Committee of Supply – Head W (Ministry of Transport)

The Chairman: Head W, Ministry of Transport. Mr Saktiandi Supaat.

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Future of Singapore's Transport System

Mr Saktiandi Supaat (Bishan-Toa Payoh): Mr Chairman, I move, "That the total sum to be allocated for Head W of the Estimates be reduced by $100".

This year marks SG60. In the past 60 years, we have developed from Third World to First. Transport has been a critical part of that story. The hot and creaky public buses have been replaced by fully air conditioned ones. We opened our first Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) line in 1987 and we now have six lines with more than 140 MRT stations. Our airport and seaport are among the best in the world.

So, I would like to ask the Ministry to share how it will take Singapore's transport system forward in the next phase?

For MRT, we plan decades ahead of time with new technologies. With potential artificial intelligence (AI) and autonomous vehicles coming onstream, how is our transport infrastructure going to be enhanced?

It was announced mid-last year that up to $900 million will be spent over the next eight years to improve the bus network under the Bus Connectivity Enhancement Programme. Besides more express bus services and bus route adjustments, how else will we reinvent our public bus system?

We also have the North-South Corridor (NSC) to look forward to. Conceptualised in 2016, the completed NSC will divert vehicular traffic to the underground expressway tunnel, so the ground-level space can be used for wider footpaths, cycling paths, bus priority lanes and more communal and green spaces. Besides COVID-19, what challenges has the NSC construction encountered and are we on course to achieve completion by 2027 to 2029?

However, it was disappointing to see the announcement by Volocopter in November that a lack of local funding partners has forced them to put the launch of air taxi services in Singapore on hold. Besides ferrying humans by air, how close are we to seeing our goods and food deliveries flown by unmanned drones, like what is already being done in various cities in China?

What is the next bound for our transport system beyond SG60 and when do we expect to get there?

Sustaining Rail Reliability

Mr Chairman, the six-day interruption on the East-West Line (EWL) in late September 2024 brought the issue of rail reliability back into focus. It was an unexpected disruption, especially after several years of steady improvements and minimal incidents since the challenges in 2012.

A Straits Times forum letter highlighted the importance of balancing rail reliability with costs, emphasising the severe impact of extreme events on commuters. This is a valid concern and we must always strive to minimise disruptions.

However, it is important to recognise that our rail operators are not neglecting maintenance to cut costs or simply meet performance indicators. Beyond their service obligations, operators bear significant expenses for service recovery, bridging bus services and repairs during major disruptions. The EWL incident, while unfortunate, demonstrated the effectiveness of our response system and the adaptability of commuters who navigated the situation with patience and understanding.

The Transport Minister has assured us that SMRT has maintained its maintenance spending, even during years without major incidents. While it is natural to question whether more should be spent, we must also consider the financial balance. With the Public Transport Council carefully managing fare adjustments to protect commuters, any additional funding for enhanced maintenance may require increased Government subsidies, a cost ultimately borne by taxpayers. Greater transparency on revenue and cost figures could help foster public understanding of this complex equation.

The timing of the 2024 disruption during the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) season added another layer of stress for affected students and parents. While such stress is difficult to quantify, it is reassuring that the School Examinations and Assessment Board acted swiftly to accommodate affected students. This reflects the strength of our broader support ecosystem, on top of what Ministry of Transport (MOT) has done, which works alongside transport operators to mitigate the wider impact of service disruptions.

As we expand our rail network in the coming decade, a key question remains: what proactive measures are we taking to uphold reliability standards and develop a skilled, future-ready workforce to sustain those efforts? Continued collaboration, innovation and learning from past incidents will be essential in building an even more resilient rail system.

Let us use this incident as an opportunity to refine our strategies and reaffirm our commitment to a reliable and commuter-centric public transport network.

Question proposed.

Enhancing Rail Reliability

Ms Poh Li San (Sembawang): Chairman, our MRT network is the backbone of our public transport system. With a growing network and more rail assets to operate and maintain, we need to ensure that we have the appropriate measures in place and dedicate sufficient resources to keep our rail network available and reliable.

Although our MRT system has been reliable in general, performing well above the target of one million train-kilometres between delays, there had been service disruptions, including a severe one on the East West Line last year. Will the Ministry share its insights on how it will enhance rail infrastructure reliability to minimise service disruptions?

With an expanding rail network, with the Jurong Regional Line and Cross Island Line in the pipeline, what are the steps taken to recruit, train and retain talents for the rail transport workforce?

Improving Rail Reliability

Ms Yeo Wan Ling (Pasir Ris-Punggol): Taking the MRT is part of many Singaporeans' everyday life and it is hard to imagine what Singapore was like before the advent of MRT travel. Singapore's first MRT service started in 1987 and was then just a six-kilometre stretch of the North-South Line (NSL) between Yio Chu Kang and Toa Payoh. Fast forward 38 years, our MRT network now spans 250 kilometres, comprising of 143 stations and six lines. Every day, 9,500 engineers, technicians, statisticians, schedulers and station, workers work diligently to keep our Singapore train services running, making our train services one of the most comfortable and reliable in the world.

As the Executive Secretary (ES) of the National Transport Workers Union (NTWU), I have met personally, the good men and women from our Rail Industry. Unbeknownst to many, no two rail systems are exactly the same and our rail engineers and technicians are passionate solvers who think out of the box dealing with tens of thousands of spare parts and multiple vendors to maintain and repair train systems uniquely Singaporean in terms of age, build, obsolescence and technical parts used.

As public transport workers, our Rail workers bear their work with purpose and national pride. During the recent MRT service disruptions, our rail teams worked ceaselessly through many late nights and early mornings, in rain and shine, to minimise train disruptions, all the time carrying the heavy weight of duty to our commuters on their shoulders.

Given that our rail assets are ageing, that there will be new replacements of carriages coming in and the pressures rail workers put themselves through to adhere to top of class deliverables, how will the Ministry work with tripartite partners to level up our workforce to strengthen rail reliability? Are there plans by the Ministry to continue to reinvest into technology alongside our rail operators to ensure that our rail workers have more accurate monitoring gauges to pre-empt maintenance requirements.

Developing Robust Rail System

Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye (Radin Mas): Mr Chairman, an efficient and reliable public transport is vital in moving millions of Singaporeans daily.

I note from the Transport Minister's recent Parliamentary Question replies that the Land Transport Authority (LTA) was still looking into the root causes of the recent train disruptions. I hope the investigations would address the following areas:

One, how did the recent train disruptions differ from past occurrences? Were these technical failures, human errors, or external factors influencing the rail system? Two, how did the LTA and our rail operators handle the train disruptions as they unfolded and how can we ensure timely and clear updates to affected commuters? Three, will there be a review of the current training and preparedness protocols for staff in handling major train disruptions? Are there plans to implement more rigorous training and better incident response simulations to better prepare for unexpected situations?

It is also important that we continue to invest in predictive and preventative maintenance. How does the LTA intend to use technology, including artificial intelligence, to establish a robust schedule for regular maintenance and inspections for our rail systems, to pre-emptively identify and address potential issues?

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We should also invest in redundancy systems and parallel bus routes that can be activated swiftly during disruptions, so as to allow commuters to continue their journeys with minimal impact.

While disruptions are an unfortunate reality of any transport system, they can also be catalysts for improvement. By proactively addressing the root causes, we can refine our rail system to ensure a safer, more reliable experience for all Singaporean commuters.

Train Service in the West

Mr Ang Wei Neng (West Coast): Residents in Jurong West are currently served only by the East-West Line, and we welcome the upcoming Jurong Region Line, or JRL. While Singapore's train network has significantly improved in reliability and consistently achieving over one million mean kilometres between failure (MKBF), breakdowns cannot be entirely ruled out.

To enhance resilience in the West, even with JRL, I urge LTA to consider extending the JRL to connect with the Circle Line and the upcoming Cross Island Line as soon as possible. This will not only provide alternative routes during disruptions but also improve connectivity and convenience for residents in the western region.

New Rail Line in North and Northeast

Mr Ong Hua Han (Nominated Member): Mr Chairman, the Land Transport Master Plan (LTMP) 2040 was first released by LTA in 2019. Can the Ministry provide an update on its feasibility studies for a proposed rail line in the north and northeast regions as outlined in the LTMP 2040?

Growing Public Transport Ridership

Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis (Sengkang): In 2019, the LTA reported that they were on track to meet its 2030 target of a 75% public transport mode share for all peak period commutes. In 2016, the public transport mode share for MRT, Light Rail Transit (LRT) and buses was 62%. This increased marginally to 65% in 2023.

I am concerned about the pace of progress in encouraging public transport use, given we are just five years away from 2030. Regardless, however, we should aim to ambitiously exceed our current car lite light targets by enhancing the affordability, comfort and reliability of our public transport network. Commuting via public transport should be made more economical for regular commuters, especially given the high cost of car ownership.

However, the adult monthly travel pass is still considered expensive by many frequent commuters, many of whom are also being squeezed by the high cost of living. As it is for existing adult monthly travel pass holders, their average expenditure without the pass would be about $140 per month, compared to the price of the pass at $128 per month, just a $12 savings a month, on average, for heavy users of public transport. The average monthly expenditure for adult commuters, on the other hand, is estimated to be only about $45, based on the response to my Parliamentary Question earlier. Even for lower-wage workers who qualify for a monthly concession pass at $96 a month, this is barely economical for average users, without even considering that they already received discounts of up to 25% of adult public transport fares.

Lowering the cost of the travel pass could better incentivise Singaporeans currently taking less environmentally friendly private vehicle options, regardless of whether it is cars, taxis or private hire vehicles (PHVs), to make the switch to public transport. This is ultimately our goal, as expressed by the LTA, if the plan is to meet and exceed the 75% public transport mode share.

Therefore, would the Government consider reducing the price of the adult monthly travel pass to further incentivise greater public transport use? Alternatively, could the scheme be expanded to include City Direct and Express fares as well, given an expansion of such travel options as part of the commuting mix and that these two are green public transport options as well. I recognise that building a people-centric public transport network may require funding from the Government's purse, which also includes sustainability-linked revenue sources such as carbon taxes.

Hence, with carbon taxes aimed at supporting our decarbonisation efforts set to increase in the future, would the additional revenue generated help fund enhancements to our public transport network? As Singapore accelerates towards a car lite future, building a transportation network centred around affordable, comfortable and reliable public transit should be the Transport Ministry's utmost priority.

The Chairman: Mr Gan Thiam Poh, you can take your two cuts together.

New Rail Line

Mr Gan Thiam Poh (Ang Mo Kio): Chairman, many of my residents are appealing to have MRT stations in the proximity of their homes. Will LTA reconsider a new MRT line to support residents at Seletar, Yio Chu Kang, Fernvale at the central, north and northeast zones to the city at the south, and new Woodlands North, as well as to Changi Airport on the east and Tuas on the west?

Bus Connectivity Enhancement Programme

With more Built-To-Order (BTO) flats in Fernvale, the demand for bus services has been increasing. Residents need the connectivity to other parts of Singapore and the waiting and commuting times should preferably be minimised as much as possible.

Hence, would LTA introduce new bus services in Fernvale under the Bus Connectivity Enhancement Programme, as well as additional new bus services, once the Buangkok Drive extension is completed, to connect to Buangkok MRT and Yio Chu Kang MRT stations?

Bus Services along Hougang Avenue 7

Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong (Hougang): Chairman, currently, and for many years, there is only one full-day bus service, Bus Service 112 serving Hougang Avenue 7. Would the Government please consider either increasing the frequency of Bus Service 112 throughout the day or add an additional full-day bus service to serve Hougang Avenue 7.

I have written appeals regarding various different residents' feedback for this bus service over the years, including frequency of services and asking for services to be increased, bus services timing on the LTA's my TransportSG app, at being inaccurate, buses not keeping to scheduling, buses bunching up and so on.

