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SPEECH BY MR RAYMOND LIM, MINISTER FOR TRANSPORT AND SECOND MINISTER FOR
FOREIGN AFFAIRS, ON LAND TRANSPORT AT THE
COMMITTEE OF SUPPLY DEBATE, ON Introduction 1.
Mr Chairman, Sir, I thank
Members for their comments and suggestions on our land transport system. Several, including Mr
Cedric Foo, Mr Liang Eng Hwa, Mr Seah Kian
Peng and Mdm Cynthia Phua have asked how our land transport system would be
able to cope if our population were to increase to 6.5 million in the long
term. This is a pertinent question
that goes to the crux of our land transport policy. 2.
Looking into
the future, as Mr Liang
Eng Hwa has pointed out,
we must position our land transport system to meet the significantly greater
travel demands of a larger, more diverse population and a more vibrant
economy. We will have to do this
within the constraints of finite land resources, and without sacrificing the
quality of our living environment. Forward planning, as Mr
Cedric Foo and Mdm
Cynthia Phua said – I think Mr Foo used the words
“advanced planning” - is essential. We have three principle
strategies to deal with these future challenges. Firstly, we must make public
transport a choice mode because this makes best use of our scarce land and
preserves our environment. Secondly,
we must manage and optimize road use.
Thirdly, our transport system must meet the diverse needs of a more
complex and socially inclusive society.
3.
Let me start
with our strategy to make public transport a choice mode, a topic that many
MPs have spoken about, supported and given many useful suggestions. Promoting Public
Transport 4.
To begin with,
as Mdm Cynthia Phua has
asked, what is the state of play of our public transport system? She is not
here right now but I would like to thank her because she alone, among all the
speakers, had said that, if you look back at where we were and where we are
now, we have made significant improvements. I think we should always bear
that in mind with our public transport system. You know, the complaints are
plenty and if you listen enough to them, you sometimes might lose your sense
of perspective of what the larger picture really is. So if you look at
surveys that have been done - the Public Transport Council conducts a Bus
Satisfaction Survey every year – last year, 2006, it was 8 out of 10
who said that the overall service level, they are satisfied with it. This is
an improvement. In 2005 it was 7 in
10. So we should always bear this in mind. If we look at international
benchmarks, where do we stand? The International Union of Public Transport
(UITP), in its 2006 “Mobility in Cities Database”, had surveyed
more than 50 cities and named 5.
My aim is to
make public transport more attractive, no longer positioned as merely
catering to a captive market, as Ms Sylvia Lim has said, of those who have no
other means of transport, but to win over those who do not have
alternatives. We must make public
transport attractive to this group of “non-customers”, so that
significant numbers would choose public transport because they find it to be
convenient, reliable and offering far better value for money than private transport. 6.
To promote
public transport as a choice mode, we have embarked on a slew of measures: (i)
Expanding our
rail network; (ii)
Giving
priority to our buses on our roads. So bus will have priority on the road; (iii)
Raising the
quality of our buses and trains; (iv)
Enhancing the
choices for our commuters; (v)
Improving
connectivity and accessibility (i)
Expanding our Rail Network 7.
We have set ourselves a target of raising the public transport share of
all morning peak-hour trips from the current 63% to at least 70% by 2020. To achieve this, it is important that we
increase the density of our rail network. In most major cities that have a
high public transport modal share such as 8.
We see this too in 9.
So what can Singaporeans look forward to? The Circle Line will open from
2010 onwards, improving connectivity and reducing travel times. From Bishan to Paya Lebar, 30 minutes now. When the Circle Line is up and
running, 17 minutes. For Bishan residents, an
exciting night out at 10.
Beyond this, the LTA is completing its feasibility studies for a new
33-station Downtown Line that will link the north western and the eastern
parts of 11.
Beyond the Downtown Line, we are identifying other possible rail lines
and extensions required to support (ii) Giving buses priority on our roads 12.
The other key measure, if we want
to get more people to choose public transport, is to give greater priority to
buses on the road, as this will improve the reliability of bus services and
reduce delays. This we will do. For
example, LTA had conducted a pilot on full day bus lane along 13.
