Transport — Topics

12 Nov 2013

Recent Changes to Taxi Fares

Members of Parliament raised concerns about the complexity of taxi fare structures and whether they effectively ensure adequate taxi availability for commuters.
The Minister explained that taxi fares were deregulated to allow companies to respond to market conditions, but acknowledged the current system is confusing and promised efforts to simplify it.
Questions were also raised about the fairness of different fares for different taxi types and the impact of rental agreements on drivers, with the Minister noting these are market-driven issues that require further study.

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11 Nov 2013

Data on Primary and Secondary School Students Taking School Buses

Seah Kian Peng asked the Ministry for the number and percentage of primary and secondary school students who use school buses, both currently and for 15, 10, and 5 years ago, with a breakdown by school level.
Heng Swee Keat provided data from the 2000 and 2010 Census showing that primary school students using school buses decreased from 26.5% (83,000 students) in 2000 to 20.7% (58,000 students) in 2010.
The response also noted that less than 2% of secondary school students used school buses, indicating a very small minority at the secondary level.

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11 Nov 2013

Update on Progress Made by Committee on Pedestrian and Cyclist Safety

Ms. Lee Li Lian asked the Minister for Transport for an update on the progress made by the Committee on Pedestrian and Cyclist Safety.
The Minister stated that the committee has engaged stakeholders and reviewed safety initiatives, including launching a safe cycling guidebook, painting "LOOK" road markings at zebra crossings, and placing "Give Way to Pedestrians" signs at junctions.
The committee is also reviewing additional measures for vulnerable groups like school children and the elderly, with more details to be shared later in the year.

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11 Nov 2013

Car-sharing and Private Car Rental Schemes

The Ministry of Transport is expanding car-sharing by adding 18 more stations with two to three cars each, a 20% increase, through collaboration between LTA and HDB, while balancing demand from resident car owners.
LTA's study concludes that the current Private Car Rental Scheme (PCRS) is adequate, and no further liberalisation is justified due to insufficient demand at present.
The PCRS, established in 1996, allows non-car owners to access private transport during weekends and public holidays without changes planned.

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11 Nov 2013

Persistent Traffic Jams along Wan Tho Avenue during Peak Hours

Sitoh Yih Pin asked the Minister for Transport about plans to ease persistent traffic jams along Wan Tho Avenue during peak hours.
Lui Tuck Yew announced that LTA will put up signs by year-end directing motorists toward the city and PIE to use alternative routes like Pheng Geck Avenue and Tai Thong Crescent.
The developer of Sennett Residences will widen Wan Tho Avenue near the junction with Upper Serangoon Road before the development is completed.
These measures are expected to help ease the traffic queue along Wan Tho Avenue during peak hours.

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11 Nov 2013

Impact of Higher Charges at ERP Gantries

Pritam Singh inquired about the impact of the $6 levy at selected ERP gantries on road traffic conditions.
Lui Tuck Yew stated that ERP rates were increased to $6 on the East Coast Parkway and Central Expressway at specific times in 2013.
Following the rate adjustment, traffic conditions on the East Coast Parkway improved, with travel speeds reaching the optimal range of 45 km/h to 65 km/h.
For the Central Expressway, it is too early to determine the impact as motorists need time to adapt their travel patterns.
The response was provided during a parliamentary session, with the relevant page number cited.

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11 Nov 2013

Update on Government Tender for City Direct Bus Routes

Teo Siong Seng requested a status update on the public tender for nine City Direct bus routes concluded on 15 July 2013.
Lui Tuck Yew announced that six routes were awarded to five private operators on 9 November 2013, with services launching from January to June 2014.
For the remaining three routes, a re-tender will be held to ensure competitive bids and comply with procurement principles, expected at the end of the month.

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11 Nov 2013

Increases in ERP Charges

Lim Biow Chuan asked the Ministry of Transport to freeze ERP charge increases until public transport alternatives, such as buses and trains, are significantly improved in speed and comfort.
Lui Tuck Yew explained that ERP charges are designed to manage road congestion by influencing driver behavior, and a freeze would lead to more congested roads.
Lui also outlined ongoing public transport enhancements, including the Bus Service Enhancement Programme, upcoming Downtown Line stages, and rail network expansions and upgrades.

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11 Nov 2013

Proposal for Bus Rapid Transit System

Alex Yam inquired whether the Ministry would consider implementing a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system alongside MRT development and what factors limit replacing conventional buses with BRT.
Lui Tuck Yew explained that BRT requires features like segregated lanes and dedicated stations, which are impractical in Singapore’s urbanized environment and existing rail network.
The government is instead enhancing the current bus system with BRT-like features such as signal priority and expanded bus lanes.
No plans for a full BRT system are underway due to space constraints and the priority on expanding the rail network.
The focus remains on improving conventional buses with targeted measures rather than a complete shift to BRT.

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11 Nov 2013

Sheltered Walkways under Walk2Ride Programme

The Walk2Ride programme will expand the sheltered walkway network by an additional 200km, connecting public transport nodes to residential, commercial, and leisure developments within 400m of MRT stations and 200m of LRT stations and bus interchanges.
Residents of private estates near these public transport nodes will benefit from the new sheltered walkways, encouraging greater use of public transport across all segments of the population.
Tenders for sheltered walkways around MRT stations in all HDB towns in the northeastern and northwestern parts of Singapore have been called, with contracts targeted for award in the first quarter of 2014.
The detailed construction programme, including the specific locations of the walkways, will be determined by appointed contractors in consultation with the community.

