Transport — Topics

8 May 2023

Additional Taxes or Levies on Foreigners Purchasing Cars in Singapore

Joan Pereira asked the Minister for Transport about considering additional taxes or levies on foreigners buying cars amid rising Certificate of Entitlement prices.
S Iswaran responded by referring to a previous Ministerial Statement on 8 May 2023 that addressed this and related questions on Singapore's transport needs.
The response implies that existing policies and measures for managing car ownership and transport are already outlined in that statement.

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8 May 2023

Feasibility Study on New MRT Line Serving North and North-east Regions

Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim sought an update on a feasibility study for a new MRT line serving the north and north-east regions, separate from existing lines, as announced in the Land Transport Master Plan 2040.
Minister S Iswaran emphasized that rail projects are major, complex investments requiring assessment of factors like land use, public transport options, and engineering considerations.
He confirmed that the Land Transport Authority's studies are ongoing and updates will be provided when ready.

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8 May 2023

Payment of ERP Charges for Public Buses on Designated Bus Routes

Public buses are required to pay ERP charges when travelling on designated bus routes, with these costs borne by public transport operators as part of their operating expenses.
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) does not reimburse public transport operators for ERP charges.
The total ERP charges paid by public transport operators were $1,910,847 in 2020, $153,231 in 2021, and $399,829 in 2022.

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8 May 2023

Infrastructural Initiatives with Malaysia to Allow Cross-border Travel for Singapore's Electric Vehicles

Singapore EV drivers can currently charge their vehicles at various Malaysian locations along the North-South highway, with some operators offering unified payment apps for cross-border use.
The Singapore government is collaborating with Malaysia to further facilitate cross-border EV charging.
Both countries are working to coordinate standards to enhance interoperability for charging infrastructure.

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8 May 2023

Frequency of Bus Service 801 and Inaccurate Arrival Timings on Display Board

Residents reported longer wait times on Yishun bus display boards compared to the MyTransport.SG app for Service 801.
The Transport Minister confirmed that peak-period intervals for Service 801 were reduced from 12 to 8 minutes in October 2022 to address higher ridership.
Discrepancies in arrival timings are due to a time lag when bus operators adjust schedules, affecting the display boards and app simultaneously.
The Land Transport Authority is working with Tower Transit to connect bus dispatch systems with the ETA system by end-May 2023 to improve information accuracy.

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8 May 2023

Cases of Injury and Death of Motorcyclists and Pillion Riders in First Quarter of 2023

Murali Pillai inquired about the number of motorcyclists and pillion riders injured or killed in road traffic accidents during the first four months of 2023, any increase compared to 2022, and steps being taken to address the issue.
Minister K Shanmugam reported that from January to March 2023, 898 motorcyclists and 119 pillion riders were injured, while 19 motorcyclists and two pillion riders died, with a slight increase from 2022 but comparable to pre-pandemic levels.
He noted that the Traffic Police, Land Transport Authority, and Singapore Road Safety Council have implemented initiatives to enhance road safety awareness, as shared in the Police’s Annual News Release on 14 February 2023.

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8 May 2023

Traffic Accidents Involving Minors and Measures to Enhance Their Road Safety Awareness

Saktiandi Supaat requested statistics on traffic accidents involving minors aged six and below, seven to 12, and 13 to 17 over the past five years, as well as suggestions to improve their road safety awareness in and out of school.
K Shanmugam provided a table with the accident figures for the last five years and referenced existing initiatives by the Traffic Police, Land Transport Authority, and Singapore Road Safety Council to enhance road safety education for children.
The minister noted that these measures were previously detailed in a response to a parliamentary question on 30 November 2022, directing members to the official report for further details.

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8 May 2023

Curbs on Car Loans from Record High COE Prices

Mariam Jaafar asked the Prime Minister if MAS is considering car loan curbs due to record high COE prices.
The Prime Minister, represented by Tharman Shanmugaratnam, stated that MAS's loan restrictions aim to encourage prudent borrowing by households.
He noted that very few borrowers default on vehicle loans, with a non-performing loan ratio below 0.1% in Q4 2022.
MAS will continue to monitor the COE market with the Ministry of Transport.
The response indicates no immediate plans for additional curbs, focusing instead on existing prudent lending measures.