LTA is also looking at ensuring that buses are able to get out of
bus-bays without being impeded by other road-users. In some instances, widened roads with
linear bus stops may be the right trade-off, but for others, bus bays,
coupled with right of way for buses to exit, may be the better approach. Like
Mr Ong Kian Min, many members of the public have suggested that
this right of way be made mandatory, rather than as a matter of
courtesy. LTA is currently studying
this suggestion. (iii)
Improving the quality of our buses and trains 14.
Mr Cedric Foo, Mr Liang Eng Hwa, Mr Seah
Kian Peng, Mr Ong Kian
Min and others have cited problems of overcrowding on our buses and MRT, long
waiting times for buses and long journey times on public transport. These are the top 3 concerns. I mentioned
earlier about the PTC Bus Satisfaction Survey and these are the 3 top
concerns. What is encouraging is that if you look at the survey results,
compared 2006 and 2005, it has improved marginally, but it has improved. But
I agree that these are important issues and we should tackle them head
on. Quality of Service Standards 15.
Besides the two key measures of expanding our rail network and giving
buses priority on our roads, we have also taken steps to ensure that the
public transport operators themselves play their part in raising service
standards. This is the point that Mdm Cynthia Phua brought up. It
is an important point and it is something that we will be doing. Last year,
the Public Transport Council (PTC) put in place a more stringent set of
Quality of Service Standards (QoS) for basic bus
services. This set of QoS Standards better reflects the travel experience of
commuters and focuses on areas that are important to commuters: overcrowding,
waiting time, and journey time. For
example, one of the standards that had been tightened was that at least 85%
of total trips on each bus service should depart the bus interchange and
terminals not more than 5 minutes from its scheduled headway on a daily
basis. This will help improve the
timeliness of buses arriving at bus stops and reduce waiting times. Over
time, through continual refinement of the QoS
Standards, the PTC aims to raise the bar for public transport operators and
improve the reliability, journey time and waiting times for buses, while
ensuring affordable fares. Passenger Loading on
MRT Trains 16.
As for
concerns on overcrowding on our MRT trains, LTA’s audit shows that the
passenger loading at the busiest MRT stations such as Toa Payoh
and Kallang during the morning peak is about 1400
passengers per train, or about 80% of the train’s passenger
capacity. This is nothing like the morning commuter crush in 17.
To experience for
myself the crowding situation on our trains, I recently visited Toa Payoh MRT station during the morning peak period. I was told that this is the peak of peak,
when the Toa Payoh station is the busiest. When I
tried to board a south-bound train at about More
Travel Information 18.
I agree with Dr Lam Pin Min that travel information, including
real-time information, such as bus arrival times, can help commuters make
more informed travel decisions, as well as better manage waiting time and
transfers. Dr Lam would be happy to
know that LTA is working closely with
both bus operators to roll out a system that will display real-time bus
information of both operators’ services at selected bus stops. LTA
actually conducted a previous trial on such a service. It ended in
2003 because of technological constraints and costs. Since then, the technology has improved, with the
public transport operators having now developed operational systems which
facilitate the provision of real-time information. The current trial, which begins from the middle of this year, will complement PTO’s efforts such as SBST’s “iris Next Bus”
initiative, which provides real-time bus arrival information through mobile
phones and the SBST website. In addition,
LTA has provided funding support for TransitLink
to develop an electronic bus journey planner so that commuters will be able to find out various ways of getting from A to B,
using the bus services provided by the two public transport operators. This journey planner is part of our
on-going efforts to ensure that services are seamless and integrated across
different operators. 19.
Dr Lam, Mr Ong Kian Min and Mr Lim Biow Chuan also suggested having more real-time
information for motorists, such as a dedicated radio channel for traffic
news. Currently, LTA keeps motorists
updated through the one.motoring website, EMAS message signs, travel time displays and radio
broadcasts. So for the example that Lim Biow Chuan
gave, that by the time he saw the EMAS information, he was already close to
the CTE tunnel, I would suggest that he switch on his radio while driving.
There is constant feed on the radio when you switch it on and you will get
the feed in. LTA will continue, however, to enhance existing platforms, and
continue to explore new platforms where feasible and effective, including
learning from best practices overseas. When I was in (iv) Enhancing the choices for our commuters Premium Buses 20.
