Transport — Topics

6 Nov 2017

Cross-Border Railways Bill

The government introduced the Cross-Border Railways Bill to facilitate the construction, operation, and regulation of the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High-Speed Rail and Johor-Singapore Rapid Transit System, framing them as strategic projects to boost economic connectivity and bilateral ties with Malaysia.
The bill outlines powers for land acquisition and planning by the Land Transport Authority, with assurances of longer notice periods and environmental impact assessments, while addressing regulatory, security, and maintenance frameworks to ensure safe and secure cross-border operations.
During the debate, members raised concerns about equity controls, environmental and heritage protections, public feedback mechanisms, potential double punishment by regulators, and project timelines, with the minister confirming contractual safeguards and plans to engage stakeholders before finalizing details.
The bill was read a second time and referred to a Select Committee for further consideration, reflecting the government’s commitment to addressing parliamentary feedback and ensuring thorough scrutiny of the cross-border railway projects.

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6 Nov 2017

Car Growth Policy's Impact on E-commerce Industry and Commercial Motorcycles

Desmond Choo raised concerns about the zero car and motorcycle growth policy affecting the e-commerce industry and suggested a separate COE category for commercial motorcycles.
The Senior Minister of State explained that while car growth is frozen, commercial vehicles retain a 0.25% growth rate, and a separate motorcycle COE category is not split further to avoid price volatility.
The Ministry acknowledged land constraints but highlighted measures like the Urban Logistics Task Force and federated locker network to support e-commerce efficiency.
Leon Perera proposed accelerating drone deployment for urban logistics to reduce road demand, and the Ministry agreed to explore innovative solutions like drones.
The Ministry committed to reviewing vehicle growth rates in the future to balance economic needs like e-commerce with land and infrastructure limitations.

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6 Nov 2017

Impact of Zero Car Growth Policy on COE Prices

The Ministry of Transport clarified that reducing the vehicle growth rate to zero from February 2018 is not expected to significantly affect COE prices, as quotas are primarily driven by vehicle deregistrations rather than new growth.
The government highlighted substantial investments in public transport, including expanding the rail network and bus services, to reduce the need for car ownership and manage increased passenger loads.
Officials stated that while the COE system is imperfect, it remains the fairest method to allocate scarce vehicle ownership resources, and they are not considering subsidies or rebates for specific groups.
The Ministry explained that foreign-registered vehicles are managed through the Vehicle Entry Permit to equalize costs with local vehicles, and they will provide data on multi-car ownership in a follow-up.

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3 Oct 2017

Incidences of Freon Gas Leaks on MRT and LRT Rail Systems

Leon Perera inquired about the number of Freon gas leaks on MRT and LRT systems in the past decade and the associated risks to commuters.
Khaw Boon Wan reported 23 Freon gas leak instances over the past 10 years, noting the gas can form odourless white smoke that poses no health risk.
In response to leaks, affected commuters are detrained at the next station and the train is withdrawn for repair.

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3 Oct 2017

Cross-Border Railways Bill

The Cross-Border Railways Bill was introduced to enable the construction, maintenance, operation, and regulation of railways between Singapore and Malaysia as per bilateral agreements, with necessary amendments to other Acts.
Second Minister for Transport Mr Ng Chee Meng presented the bill on behalf of the Minister for Transport, with the first reading completed and the second reading scheduled for the next Parliament sitting.
The debate focused on establishing a legal framework for cross-border railway projects, ensuring alignment with existing bilateral railway agreements and facilitating related legislative updates.

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3 Oct 2017

Measures to Handle Accidents where Passengers Fall onto MRT or LRT Tracks

The government has installed screen doors on all MRT platforms and is installing safety barriers on LRT platforms, with the Bukit Panjang LRT completed and Sengkang-Punggol LRT targeted for completion next year.
If a passenger falls onto tracks, they should alert others, and bystanders can use emergency stop plungers to halt trains and notify the Passenger Service Centre and Operations Control Centre, prompting power shutdown and dispatch of trained personnel until SCDF arrives.
Rail operators must inform commuters about safety practices through signs and announcements, and the LTA and SMRT are trialling video analytics to improve incident detection on tracks.