Residents have also asked for an additional bus service to ply Hougang Avenue 7. Newer residents have moved into Hougang Avenue 7 in the past few years, including the large Riverfront Residences condominium from October 2023 onwards, with 1,472 units, increasing the pre-existing commuter load from residents from the Housing and Development Board (HDB) estate and other condominiums along Hougang Avenue 7. Some residents welcome the new City Direct Service 676 to the Central Business District from 2 January 2025. But there are only two services each during morning and evening peak periods.

I would like to thank the LTA for agreeing to add additional trips to Bus Service 112 during morning peak hours, from 17 February 2025 onwards, as LTA had informed me in a reply to one of my appeal letters on behalf of my residents. May I seek LTA's confirmation regarding what is the expected waiting time now for the morning peak period?

Nevertheless, resident commuters I spoke to before and after 17 February still wish for the waiting times for the rest of the day, including the evening peak times, to be reduced, as well as for a second full-day bus service to ply Hougang Avenue 7. I appeal for LTA to look into reducing waiting times at other times of the day, as well as to consider my request for an additional full-day bus service along Hougang Avenue 7.

I recently appealed, on behalf of a resident, for LTA to consider diverting one of the current bus services currently travelling from Hougang Avenue 8 Punggol Park towards the Hougang Interchange via Upper Serangoon Road. LTA did not agree to this request.

Sir, there are a number of bus services, such as Bus Services 74, 113, 147 and 324 which pass through Upper Serangoon Road before terminating at Hougang Interchange, three stops later. One of these buses can be diverted to travel via Hougang Avenue 7, Hougang Avenue 5, before heading to Hougang Interchange. LTA has said in a recent reply to my appeal letter on behalf of a resident that diverting could result in longer travel times and higher fares for onboard passengers, as well as affect connectivity for commuters at bus stops along Upper Serangoon Road.

Respectfully, such a proposal will only add one more additional bus stop to any of the four bus services as compared with the current route along Upper Serangoon Road but will cater to serve a greater number of residents living along Hougang Avenue 7. On the other hand, there are already a number of such services plying Upper Serangoon Road before heading towards Hougang Interchange. I will urge LTA to balance the interest of Hougang Avenue 7 commuters, who have only one such full-day service, as opposed to various existing full-day services along Upper Serangoon Road.

LTA also suggested in a reply to my appeal letter on behalf of a resident that Hougang Avenue 7 residents are within a 400-metre walk to bus services plying Upper Serangoon Road. Sadly, such a walk may not be expedient for many of our seniors, or those with mobility issues. Moreover, Bus Service 112 is a long loop service between Hougang Interchange, Hougang Avenue 7, Tampines Road, Kovan, Upper Serangoon Road, Hougang Avenues 2, 8, 9 and 10 and Hougang Street 92.

I took a ride on Bus Service 112 recently in the afternoon, and it took me more than one hour and 10 minutes for the loop. I am not surprised that the nature of this long greater Hougang loop service contribute to the bunching, especially during peak times. A diversion from one of the four above mentioned buses, or better still, a direct feeder bus service alongside Bus Service 112, will provide a more direct access for residents along Hougang Avenue 7.

Public Bus Services at Kaki Bukit

Mr Muhamad Faisal Bin Abdul Manap (Aljunied): Sir, at the Committee of Supply (COS) 2023, I spoke on behalf of my Kaki Bukit residents, requesting an enhancement of public bus services to improve connectivity to other parts of Bedok Town, particularly the convenience of elderly commuters. The Minister replied that no new routes were being introduced for such intra-town feeder services due to the trade-offs involved. Today, with the same purpose of enhancing the public service for my residents, I would like to request the extension of Bus Service 137 to one of the loops of Bedok South Street 3.

Sir, the current Bus Service 137 travels to and from Sims Place, the middle and Upper East Coast Terminal. The bus route covers Bedok North Avenue 1, Bedok North Avenue 2, Bedok North Street 3 of Kaki Bukit ward. Unfortunately, the route from Sims Place to Upper East Coast direction does not cover the loop of Bedok North Street 3, which has the bus stop number 84381 and 84391.

Sir, I have received many requests, especially from elderly residents for Bus Service 137 to be extended to the two bus stops mentioned earlier. Based on my estimation, this extension will only have an added time of between three to four minutes and added distance of about 500 to 600 metres.

The proposed extension will not only ease the plight of elderly residents who currently have to walk a distance to the nearest bus stop but will also lay the ground for the future residents who will occupy a potential future residential development at the former Bedok Town Secondary School.

Bus Connectivity Enhancement

Ms Poh Li San: Chairman, our public bus network serves an essential role in enhancing point-to-point connectivity for commuters who need to or choose to travel on public transport. Encouraging more Singaporeans and residents to use public transport whenever possible is in line with our national effort to go green and reduce our carbon footprint.

What are the Ministry's plans for enhancement in bus connectivity in 2025, especially for towns with new BTO flats and regional facilities? How will MOT improve accessibility and reduce waiting times for commuters in those areas? Good bus connectivity requires more manpower, from drivers to technicians, to maintain reliability. How will we attract and retain more talent and manpower in this sector?

Autonomous Bus Deployment

Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye: Mr Chairman, earlier this year, LTA launched a tender, seeking proposals to trial autonomous buses and to evaluate the feasibility of using autonomous vehicle technology for public bus services.

Can the Ministry provide an update on the deployment of autonomous buses for revenue service and the implementation roadmap? How many public transport workers, in particular, our bus captains and bus technicians, will be affected by the roll-out of autonomous buses on our roads? What is the Ministry's plan to ensure that the affected public transport workers are suitably upskilled, reskilled and redeployed? I urge the Ministry to work closely with the National Transport Workers' Union (NTWU) to ensure a smooth transition for all affected workers.

Support for Bus Captains

Mr Shawn Huang Wei Zhong (Jurong): Mr Chairman, bus captains play a vital role in our public transport system, ensuring safe and smooth journeys for commuters. Their job is demanding. They must navigate traffic while also ensuring passenger safety and comfort. Given these responsibilities, we must ensure that they receive the support they need.

Beyond that, how can we better recognise and support our bus captains? Strengthening career pathways and professional development can ensure that they feel valued in their roles. A well-supported workforce leads to better quality and service and a positive commuting experience for all. We must continue our efforts to improve the well-being of our bus captains.

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Improve Public Transport Work Experience

Ms Yeo Wan Ling: With over 3.7 million rides a day, Singaporeans are avid bus users and rely on bus services to connect them with the last miles of their daily journeys. As new estates are built and travel patterns evolve, enhanced connectivity and bus service frequency continues to drive the productivity measures of our bus operators. The launch of the $900 million Bus Connectivity Enhancement Programme (BCEP) promises improvements with the introduction of new bus services, the purchase of new buses and the recruitment of more staff.

Besides new transport infrastructure, investing in our bus captains must be seen as the heart of the matter. It is no mean feat being a bus captain. It requires resilience, patience, multitasking and steely-eyed focus, at all times. The tripartite partnership has convened several taskforces looking into the safety and welfare of our bus captains and ensuring that our bus captain role continues to be attractive to new and younger entrants.

During the task force meetings, our bus captains gave feedback that protected uninterrupted meal breaks, reasonable runtime lengths, improved technology to enhance safety, refresher programmes and stronger legislative measures against rude, violent acts need to be looked into. Given a growing bus network and higher service expectations demanded of our captains, what more can be done to further improve the working conditions of our bus captains and transport workers?

Update on Public Bus Safety

Mr Saktiandi Supaat: Mr Chairman, a series of accidents involving public buses last year spurred the establishment of the Bus Safety Tripartite Taskforce in July 2024. June alone saw a public bus run over a construction worker and other buses colliding with cars, a lorry and a trailer truck.

And it is not just the accidents that we are worried about. A safe bus ride experience is important. The risk of aggressive driving by some bus captains, including rapid acceleration and deceleration as well as swerving between lanes, endangers passengers who are elderly or otherwise less mobile. We must pay attention to how public bus safety has changed amidst increased standing capacity in new bus models over the years, an increasing shortage of bus captains and continued recovery of bus ridership post-COVID-19.

Following my Parliamentary Question last November, can the Ministry provide an update on the review of public bus safety by the Bus Safety Tripartite Taskforce? Is it on course to complete its review by the first half of 2025, and have there been any urgent rectification measures implemented as a result of the feedback and studies so far?

Enhance Bus Services

Mr Ang Wei Neng: As our train network expands, it has become the backbone of Singapore’s public transport, with buses primarily serving first- and last-mile connections. However, some bus routes still span over two hours, connecting MRT stations at opposite ends of Singapore. Such long routes are inefficient for commuters and can lead to driver fatigue, raising safety concerns. So, I am glad that Minister of State Murali is leading a taskforce to enhance bus safety and I look forward to his updates.

Meanwhile, I urge LTA to consider new bus services that connect HDB heartlands more directly to key services like polyclinics. In Nanyang, for example, many residents traveling to Pioneer Polyclinic must walk 170 meters, almost the distance of a bus stop. For the young and healthy, this may be manageable, but for the elderly or sick, even 50 meters can be a struggle. I hope LTA can amend existing routes or introduce new services to better serve these residents.

Additionally, many bus interchanges, especially open-air ones, appear dated. I urge LTA to upgrade these facilities. Could open-air bus interchanges be converted into air-conditioned interchanges for commuters’ comfort? If not, how can LTA better protect commuters from extreme weather, especially heavy rain and storm?

Let us work together to make public transport safer, more efficient and more inclusive for all Singaporeans.

Commuters' Experience

Mr Gan Thiam Poh: Chairman, in rating the quality of public transport, most commuters would consider the following factors, such as safety, affordability, connectivity, reliability, accessibility, frequency, speed and last but not least, comfort. All these factors contribute to our commuters’ experience, which many of us go through almost daily.

The behaviour of fellow commuters is one of the main contributors to the level of comfort experienced in a journey. Unfortunately, there has been feedback that there are inconsiderate commuters who cause nuisance and disturbances to other commuters. The common complaints include conversing with their friends or on their phones loudly, playing loud music, littering and dirtying seats and stations.

How can the Ministry discourage such inconsiderate behaviour? Would MOT consider introducing fines and other forms of penalties for recalcitrant offenders?

Noise Nuisance in Public Transport

Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong: Our public transport system should be a calm, reliable mode of travel for all Singaporeans. Yet, many commuters continue to suffer from excessive noise on trains and buses, whether it is someone playing loud videos on speakers or having disruptive phone conversations. While "Hush Hush Hannah" has raised awareness, we can still move beyond mascots, reminders and courtesy campaigns to create lasting behavioural change.

We can have a structured system of personal accountability, backed by clear regulations and effective enforcement. Cities like Shanghai have already implemented bans on loud speakers and videos in their subway system, while France has begun fining passengers were using phone speakers in stations, measures that have shown promising results.

First, we should establish a definitive decibel threshold, perhaps around 60 to 70 decibels, above which noise is considered disruptive. This level corresponds to normal conversation volume, giving a clear objective benchmark. Public buses and trains could be outfitted with basic sound monitoring devices that automatically alert transport staff when noise levels spike significantly. Alternatively, staff and fare inspectors could use portable meters to verify whether a passenger's device is reaching the threshold. Such technology already exists and its integration will provide evidence-based grounds for issuing warnings or fines.

Second, we must empower transport staff and station officers with the legal authority and training to enforce these rules. For example, staff could perform regular checks supported by roving inspector teams that respond to commuter reports via a dedicated mobile app or hotline. If a train carriage is especially noisy, a commuter could perhaps tap an in-app report noise button. The station officer at the next stop alerted in real time could board and assess the situation. Upon confirming excessive noise, and the officer could issue an immediate warning or a small fine. A similar reporting mechanism can be implemented for buses.