We are also
expanding the number of public transport choices available to commuters. I agree with Mr
Cedric Foo that we should facilitate more premium
bus services for commuters who want a more direct and comfortable ride. 21.
The Public Transport Council (PTC) recently
simplified its premium bus service guidelines to encourage operators to
provide more services. In answer to Mr Cedric Foo, COE-exempted buses, such as
school buses or other omnibuses, can be used to operate premium bus services
under the guidelines. It has been simplified. Barely 2 weeks after the revision, the PTC
received more than 40 new applications, compared to an average of about one
application per month previously. It
is still early days to take stock of the revision, but we can be encouraged
by the interest shown by the bus operators so far. 22.
Mr Ong
Kian Min made the point that premium bus services
should be expanded to cater to those living in the HDB estates. I am pleased to inform him that the PTC is
currently considering a number of applications for services originating from
HDB towns to the CBD area. Public Transport
Industry Structure 23.
Mr Cedric Foo, Mr Ong
Kian Min and Mr Wee Siew Kim have also raised various suggestions on the
public transport industry, including allowing buses and trains to compete, as
well as allowing more competitors such as mini-buses to enter the market. 24.
With the premium bus services scheme, we are already allowing more
competition on a limited basis, as
such bus services can run along existing MRT and bus routes. Beyond this
scheme, we are looking hard at the fundamental public transport industry
structure and related competition issues, to see how we can make our public
transport system more efficient and integrated, while giving commuters more
choices. We have commissioned a
consultancy study to give us further inputs and insights on these issues and
these will be incorporated into the ongoing land transport review. Ms Sylvia Lim brought up the issue of the
listed status of the public transport companies. I think she raised the point
because they are listed companies and have shareholders to answer to, they need to earn an adequate return. This might make
them less efficient and perhaps less customer-centric. But I would be slow in
coming to that conclusion because if you look at the weight of evidence, it
is a fact that the public transport operators have a profit motive and profit
incentive and have to meet adequate returns that incentivise
them to be efficient, to be innovative and customer-centric. If we look at
countries that have not done so, where the public transport operations are
run by the State, you will find that the weight of evidence is that they end
up with higher costs, less efficient, and over time, service levels go down. (v) Improving connectivity and accessibility Connectivity and
Access 25.
We are also enhancing the connectivity and
accessibility of our public transport system. As it is, our public transport
system already has a high level of connectivity and can be accessed easily.
There is a bus stop within 400 m radius of most residential developments,
with services that connect commuters to all parts of the island. 67% of commuters take 5 minutes or less to
walk to a bus stop or MRT station, and 93% take 10 minutes or less. We are also integrating our MRT stations
and bus interchanges with building developments, enhancing convenience and
connectivity. We
have seen such improvements at Toa Payoh and we
will bring in the concept to the new Ang Mo Kio Bus Interchange which will be ready by mid-2007. When it is ready, commuters will be able to
pick up groceries on their way home from work, take a break in between transfers or do some shopping at the numerous
lifestyle boutiques. More Sheltered
Walkways 26.
However, I
agree with Mr Ong Kian Min that we must do more to improve connectivity,
and in particular, improve the walking experience. Walking is an essential part of the public
transport journey and we should take into account our tropical, humid
weather, and sudden downpours. I think Mr Ong Kian Min referred to it as
the freaky weather, i.e. when you go out, and there is a sudden downpour, you
get wet and it is a dampener for people to use the public transport system.
While we cannot change our weather, we can ameliorate its effects. As such, we have decided that current programme of building sheltered walkways and covers
over pedestrian overhead bridges should be accelerated, and this will be
dovetailed with HDB’s covered linkway programme in the
housing estates. An Affordable Public
Transport System 27.
I fully agree with Mr Cedric Foo, Mdm Cynthia Phua and Mr Seah
Kian Peng that even as we
strive to develop a first rate public transport system, we must ensure that
we make it accessible to all, including the less well-off in our
society. The PTC will continue to
ensure that fares remain affordable to the general commuting public. Our
public transport fares are among the most affordable internationally. 28.