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2 Oct 2017

Average Response Time by Emergency Services to Road Accidents

Ms Joan Pereira inquired about the average response times of emergency services to road accidents involving injuries and fatalities since 2015 and whether systems like eCall could be considered to reduce response times.
Minister K Shanmugam reported that over the past three years, SCDF responded within eight minutes for 90.1% of rescue-related accidents and within eleven minutes for 84.6% of ambulance-only calls, meeting their targets.
The Minister noted that while eCall could improve response times, it faces challenges such as high false alarm rates, and SCDF will continue monitoring and studying its applicability to Singapore.
SCDF emphasized the importance of public responsibility in calling "995" only for genuine emergencies to avoid overloading resources and delaying assistance for those in real distress.

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2 Oct 2017

Motorists and Taxi Drivers Committing Same Traffic Offence in Past Three Years

The Minister provided statistics showing that most motorists are not repeat offenders, with a small percentage committing the same traffic offence multiple times in the past three years, while taxi drivers have higher rates of repeat offences, particularly for speeding.
The government is engaged in road safety initiatives, including collaborations with taxi companies and the placement of more prominent warning signs, to educate and remind drivers about safe driving practices.
Very few appeals for traffic violations are successful, granted only in cases with strong extenuating circumstances such as medical emergencies, due to the serious safety implications of these offences.

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2 Oct 2017

Longer Pre-defined Time Period at Signalised Pedestrian Crossings

Mr Pritam Singh inquired about the factors LTA considers when extending the pre-defined crossing time at signalised pedestrian crossings and whether this time could be increased by 5-10 seconds in mature neighbourhoods or high-traffic roads due to the ageing population.
Minister Khaw Boon Wan stated that the primary factor is the road width, with crossing times programmed based on a steady green man time of 6-10 seconds and a flashing green man time of one second per metre of road width.
For crossings frequently used by seniors or persons with disabilities, the Green Man Plus scheme allows for extended crossing times—up to 13 seconds more—by tapping concession cards, with plans to expand from 760 to 1,000 such crossings by end-2018.

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2 Oct 2017

Accidents Involving Unauthorised and Illegally Modified Power-assisted Bicycles

Dennis Tan asked the Ministry for Transport for accident statistics over the past two years involving power-assisted bicycles (PABs), particularly those unauthorised or illegally modified, whether penalties were imposed, and the types of penalties given.
Khaw Boon Wan stated that the Land Transport Authority currently does not track accidents involving non-compliant or illegally modified PABs but will work to do so moving forward as part of enforcement actions.
Khaw confirmed that users of non-compliant or illegally modified PABs can be fined up to $5,000, jailed up to three months, or both for first offences, with harsher penalties of up to $10,000 fine or six months’ jail for repeat offenders.

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2 Oct 2017

Accidents Involving E-bikes and Personal Mobility Devices

Mr Sitoh Yih Pin asked for the number of accidents, injuries, or fatalities involving e-bikes and personal mobility devices this year, as well as LTA's plans to mitigate them.
For the first half of this year, there were about 90 accidents resulting in four deaths and about 90 injuries, with most occurring on roads.
The Active Mobility Bill will enforce rules on safe riding, speed limits, and device specifications by year-end with stiff penalties for offences.
LTA is increasing enforcement, has issued over 1,400 advisories for unsafe riding, and has started registering power-assisted bicycles.
Public education and outreach, including the Safe Riding Programme and the Active Mobility Patrol Scheme with over 800 volunteers, will complement enforcement efforts.

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2 Oct 2017

Widening of Footpaths in Silver Zones

Png Eng Huat asked the Minister for Transport about the number of Silver Zones with widened footpaths, whether widening is part of the Silver Zone initiative, and when LTA would implement it for all zones.
Khaw Boon Wan confirmed that footpath widening is part of the Silver Zone programme to enhance road safety for the elderly, with seven of the 11 completed zones already having widened or dedicated paths.
New footpaths will be built to at least 1.8 metres wide, compared to the current standard of 1.5 metres, going forward.

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2 Oct 2017

Frequency of Infringement of Bus Lane and Bus Priority Box Schemes

Between January and August 2017, LTA detected about 13,000 Bus Lane infringements and 700 Bus Priority Box infringements, representing a 30% and 70% reduction respectively from the same period in 2016.
Enforcement officers determine Bus Priority Box infringements by using cameras to detect vehicles that drive into or remain in the box during restricted hours or fail to give way to buses.
LTA raises public awareness through regular broadcasts on LTA Traffic News, information on LTA and One.Motoring websites, and banners placed at affected locations.

