Transport — Topics

7 Nov 2023

Utilisation Rate of Seletar Airport

Gerald Giam asked the Minister for Transport about Seletar Airport's utilisation rates across passenger throughput, runway, and gate usage compared to capacity, and whether there are plans to attract more commercial airlines, including budget carriers.
Chee Hong Tat, speaking for the Minister, stated that traffic at Seletar Airport has exceeded pre-COVID levels and runway utilisation is near capacity.
The Ministry has no plans to attract more commercial airlines to use the airport.

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7 Nov 2023

Average Productivity Gain Achieved by Public Transport Operators in Past Five Years

Gerald Giam asked for the average productivity gains of public transport operators over the past five years, the Network Capacity Factor since the last fare review, and the main source of productivity gains for the current exercise.
Chee Hong Tat explained that past productivity data and the Network Capacity Factor relate to the old fare formula, which is no longer relevant due to changes in the fare adjustment mechanism.
The previous formula would have set productivity extraction at 0% due to pandemic-related losses, so the new formula introduces a fixed 0.1% productivity contribution to encourage efficiency.
The old Network Capacity Factor was suspended during the pandemic due to abnormal ridership fluctuations and has been replaced by a fixed Capacity Adjustment Factor of 1.1% for 2023–2027.
The new fare formula aims to ensure cost-efficiency while accounting for exceptional circumstances, with productivity gains contributing to reduced fare adjustments for commuters.

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7 Nov 2023

More Options and Benefits for Off-peak Car Scheme

Gan Thiam Poh asked the Ministry of Transport to review the existing Weekend Car, Off-Peak Car, and Revised Off-Peak Car schemes and introduce more options with additional benefits.
The Ministry noted that the Weekend Car Scheme started in 1991 to make car ownership more affordable for those not using cars during peak hours, with the current Revised Off-Peak Car Scheme (ROPC) since 2010 allowing use on Saturdays, Sundays, Public Holidays, and the eves of five Public Holidays.
The Ministry emphasized that car ownership is part of a broader land transport system and Singaporeans will benefit from an expanding public transport network.
The ROPC remains a viable option for those wishing to own and use cars mainly during off-peak periods.
The Ministry will continue regular reviews of the ROPC scheme and introduce more options if needed to meet transport needs.

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7 Nov 2023

Review Quantum of Rebates for Morning Pre-peak Fares

Chua Kheng Wee Louis asked about increasing rebates on Morning Pre-Peak Fares and reinstating free pre-peak travel to manage peak crowds and offset fare hikes.
Chee Hong Tat explained that the current 50-cent discount for early weekday train travel costs $40 million annually and aims to reduce peak crowding.
The government provides over $2 billion in yearly subsidies, additional $300 million to defer fare increases, and concessionary fares of up to 70% for many commuters.
Lowering pre-peak fares further would shift costs to other commuters who cannot adjust their travel times, potentially increasing their fares.
The response indicated that implementing the suggestions would require other commuters to bear higher costs to maintain the public transport system.

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6 Nov 2023

Clarification by Senior Minister of State for Transport

The Senior Minister of State for Transport clarified that for Category E COEs, certificates are typically used within 14 days on average, well before the three-month validity period ends.
He noted that since January 2023, only three Category E COEs have expired, and since June 2023, only one has expired, indicating low wastage.
The statement emphasized that these trends show dealers are bidding based on actual demand rather than speculating.
A factual correction was made to earlier remarks, adjusting the numbers of expired COEs to align with accurate data.

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6 Nov 2023

Checks for Obstruction of Road Signs by Tree Growth

Joan Pereira asked whether tree inspections check for road sign obstruction by tree growth and how the Ministry ensures signs remain visible for road user safety.
Desmond Lee stated that NParks trained arborists inspect trees every 6 to 24 months and check for sign obstruction, pruning trees as needed to improve visibility.
NParks is also developing an AI visual tool to identify foliage obstructing road signs, supplementing existing inspection and maintenance practices.

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6 Nov 2023

Minimum Service Standards for Operators of Publicly Accessible Electric Vehicle Charging Points

Ms He Ting Ru questioned whether the Land Transport Authority (LTA) regulates publicly accessible EV charging operators on service standards like operational downtime, the specific standards, and LTA’s findings from collaborations.
Chee Hong Tat, for the Minister for Transport, stated that under the upcoming Electric Vehicles Charging Act (EVCA), all EV charging operators must be licensed and adhere to conditions including data sharing and maintaining service uptime.
LTA currently enforces a strict 97% serviceability requirement for EV chargers in HDB public carparks, and all operators have met this obligation.

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6 Nov 2023

More Bus Services for Residents of New BTOs at Nee Soon Link Spring and for Service 804 to Stop in Front of Yishun MRT Station

Mr Derrick Goh requested that Bus Service 804 stop in front of Yishun MRT Station to improve access for residents of Nee Soon Link neighbourhoods without requiring them to walk to the interchange.
He also asked for more bus services to be considered for the new BTOs at Nee Soon Link Spring, as current bus stops only have one service for six new precincts.
The Minister for Transport, represented by Chee Hong Tat, responded that the area is already served by multiple bus services and that LTA has been making adjustments and adding capacity.
The Minister stated that the bus stop in front of Yishun MRT is heavily used and cannot be expanded, so Service 804 will not be redirected there, but LTA will study other solutions to address the residents' concerns.

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6 Nov 2023

Privacy Concerns Over ERP 2.0 System's New On-board Unit

Ms Hany Soh raised privacy concerns about the ERP 2.0 system's new on-board units, which use Global Navigation Satellite System to reveal real-time driver locations, and asked how the Ministry for Transport would address these issues.
Chee Hong Tat, speaking for the Minister for Transport, stated that strict safeguards govern data collection, usage, and storage, with the Land Transport Authority (LTA) using only anonymised or aggregated data for traffic management and transport planning.
He added that vehicle-specific data would only be used for payments, charges, and enforcement, such as addressing non-payment of Electronic Road Pricing charges.