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11 Nov 2013

Electric Vehicles in Singapore

Hri Kumar Nair inquired about the Ministry of Transport's plans to promote electric vehicles in Singapore.
Lui Tuck Yew noted that while EVs are cleaner and more energy efficient, their upfront and life cycle costs remain higher than conventional vehicles even with tax waivers under TIDES-PLUS.
The government is monitoring EV technology and costs, with a multi-agency taskforce conducting a limited-scale test-bed that will end on 31 December 2013 to gather data for future policies.

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11 Nov 2013

Impact of Car Leasing on COE Prices

Zaqy Mohamad asked whether the Ministry studied how car leasing affects COE prices, as it may be used to bypass recent car loan restrictions.
Lui Tuck Yew stated the Government monitors the car leasing market and noted private hire cars made up 6.9% of new registrations since loan restrictions, up from 4.7% last year and 5.6% in 2011.
He concluded that the moderate growth in car leasing is unlikely to have significantly impacted COE prices.

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11 Nov 2013

Management of Traffic Conditions after Accidents

The Traffic Police and LTA work together to manage accident scenes by prioritising medical aid, investigation, and clearing vehicles quickly to minimise disruption.
Traffic management includes deploying officers for regulation, issuing alerts via signs, websites, apps, and radio, and implementing active road diversion plans when needed based on road capacity and conditions.
Motorists are urged to drive without distraction, follow traffic updates, and adjust routes to aid emergency response and help prevent accidents.

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11 Nov 2013

Contestability in Public Transport Sector

The Government is introducing the New Rail Financing Framework to lower barriers to entry and enhance contestability in the rail industry, with plans to eventually transition existing operators to this model.
Competitive tendering is being tested for bus services like City Direct and Peak Period Short routes to improve service levels and consider larger-scale implementation in the future.
These initiatives aim to deliver better service and more equitable fares by allowing the government to select operators based on cost-competitiveness and service specifications.

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11 Nov 2013

Cycling Culture in Singapore

The Ministry for Transport outlined plans to expand the cycling path network to about 190 km in HDB towns by 2020 and over 700 km island-wide in 15 years.
Initiatives include linking cycling paths to Park Connector Networks and creating inter-town routes to facilitate longer-distance cycling.
Bicycle parking facilities will be enhanced, with 3,000 racks at MRT stations by 2014 and sufficient parking in HDB estates and community amenities.

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11 Nov 2013

Planning Norms for Car Parks in HDB Estates

The Minister explained that HDB derives car park space norms by considering factors such as the number of dwelling units, flat type, existing parking demand, projected car population growth, and transport policies, with regular reviews conducted in consultation with the LTA.
Approximately 5% of HDB households, or 44,000, own more than one car, and among these, about 5% or 2,300 are assigned to park at an alternative car park near their home.
HDB monitors parking conditions in its estates and provides solutions to meet residents' needs, but the debate did not specifically address how planning norms account for the rise in car ownership or future changes to these norms.

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11 Nov 2013

Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill

The Bill amends the Road Traffic Act to implement conditional growth for taxi fleets, tying fleet expansion to performance standards on taxi availability during peak hours.
It empowers the Land Transport Authority to collect Additional Registration Fee for previously de-registered vehicles re-registered under Classic or Vintage schemes.
The Bill strengthens enforcement against illegal rental of personal vehicles and fuel tax evasion, including making it an offence to leave Singapore with a tampered fuel gauge.
Members debated the relevance of the three-quarter fuel tank rule for Singapore cars entering Malaysia, with the Minister defending its continued necessity despite changing cross-border dynamics.
Concerns were raised about taxi operators’ impact on drivers and the need for fairer practices, with the Minister noting ongoing stakeholder engagement and an online portal to match hirers with relief drivers.

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11 Nov 2013

Motor Vehicles (Third-Party Risks and Compensation) (Amendment) Bill

The Bill updates the Public Trustee’s role in motor accident compensation by removing the requirement for the Public Trustee to review out-of-court settlement adequacy and hold compensation monies in trust for represented victims, reflecting higher education levels and improved legal safeguards today.
The Public Trustee will retain oversight of the reasonableness of solicitors’ fees and continue to protect unrepresented victims, minors, and those unable to receive payments directly.
The amendments split administrative responsibility between the Ministry of Law and Ministry of Transport, introduce new provisions for composite settlement agreements, and empower the Public Trustee to obtain documents or information for duties under the Act.

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11 Nov 2013

Keeping Transport Fares Affordable

The government accepted the Fare Review Mechanism Committee’s recommendations to implement a new fare formula and two new concession schemes for low-income workers and persons with disabilities, with discounts set to offset the next fare increase for these groups.
Public transport fares are expected to increase in 2014, but the Transport Minister urged the Public Transport Council to ensure any rise does not exceed the 2013 average national wage increase to maintain affordability for average commuters.
Service quality improvements are being addressed separately from the fare formula, with plans to add buses and trains and enhance regulatory standards to boost public transport reliability and capacity.
The Public Transport Fund will be strengthened with contributions from transport operators, allowing for more transport vouchers and support for needy households, with outreach efforts emphasized to ensure all eligible commuters benefit.

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21 Oct 2013

Complaints of Unruly Passengers by Female Taxi Drivers

Ang Hin Kee inquired about the top three complaints from female taxi drivers regarding unruly passengers over the last three years and the solutions implemented by the Ministry for Transport to address these concerns.
Lui Tuck Yew emphasized that all taxi drivers deserve a safe working environment and highlighted safety measures such as panic buttons in taxis that alert call centres and police for assistance.
He noted that the number of reported cases from female drivers is low, with only four out of 50 reported cases in the past three years, two involving robbery and two involving outrage of modesty.
The Land Transport Authority plans to continue collaborating with taxi companies and the police to enhance driver safety against unruly passengers.

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