Third, the penalty framework must be proportionate, yet impactful. I favour showing leniency to first-time offenders with a warning or a small fine. However, their identification and details can be recorded to ensure tracking for subsequent offences, which can also lead to higher subsequent fines. Clear decibel thresholds, empowered enforcement officers, real-time reporting tools and escalating penalty structure and tools for public awareness will help strike the right balance between personal freedom and communal well-being.

Public Transport Commuter Experience

Mr Lim Biow Chuan (Mountbatten): Sir, I take the public transport regularly, and there are many occasions when I hear commuters speaking loudly on their mobile phones and I also see young people seated on the floor of the MRT carriage. Sometimes, I also read of bus passengers behaving in an inconsiderate manner by putting up their legs on the bus seats. In January 2025, there was a report of two men who were charged for urinating at MRT stations. This kind of poor behaviour can make our public transport journey less comfortable.

I notice that there are new stickers on MRT trains that tell commuters to “keep the volume low”, “occupy only one seat” and “no sitting on the floor”. Good reminders. And I appreciate the efforts to remind public transport commuters on the need to be thoughtful and considerate to other commuters.

However, do these signs have the force of law? Or are they intended to remind commuters on the need to be considerate to other public transport users? If the signs are meant to be enforced, how does LTA determine what level of volume is too loud to be unacceptable and what if a passenger insist on occupying another seat with his bag?

Improving Commuter Experience for All

Mr Ong Hua Han (Nominated Member): Chairman, to fulfil Singapore’s car-lite ambitions, having a world-class public transport system must be a top priority. This means making it accessible to all, including seniors, children, young parents with prams and wheelchair users, just to name a few. A safe and pleasant commuter experience helps position public transport as the mode of choice. As a frequent user of the MRT, this is why I have been asking Parliamentary Questions around this.

For example, last year, I raised the need to enhance and ensure the consistent display of LCD screens, so that commuters can read the route map and be able to count the stops before their destination at all times.

To reduce the risk of crowd-related collisions, I also suggested wayfinding floor graphics that are immediately visible upon exiting train cabins, guiding commuters towards elevators on MRT platforms. It is often difficult to locate the nearest lift, especially during peak hours, and on crowded platforms. Even more so when taller commuters obstruct the view of wheelchair users, disrupting their ability to navigate. This complements existing tactile guiding systems, and helps reduce directional ambiguity.

I had asked about the implementation of gap fillers and ways to further reduce the height difference between the platform and train floor. This too, is in the interest of safety and independent commuting. Can the Ministry share if it has any updates on these suggestions or upcoming plans to further enhance the commuter experience?

I understand that the Ministry periodically collects feedback through platforms like CrowdTaskSG. A recent example was the study titled, “User Research: Wayfinding on MRT Network” by LTA. Such studies are commendable, as user feedback is the best form of feedback.

However, can the Ministry clarify how it ensures the collection of a representative sample, as such online channels may end up excluding less digitally-savvy groups, like our seniors. Perhaps the Ministry could consider dedicated outreaches to seniors and persons with disabilities for a broader and more inclusive engagement.

Lastly, public transport may not be feasible for some persons with disabilities. To facilitate participation in education, employment and even play, can the Ministry elaborate if there are future plans to increase the availability and affordability of wheelchair transport?

Improving Road Safety for Pedestrians

Mr Shawn Huang Wei Zhong: Mr Chairman, road safety is a key priority, especially for our most vulnerable pedestrians, the young, the elderly and those who are physically and visually handicapped. While Singapore has made significant progress in reducing road accidents, we must continue strengthening measures to ensure a safer environment for all.

I would like to ask the Ministry how we can further enhance pedestrian safety, particularly in high-risk areas. Can we introduce more senior- and handicap-friendly crossings, such as extended green man timings, pedestrian refuge islands and tactile guides? Are there plans to expand traffic calming measures in school zones and estates with high elderly population?

Technology can also play a role. Can we explore smart traffic signals that adjust based on pedestrian movement or expand automated enforcement to deter speeding in pedestrian-heavy areas?

Beyond infrastructure, public awareness and enforcement are crucial. How can we further educate road users while strengthening measures against reckless driving?

Ensuring road safety is a shared responsibility. By improving infrastructure, leveraging on technology and fostering greater awareness, we can create a safer, more inclusive environment for all pedestrians.

Covered Linkways to MRT Stations

Mr Lim Biow Chuan: Sir, in June last year, the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) was launched. Sir, let me express my gratefulness to LTA for the TEL line, as there are three TEL MRT stations within the Mountbatten constituency. The TEL line has facilitated travel for many residents in my constituency.

However, even though the TEL line has been operational for the last eight months, the covered linkway under the Walk to Ride Scheme, which links residents to the train station are not yet put up.

So, I urge LTA to plan concurrently so that the covered linkways to the train stations are constructed at the same time with the construction of the MRT line. In that way, once the MRT line is operational, residents can have a sheltered walkway to the train station when they are using the new MRT line. Surely, this is more convenient for all the commuters.

Sheltered Pedestrian Crossing

Mr Muhamad Faisal Bin Abdul Manap (Aljunied): Sir, I have been requesting sheltered pedestrian crossing for my Kaki Bukit ward, a Silver Zone, in previous MOT COS debates. I would like to continue my request this year, as it is a crucial feature to have, especially for my elderly Kaki Bukit residents.

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Sir, my ward consists of HDB blocks that were built in the late 70s and early 80s and have a high number of aged residents. There are two neighbourhood centres with each housing a food centre, wet market, shops and supermarket. These two neighbourhood centres, Blocks 537 to 539 and Blocks 509 to 511 precincts of Bedok North Steet 3, are the focal points for my residents for their daily needs, such as grocery shopping and eating their meals. Like any other neighbourhood centres, they also attract many non-residents to come and shop and fulfil their food cravings when many come by their own vehicles or commute by public transport.

Sir, in the last few years, we have witnessed erratic weather conditions: super heavy rains and strong wind, especially during the monsoon season. For the past few years also, there has also been an increase in PMA users in my ward due to the ageing population. Hence, Sir, I have been persistent in my request to MOT for sheltered pedestrian crossings in my Kaki Bukit ward, linking the 17 blocks and the nearby bus stop to these two neighbourhood centres.

Friendly Street in Private Estates

Ms Ng Ling Ling (Ang Mo Kio): Mr Chairman, my Jalan Kayu residents at one of our HDB estates, Buangkok Crescent, have been delighted to know that they are one of 10 neighbourhoods in Singapore selected by LTA for the Friendly Streets initiative announced in January this year. As the Member of Parliament for Jalan Kayu, I deeply appreciate LTA’s selection to make the streets there more friendly and safe for pedestrians and cyclists as the estate has one of the highest proportions of seniors above 60 years old in my constituency.

On the same note, Seletar Hill, one of four Jalan Kayu private estates, also has one of the highest proportion of seniors above 60 years old in my constituency. Given LTA’s intention to extend piloting Friendly Streets to also private estates to ensure safe mobility for seniors living there, can LTA consider: one, Friendly Streets initiative along the main Seletar Road and Jalan Redop, for example, as the gradient of these roads has seen some vehicles speeding through during early mornings, when senior residents come out for morning walks and, in the evenings, when seniors take their after-dinner strolls? Two, when is LTA planning to start consultation with resident networks on the selection and design of the Friendly Streets initiative for private estates?

Safety on Shared Footpaths

Mr Eric Chua (Tanjong Pagar): Sir, as Singapore pivots toward active mobility in our last-mile commute, ensuring the safety of shared footpaths, especially for our seniors and young ones, is crucial. The continued occurrence of incidents, such as the fatal collision between a 20-year-old e-scooter rider and an elderly woman in Bedok North last year, has kept the issue of pathway safety on the public’s consciousness.

In 2018, LTA mandated that new pathways are to be at least 1.8 metres wide, up from 1.5 metres previously. However, I wonder if this provision is sufficient. In Queenstown, many residents are seniors. Walking from point-to-point is a daily reality for many of them. In Margaret Drive, for instance, owing to an adjacent construction, one particular shared pathway is now a mere 1.62 metres.

In this instance, I propose widening the shared pathway for the duration of the adjacent construction, by temporarily concretising an adjacent grass strip, measuring 0.45 metres in width. As Singapore society ages, and as we evolve how we complete our last-mile commute, I hope our provisions can spare a thought for the safety of the vulnerable ones in our community.

Personal Mobility Aids (PMAs)

Ms See Jinli Jean (Nominated Member): At the COS debate last year, the Senior Parliamentary Secretary mentioned that the Government had accepted the Active Mobility Advisory Panel’s recommendations on the use of personal mobility aids. Could the Ministry provide an update?

Implementation of Regulations on PMAs

Ms Poh Li San: Chairman, Sir, MOT will be implementing and enforcing new regulations for Personal Mobility Aids (PMAs). With our rapidly ageing population, we will observe greater adoption of these vehicles in our estates. How will MOT ensure that sellers and users are sufficiently informed of the new regulations? What measures does MOT have in place to check on and allow only imported devices that meet the regulatory requirements?

Can the Minister share its public education and communication plans on the new regulations for the general public, especially for the PMA users? What are the enforcement measures on the ground to ensure that PMA users comply with the new regulations? Will MOT be increasing the recruitment of enforcement officers and tap on technology to deter and identify illegal uses of PMAs?

Safety of Illegally-modified PMAs

Mr Lim Biow Chuan: Sir, the use of PMDs and e-bikes or power assisted bicycles has become very popular in Singapore. Residents who have weak limbs find these devices very useful in enabling them to move around independently.

Unfortunately, there are also many irresponsible riders who illegally modify them and use the PMDs or e-bikes to race on the roads and to ride recklessly. This poses a danger to both the rider and to other road users. Some riders may not even know the highway code but they are allowed to race the PMDs on the roads.

In mid-February, it was reported that a group of young people were arrested for riding illegally modified or non-compliant PMDs. This is probably the tip of the iceberg as I regularly receive many other complaints about such reckless riders.

I also received complaints that some of the PMD users would charge their illegally modified PMDs at the HDB void deck and even bring them onto MRT stations. This poses a fire risk to the other residents in the block and to other commuters who may be on the train.

May I ask MOT how will LTA ensure the safety of residents living in the HDB blocks and the safety of commuters using the trains? Will action be taken against retailers who sell illegally modified PMDs or help to modify the PMAs illegally or if they sell the riders non-compliant batteries? These retailers are also complicit in abetting the commission of an offence and I would urge LTA to take action against them and punish them accordingly.

Enhancing Safety of Occupational Drivers

Ms See Jinli Jean: Occupational drivers, such as those driving heavy vehicles, taxis, private-hire and delivery vehicles, could be motivated by incentives or penalties to drive for long hours without breaks. Thus, employers or platform operators must ensure that such incentive and penalty systems do not increase driver fatigue and compromise vehicular safety. Could the Ministry share how it is working with stakeholders to reinforce shared responsibility for the safety of occupational drivers?

Safer Worker Transport

Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye: Mr Chairman, co-mingling goods and workers at the back of lorries is dangerous and can result in serious injuries and even fatalities.

In her recent Parliamentary Question reply, Senior Minister of State Amy Khor highlighted examples of companies already using buses to ferry workers. In fact, I have visited many of these companies, sometimes in the wee hours of the morning, and I commend them for their commitment to safer worker transportation. I urge more companies to do so.

For specialist tradesmen and small businesses, I urge these companies not to co-mingle people and goods at the back of lorries, as it is dangerous.

Can the Ministry mandate the separation of goods and passengers when using lorries to transport workers? Under the Road Traffic Act, all equipment on board lorries must be properly secured to ensure the safety of all road users and workers. I urge LTA and the Traffic Police to step up joint enforcement action against companies which fail to do so.