However, we do
recognise that more would need to be done to help
lower income households in their public transport expenses. The correct way to help them is not through
suppressing fare increases, but to find ways to help the lower income
households directly. For a start, the
Government has put $10 million into a Public Transport Fund to be used over 3
years. A portion of the funds can be used to help low-income households cope
if there is a fare increase in October 2007, to alleviate the immediate
impact of the fare increase. We will
also look at other longer-term measures to help such households cope with
rising transport costs through this Fund and other measures. Concession Hours for Senior Citizens 29.
Also on the
issue of accessibility, Ms Lee Bee Wah has proposed
that senior citizen concession hours be extended because more senior citizens
are returning to the job market.
Senior citizen concessionary travel granted by the public transport
operators is a form of cross–subsidy by other full-fare paying adults -
the more extensive it is, the higher the fares would be for others. Hence, the operators have to take this into
account in extending concessions. Nevertheless, the operators have taken in
feedback and have been extending the concession hours for senior citizens
over the years, most recently in 2005.
I think they will take into account what Ms Lee Bee Wah said as they will need to constantly review
this matter as part of their business plans.
Safety at MRT
Stations 30.
I would also like to assure Ms Lee Bee Wah that
we take seriously the safety of the public at the MRT stations. We have
various safety measures. There are signages at the trackside to
advise commuters not to stand beyond the yellow
line, Emergency Train Stop plungers at all platforms and Passenger Service Centres, and CCTVs to monitor
the crowd situation. The train
operators carry out public education on MRT safety and deploy staff to patrol
station platforms and assist commuters. 31.
I
would also like to assure her that LTA and SMRT continually take into account
various suggestions to enhance safety including the proposal to install
half-height platform screen doors. I
think Bee Wah brought up the example of EZ-Link Cards 32.
Mdm Cynthia Phua asked about adopting open
standards for the EZ-Link card system and when LTA would divest ownership of
its subsidiary company EZ-Link. When the EZ-Link system was
introduced in 2002, the current proprietary system was chosen because it was
a proven technology which had already been implemented in 33.
I agree with Mdm Phua
that the role of the card manager, which entails the sale, distribution and
management of the EZ-Link cards, is best performed by a private company. LTA’s ownership of EZ-Link is only meant to be
transitional. LTA is looking into the
divestment of this company and any divestment will be done in an open and
transparent manner. With the
introduction of the regulatory framework for ticket payments and services
last year, the PTC is also able to impose licence
conditions to prevent card managers such as EZ-Link from levying unreasonable
charges on commuters or engaging in any anti-competitive behaviour. Taxi Services 34.
Mr Ong
Kian Min has highlighted taxi services and the need
to better match supply and demand of taxis, particularly during peak
periods. Fundamentally, when there is
an imbalance, either price or quantity will need to change. He cited 35.
The approach
we have taken is to let the market determine the balance of all these
different interests – taxi passengers, taxi drivers and taxi operators.
By liberalizing the taxi industry, market forces determine the supply of taxi
services and encourage competition
within the taxi industry to improve taxi services for the benefit of taxi
drivers and commuters. 36.
The liberalisation has seen the entry of three new companies
and an increase in the taxi supply to better meet commuter needs. Competition among the companies have spurred them
to improve their services and provide more choices for the commuters through
differentiated services such as limousine services as well as in niche areas
like the medical chaperon and drink jockey services. Furthermore,
competition among the taxi companies has also benefited taxi drivers, as the
companies need to put together attractive taxi rental packages and work hard
to attract and retain drivers. 37.
The role of
the government in this liberalized market is to facilitate its workings and
ensure that taxi service standards are not compromised. For instance, to ensure that commuters can
get a taxi if they choose to phone-book a taxi, LTA has, with effect from
January 2007, extended the monitoring period on taxi companies’ call
booking performances from between 38.
LTA is also
working with various stakeholders in this – like 39.
I am glad to
hear from Mr Seng Han
Thong that the taxi associations have come together to discuss how to move
the taxi industry forward. I look forward to receiving the report and we will
study it very carefully. 40.
Let me now
turn to our strategy to manage and optimize road use. Managing Road Use 41.
Many of you would have noticed that the traffic on our roads have gone
heavier, especially in the past few years, despite building more roads and
highways. Why is this so? Mr Liang
Eng Hwa was absolutely spot-on in his speech. He
said the reason this is so is because from 1997 to 2004, our road capacity
grew by 5%, the car population grew by twice as much by 10%, and daily car
trips went up by even more, 23%. 42.