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8 May 2023

Transportation of Workers in Rear Decks of Lorries

Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked when the Ministry first knew that key authorised lorry suppliers agree it is ideal for lorries not to carry passengers in their rear decks and how this information factored into policy.
Minister S Iswaran confirmed the Ministry shares concerns for worker safety and acknowledged that while it is ideal to avoid carrying passengers in rear decks, practical and operational considerations exist, with varied international practices.
Singapore adopts a multi-pronged approach through a working committee engaging stakeholders to study safety measures, such as requiring rain covers and limiting driver hours to 12 per day.
The Government continues to explore further measures to enhance safety for workers transported in lorries.

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8 May 2023

Plans to Ensure Sufficient Singaporean Bus Drivers for All Categories of Passengers

The Government acknowledges that the reopening of the economy has increased demand for bus drivers, leading to manpower tightness for some operators.
Initiatives such as wage increases, flexible work arrangements, and sign-on bonuses are being implemented to attract and retain local bus drivers.
The Government is complementing local drivers with foreign drivers and providing targeted support, including additional foreign worker quotas on a time-limited basis for public and school bus operators.

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8 May 2023

Meeting the Transport Needs of Singaporeans

The Minister emphasized that Singapore’s transport strategy prioritizes public and active mobility over private car ownership due to land and carbon constraints, with major investments in expanding the rail network and cycling paths to support a car-lite future.
The Certificates of Entitlement (COE) system remains essential for managing limited vehicle supply, and recent measures like bringing forward expiring five-year COEs aim to smoothen supply volatility, though long-term COE prices are expected to rise with incomes and zero vehicle growth.
Concerns about private hire vehicles (PHCs) impacting COE prices are under study, but data shows no clear causality, and officials caution against arbitrary caps that could undermine flexible transport options.
The debate highlighted suggestions for improving equity in car ownership, such as using OMV criteria or balloting, but the Minister explained the complexities and reaffirmed the focus on maintaining an efficient market while supporting targeted assistance for those in need.

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8 May 2023

Display Bus Stop Codes to Help Commuters Identify Bus Stops in Advance of Arriving

Gerald Giam proposed that bus shelter address plates display bus stop codes instead of the current LTA alphanumeric codes to help commuters identify stops earlier, noting that the current signage is small and not easily visible from a distance.
The Senior Minister of State for Transport explained that all bus stops already display the bus stop name, alphanumeric code, and five-digit code, and highlighted other measures like tactile indicators, Braille signage, and enhanced digital systems to aid navigation for all commuters.
Giam emphasized that the most prominent signage—the bus shelter address plate—currently shows less meaningful information, and he suggested adding the bus stop name and code there for better visibility and advance recognition.
The Minister acknowledged the suggestion and noted that different commuters use information differently, comparing it to postal codes, and stated that LTA will review ways to improve signage visibility and information display.

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8 May 2023

Measures to Deal with Recent Spike in COE Prices

Multiple MPs asked the Minister for Transport about the causes of the recent COE price spike, including the role of private hire vehicle operators, foreign residents, and speculative bidding by motorcycle dealers.
Suggestions were raised for measures such as capping private hire vehicle fleets, barring speculative dealers from bidding, and reviewing the COE allocation system to moderate prices.
The Minister was also questioned on the impact of high COE prices on livelihoods, the economy, and the number of cars in bonded warehouses, with requests for data and analysis.
The Senior Minister of State for Transport sought permission to address all questions in a later ministerial statement, which was granted by the Deputy Speaker.

