also, reminder messages are aired over the radio regularly, to alert road users to the scheme. SINGAPORE ZOO (Emergency measures) 39. Mr Chiam See Tong asked the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) what emergency measures were in place at the Singapore Zoo during the time of the incident involving a cleaner who was killed by two white tigers; and (b) whether there are alarms or emergency call buttons installed for the use of staff or patrons should an emergency arise.”
“ Besides Singapore, other countries that have implemented schemes that make it mandatory to give way to buses include Australia, most countries in the European Union, and some parts of Canada and the United States. Buses in these countries have priority when leaving some bus stops or changing in between lanes, and motorists are required to give way to the buses. Thus far, there is no evidence linking any increase in accident rates with the operation of the scheme in these countries. The Mandatory Give Way to Buses Scheme is not an entirely a new initiative in Singapore. In 2005, the LTA and the public bus operators launched a campaign to encourage motorists to voluntarily give way to buses leaving bus bays. Observations during the campaign have shown that motorists are able to give way to buses safely, and bus journey times improved when motorists do so. However, the success of the earlier campaign depended on the voluntary good-will and courtesy of motorists to give way. In practice, some motorists gave way, some did not, so that on the whole, bus travel times remained unreliable. But with growing travel demand in land-scarce Singapore, we need to make public transport more attractive. We cannot do so without making buses faster and more reliable, by giving buses more priority on the roads. Hence LTA has introduced the Mandatory Give Way to Buses Scheme. Nonetheless, we are sensitive to the needs of other road users. We have therefore adopted a cautious approach, to first pilot this scheme along three roads for an initial period of three months. This is to test how it works in practice and for us to examine any potential issues that might arise before deciding on full implementation.”