To address
this problem effectively, I agree with Mr Ong Kian Min, Mr Seng Han Thong, Mr Lim Biow Chuan and Liang Eng Hwa
that we need to adopt a holistic,
multi-pronged approach to ensure a sustainable land transport system for a
growing city. ERP alone would not be
effective. And as I mentioned previously in this House, there is no single
solution to land transport problem. So the Government has never relied on ERP
alone. It has always taken an integrated approach dealing with this urban
transport issue. So we need to complement ERP with proper land use and
transport planning, a good road network and traffic management system
including the use of an intelligent transport system (ITS) such as GLIDE to
maximize road capacity and continue to improve our public transport. Vehicle Growth Policy 43.
On vehicle
growth, Mr Cedric Foo and
Mr Seng Han Thong asked
about my Ministry’s policy, going forward. Our vehicle quota system provides for the
vehicle population to grow at a pace which can be sustained by our road
infrastructure. The vehicle
population growth rate has been set at 3% per annum until quota year 2008,
which ends in April 2009. We will do a
review in 2008 to set the long-term directions on vehicle growth. For the
Quota Year 2007 beginning in May, the LTA will be issuing a total COE quota
of 127,021. 44.
If we continue to allow 3% annual vehicle growth,
our current vehicle population of 800,000 would increase by about 50% to about
1.2 million by 2020. On the other
hand, our road capacity is expected to increase by about 9-12% over the same period. If you were to line up
all these 1.2 million vehicles bumper to bumper, it would fill up our
existing expressways 5 times over! And if you were to line it up the other way,
the 1.2 million vehicles will go all the way to ERP Policy 45.
In any case, simply building more roads will
not solve our transport problems in a sustainable way because the demand for
road space just keeps growing unless it is sensibly restrained. If we do not wish our city to resemble a
giant car park lot, we will need, apart from
moderating vehicle growth, to continually review our ERP coverage to ensure
smooth-flowing roads. 46.
Nevertheless,
I assure Mr Lim Biow
Chuan that LTA’s approach is indeed to
consider and exhaust traffic engineering solutions such as road-widening
before imposing ERP. This had been
done for the CTE, and even now, the LTA is working on a project to widen the CTE stretch between Ang Mo Kio Ave 1 and Ang Mo Kio Ave 3. Likewise, to relieve the evening congestion on the ECP, the LTA is re-marking
the stretch between 47.
Mr Ang
Mong Seng has suggested
that we dedicate the rightmost lane of the expressway for vehicles travelling at 90km/h and the remaining lanes for vehicles
travelling below 90km/h. Today, the ERP system is designed to allow
maximum traffic throughput on our roads by keeping vehicle speeds within the
optimal speed range of 45 to 65 km/h. To demarcate one lane for vehicles to
travel at 90 km/h will not allow us to maximise the
use of our road space. Moreover, it is likely that the sheer number of cars
that will want to go into the fast lane will simply congest the fast lane in
no time. 48.
Mr Lim Biow Chuan highlighted the transport needs of the
residents in the Northeast. Residents like Ms Karen Lee, who wrote to TODAY recently on her journeys on the
CTE and its alternatives, highlighting the congestion that she and her
husband encounter on their drive to
work from Punggol to Buona
Vista, the place where her husband works.
49.
Let me
highlight the various measures we are taking to help Ms Lee and other
Northeast residents. Firstly –
the CTE. LTA aims to complete the
widening of the CTE stretch between Ang Mo Kio Ave 1 and Ang Mo Kio Ave 3 which I mentioned earlier by end 2008, which
will relieve the congestion there.
Secondly, when the KPE, i.e. the Kallang-Paya
Lebar Expressway, is fully opened by 2008, it will
provide Ms Lee and her husband with an additional expressway link from the
Northeast to the City. 50.
Thirdly, we are
improving the public transport options.
When the Circle Line opens, the journey from Punggol
to Buona Vista will take about 35 minutes, compared
to the current 45-minute journey on the North-east Line. 51.
Mr Cedric Foo asked for a clarification on my Ministry's position
on car ownership costs. There is no
change to our approach, which is to gradually reduce ownership costs so as to
strike a better balance between the ownership and usage costs of a car. |