Debated in Parliament on 8 Jul 2014.
Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Minister for Transport (a) what are the specific implementation details and desired outcomes of the Fusion AnalyticS for public Transport Emergency Response (FASTER) project undertaken by LTA, SMRT, StarHub and IBM; (b) how much of this project is expected to cost the LTA; (c) what business benefits will be gained by the other partners; (d) what is the implementation timeline of this project; and (e) what safeguards are being taken to ensure that the privacy and personal data of individual passengers will be protected.
The Fusion AnalyticS for public Transport Emergency Response (FASTER) project aims to enhance the capabilities of Land Transport Authority (LTA) and the Public Transport Operators (PTOs) to respond to public transport incidents and emergencies. It uses data from multiple
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sources, including telecommunications, farecard and video data, to determine commuting patterns and analyse the impact of public transport incidents. Research partners benefit in developing new capabilities, services and products.
This two-year programme costs about S$6.3 million, with LTA funding about S$2.7 million and IBM funding the remaining S$3.6 million. Measures will be taken to ensure strict confidentiality of the data used. For instance, telecommunications data will be anonymised and cannot be used to identify individuals. Strict Non-Disclosure Agreements have also been signed by the partner organisations involved.
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