Update to Point-to-point (P2P) Industry Review

Ms Yeo Wan Ling: The business landscape has evolved for our P2P drivers. The introduction of ride hail services and the use of apps for booking of transport have changed Singaporean commuter behaviours, and we see, indeed, that there is a gradual confluence of taxi and PHV business models. Our drivers have told us it is increasingly difficult for driving to be sustainable, given the escalating costs of business which includes petrol prices, rental fees and maintenance costs. Many of our drivers have taken to driving upwards of 14 hours in a day to make ends meet.

As we look to rationalising and revitalising our P2P business models – between ride-hail/street-hail, taxi platforms – it is important to note that our drivers have also indicated their growing insecurities with their earnings, welfare and benefits with their platform partners. The lack of transparency when it comes to the distribution of work, price fluctuations and campaigns impact the earnings of our drivers. Some of our drivers say that they find themselves struggling due to hidden costs and unclear earning structures, especially with the introduction of mandatory CPF from platforms.

Can the Ministry provide an update on the progress of the review of the P2P transport industry structure and regulatory framework? In the review, can the Ministry consider putting in more safeguards to protect the earnings of our drivers, especially since our drivers, unlike the truly self-employed, are subject to the management controls and rules of engagement of their platform partners?

Mr Chairman, in addition, there continues to be demand amongst our seniors, both drivers and commuters, for street-hail services, and there are currently still drivers who are not on any booking apps. The primary reason given is that they find the current user interface of booking apps complicated and they are not digitally savvy enough to navigate these apps effectively. Will the Ministry consider the implementation of a simplified community app for seniors who struggle with technology so that they can gently ease themselves into the more convenient world of ride-hailing?

P2P Sector

Mr Ang Wei Neng: Chairman, I declare my interest as I run a company that leases out taxis, limousines and private hire cars.

The taxi industry has been a cornerstone of Singapore’s transport, serving commuters faithfully despite PHC disruptions. Taxis remain vital, especially for street-hail customers like tourists and those who are less familiar with phone apps.

However, PHCs hold significant advantages over taxis. Firstly, about the flexibility: PHCs have no livery and can be used by family members without a PDVL when not in service, allowing for better resource utilisation from a national perspective. Secondly, the resale salue: PHCs can convert to private use, retaining their value, unlike taxis. Their lifespan: a PHC can operate beyond 10 years, while taxis cannot. Last but not least, the regulation: the PHC numbers are unregulated, whereas taxi numbers are capped. Of these, flexibility stands out as the most critical advantage. It allows PHC drivers to maximise the usage of their vehicles, a significant benefit in Singapore, where car ownership is costly.

To address this imbalance, I propose looking to Montreal in Canada, as an example. In Montreal, taxis are allowed to operate with a large removable taxi top, the taxi top can be removed but without livery, allowing them to function as normal cars when not in service.

I urge LTA to consider allowing taxis to operate without livery, provided they remain clearly identifiable, that means, you can see it is a taxi very clearly, through a removable taxi top and perhaps an additional LCD sign. This adjustment would create a more level playing field and help sustain the taxi industry.

In addition, a fast-charging infrastructure is crucial for electric taxis. LTA needs to collaborate with the Energy Market Authority, Singapore Power and other stakeholders to accelerate the fast charger installation. Without this, electric taxis may struggle to support their sustainability goals.

In conclusion, I urge LTA to level the playing field for taxis. Without intervention, we risk losing a vital service that has long been a pillar of our transport system. Let us work together to preserve the taxi industry for future generations.

Point-to-point

Mr Gan Thiam Poh: Chairman point-to-point (P2P) services play an important role being a convenient and, at times, essential supplement to our public transport system, by providing direct access to specific locations. Our main P2P providers are taxis and private hire vehicles (PHV).

Although PHVs have been increasing their market share in recent years, taxis continue to have an important role. Their service supply is more stable and they provide street-hail services welcomed by tourists and those who are less tech-savvy, such as the elderly. At locations with high passenger traffic, such as Changi Airport, tourist attractions, shopping malls and hospitals, their availability provides comforting assurance to their users.

Will the Ministry look into improving passengers’ experiences of all P2P transport services in Singapore?

Pick-up/Drop-off Points – Private-hire Car Passengers

Mr Eric Chua (Tanjong Pagar): Sir, the point-to-point (P2P) transport sector has evolved significantly in recent years. Commuting in private hire cars (PHCs) has become an integral part of our local transport mix. While many Singaporeans have embraced PHCs as a commute modality, the fact that PHCs are not allowed to pick-up and drop-off passengers at taxi stands runs counter to common sense. Why not allow the use of available infrastructure to facilitate safe pick-up and drop-off for PHC users? From both the convenience and safety standpoints, doing so makes good sense. While I agree with the need to restrict vehicles other than taxis from stopping or parking, I urge LTA and MOT to reconsider allowing PHCs to pick-up and drop-off passengers at taxi stands and stops.

2.45 pm

Sustainable P2P Transport Services

Ms See Jinli Jean: Taxi drivers and private hire vehicle drivers face higher operating costs arising from payments for vehicle leasing, insurances and more. Because the trip earnings of these point-to-point drivers fluctuate depending on the platforms' algorithms, drivers are stressed by financial precarity.

Platform drivers have asked that platforms disclose what is the average fare per hour or per kilometre. Such information helps them to determine if they can sustain a viable livelihood as a platform driver. This in turn ensures that the Government's moves to uplift platform workers does translate to sustainable point-to-point transport services.

Drivers have also asked that platforms provide clear and timely communication to drivers if changes to platform policies are likely to impact on drivers' earnings and work schedules. Could the Ministry share its plans to address these concerns?

P2P Platform Flexibility

Mr Saktiandi Supaat: Mr Chairman, point-to-point (PTP) transport like taxi and ride-hail services provide options for direct journeys. It appears that the LTA's PTP sector review is still ongoing, despite being scheduled to conclude by the second quarter of 2024.

The recent market conditions are that driver supply exceeds demand. Therefore, fares and driver earnings have been falling since the start of 2023. It is thus common for drivers to operate using multiple platforms to ensure a steady stream of passengers and boost their earnings – also known as "multi-homing". However, this must be balanced against the risk that PTP drivers have insufficient rest. Following the passing of the Platform Workers Act 2024, tying drivers to a single or primary platform may be necessary for effective regulation.

Having regard to the livelihoods of PTP drivers, how can the Ministry ensure that drivers continue to have the ability to choose the platforms that they wish to drive for?

Costs of COE

Mr Lim Biow Chuan: Sir, the rising costs of Certificates of Entitlement (COEs) has been a source of great unhappiness for many young couples aspiring to buy a car. This is especially so when the COE prices kept going up and the COE in the Open category hit a high of $152,000 in November last year. The high COE price has also been blamed for the increased costs of living in Singapore.

Many Singaporeans feel that the high cost of COE was due to excessive demand from the bidders of PHCs. They feel that many private hire companies buy the cars for hire and then subsequently sell the cars to the hirers for their personal use.

To be fair, LTA has taken measures to manage COE prices by injecting 20,000 extra COEs over the next few years. Just last month, LTA has also banned private hire cars from being transferred out of the scheme to become passenger cars or transfer them to individuals within three years of its registration.

The question is whether these new measures will help manage the increasing costs of the COE. May I ask the Minister to provide an update on whether a separate COE category will be created for PHCs? Will LTA introduce any other measures to manage COE costs like imposing the equivalent of additional duty for the buyers of more than two cars. Will the introduction of ERP 2.0 allow the injection of more COEs and help reduce COE prices?

Alternative COE Durations for Electric Vehicles

Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim (Sengkang): The existing vehicle quota system of Vehicle Quota System (VQS) maintains COEs that last for 10 years for the first instance and can be renewed for either five- or 10-year periods thereafter. At the inception of the VQS, the 10-year duration was chosen because it will align with the existing limit of the preferential additional registration fee or part rebate. This duration is somewhat arbitrary.

Although one could argue that back in 1990, they were also broadly aligned with factors driving vehicle turnover, such as safety, efficiency emissions and maintenance costs. With new electric vehicles (EVs), however, these factors are likely to be dominated by a wholly different consideration. The lifespan of the EV battery. At present, the warranty on EV batteries for most manufacturers is set at eight years, or 160,000 kilometres.

This is consistent with the practice of designating battery end of life at 70% of the maximum charge. Since the cost of replacing a battery outside of the warranty is prohibitively expensive; estimated at around a third of the cost of the actual vehicle, many would consider this an opportune time to replace the car altogether. We can thus regard eight years as a reasonable lower bound.

But research suggests that retiring the battery so early, severely under-utilises it and, given the environmental cost of battery manufacture, undermines the EVs sustainability proposition. Indeed, with reasonable use, EV batteries could last somewhere between 15 and 20 years before requiring replacement. Industry experts tend to place the equivalent mileage at closer to at least 300 and 20,000 kilometres – double that of the standard warranty distance. And even if the battery were changed only once at eight years, it would make sense to stretch out the new battery another eight.

If so, this will afford an equivalent upper bound that amounts to 16 years. There is much uncertainty over the genuine economic and technical lifespan of an EV. In light of this, the existing practice of the Ministry, which disallows the repeated renewal of shorter term COEs, should also be eliminated to preserve the maximum flexibility for EV drivers to extend the use of an environmentally friendly car.

The claim that returning short-term COEs into the bidding pool preserves equity between existing and prospective owners of cars, has never made much sense to me, since it applies with equal force to longer-term COEs. But insisting on this practice makes even less sense for vehicles that will otherwise endure even longer than the typical internal combustion engine (ICE) equivalents.

In summary, I propose that the Ministry consider revision in the standard COE duration to 16 years, especially after 2030, when the pure ICE COEs will no longer be issued. For those who desire a shorter term for renewals, much like the present five-year COE, and eight-year duration will also coincide with one battery lifecycle.

The Chairman: Mr Neil Parekh. You may take your two cuts together.

Electric Vehicle Adoption Rates

Mr Neil Parekh Nimil Rajnikant (Nominated Member): Mr Chairman, Sir, today, there is greater awareness amongst Singaporeans about electrical vehicles. The Ministry of Transport (MOT) has made the availability of EV charging stations as accessible as possible in many parts of Singapore.

May I ask the Ministry to give this House an update on the adoption rate of electrical vehicles in Singapore and its overall assessment of the pace of adoption and our nation's commitment to sustainable transportation modes.

Sir, the Government's initiatives have been instrumental in this progress. The EV Early Adoption Incentive offering a 45% rebate on the Additional Registration Fee for fully electric cars and taxis, has been extended until December 2025. Additionally, the Enhanced Vehicular Emissions Scheme (VES) provides rebates for vehicles with lower emissions, further incentivising the adoption of cleaner energy vehicles.

Infrastructure development is also a priority. In this context, Sir, I have two questions for the Minister. First, could the Ministry consider Enhanced Financial Incentives in the form of increase in subsidies or rebates to reduce the initial purchase cost of EVs, making them more accessible to a broader segment of the population. Secondly, in what ways is the Ministry planning to intensify its public education campaign on the environmental and economic benefits of EVs?

Decarbonising Heavy Vehicles

The decarbonisation of heavy vehicles is a critical issue which the MOT has been grappling with for quite some time. It is an undeniable fact that heavy vehicles, including trucks, buses and freight carriers contribute significantly to the carbon emissions in our transport sector.

The MOT must take a proactive stance in implementing measures to decarbonise heavy vehicles, not just for the sake of compliance, but to actively combat climate change. We need a detailed and actionable roadmap.

May I ask the Ministry to elaborate on its plans to decarbonise heavy vehicles bearing in mind these vehicles have a large carbon footprint? Could MOT also consider incentivising industries to adopt these green technologies by offering subsidies or tax relief, making it cost-effective for businesses to transition? And lastly, what efforts has the Ministry undertaken so far, to engage with stakeholders in the logistics and transportation sectors, ensuring that these policies align with their operational needs?

