Infrastructure & development — Topics

19 Nov 2018

Total Number of Public Car Park Lots across All Terminals of Changi Airport

Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked for the current total number of public car park lots at Changi Airport, the projected total after Jewel Changi Airport opens, and the projected total after Terminal 5 opens.
Khaw Boon Wan stated there are currently about 5,900 public car park lots across all terminals.
He added that the full opening of Jewel Changi Airport will add another 2,500 public car park lots.
He noted that Terminal 5 is still in the design stage and the number of public car park lots to be provided has not yet been determined.

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19 Nov 2018

Poor Resurfacing of Roads after Completion of Cable/Pipe Installation Works

Lim Biow Chuan queried LTA’s oversight on road resurfacing after cable or pipe installation and the reasons for poor outcomes.
Khaw Boon Wan stated that contractors must follow LTA’s Code of Practice, including the International Roughness Index, but some fail to meet standards.
LTA enforces compliance by fining errant contractors up to $500 per infringement, imposing demerit points, and suspending those exceeding 200 demerit points monthly.
The public is encouraged to report poorly resurfaced roads via LTA’s hotline for follow-up action.

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19 Nov 2018

Express Trains on New MRT Lines

Ong Teng Koon asked about plans for express trains on new MRT lines.
Khaw Boon Wan explained that express services require separate tracks and signaling, increasing land use, costs, and operational complexity, and would delay non-express commuters if shared tracks are used.
He noted that existing lines are designed for maximum coverage, making express services infeasible to add retrospectively.
For new lines like the Cross-Island Line, an express option between Jurong East and Changi Airport was studied but not pursued due to low time savings for most users versus high costs and land needs.

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19 Nov 2018

Distortion of Market Prices Given Minimum Built-up Area Requirement for Private Properties

Ong Teng Koon questioned whether a minimum built-up area of 85 square metres for private properties would distort market prices, but Lawrence Wong clarified that the government does not set a minimum area; instead, it limits the maximum number of units in a development to manage infrastructure and liveability.
Developers can choose unit sizes freely within these limits, and the guidelines use an average unit size (70 sqm previously, now 85 sqm outside the Central Area and 100 sqm in selected locations) to calculate the maximum number of units per development.
The changes were announced recently and will only take effect next year, making it premature to assess any impact on market prices, which are influenced by multiple factors like land bidding, buyer demand, and unit mix adjustments.
The government will continue monitoring unit size distribution and review guidelines periodically, considering infrastructure, lifestyle, and housing needs.

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19 Nov 2018

Land Transport Authority of Singapore (Amendment) Bill

The Land Transport Authority (Amendment) Bill establishes the Rail Infrastructure Fund (RIF) to finance future rail expansion and renewal, with the LTA managing the fund and money sourced from government savings to smooth large capital outlays.
Members expressed support for the Bill but raised concerns about rail reliability, maintenance capacity, and the need for clearer guidelines on asset lifespan, performance measurement, and public engagement on transport costs and trade-offs.
The Senior Minister of State for Transport addressed queries by highlighting improved reliability metrics, ongoing human resource development, and the distinction between the RIF for infrastructure and the Railway Sinking Fund for operating assets, while affirming efforts to communicate costs and involve the public in planning.

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2 Oct 2018

High Shelters Spanning Across Public Roads

Ang Wei Neng asked the Minister for Transport for the number of high shelters built across public roads with two lanes each way, their average construction cost, and whether more would be built across the island.
Khaw Boon Wan responded that he had already addressed these questions in a written reply on 1 October 2018, referring to an official report on requests for more high sheltered linkways.
The debate focused on the existing infrastructure of high shelters and the government’s position on expanding them, based on prior official communication.

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2 Oct 2018

Restriction on Claims for Compensation for Structural Damage to Building during Construction

Murali Pillai asked whether the government would keep limiting compensation claims for building damage during railway or tunnel construction to only structural damage and displacement caused by it.
Khaw Boon Wan explained that the Land Transport Authority (LTA) works with contractors to minimise impact, conducts pre-construction studies, and typically fixes any damage directly, avoiding compensation.
He noted that the LTA Act provides a broader compensation framework that includes non-structural damage and displacement in cases where LTA exercises powers to access private land.
The LTA evaluates each claim on a case-by-case basis, consulting with stakeholders to handle compensation appropriately.

