Transport — Topics

8 Sep 2014

Upcoming Land Development on Top of Potong Pasir MRT Station

Mr Sitoh Yih Pin sought assurances that the upcoming land development above Potong Pasir MRT station would minimise inconveniences to residents and students, ensure safe access during construction, and not overburden town resources.
Khaw Boon Wan confirmed the development is planned for commercial and residential use, with completion targeted by 2019, and outlined measures to mitigate construction impacts.
The URA and LTA will require the developer to conduct traffic studies, deploy traffic marshals, restrict construction vehicle access during school hours, and provide high hoardings and covered walkways.
The developer must also inform residents about the construction schedule and provide a contact point for feedback to address concerns during the project.
These steps aim to maintain pedestrian access to the MRT station and bus stops while reducing noise, dust, and traffic congestion.

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8 Sep 2014

Enhancement of Infrastructure in Yishun Prior to New Building Developments

Patrick Tay asked whether infrastructure like roads, public transport, and social facilities will be upgraded before new BTO projects and developments in Yishun.
Khaw Boon Wan responded that HDB plans towns comprehensively, working with agencies to ensure infrastructure keeps pace with housing developments.
Yishun is being revitalized under the Remaking Our Heartland Programme, with completed upgrades including a pedestrian mall, hospital, and pond.
An integrated development with a commercial complex, apartments, community club, and bus interchange has been launched at the town centre.
More parks, social facilities, and shops are planned, with LTA enhancing accessibility through projects like Yishun Avenue 8.

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8 Sep 2014

Installation of Expressway Noise Barriers near Housing Estates

Liang Eng Hwa urged the Ministry of Transport to accelerate the installation of expressway noise barriers near housing estates such as Bukit Timah Expressway and Kranji Expressway.
Lui Tuck Yew stated that the Land Transport Authority is conducting a trial of noise barriers at three locations to evaluate their effectiveness, visual impact, and installation challenges.
Lui Tuck Yew mentioned that the trial will take some time but LTA aims to conclude it early and assess the suitability of barriers for other locations.

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8 Sep 2014

Audible Pedestrian Signals at Road Crossings

There are 860 out of 6,000 signalised pedestrian crossings equipped with audible pedestrian signals, primarily due to requests from the visually impaired community.
Audible pedestrian signals generally operate from 7:00 am to 9:00 pm daily to balance safety with minimal disturbance to nearby residents, with extended hours in select locations near the Singapore Association of the Visually Handicapped.
The Land Transport Authority has expressed openness to exploring on-demand activation and other measures to enhance the accessibility and safety of road crossings for all visually impaired pedestrians.

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8 Sep 2014

Using Data from Telematics Devices to Track Service Reliability of Public Buses

Alex Yam questioned how the Land Transport Authority (LTA) uses telematics data to monitor bus service reliability, specifically for Yew Tee, Chua Chu Kang, and Keat Hong, and what improvements are planned.
Lui Tuck Yew confirmed that LTA analyzes telematics and other data to assess bus performance, and all services in the mentioned areas met Quality of Service standards in the past year.
Despite meeting standards, Lui noted ongoing improvements, including adding three services and 35 buses via the Bus Service Enhancement Programme and trialing the Bus Service Reliability Framework for services 188 and 302.

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8 Sep 2014

Annual Renewal for Certificates of Entitlement for Commercial Goods Vehicles

David Ong proposed that commercial goods vehicle owners be allowed to extend their Certificate of Entitlement (COE) on an annual basis instead of in five-year blocks, especially for vehicles with shorter usage lives.
Lui Tuck Yew noted that current policy allows five-year COE renewals for goods vehicles with pro-rated refunds, ensuring owners pay only for the COE used.
Lui argued that annual renewals could increase deregistration variability, making COE supply for Category C vehicles more volatile and less predictable, creating uncertainty for businesses.

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8 Sep 2014

Appeals to Overturn Traffic Summonses

The Traffic Police received about 2,600 appeals per month and the Land Transport Authority received about 7,900 appeals per month in 2013.
Both agencies adopt a firm but fair enforcement stance, carefully considering each appeal on its merits, and only accept appeals with very strong extenuating factors, especially for moving offences which pose serious danger.
Handling these appeals requires considerable resources, but the overall policy is to uphold traffic rules to ensure road safety and deter errant behaviour.