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21 Apr 2023

Proposal to Make Adult Monthly Travel Card Cheaper to Encourage Switch to Public Transport

Ms Mariam Jaafar proposed lowering the price of the Adult Monthly Travel Card to encourage more people to use public transport as their default mode of travel.
The Minister for Transport highlighted that public transport in Singapore is already heavily subsidized to keep fares affordable for all commuters.
He noted that the Adult Monthly Travel Pass is designed to reduce costs for frequent users and that any price cut would reduce revenue, potentially requiring fare hikes for other commuters.
The Minister emphasized that the Public Transport Council regularly reviews the pass price as part of its annual fare review exercises to balance affordability and financial sustainability.

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21 Apr 2023

Risk of Dark-coloured Cars Getting into Accidents in Singapore

Don Wee inquired whether dark-coloured cars have a higher accident risk in Singapore and if the government would consider policies like higher taxes to reduce their numbers.
The Minister for Transport responded that Singapore's Land Transport Authority follows international safety standards, which do not assess vehicle safety by colour, so there are no grounds for introducing colour-based measures.
The debate concluded without agreement on the need for action, as the government relies on existing global standards that do not address vehicle colour.

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21 Apr 2023

Proposed Installation of Daytime Running Lights in Vehicles at Selected Places

Joan Pereira proposed mandating daytime running lights in vehicles for safety in dimly lit areas like multi-storey carparks.
The Minister for Transport, S Iswaran, noted that Singapore rarely experiences the low visibility conditions where such lights are typically needed, so there is no strong need for a mandate.
While many car models already have daytime running lights, the Minister emphasized that drivers should ensure headlamps are used in dim or low-visibility environments.

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21 Apr 2023

Review of Operations and Design at ICA Checkpoints Following Recent Accident Involving Auxiliary Policeman

Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Minister for Home Affairs to review operations and checkpoint design to prevent a similar accident where an auxiliary policeman was severely injured, and to outline lessons learned.
The Minister explained that ICA has existing safety measures like road humps, signage, paired officer deployments, safety gear, and enforcement, and noted the accident involved an allegedly intoxicated driver speeding into an observation post.
ICA is considering additional measures such as relocating the observation post and adding more barriers, while stressing that motorists must abide by traffic rules and avoid drunk driving.

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21 Apr 2023

Upgrading Plans for Changi Airfreight Centre

Dennis Tan inquired about plans to upgrade the Changi Airfreight Centre and whether expansion plans would be resumed or increased with the restart of Changi Airport Terminal 5 construction.
The Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore are reviewing air cargo demand post-COVID to determine necessary upgrades, considering global trade and supply chain shifts.
Air freight operators are adopting automation and digitalisation to enhance productivity and capacity at the Changi Airfreight Centre.
Planning for the Changi East Industrial Zone has resumed, expected to double air cargo handling capacity to 5.4 million tonnes annually by the mid-2030s.

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10 Apr 2023

Ministry of Transport

The Ministry of Transport will strengthen Singapore’s aviation and maritime hubs through infrastructure upgrades like Changi Airport Terminal 5 and Tuas Port, while enhancing workforce capabilities and digitalisation to support growth and competitiveness.
Sustainability is a key focus, with plans for cleaner energy vehicles at Changi Airport, electric harbour craft, and regulatory milestones to phase out diesel and combustion engine vehicles, alongside expanding EV charging infrastructure.
The government will expand the rail network by 100 kilometres to improve public transport accessibility, while ensuring fiscal sustainability through a shared responsibility model and reviewing fare adjustments for affordability.
Initiatives to make transport more inclusive include retrofitting pedestrian facilities, expanding cycling paths, and piloting Friendly Streets to better serve seniors and persons with disabilities.

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22 Mar 2023

Signs to Alert Cyclists at Smart Traffic Light Junctions

Leon Perera asked if the Ministry of Transport will install signs at smart traffic light junctions using the CRUISE system to alert cyclists that they may not be detected and might need to dismount to use pedestrian crossings.
S Iswaran responded that these pedestrian crossings are similar to typical ones, with push buttons to activate the green man light for both cyclists and pedestrians.
He clarified that cyclists are not required to dismount at these crossings but must slow down, stop, and look out for oncoming traffic before crossing.

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