The Chairman: Order. I propose to take a break now.

Thereupon Mr Speaker left the Chair of the Committee and took the Chair of the House.

Mr Speaker: Order. I suspend the Sitting and will resume at 3.15 pm.

Sitting accordingly suspended

at 2.54 pm until 3.15 pm.

Sitting resumed at 3.15 pm.

[Deputy Speaker (Ms Jessica Tan Soon Neo) in the Chair]

Debate in the Committee of Supply resumed.

[Deputy Speaker (Ms Jessica Tan Soon Neo) in the Chair]

Head W (con't) —

3.15 pm

The Chairman: Mr Saktiandi Supaat.

Support Electric Heavy Vehicles Owners

Mr Saktiandi Supaat: Madam, our vision is to have 100% of vehicles in Singapore run on cleaner energy by 2040.

Before I proceed further, I forgot to mention, I declare my interest as the advisor to Singapore's Transport Association.

Bloomberg's energy research service has forecast that 80% of all passenger vehicles in Singapore are expected to be electric by 2040, but similar data for electric heavy vehicles does not seem to be readily available.

What is the current state of the electrification of our heavy vehicles? Besides the Heavy Vehicle Zero Emissions Scheme and Electric Heavy Vehicle Charger Grant announced by Prime Minister in Budget 2025, we will need to do more. As our EV Road Map sets out, vehicle taxes and incentives should be complemented by regulations and standards, EV charger deployment and industry partnerships.

To improve charger availability for heavy vehicles, is it possible to explore the possibility of centralised heavy vehicle chargers at centralised parking facilities for heavy vehicles that would complement chargers installed within vehicle owners' premises?

Electric Vehicles Adoption

Mr Ang Wei Neng: Chairperson, we are pleased to note that one-third of new passenger cars registered in 2024 are EVs, with momentum continuing in 2025. With rising EV adoptions, will there be sufficient EV chargers across Singapore? Beyond LTA's current plan to install chargers at HDB car parks, is LTA prepared to incentivise the private sector to install more chargers, including fast chargers, at commercial buildings and private residential residences?

In addition, how is EV adoption progressing for commercial vehicles, particularly heavy vehicles? Will LTA introduce more incentives to encourage EV adoption in this sector?

The Chairman: Ms Poh Li San, you may take your three cuts together.

Decarbonisation for Commercial Vehicles

Ms Poh Li San: Mdm Chair, increasingly, vehicles of all types are converting to electric or hybrid sources of energy. However, compared to private vehicles, the adoption of electric and hybrid models for commercial vehicles has been slower, especially the heavier ones used for industrial purposes.

Reasons include high sunk investment costs, technical and technological constraints, availability and costs of such vehicles, certification requirements and the availability and costs of trained and qualified manpower to operate and maintain newer vehicle models. Vehicle owner awareness and even inertia may play a role too.

What are the steps that will be taken to incentivise businesses to opt for environmentally friendlier options for commercial vehicles, especially heavy vehicles? Has the Ministry engaged the owners of commercial vehicles about the adoption of greener vehicles and, if so, what are their feedback and main concerns?

Strengthening Air Hub and Cargo Hub

Mdm Chair, I declare my interest as an employee in the aviation sector. Last year, Changi Airport registered an increase of almost 15% for passenger movement. I am happy to note that our airport experienced growth from all regions, with North Asia being the fastest growing. How will MOT capitalise on this growth and develop our passenger markets, in particular, the top five: China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Australia and Thailand? What are MOT's plans to maintain Singapore as an air hub in the face of growing competition?

Our cargo hub also enjoyed exciting growth last year, across exports, imports and transshipments. What are the Ministry's plans to boost our capacity for cargo handling, in terms of our infrastructure, processes, manpower and technology development?

Can the Ministry share its programmes to catalyse the development of our air hub and cargo hub in the next five to 10 years?

Innovation in Maritime Sector

Our maritime sector enjoyed excellent growth in various categories last year, including the annual vessel arrival tonnage, container throughput and total bunker sales. More international shipping groups and maritime-related companies have been set up or expanded their operations here.

To maintain our lead and market share, even as we are going through the green transition and fending off cybersecurity threats to our maritime operations, we need to continue to innovate and automate. Much of these developments hinge upon attracting and retaining the right talent and workforce development.

This industry faces manpower challenges due to physically strenuous roles and demanding working environment.

The Chairman: Please round up.

Ms Poh Li San: What are the innovations and infrastructure enhancements that are being implemented to help improve efficiency and reduce manpower needs?

The Chairman: Mr Mark Lee, please take your two cuts together.

Singapore Connectivity Hub

Mr Mark Lee (Nominated Member): Mdm Chair, Singapore's position as a key global supply chain hub and connectivity node is critical to our economy, but growing competition from regional ports and airports presents a challenge. To stay ahead, we must continue to enhance our infrastructure, leverage technology, and strengthen our trade and logistics ecosystem.

How is the Ministry ensuring that Singapore remains the preferred hub for global supply chains, particularly as regional players ramp up their capabilities? What measures are in place to enhance port and airport efficiency, integrate smart logistics solutions and deepen trade connectivity? As businesses seek resilient and cost-effective supply chain solutions, how can we further strengthen partnerships, improve multimodal connectivity and attract more high-value logistics activities to Singapore?

Global Aviation Hub

As global aviation becomes increasingly competitive, Singapore must continue to leverage technology to enhance productivity, support workers and maintain our position as a premium aviation hub. With advancements like AI-driven security screening and Terminal 5 on the horizon, how will the Ministry drive wider industry adoption of automation, digitalisation and AI to enhance efficiency and keep costs competitive?

Beyond infrastructure, how can the Ministry support airlines, logistics providers and aviation services in investing in emerging technologies to stay ahead of regional competition?

Beyond infrastructure, how will the Ministry support the wider aviation sector, including airlines, logistics providers and support services, in investing in emerging technologies to stay ahead of regional competition? Given that other air hubs are rapidly upgrading, how can Singapore ensure continuous innovation and workforce upskilling to reinforce our status as a global leader in aviation?

Changi Airport Development Fund

Mr Sharael Taha (Pasir Ris-Punggol): Mdm Chair, I would like to declare my interest as a member of Civil Aviation Authority board and also as an employee in the aerospace industry. Mdm Chair, developing Singapore into a leading air hub requires more than just expanding airport capacity. To stay ahead of rapidly improving regional airports, we must boost productivity, enhance connectivity and strengthen our position as a key business and travel destination.

Beyond the airport, the broader air hub ecosystem must also grow in tandem. Critical industries, such as aerospace, maintenance, repair and operations (MRO), logistics supply chain and airside services, need a coordinated strategy that aligns infrastructure expansion, workforce readiness, sustainability, supply chain resilience and industry development.

Collaboration among key players, Singapore Airlines, Changi Airport Group, Singapore Tourism Board and the hospitality sector, just to name some, must also be deepened to enhance Singapore's Air Hub value proposition. Dubai offers a strong model where its airline, tourism board and airport operator work in synergy to position the city as a premier travel destination.

As Changi Airport expands, how can we optimise urban planning and resource allocation in areas, such as Loyang Industrial Estate, Changi Business Park, Pasir Ris, Punggol Digital District and Seletar, to reinforce growth and strengthen our aviation sector? What is the Government's long-term roadmap to integrate these elements and ensure Singapore's Air Hub's competitiveness into the future?

Update on Tuas Port Development

Ms Yeo Wan Ling: In an increasingly competitive global landscape, it is critical that Singapore continues to build on its relevancy as an international hub for business and trade. At the heart of the matter, we need to ensure that our workforce is given the opportunity to upskill and that there are clearly articulated career progression pathways for our workers. Can the Ministry provide us with an update on the Tuas Port Developments and how can Singapore prepare our employees for a progressive maritime career, while smoothening the process for professionals making mid-career switches?

Regional Competition in Maritime Sector

Mr Saktiandi Supaat: Mdm Chair, the maritime sector has broken new records again in 2024. The annual vessel arrival tonnage in the port of Singapore reached 3.11 billion gross tonnage, while our container throughput from both PSA terminals and Jurong Port crossed 40 million TEU for the first time.

What are the reasons for the record-breaking performance in 2024 and is it projected to continue upwards? Barely two to six years ago, stagnating container traffic suggested that Singapore may have reached its hub potential as competition from nearby ports, like Tanjung Pelepas grew.

Our long-time competitor, Port Klang, announced investments to double its capacity in April last year. Emerging ports, such as those in Ho Chi Minh and Hai Phong in Vietnam or Tanjung Priok in Jakarta, are rapidly improving their port infrastructure and capabilities. This has been reflected by the increasing scores of ports in Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia on the United Nations Trade and Development's (UNCTAD's) Port Connectivity Index.

We cannot afford to sit still. I am heartened to see that we are building on our digitalisation and talent development efforts. But there will also be new challenges as we continue to move all port operations to Tuas by 2027, construct "Long Island" and decarbonise our maritime sector.

So, Mdm Chair, I would like to ask, how is the Ministry ensuring that we continue to remain competitive amidst fierce competition in the region and, at the same time, pull in more workers, or our own Singaporeans, to be attracted to the maritime sector as well?

Maritime Sector Productivity

Mr Gan Thiam Poh: Madam, our maritime sector has been a key growth engine for our economy and provide many jobs and business opportunities. In addition to being an international maritime centre, Singapore is the top bunkering port and busiest container transshipment hub in the world.

To keep Singapore's lead in this sector, we need to continuously improve the standard and range of services by tapping on new technologies and refine processes to facilitate greater efficiency, consistency and reliability of our maritime services. At the core of all these are our people whose dedication, expertise, skills and hard work have enabled our maritime centre and port to perform outstandingly year after year.

What are MOT's plans for our maritime workforce's development to elevate their competencies and boost their productivities? How would the Ministry support the adoptions of new technologies to improve existing processes and increase the overall productivity of the maritime sector?

The Chairman: Mr Neil Parekh, you can take your two cuts together.

Skills and Expertise for Maritime Sector

Mr Neil Parekh Nimil Rajnikant (Nominated Member): Mdm Chair, today, as we reflect on the future of Singapore's maritime sector, one thing is certain.

The foundation of our success lies in one crucial element: our people. The right skills and expertise are essential to maintaining the competitiveness of our international maritime centre and hub port. The maritime industry is dynamic and fast evolving, demanding a workforce that is not only highly skilled, but also adaptable to new technologies and global trends.

To ensure that Singapore remains a global leader in maritime excellence, we must prioritise building a robust pipeline of talent. May I ask the Ministry what steps is it taking to ensure that Singapore has a robust pipeline of talent with the right skills and competencies?

I also request the Ministry to give this House an update on the collaborations with various Institutions of Higher Learning, which offer programmes related to shipping and the maritime sector, and the scale and extent to which it is working with these institutions, to instill the importance of lifelong learning for staff in the maritime sector.

3.30 pm

Scaling up Bunkering of Alternative Fuel

As the maritime industry embarks on its sustainability transformation, the safety of alternative fuels remains a critical concern. As a global maritime hub, Singapore is fully committed to leading this transition while ensuring the highest safety standards.

Can the Minister for Transport to give us an update on the steps Singapore is taking to ensure that the country can scale up the bunkering of alternative fuels safely? What are some of the safety guidelines, protocols and regulations in place and how well-prepared are the staff to ensure that the processes take place safely in the handling, storage and transportation of alternative fuels, such as LNG, biofuels and ammonia?

Finally, how is Singapore fairing in the research and innovation to develop cutting-edge technologies for fuel safety. Is qualified manpower available to meet the challenges facing the maritime industry in alternative fuels?

Mdm Deputy Speaker: Minister Chee Hong Tat.

The Minister for Transport (Mr Chee Hong Tat): Mdm Chair I thank Members for their questions and suggestions.