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8 Sep 2014

Electronic Payments for Taxi Rides

Ang Hin Kee raised concerns about payment terminal fees, transaction surcharges, and the need to expand mobile and NFC payment options for taxis.
Janil Puthucheary inquired about the usage percentage of NETS, processing time for driver payments, and potential delays.
Lui Tuck Yew stated that taxi companies already offer various cashless options, NETS makes up about 10% of transactions, and payments are credited within 1–3 working days with no reported delays.
The government will encourage taxi companies to further expand payment methods and shorten processing times for drivers.

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8 Sep 2014

Effectiveness of Police Speed Laser Cameras

Ms Lee Li Lian inquired about the effectiveness of Police Speed Laser Cameras (PSLC) since implementation and their deployment details, particularly for Sengkang East Drive.
Teo Chee Hean stated that the Traffic Police uses portable cameras flexibly for enforcement based on feedback, violations, and accidents, publishing over 50 potential deployment locations to deter speeding.
Sengkang East Drive is one such location where operations occurred, with about 460 speeding violations detected in 2012 and 2013, mostly via these cameras.

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8 Sep 2014

Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill

The bill expands the offence of driving while using a mobile communication device to include all handheld devices and any function (e.g., internet browsing, gaming), but only when the vehicle is in motion and the device is held in at least one hand.
It introduces stricter licensing requirements for foreign vocational drivers, including a six-month deadline to obtain a local licence and higher conversion standards, while also creating a voluntary Safe Driving Course to demerit points for drivers who complete it.
The bill establishes a rebuttable presumption that vehicle owners are liable for certain traffic offences if they fail to provide driver details, and clarifies that drivers involved in accidents must take reasonable steps to report and provide their particulars, even if the other party is absent.

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5 Aug 2014

Cement Trucks Classified under Euro 1 and Euro 5 Emission Standards

Mr Zainal Sapari asked about the breakdown of cement trucks by Euro emission standards, the rationale for restricting their use of tunnels and highways during peak hours, the discrepancy between LTA and Traffic Police speed limits, and whether restrictions could be reviewed.
Minister Lui Tuck Yew stated that of about 1,600 registered ready-mix concrete trucks, 19% are pre-Euro or Euro I and 4% are Euro V, with the low number of Euro V trucks due to the standard being implemented only in January.
The minister explained that a 40 km/h speed limit is imposed for safety due to the risk of overturning from wet concrete in their drums, and such trucks are prohibited from expressways at all hours to minimize collisions, though exceptional permits for off-peak use can be granted.
He noted that the speed limit is set by the Traffic Police for safety and applies even where road limits are higher, and the restrictions are reviewed periodically, but no immediate changes to peak-hour tunnel or highway bans are planned.

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5 Aug 2014

Parking for Private Buses

Lee Li Lian asked if the Ministry will prioritize private bus parking at public heavy vehicle car parks or consider separate bus car parks.
Khaw Boon Wan noted private buses make up 15% of heavy vehicles but occupy 37% of public heavy vehicle parking lots.
He stated it would be unfair to give private buses further priority over other heavy vehicles.
LTA and URA are studying with MOE to see if more school buses can be parked overnight within school premises.

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5 Aug 2014

Heavy Vehicle Parking Lots in Nee Soon

Er Dr Lee Bee Wah asked about the number of heavy vehicle parking lots, waiting list applicants, waiting times, and plans for more lots in Nee Soon GRC.
Khaw Boon Wan stated there are nine public heavy vehicle parks with 1,100 fully subscribed lots and 360 applicants on the waitlist, with waiting times of three to eight months.
He noted challenges in building heavy vehicle parks near residences due to noise and safety concerns, but mentioned ongoing expansions and new industrial sites to provide additional lots.

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4 Aug 2014

Plans for Building of New MRT Station between Choa Chu Kang and Bukit Gombak Stations

Zaqy Mohamad asked if a new MRT station will be built between Choa Chu Kang and Bukit Gombak to serve residents of new HDB developments and when transport plans for these developments will be public.
Lui Tuck Yew stated that current residents are served by existing bus services and that LTA will add more buses to meet new demand.
He noted that building a new station is technically challenging, costly, and disruptive, but LTA will study feasibility if it becomes necessary.