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2 Oct 2017

Safe Riding Programme for Students who Cycle to School

Dr Lim Wee Kiak inquired about bicycle parking demand, e-bike usage rules, and the Safe Riding Programme’s take-up rate in schools.
The Ministry of Education does not track parking demand, notes low usage, and advises against bringing expensive items like e-bikes to school.
LTA requires e-bike riders to be at least 16 years old and will launch the Safe Riding Programme this year for secondary school students.
MOE will collaborate with LTA to offer the programme to students who are able to ride a bicycle.

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2 Oct 2017

Communication Protocol for Delays on Train Lines

Pritam Singh inquired about the standard communication protocol for train delays and whether any operators have failed to publicly announce delays in the past two years.
Khaw Boon Wan stated that rail operators must announce delays exceeding 10 minutes during peak hours and 15 minutes during off-peak hours via stations, trains, websites, and media.
No instances were found in the last two years where operators failed to meet these communication requirements, according to the Land Transport Authority.

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2 Oct 2017

Delay in Upgrading North-South and East-West MRT Lines

Dennis Tan Lip Fong questioned why the Government allowed SMRT's upgrade of the North-South and East-West MRT lines to be delayed from 2002 to 2012.
Khaw Boon Wan explained that under the original license, SMRT owned and was responsible for renewing rail assets, making the 2002 upgrade timing an internal decision that complied with regulatory requirements.
The Government has since transitioned to the New Rail Financing Framework, under which the Land Transport Authority owns the assets and now controls renewal and upgrade decisions.

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2 Oct 2017

Summons for Errant Riders of Personal Mobility Devices

Dr Intan Azura Mokhtar asked if the Land Transport Authority (LTA) can issue summons to errant riders of personal mobility devices, motorcyclists, or cyclists based on video or photo evidence submitted by residents or Town Council staff.
Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan stated that LTA welcomes such submissions to strengthen enforcement against reckless riding.
He noted that under the upcoming Active Mobility Act, reckless riders could face fines up to $5,000, imprisonment up to six months, or both.
LTA is conducting a nationwide campaign and collaborating with volunteers and stakeholders to raise awareness of active mobility rules.

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2 Oct 2017

Inward-facing Dashboard Cameras for Protection of Passengers and Drivers

Er Dr Lee Bee Wah inquired about regulating inward-facing dashboard cameras to balance passenger privacy and driver protection in taxis and private hire cars.
Khaw Boon Wan stated that the Land Transport Authority must approve such cameras, ensuring safeguards like restricted access to recordings for investigation only.
Taxi and private hire car companies must comply with LTA requirements to protect passenger privacy when installing inward-facing cameras.
Drivers facing rogue passengers can seek assistance from their companies or the police without compromising passenger privacy.
The debate focused on establishing regulatory frameworks to address both privacy concerns and safety measures for passengers and drivers.

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2 Oct 2017

Refresher Courses for Drivers with Demerit Points

Joan Pereira proposed requiring drivers with demerit points to attend refresher lectures and tests to improve road safety.
The Minister explained that existing voluntary courses, like the DIPS Retraining Course and Safe Driving Course, offer skill refreshment and demerit point expungement.
These courses are optional, aiming to encourage drivers to take ownership of their behavior rather than imposing mandatory attendance.
The DIPS course is for suspended drivers, involving two days of training and tests to shorten suspension periods.
The Safe Driving Course is an early intervention with classroom and practical sessions, removing three demerit points upon completion.

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2 Oct 2017

Traffic Accidents on Causeway in Past Three Years

Melvin Yong asked for accident data, pedestrian involvement, and safety plans for the Causeway; the Minister responded that between 2014 and 2016, there were eight traffic accidents within Singapore's jurisdiction, none involving pedestrians, as the design eliminates the need for pedestrian road crossing.
The Traffic Police and agencies collaborate to ensure safe traffic flows, with special support teams at Woodlands Checkpoint during peak hours to manage high traffic volume.
Pedestrians are urged to use footpaths and avoid walking on roads, while motorists are reminded to drive safely.

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