Over the past 60 years of Singapore's nation-building journey, we worked hard as one people to overcome our challenges and turned them into opportunities. We developed our communications and transport infrastructure and built Singapore as a global transport hub.

This remains a key growth strategy, one which strengthens our supply-chain resilience, our connections to the world and our geostrategic relevance.

We equipped our companies and workers to succeed. Today, our homegrown companies, such as PSA, Changi Airport Group, Singapore Airlines and SATS are global leaders, bringing Singapore to the world and the world to Singapore. Equally important was how we connected Singaporeans to people and places at home through national projects, such as the MRT system.

As Mr Saktiandi Supaat noted, transportation has played a vital role in our nation's development and will continue to do so.

At this year's COS, we will build on our strengths to improve the way we live, move, and connect through three areas: first, stronger connectivity; second, safer and more comfortable journeys; third, more opportunities for businesses and workers.

Let me begin with how we are building stronger connectivity through the land transport network, which serves about 10 million journeys daily. I will start with our rail network.

Our MRT system opened on 7 November 1987 with five stations – Yio Chu Kang, Ang Mo Kio, Bishan, Braddell and Toa Payoh. From these early foundations, the network has grown significantly, with the North-East Line in 2003, Circle Line in 2009, Downtown Line in 2013 and Thomson-East Coast Line in 2020. We will add new stations or lines every year till the end of this decade.

A few days ago, we opened Hume station on the Downtown Line. By the middle of next year, we will close the loop for the Circle Line, by connecting HarbourFront station to Marina Bay station via three new stations.

In the second half of 2026, we will open Thomson-East Coast Line Stage 5 and Downtown Line Stage 3 Extension, linking these two MRT lines.

Between 2027 and 2029, we will open parts of the Jurong Region Line, starting with Choa Chu Kang to Boon Lay and Tawas, followed by Tengah to Pandan Reservoir, and eventually connecting to NTU Campus and Jurong Pier.

From 2030, we will progressively open our eighth MRT Line, the Cross Island Line, to connect the eastern, western and northeastern regions.

Madam, as the Prime Minister said, we are never done building Singapore. Rail projects are major investments. They require careful planning, taking into consideration current and future land-use needs, engineering feasibility and potential environment impact.

It also requires political stability, as well as a strong government which can plan long-term, and have the ability and resources to turn these plans into reality, because the plans will span multiple terms of government. In economies that face persistent budget deficits, they would not have the fiscal resources to implement such long-term large-scale projects. With your permission, Madam, may I display a slide on the LED screens?

The Chairman: Go ahead. [A slide was shown to hon Members. Please refer to Annex 1.]

Mr Chee Hong Tat: Thank you, Madam. Several Members, such as Mr Ang Wei Neng, Ms Foo Mee Har, Miss Rachel Ong and Mr Leong Mun Wai had previously asked about rail connectivity in the western region. Last year, Senior Minister of State Amy Khor and I provided updates on one of the projects which LTA has been studying – the West Coast Extension (WCE).

The Government plans to proceed with the WCE in two phases.

The first phase will extend the Jurong Region Line from Pandan Reservoir station to connect with the Cross Island Line at West Coast station by the late 2030s.

Under the second phase, our current plan is to further extend the Jurong Region Line from West Coast station to connect with the Circle Line at Kent Ridge station by the early 2040s.

This will enhance rail connectivity for residents in the West, and support future developments along the corridor. It will reduce journey times to the city centre by up to 20 minutes.

The WCE will also enhance the overall resilience of our rail network, by providing an alternative via the Cross Island Line, and to the city centre via Circle Line.

Mr Gan Thiam Poh and Mr Ong Hua Han asked about a new rail line to serve residents in the north and northeast regions. When the Land Transport Master Plan (LTMP) 2040 was released in 2019, we had shared plans for feasibility studies into a new line.

This line, tentatively called the Seletar Line, could serve areas, such as Woodlands, Sembawang, Sengkang West, Serangoon North, Whampoa, Kallang, and the Greater Southern Waterfront. I hope it could also go through some parts of Toa Payoh! [Laughter.] Feasibility studies are currently ongoing.

We have also identified another corridor for a new rail line, tentatively called the Tengah Line. Similarly, feasibility studies are ongoing to assess if such a line could supplement the transport network in the west and northwest regions, serving areas, such as Tengah, Bukit Batok, Queensway and Bukit Merah.

Based on LTA's preliminary assessments, these two potential rail lines could meet at the Greater Southern Waterfront. Our feasibility studies will therefore look into the possibility of linking the two lines into a single line, for more seamless connectivity and better efficiency for commuters.

If studies confirm that these two new MRT lines are feasible, we expect to complete them in phases from the 2040s. It will benefit more than 400,000 households who will be within a 10-minute walk from this new combined line.

For our MRT system to remain the backbone of our public transport network, our efforts must go beyond growing the rail network, to ensuring that trains continue to operate safely and reliably for all commuters. This is a challenging task, as our MRT network is an expanding system with many inter-connected elements.

The rail network relies on the dedication of 7,000 workers and the commitment of tripartite partners to operate smoothly every day.

Over the past decade, we have invested heavily and made significant strides in rail reliability.

We set ourselves a high bar – to achieve one million mean kilometres between failure, or MKBF, and have consistently achieved this since 2019. MKBF is a reliability benchmark used by many metros globally, and the one million MKBF benchmark puts us among the top performing metros in the world.

Madam, this is the result of strong tripartite commitment. Since 2020, the Government has supported operators to improve maintenance and operation standards. We have also supported rail sector workers to strengthen their capabilities and improve productivity, through training grants and productivity incentives.

Maintaining high standards will become more challenging as our network grows. We have one of the densest networks in the world and with more trains covering longer distances, sustaining a high reliability target of one million MKBF will require even greater effort. There is also a need to manage both newer and older systems and assets.

I thank Mr Saktiandi, Mr Melvin Yong, Ms Poh Li San and Ms Yeo Wan Ling for acknowledging the hard work of our workers and recognising their integral role in maintaining a safe and reliable rail network.

To further support these efforts, the Government intends to invest up to an additional $1 billion over the next five years to further strengthen our rail capabilities and scale up technology adoption. This will enhance the way we monitor and maintain our assets. The additional funding will also support skills upgrading for our workers to keep pace with these developments.

This move builds on the New Rail Financing Framework (NRFF), where LTA handles asset procurement and replacement, and the operators handle asset maintenance.

Under this framework, LTA holds our operators accountable for their maintenance of assets. We also have incentives and performance standards in place to ensure that operators deliver good, reliable service. If any operator does not perform, it could face financial penalties and miss out on incentives. This approach has helped us to improve reliability and achieve good outcomes for commuters.

As more of our rail assets approach the end of their service life, we will need to invest more to improve life cycle management so that we optimise the lifespan of our assets while making replacements in a timely manner.

The enhanced NRFF will allow us to: expand condition monitoring capabilities for more proactive intervention and targeted maintenance; carry out targeted replacements of sub-systems and components to better sustain the useful life of our assets; and scale up the adoption of new technologies to boost maintenance efficiency and effectiveness across the sector.

Our operators will continue to be responsible for the maintenance of assets, as per their existing responsibilities under the NRFF.

With the additional investments, LTA can better optimise the life cycle management of rail assets. LTA will determine, based on the condition of each asset, whether maintenance needs to be stepped up by our operators so that the asset can continue to run until the end of its service life, or whether the asset needs to be replaced early, or if it can have its service life extended. This will enable LTA and the operators to achieve high reliability standards while keeping a tight control on maintenance and asset replacement costs, which will benefit commuters and taxpayers.

Beyond technology and hardware, we will also invest in uplifting the maintenance capabilities of our entire rail sector and enable tripartite partners – LTA, operators, and workers – to achieve higher levels of safety, reliability and resilience.

We will strengthen training programmes, provide more opportunities and incentives for workers to upgrade their skills and support rail operators to drive workforce and operations transformation. We will also continue to learn from leading overseas metros and international rail experts to help us stay at the forefront of rail excellence.

Over time, as workers upgrade their skills through upskilling and reskilling, they will be able to take on higher value jobs, improve their productivity and earn higher wages. This will also help to further uplift standards across the industry.

Moving to buses, we will continue to improve our public bus network, to provide residents with convenient first- and last-mile access to the rail network, and to amenities in their towns.

Madam, I launched the Bus Connectivity Enhancement Programme (BCEP) in July last year to better serve new and existing estates across Singapore. Mr Gan Thiam Poh asked about this.

So far, we have introduced 10 new services and enhanced 36 services to improve capacity and connectivity for residents in Yishun, Tengah, Hougang, as well as Mr Gan's residents in Fernvale.

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LTA plans to introduce another 15 more bus services in 2025 across different towns, including Punggol, Bidadari, Yew Tee and Tampines.

As we deploy more buses, we will also give them priority on more roads to facilitate their movement and improve their reliability. LTA will add about 20 kilometres of new bus lanes this year, and more to follow in the coming years.

I would like to assure Mr Dennis Tan and Mr Faisal Manap that, as with all bus services, LTA will continue to monitor demand and ridership and introduce new services or enhancements where necessary, including in Hougang SMC and Aljunied GRC.

Madam, we announced some moves last year on taxis and private hire vehicles. Senior Minister of State Amy Khor will provide an update on how we will improve the stability of supply, strengthen contestability and improve passenger experience and access.

Mdm Chair, the public transport experience goes beyond hardware and infrastructure; we must also pay attention to improving safety and comfort for commuters. Commuters remain at the heart of how we design our transport services. LTA has been progressively enhancing its infrastructure, working closely with Grassroots Advisers and community leaders to better serve our commuters and residents in different towns across Singapore.

The design for MRT stations and bus interchanges has evolved and improved over time. For instance, newer train stations and bus interchanges, such as Punggol Coast station on the North-East Line and Buangkok Bus Interchange, are better integrated with residential and commercial developments, making them more accessible and vibrant.

Our stations, interchanges, trains and buses have also been equipped with more features to improve accessibility for passengers of diverse needs, such as family-friendly facilities and wheelchair-friendly Passenger Service Centres.

LTA has developed strong engineering expertise to build our large-scale infrastructure projects. We want to complement this by enhancing LTA’s capabilities to integrate human-centric design with its engineering expertise. Just like how companies like Apple and Dyson are known for combining engineering with design to bring greater value to consumers. We want to learn from such industry leaders and see how we can make key public transport nodes like MRT stations and bus interchanges more user-friendly, more comfortable and more convenient.

LTA is planning a multi-year effort to review and improve our infrastructure and services, guided by four "E"s.

First, Enhance. We will improve the design of all our transport nodes, to apply what we learnt from building new lines, stations and interchanges to enhance our existing infrastructure.

Second, Enlarge. We will enlarge the reach and coverage of our commuter infrastructure through features, such as covered linkways, more benches and additional escalators and lifts. This will also make it safer and more convenient for our seniors to age well in the community.

Third, Enliven. Our transport nodes can host more community activities, offer better retail and F&B services, and serve as venues for promoting the arts, heritage and music to support our local artists and performers.

Fourth, Enable. Commuters can make better use of our spaces and services, through improved signages, wayfinding and digital services. And I would like to thank Mr Ong Hua Han for his feedback and suggestions.

Madam, we acknowledge that in some of these areas, there is room for improvement. MOT and LTA are committed to making these improvements by learning from best practices, here and abroad.

As the North-South and East-West Lines have been in operation for over 30 years, I asked LTA to look into a multi-year programme to rejuvenate the stations on these lines. We will study how we can do this through a Station Rejuvenation Programme for the North-South and East-West lines. We will review the upgrades required for each station, tailored to the station’s ridership, footprint, typology and surrounding developments.

Yishun station, one of our older MRT stations in Singapore, which is expected to become even busier with surrounding developments, will be the pilot project for this programme. Senior Parliamentary Secretary Baey Yam Keng will provide more details.