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6 Nov 2023

Increment of Transportation Costs to Public Transport Riders and Private Vehicle Owners Due to ERP 2.0 System

Ms Hany Soh inquired whether the ERP 2.0 system announced by LTA would lead to higher transportation costs for public transport riders and private vehicle owners.
Chee Hong Tat, representing the Minister for Transport, responded that there will be no change in how motorists are charged under the current ERP scheme.
The official clarified that ERP rates will continue to be reviewed based on traffic speeds and congestion levels, not as a result of the ERP 2.0 system.
The debate focused on addressing public concerns about potential cost increases due to the new system implementation.
No immediate increase in transportation costs for private vehicle owners was confirmed by the Ministry for Transport.

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6 Nov 2023

Average Ridership and Frequency of Public Transportation on Weekdays and Weekends Compared to Pre-pandemic Levels

In Q3 2023, average daily public transport ridership was 7.9 million on weekdays and 6.4 million on weekends, about 95% of pre-pandemic levels.
Train frequencies are two to three minutes during weekday peak hours and around five minutes during off-peak weekdays and weekends; bus frequencies are seven to ten minutes during weekday peaks and nine to thirteen minutes during off-peak weekdays and weekends, similar to pre-pandemic levels.
The Land Transport Authority monitors demand and network changes but has no plans to increase weekend service frequencies across the board, as doing so would raise operating costs ultimately borne by commuters and taxpayers.

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6 Nov 2023

Expected Cost to Government for Installation of ERP 2.0 On-board Unit for Vehicles

Hazel Poa asked the Minister for Transport about the expected government cost for installing the ERP 2.0 on-board unit for vehicles.
Chee Hong Tat responded that the Land Transport Authority awarded the ERP 2.0 project to a consortium in 2016 at a cost of S$556 million.
The project is still ongoing, and the overall costs will only be finalized upon completion.

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6 Nov 2023

Safeguarding Personal Data Under Next-generation ERP System

Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim asked about data safeguards and government access to driver journey data under the next-generation ERP system.
Chee Hong Tat stated that the new ERP on-board units are designed with high security and encryption, using anonymised data for traffic management and specific vehicle data only for payment and enforcement.
The Land Transport Authority follows strict government data security standards, with penalties for unauthorised disclosure or improper use of information.

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6 Nov 2023

Data Collection of Next-generation ERP System

Hazel Poa asked if the next-generation ERP system would collect vehicle data when vehicles are outside Singapore.
Chee Hong Tat, on behalf of the Minister for Transport, confirmed that the ERP 2.0 system will not collect data outside Singapore.
The response directly addressed concerns about data collection beyond Singapore's borders.

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6 Nov 2023

Percentage of Successful COE Bids in Past Three Years

Member Gan Thiam Poh inquired about the percentage of successful COE bids by citizenship status and vehicle value in the past three years.
Chee Hong Tat, on behalf of the Transport Minister, referred to a prior parliamentary reply from November 2023 as the source for this information.
The debate highlighted that detailed COE bid statistics are available in earlier official parliamentary records.

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6 Nov 2023

Number of Category E Quota Used For Registering Category C COEs Over Last Five Years

Mark Lee asked the Minister for Transport about the total number of Category E quota used for registering Category C COEs over the last five years.
Chee Hong Tat, representing the Minister, stated that from 2018 to 2022, 65 Category C vehicles were registered using Category E Certificates of Entitlement.
The response directly addressed the query with a specific figure for the five-year period.
The debate focused on COE price trends and vehicle quota usage under the Vehicle Quota System.

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6 Nov 2023

Inspections and Upkeep of Road Signs in Singapore

Joan Pereira inquired about the regularity of inspections and maintenance of road signs to ensure their clarity and visibility.
The Land Transport Authority confirmed it has an ongoing inspection regime to check, repair, and upgrade road signs across Singapore.
LTA is replacing about 4,200 road signs islandwide, starting in the fourth quarter of 2023 and expecting completion within three years.

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6 Nov 2023

Spectrum of Enforcement Using Data From ERP 2.0 System

Hazel Poa asked whether the Singapore Police Force can access ERP 2.0 data for criminal investigations and what specific data types would be available.
Hany Soh inquired if the Ministry plans to use the ERP 2.0 system for enforcement against traffic offences like speeding.
K Shanmugam stated that the position on ERP 2.0 usage has been consistently communicated in Parliament and previous debates, referencing a 2016 Committee of Supply report.

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6 Nov 2023

Confrontations Between Motorist and Cyclist

Melvin Yong Yik Chye asked about the number of investigated confrontations between motorists and cyclists over the past five years and whether there was a rising trend.
The Minister for Home Affairs, K Shanmugam, responded that the Police do not track such cases.
The lack of tracking means no data is available to determine if such confrontations are increasing.

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6 Nov 2023

Wayfinding Floor Graphics Pointing towards Elevators at MRT Platforms to Help Wheelchair Users

The Minister confirmed that MRT stations already have “Priority Use” signs and floor tactile guiding systems to help wheelchair users and the elderly locate lifts, with operators trialling directional floor stickers at concourses.
LTA consulted social service agencies on adding wayfinding floor graphics on platforms, but feedback indicated these might be less visible during peak hours than existing signs, so no immediate plans were announced for such graphics.
The government encourages commuters to offer assistance to those with mobility needs and will continue promoting an inclusive commuter culture through initiatives like the Caring SG Commuter Committee.

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