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2 Oct 2018

Expedite Upgrading Works in Common Areas of Private Estates under Estate Upgrading Programme

Mr Chong Kee Hiong urged the Ministry for National Development to expedite and extend upgrading works in common areas of private estates under the Estate Upgrading Programme, with priority for estates above 30 years old.
Minister Lawrence Wong affirmed that the EUP already prioritizes older estates based on need and improvement scope.
The Ministry is coordinating with other agencies to minimize resident inconvenience during upgrading works.
Citizens' Consultative Committees will be contacted soon to seek nominations for the next batch of EUP estates.

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1 Oct 2018

Trend of Successful Tender Bids for Religious Sites over Last 10 Years

Over the last ten years from 2008 to 2017, seven Place of Worship (PW) sites were successfully awarded through tender.
In 2012, the Urban Redevelopment Authority relaxed plot ratio and height controls to allow for more intensive use of PW sites, subject to site-specific conditions.
A revised tender process was introduced in 2018 to ensure only religious groups with genuine needs and community contributions can bid for PW sites.
The Ministry of National Development plans to release land for PW hubs, enabling multiple religious organisations to co-locate in multi-storey developments to optimize land use.
These measures aim to better utilize Singapore’s limited land resources by encouraging shared facilities and efficient development of religious sites.

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1 Oct 2018

Progress on Thomson-East Coast MRT Line

The Thomson-East Coast MRT Line (TEL) is on track to open in five stages starting next year, with Stage 1 works about three-quarters complete.
The first three stations (Woodlands North, Woodlands, Woodlands South) are scheduled to open by end next year, alongside the commissioning of the TEL Mandai Depot.
The first TEL train has arrived, with two more expected soon and the remaining 88 trains to be delivered in batches by 2023.
All five stages of the TEL are expected to be fully completed by 2024, connecting Woodlands to Bedok.

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1 Oct 2018

Requests for More High Sheltered Linkways Across Roads and Crossings

Prof Fatimah Lateef requested an update on the pilot for high covered linkways and a timeline for pending requests.
Khaw Boon Wan stated that LTA has completed 200km of covered linkways, including 900 high ones over roads up to three lanes wide.
Requests for linkways over four-lane roads are costlier at about $550,000 each due to reinforcement needs, and LTA will assess priorities with community input.

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1 Oct 2018

Waiting Time for Applicants for Heavy Vehicle Season Parking in Nee Soon GRC

There are 339 applicants on the waitlist for 845 public heavy vehicle parking spaces in and around Nee Soon GRC, with waiting times varying based on turnover and lot availability.
Applicants can use private HVP spaces with vacancies or explore alternatives via LTA’s one-motoring website, while nationwide HVP spaces (42,372) exceed the number of registered heavy vehicles (33,500).
Due to resident feedback on noise and safety, and the need for land for housing, new HVP spaces in residential areas are limited; future spaces may be introduced in industrial sites near the area.

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1 Oct 2018

Electricity (Amendment) Bill

The Bill updates the Electricity Act to enhance the security, reliability, and competitiveness of electricity supplies, including allowing EMA to direct connections between licensees for network expansion and clarifying the right of small consumers to revert to regulated tariffs.
It strengthens protection of critical infrastructure and safety by rationalizing offences, increasing penalties for damaging electricity infrastructure, and expanding enforcement against unlicensed electrical work.
The amendments align procedural and technical provisions with the Gas Act for consistency, such as enabling EMA to issue anti-competitive guidelines and harmonizing controls on ownership of electricity licensees.
During the debate, a Member raised concerns about centralised grid vulnerabilities and suggested exploring micro-grids and better public communication during outages; the Ministry responded by highlighting ongoing micro-grid tests and cybersecurity measures.
The Ministry also addressed questions on electricity retail competition, assuring that consumers, including seniors, are supported with advisory services and can choose to remain with the regulated tariff if they prefer.

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1 Oct 2018

Cause of Electricity Disruption on 18 September 2018

The electricity disruption on 18 September 2018 was caused by two sequential equipment failures at separate generating units, which triggered automatic system protection to disconnect 146,500 consumers before power was restored within 38 minutes.
The Energy Market Authority is investigating the root causes with the generation companies and original equipment manufacturers, reviewing incident response processes, and ensuring sufficient system redundancy while balancing costs to consumers.
Critical infrastructure such as hospitals, traffic lights, and lifts have backup systems and contingency plans, and the reliability of electricity supply has not been affected by market liberalisation, with Singapore maintaining high reliability standards compared to other major cities.