This Station Rejuvenation Programme will refresh our stations, making them more welcoming and user-friendly while preserving key heritage elements.

Similarly, our bus interchanges have also grown into familiar community hubs for residents. We will open new bus interchanges to provide more convenient transfers and refresh existing ones to improve commuter experience and comfort.

In the coming months, we will open three integrated air-conditioned interchanges at Woodleigh, Pasir Ris and Punggol Coast. LTA will also upgrade older bus interchanges. Works have already started at Toa Payoh bus interchange, Singapore’s first integrated transport hub.

In response to Mr Ang Wei Neng, commuters at Bishan, Bukit Merah, Eunos and Tampines bus interchanges can look forward to upgrades with new rain screens, additional benches and fans to improve their comfort and commuting experience.

We also welcome suggestions and ideas from commuters. I am glad that Members agree with the Government’s vision to build a car-lite society, where Walk-Cycle-Ride are the main modes of transport. LTA will set aside an experimentation fund to support ideas from commuters and work with them to jointly develop cost-effective solutions.

While the vast majority of commuters are considerate and gracious, we need to protect the quality of their commute from the small minority of black sheep whose anti-social behaviours and actions cause discomfort and, sometimes, even endanger others.

We will continue with our public education efforts, but we know education alone will not be enough and needs to go together with effective enforcement.

I have asked LTA and the operators to step up their Enforcement – which is the fifth "E" – by strengthening our regulatory powers and increasing the penalties to deter egregious commuters, especially repeat offenders and those who refuse to cooperate when they are advised by public transport workers. I thank Members from both sides of the House, including Mr Gan Thiam Poh, Mr Lim Biow Chuan and Mr Dennis Tan, for expressing their support for strengthening enforcement against such behaviours.

Another key aspect of commuter experience is safety.

In July last year, we launched the Bus Safety Tripartite Taskforce. Minister of State Murali Pillai and our tripartite partners sought views from thousands of commuters, bus captains and both local and international safety experts, who shared their ideas to improve safety practices for the public bus sector.

The task force has submitted its recommendations, which I have accepted. These include how we can equip buses with more safety features, facilitate their smooth travel on the road, and better support Bus Captains to provide safe journeys for all.

Making roads safer for everyone also means that more pedestrians and cyclists can benefit from active mobility through Friendly Streets and Road Repurposing Projects. Senior Minister of State Amy Khor will elaborate on this.

While we need to be inclusive to those with genuine mobility needs, we must also ensure the safety of other path users. Senior Parliamentary Secretary Baey Yam Keng will give an update on the implementation timelines for the changes to the safety rules for Personal Mobility Aids that were announced last year. Madam, in Mandarin, please.

(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Chairman, we will implement the West Coast Extension Line in two phases: phase one will extend the Jurong Region Line to interchange with the Cross-Island Line at West Coast station while phase two will extend the Jurong Region Line to interchange with the Circle Line. Upon completion, the West Coast extension will reduce commuting time for residents in the West to the city centre.

Additionally, we are exploring the construction of two new MRT lines. The first is tentatively named as the Seletar Line. It will connect the north and northeast regions to the Greater Southern Waterfront. The other new MRT line is tentatively named as the Tengah Line, will connect the north and northwest regions to the Greater Southern Waterfront.

If these two MRT lines are feasible, they can be joined to form a longer MRT line – the Seletar-Tengah Line, running from the North to the West through the city centre. If feasible, we expect that these lines to be completed in phases from the 2040s, benefitting more than 400,000 households.

Our bus services complement the MRT network in improving the residents' commuting convenience.

Last year, we invested close to an additional $1 billion on the Bus Connectivity Enhancement Programme (BCEP). To date, we have launched 10 new bus routes and enhanced 36 existing bus routes. In this coming year, we plan to introduce around 15 new services across Punggol, Bidadari, Yew Tee and Tampines and other such areas to benefit more residents.

We will continue to improve the designs of MRT stations and bus interchanges. This year, we plan to rejuvenate the stations on North-South line and East-West line.

Furthermore, we are pushing forward with upgrading of bus interchanges. In the coming months, we will open three integrated air-conditioned interchanges at Woodleigh, Pasir Ris, and Punggol Coast. LTA also plans to upgrade several bus interchanges which have been in operation for some time, including Toa Payoh and Bishan bus interchanges.

(In English): Madam, let me turn to my final topic of how we are providing more opportunities for businesses and workers in the transport sector.

This Government believes in the importance of planning long term and having the ability and resources to implement our plans effectively.

This is how we developed Singapore into a global aviation and maritime hub, and why we have made significant investments in developing Changi Airport Terminal 5 and Tuas Port. These achievements do not happen automatically and we should never take our hub status and competitive advantages for granted, given the intense global competition.

Singapore remains a leading maritime hub, achieving new records in 2024. We will continue to build on this momentum to strengthen our competitiveness. Minister of State Murali Pillai will provide more details.

Madam, I will share on our aviation sector which has recovered well from the COVID-19 pandemic. For the 12 months ending February 2025, Changi saw 68.4 million passenger movements, representing a full recovery over pre-COVID-19 levels. The air hub is off to a good start in 2025, with Changi’s passenger numbers exceeding 11.5 million for the first two months of 2025, a 7% increase compared to the same period last year.

We added 11 new city links in 2024, to places like Brussels, Guiyang, Phu Quoc and Vancouver.

Our strong performance would not have been possible without the collective efforts of the aviation community. I thank our tripartite partners from the industry and unions for their strong support in helping the air hub to recover and grow, and to our aviation workers for their contributions and hard work.

Madam, the future of aviation is bright. Global passenger volumes are expected to double in the next two decades, with the Asia Pacific regions driving half of this growth. As an international business centre and a global air hub, Singapore is well-placed to capture these opportunities.

We will break ground for Terminal 5 (T5) in a few months. T5 will increase Changi’s capacity by 50 million passengers per annum, on top of the current 90 million passengers per annum. T5 will also enhance our hub status and provide new and exciting employment opportunities for our people.

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Madam, Mr Dennis Tan raised concerns that building T5 would result in more flights and higher aviation emissions. As a member state of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and International Maritime Organization (IMO), Singapore is committed to contributing towards ICAO and IMO’s global ambition of achieving net-zero targets by or around 2050.

The United Nations Framework Convention of Climate Change sets the global reporting requirements for greenhouse gas inventories. Emissions from international aviation and maritime do not accrue to national greenhouse gas inventories. Singapore complies with this.

Likewise, there is no benefit for Changi to move too far ahead of other airports when it comes to adoption of sustainable aviation fuel. At last year’s COS debate, I explained why we will start with a 1% target in 2026 to spur investments in sustainable aviation fuel production capacity and increase this over time to 3% to 5% by 2030, subject to global developments and the wider availability and adoption of sustainable aviation fuel.

I believe this is a pragmatic approach, because the cost of sustainable aviation fuel is currently much higher than conventional jet fuel, and we need to strike a balance between sustainability and competitiveness. Several countries, including India, Indonesia and the Republic of Korea, have also adopted a 1% initial target before ramping up in subsequent years. The UK started with a 2% sustainable aviation fuel mandate in 2025 and not 10%, as what Mr Tan said.

Our approach is to enable our aviation sector to grow and improve environmental sustainability concurrently. We launched the Sustainable Air Hub Blueprint last year, which sets out Singapore’s medium and long-term goals for international and domestic emissions, and our plans to achieve them with stakeholders across the airport, airline and air traffic management domains.

Our air hub is a source of many good jobs for Singaporeans and a key enabler for many other sectors in our economy, such as manufacturing, professional services and tourism. So, I hope Mr Dennis Tan is not suggesting that we should forgo building T5, as that would bring more flights to Singapore. Madam, if our air hub is not competitive, planes will still fly, but they just bypass Changi. How is that good for Singapore and Singaporeans? This Government cares about environmental sustainability, but we also care about the well-being of our people, our workers and our businesses. As Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean said, we are climate realists, not climate zealots.

While our air hub is well-placed to ride the winds of growth, competition is intensifying. We are mindful about rising costs faced by aviation stakeholders. The Government is committed to working with the aviation industry to improve our service levels, raise productivity and reduce operating costs where possible. If we achieve cost savings, we will share these with our industry partners.

One of the biggest advantages that Singapore has today over many competitors is our ability to work as one aviation ecosystem and the close tripartite relationship between companies, unions and the Government. We must continue to leverage on this as we look at ways to enhance Changi’s air hub competitiveness.

To Mr Mark Lee, Ms Poh Li San and Mr Sharael Taha’s questions, we will strengthen our support for Changi in four key areas: Connectivity, Infrastructure, Innovation and Technology, and Manpower.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) will commit $1 billion over the next five years to catalyse action and partnership in these four areas. And this is on top of the $5 billion top-up to the Changi Airport Development Fund that the Prime Minister announced. Over the next few months, CAAS will work with companies and union leaders, Government agencies and international partners to develop schemes in each of these areas that will help our companies and workers to thrive and succeed.

First, on Connectivity. Singapore’s current network of over 160 city links connect us with the world and this is a key enabler for our economy. We aim to build a larger network of over 200 city links by the mid-2030s, to anchor Singapore as a key global node. CAAS will work with economic agencies and industry to identify key links and to develop schemes that can accelerate these new connections.

Next, on Infrastructure. CAAS will work with aviation stakeholders to plan enabling infrastructure for the Singapore air hub and to coordinate development across companies. It will provide funding support to accelerate the development of common use infrastructure that will benefit all airport users, to support state-of-the-art, efficient and cost-effective airport operations.

Third, on Innovation and Technology. CAAS will work with the industry and the research community to develop a 10-year technology roadmap to guide technology planning and to translate research and development into operational capabilities that can be deployed across the aviation ecosystem. The technology roadmap will leverage the development of T5 to set up living labs that can be used to testbed and grow new capabilities.

Fourth, on Manpower. Skilled manpower is a key competitive factor for air hubs around the world. CAAS will work with aviation companies and unions to grow a quality workforce, comprising a strong Singapore Core complemented by foreign workers who are important contributors to Changi’s overall competitiveness. We will invest in skills upgrading for our workers and redesign jobs to better attract and retain local workers. In this way, our air hub can continue to remain competitive and provide good employment opportunities for Singaporeans.

Madam, besides moving people, Singapore’s transport story is also about moving goods. We will strengthen Changi’s position as a trusted, efficient and well-connected air cargo hub. Let me address Ms Poh Li San’s question on how we will develop our air cargo hub.

First, capacity. In the mid-2030s, Changi’s handling capacity will increase from 3.0 million to 5.4 million tonnes per annum with the opening of the Changi East Industrial Zone. This will be complemented by the Airport Logistics Park 2 that was announced last year, which will also provide additional capacity to anchor logistics activities, including Regional Distribution Centres and freight forwarding.

In the lead-up to these developments, we will continue to work with industry partners to ensure we have sufficient capacity to meet growing air cargo demand.

Changi Airport’s largest cargo handler, SATS, has plans to invest $100 million over the next two years to upgrade its existing air freight terminals at the Changi Airfreight Centre. With this, SATS’ cargo handling capacity will increase by 30%, from 2.3 million tonnes to three million tonnes per annum, and ensure it has sufficient capacity to support growing air cargo demand over the next decade.

This is a good example of how we work together as a One Aviation Community, to support one another and, ultimately, to enhance Changi’s competitiveness.

Second, capability. We will harness technology to uplift productivity and allow our cargo workers to optimise their time and resources. CAAS and Changi Airport Group are supporting the air cargo community to implement an ecosystem digital solution for truck dock slot pre-booking, with full roll-out expected later this year.

This transforms cargo collection and lodgement from a “first-come-first-served” basis, to one that is pre-planned and better optimised. This will raise the productivity and efficiency of current processes. And the outcomes from the initial phase have been promising, with dwell time by truckers reduced by up to 30%. So, I hope this can be scaled up and we can reap more benefits.