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4 Aug 2014

Impact of Minimum Mileage Rule on Taxi Availability

Mr Lim Biow Chuan questioned whether the minimum daily mileage requirement has improved taxi availability and what further steps LTA will take to ensure taxis are more accessible in Singapore.
The Minister for Transport stated that since 2013, taxi availability during peak hours has risen from 82% to 87%, adding over 1,300 taxis on the roads, with more taxis meeting the 250 km daily mileage threshold.
The taxi utilisation rate has increased from 65% to 68%, indicating higher road presence and usage, contributing to better commuter access.
LTA plans to trial a taxi information system at five stands later this year to monitor real-time demand and guide drivers to high-demand areas.
The measures collectively aim to boost taxi availability and responsiveness to commuter needs through regulatory and technological enhancements.

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4 Aug 2014

Criteria for Locations of Speed Cameras and CCTVs

Ms Lee Li Lian inquired about the criteria used to decide the installation of speed cameras and CCTVs in accident-prone areas to deter speeding.
Teo Chee Hean stated that the Traffic Police consider factors such as the number of road traffic accidents (especially speeding-related ones), terrain suitability, and public feedback when selecting locations for speed enforcement cameras.
The Traffic Police have more than 20 static camera locations and over 50 potential sites for portable cameras, with details available on their website.
The network is being expanded under the Safer Roads Singapore plan, with an ongoing study to identify additional useful locations.
Feedback from Members of Parliament is appreciated and will be considered in the review process.

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4 Aug 2014

Impact of Government's New Bus Contracting Model on SMRT and SBS Transit

Gerald Giam asked why SMRT and SBS Transit were allowed to continue operating nine bus packages without a tender after their licenses expire, whether they benefit from service fees without fare revenue risk or competition, and when all 12 packages will be competitively tendered.
Lui Tuck Yew explained that the Land Transport Authority is gradually transitioning to the new bus contracting model, initially tendering three packages while retaining the current operators on nine to ensure a smooth transition and minimize disruption.
He noted that the nine packages will move to the government contracting model by August 2016, with contract durations varying and competitive tendering expected for more than half of the packages by the early 2020s.

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4 Aug 2014

Adequacy of Heavy Vehicle Parking Lots in Singapore

The Land Transport Authority reports 41,600 licensed heavy vehicle parking lots available, exceeding the 34,600 registered heavy vehicles, with 31,200 provided by the private sector and 10,400 by public agencies like URA and HDB.
Private parking lots are distributed across regions with the West having the most (14,700) and the North East the least (2,000), while public lots are more evenly spread, with the West having the highest (3,250) and the East the lowest (1,250).
Public heavy vehicle parking is in high demand due to lower costs and proximity to homes, resulting in significant waitlists across regions, with the West having the longest queue at 1,350 vehicles.
The average monthly fee for private lots is about $275 compared to $130 for public lots, but expanding public parking in residential areas is challenging due to resident concerns about noise and safety.

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4 Aug 2014

Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill

The Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill was introduced to amend the Road Traffic Act, with the Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs, Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M, presenting it for its First Reading.
The bill was scheduled for its Second Reading at the next available parliamentary sitting and ordered to be printed for legislative processing.
The debate centered on procedural steps for passing the amendment, with no substantive discussion of the bill's content in the provided excerpts.

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9 Jul 2014

Universal Design for Bus Stops to Ensure Barrier-free Access

Miss Penny Low inquired about the Ministry of Transport’s plans to implement universal design across all bus stops to accommodate an ageing population and asked for a definition of universal design and for urgent action.
Minister Lui Tuck Yew confirmed the intent to make all bus stops universally designed and barrier-free, noting that 95% of bus stops already comply with accessibility codes since 2009, with remaining complex sites scheduled for upgrades starting next year.
The LTA is introducing additional enhancements like seats with grab bars and improved lighting, with plans to scale them up if found feasible, to support independent and barrier-free access for all users.

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