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1 Oct 2018

Speed Up Construction of Jurong Region MRT Line with Resources Diverted from Delayed Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High Speed Rail Project

Foo Mee Har asked if resources from the delayed Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High Speed Rail project could be used to speed up the Jurong Region MRT Line construction.
The Minister for Transport explained that the JRL is on a carefully planned timeline for safety and quality, citing complexities like utility diversions, interchange works, and tight corridors, and that the LTA is adequately resourced.
Dennis Tan inquired about ongoing HSR-related works during the suspension, and the Minister confirmed no such works would continue after winding down activities.
Gan Thiam Poh asked about the suspension date and tender status for the HSR's AssetsCo, with the Minister noting the tender was aborted due to the suspension, though strong interest had been shown earlier.

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1 Oct 2018

Considerations for Singapore’s Agreement to Malaysia’s Request to Postpone High-Speed Rail Project

Singapore agreed to Malaysia’s request to suspend the High-Speed Rail project for two years until May 2020 in the spirit of bilateral cooperation, though it could have enforced the original agreement and sought compensation.
The suspension will push the project’s completion to 2031 and incur abortive costs of S$15 million, which Malaysia will reimburse by January 2019.
If Malaysia does not resume the project by May 2020, it will be deemed terminated, and Malaysia must reimburse Singapore for all project implementation costs incurred up to the suspension.
Singapore remains open to discussions with Malaysia on reducing costs during the suspension but is not obliged to accept any proposed changes.
Staff working on the HSR project will be redeployed to other MRT-related projects in Singapore during the suspension to utilize their skills.

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10 Sep 2018

Findings of Animal Monitoring Programme Conducted at Central Catchment Nature Reserve

Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked when the full findings of the animal monitoring programme at the Central Catchment Nature Reserve will be made public and whether the site investigation works resulted in the projected "mainly moderate impact" on the environment.
Khaw Boon Wan explained that the Land Transport Authority completed site investigations for the Cross Island Line in the CCNR between May 2016 and September 2017, with a fauna monitoring programme developed in consultation with NParks and Nature Groups.
The LTA is analysing data from camera traps and transect surveys, with initial findings shared with NParks and Nature Groups, and will release the full results after further consultation.
Environmental monitoring for water, noise, light pollution, and waste management was implemented, with mitigation measures followed and compliance monitored weekly to minimise impact.
Camera traps detected animals like the Sunda Pangolin and Lesser Mousedeer after the site investigations were completed, indicating the area remains ecologically active.

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10 Sep 2018

Measures to Ensure Safety in Areas with High Number of Elderly Accidents

The Land Transport Authority implements Silver Zones in areas with high senior pedestrian accidents or a high proportion of elderly residents, featuring speed limits of 40 km/h, speed bumps, barrier-free crossings, and enhanced lighting to slow traffic and alert motorists.
Existing 15 Silver Zones have shown a 75% reduction in accidents involving the elderly, with plans to complete six more by year-end and reach 50 by 2023, with potential for further expansion based on need.
Silver Zones include centre dividers to narrow lanes, reduced speeds, and longer green man timing to improve safety for elderly pedestrians.

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10 Sep 2018

Installation of Elderly-friendly Facilities in Schools to Cater to Ageing Teaching Workforce and Those with Mobility Issues

K Thanaletchimi asked how many schools have elderly-friendly facilities like lifts and if there are plans to install them in schools that lack them.
The Ministry of Education responded that about 70% of government schools have lifts, with the remainder scheduled to get lifts within five years through major upgrades or a special programme.
The Ministry confirmed that teachers and other stakeholders are consulted on lift locations, considering demographics, student profiles, and teaching needs.
Thanaletchimi raised a concern about lifts being placed near gyms instead of mainstream classrooms, suggesting inadequate consultation on placement.
The Ministry acknowledged the specific case, promised to seek further details, and reiterated its commitment to addressing accessibility issues based on school priorities.

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10 Sep 2018

Lease Decay and Voluntary Early Redevelopment Scheme

The Minister explained that the Voluntary Early Redevelopment Scheme (VERS) will be launched in about 20 years to redevelop older HDB towns, but details on precinct eligibility, compensation, and voting thresholds are still under study and not yet finalized.
VERS is distinct from SERS as it will be voluntary and less generous due to lower land value, with residents voting on each precinct; those not selected will continue living in upgraded flats with options for relocation when their lease ends.
The Government aims to ensure VERS is financially sustainable, will not delay SERS, and will study involving private developers while preserving the character of HDB towns, with a focus on minimizing acrimony during the voting process.

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