Mdm Chair, as a nation, we have come together over the last 60 years to improve the lives of Singaporeans and helped many individuals, many families to fulfil their aspirations.

Transport has played a vital role in this. We built up major transport infrastructure, such as our MRT network, our airport, our seaports, and these have catalysed and enabled the progress of our nation from third-world to first. And we are still building.

As we navigate through unchartered waters in an increasingly fragmented and volatile world, the key values from our transport journey remain relevant. Singapore must continue to stay open and strengthen our connections with the world. We will always place Singaporeans at the heart of all we do and work with tripartite partners to strengthen our social compact and grow our economy.

And finally, we will take calculated risks and make bold long-term decisions, as we venture out of our comfort zone to seize new opportunities.

Madam, transport will continue to be an enduring part of the Singapore Story, as an enabler to improve the lives of Singaporeans, to keep our world moving, and to ensure that we remain connected to the world and to one another. [Applause.]

The Chairman: Senior Minister of State Amy Khor.

The Senior Minister of State for Transport (Dr Amy Khor Lean Suan): Chairman, let me share how we will create more friendly and safe journeys, strengthen connectivity in our land transport system and enable businesses to decarbonise their vehicle fleet for a more liveable and sustainable city.

At last year’s COS debate, I announced that Friendly Streets would be expanded to all towns by 2030. We have since completed works for the five Friendly Streets pilots. We have also completed engagements and progressively started infrastructure works for the 10 Friendly Streets sites announced last year. These are expected to be completed by 2026.

This year, we will be launching Friendly Streets at 15 more locations island-wide, including in Bukit Timah, Jurong West, Opera Estate, Queenstown, Thomson and Yishun. These locations have a higher proportion of seniors or young families living in public and private housing estates who will benefit most from the scheme. We will continue to identify more areas suitable to implement Friendly Streets, possibly Seletar Hills estate, as suggested by Ms Ng Ling Ling.

One of the key features of all Friendly Streets is the emphasis on pedestrian safety, as highlighted by Mr Shawn Huang. That is why Friendly Streets have road humps and narrower road lanes to slow down speeds. Speed limits are also lowered to 40 kilometres per hour.

To further enhance pedestrian safety, we will roll out the following initiatives from 1 January 2026. Motorists who commit traffic offences that endanger others, such as speeding, running of red light or failing to give way to pedestrians at Friendly Streets, will incur two additional demerit points on top of the prevailing demerit points, and an additional $100 in composition sum on top of the prevailing penalties for the offence. These enhanced penalties will then be on par with offences committed at Silver and School Zones.

We will also extend the lower speed limits for Enhanced School Zones along Primary Schools to full day, instead of only during school arrival and dismissal times. We made this change because school schedules are increasingly more varied and extends beyond the conventional dismissal times.

Mr Melvin Yong asked agencies to step up enforcement against companies which do not properly secure equipment on board lorries. Agencies will continue to take firm action to enforce this requirement under the Road Traffic Act. It is the responsibility of companies to comply for the safety of their workers and other road users.

In tandem with Friendly Streets, we are pressing on with our road repurposing projects, with six completed thus far.

We had previously shared that we were working to enhance the walking and cycling experience in Tanjong Pagar. I am pleased to announce that after engaging stakeholders in the area, we will repurpose the roadside parking lots along Tanjong Pagar Road to provide wider footpaths and cycling paths. Centre dividers and road humps will be added to slow down vehicles. These enhancements will bring about a safer and more comfortable walking and cycling experience between Tanjong Pagar and Maxwell MRT stations.

We will also embark on two new road repurposing projects at Tampines and Bedok. In Tampines, we observed very high footfall across Tampines Central 5, where around 60,000 pedestrians a day travel between Tampines MRT station and the malls in Tampines. To enhance the commuting experience, we will pedestrianise a 50-metre-long stretch of Tampines Central 5, where commuters can look forward to a seamless walking path between the transport facilities and malls.

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In Bedok, in collaboration with adviser Cheryl Chan, we will pedestrianise a 90-metre-long stretch of Bedok North Street 4 and close an adjacent HDB car park to create a new community space for residents to come together, and a more comfortable walking experience to and from Bedok 85 Market and Fengshan neighbourhood centre.

Separately, also in Bedok, Mr Faisal Abdul Manap would be pleased to know that as part of HDB’s upcoming Bedok North Springs BTO, HDB plans to build a high covered linkway across Bedok North Street 3 to Block 509.

Next, Ms Yeo Wan Ling asked for an update on the point-to-point (P2P) transport industry review. Since PHCs entered the sector in 2013, commuters have benefited from a more responsive P2P supply. Even so, taxis remain important for meeting P2P demand. First, as dedicated P2P vehicles, taxis provide a more stable source of supply throughout the day compared to PHCs. One-shift taxis spend a median of 49 active hours per week serving P2P trips, compared to 34 by PHCs. Second, taxis can offer street-hail services, which remain important for commuters who may be less familiar with local ride-hail apps, and at locations with very high demand.

At last year’s COS debate, we converged some regulations between PHCs and taxis to make taxis more viable, as they incur higher operating costs due to existing regulatory differences. However, as Mr Ang Wei Neng pointed out, there are still some gaps. This year, we will introduce further changes to the regulatory regime for taxis and PHCs.

First, we will continue to suspend the growth cap on the taxi fleet. We first suspended the cap in 2021 to help taxi operators replenish their fleet to pre-pandemic numbers. This extended suspension will facilitate the replacement and growth of the taxi fleet.

Second, we will allow taxi operators to convert used vehicles that are less than five years old to taxis. Instead of just buying new vehicles, taxi operators will have an additional option to grow their fleet, which may help to reduce costs.

Third, we will allow taxi operators to resell taxis that are more than three years old, capped at 5% of their fleet annually. This will give taxi operators flexibility to resell under-utilised taxis and reduce carrying costs. This added flexibility can also reduce operators’ risks when trialling new taxi models, such as bigger, more expensive multipurpose vehicles which can better serve larger families.

These moves give taxi operators more flexibility to manage cost and grow their fleet. They complement our moves in the PHC sector to further level the playing field between taxis and PHCs.

We announced earlier on 19 February that all newly registered, converted or transferred chauffeured PHCs owned by businesses cannot be converted to other vehicle classifications for three years. The main reason for this move is to narrow the regulatory gap between taxis and PHCs. It also helps to stabilise the PHC supply. The three-year holding period for business-owned chauffeured PHCs parallels our requirement that taxi operators maintain their taxis for at least three years before they can be resold.

[Mr Speaker in the Chair]

We expect the impact of the measure to be manageable as the majority of bona fide PHC leasing companies already keep their vehicles for more than three years.

Finally, with immediate effect, we will also require the disclosure of a vehicle’s history as a chauffeured or self-drive PHC, or taxi for all newly registered, converted or transferred vehicles. This will apply to vehicles registered using COEs issued as part of today’s COE bidding exercise. The move will improve transparency in the resale market and further encourage registration of such vehicles only for their intended purposes.

Beyond these moves, Mr Lim Biow Chuan asked whether we intend to create a separate COE category for business-owned PHCs. We have studied this carefully and decided not to proceed with such a move.

First, as I had mentioned in this House, the bulk of the demand for Category A and B (Cat A and B) COEs has been from local individuals and not from PHC or car leasing companies. In the most recent bidding in February 2025, business-owned PHCs made up 6% and 8% of successful Cat A and B bids respectively.

Second, quota from existing categories, such as Cat A and B, will need to be taken away to provide the quota for this new separate category. We have seen that demand for PHCs varies from quarter to quarter, given that fares and driver supply are highly responsive to commuter demand. It is very difficult to accurately determine the COE quota supply for PHCs that is required to meet the needs of drivers and commuters. If we move too much quota away, Cat A and B COE prices will spike because of inadequate remaining quota. Conversely, if we move too little, COE prices for PHCs will be high, with drivers and commuters facing higher rentals and fares.

Therefore, the allocation between PHCs and private cars is best left to the market. What LTA will do is to continue increasing the COE quota every quarter for Cat A, B and C till the supply peak from 2026, by using the cut-and-fill method and the injection of 20,000 new COE quota.

As Mr Saktiandi Supaat noted, another key objective of our P2P regulatory regime is to keep the sector open and contestable. This allows commuters and drivers to choose their preferred platform. Competition also encourages operators to innovate and improve service offerings. As of today, around 60% of drivers use multiple platforms.

While the ride-hail sector is a competitive market, it is also a matching market, and large operators will naturally be better able to match their drivers and commuters. Large operators should, therefore, bear greater responsibility to ensure that market norms continue to protect the interests of commuters and drivers. These additional responsibilities include higher data disclosure obligations to LTA as regulator, and could include sharing more data with drivers, as Ms Jean See has suggested.

The additional responsibilities sit on top of our broader regulations to promote multi-homing. They are not meant to curb the growth of any operator, whether in Singapore or overseas markets. These responsibilities are to assure drivers and commuters that large operators will not implement practices that may directly or indirectly restrict drivers’ or commuters’ choice, such as imposing minimum trip requirements on drivers.

We will adopt an iterative approach by reviewing the requirements as operators continue to evolve their practices in response to market competition.

Mr Gan Thiam Poh raised the importance of P2P services for different groups of commuters. Indeed, as our population ages, we expect more commuters to rely on P2P services. Hence, beyond ensuring a stable supply of taxis, we intend to work with ride-hail operators to make their apps more user-friendly for groups, such as seniors, who are less comfortable with using mobile apps.

We will invite operators to submit proposals that can improve the accessibility of their P2P services. LTA will provide co-funding of up to 50%, capped at $500,000 for the development of viable ideas via the P2P Inclusivity Co-funding Grant. We plan to allow applications from the fourth quarter of 2025 and for support to be provided up to 2028.

Additionally, as raised by Mr Eric Chua and in response to requests from PHC drivers and commuters, we will, for a start, convert nine most frequently used taxi stops in the Central Business District to P2P stops for use as pick-up and drop-off points by both taxis and PHCs. We will monitor the impact on road traffic and usage of the converted taxi stops before deciding if this could be expanded to other taxi stops. But taxi stands, where taxis can queue to pick up street-hail commuters, will continue to be for taxis only. This move will make P2P services safer and more convenient for all commuters.

Moving on, Mr Neil Parekh asked for an update on the EV landscape.

The adoption of EVs has been healthy. In 2024, about a third of all new cars registered were electric, up from 18% in 2023. The momentum has continued into this year, with the adoption rate increasing to 38% in January.

Our charging network has continued to expand to support the growing EV population. We have more than 19,000 charging points island-wide, close to half of which are publicly accessible. More than 60% of HDB car parks are equipped with EV chargers. We have made good progress and will ensure all HDB residents who own or wish to own an EV have convenient access to a charger near their homes.

Deploying the chargers has not been straightforward, as most public car parks were not designed to accommodate EV chargers and allow for a significant draw on electricity. Hence, there are some car parks where the existing electrical infrastructure, like the consumer switch rooms, lack the capacity to support the deployment of EV chargers. For such car parks, we are leveraging technology, such as dynamic load management, to help us optimise existing electricity capacity. This will allow us to install EV chargers to meet the needs of EV owners, even as we work on upgrading the electrical infrastructure.

Last year, we shared that we will be increasing the number of fast chargers to meet the needs of commercial vehicle owners, including taxi drivers. We have kickstarted the deployment of fast chargers. By the end of this month, 13 HDB shopping complexes and town centres would be equipped with two 50 kilowatt EV chargers each, including at Woodlands Civic Centre and Connection One. More will be progressively deployed over the year at 45 other sites, including Serangoon and Bedok Town Centres, and JTC industrial premises, such as Bulim Square.

At condominiums, around one in three are equipped with chargers today, in part supported by LTA's EV Common Charger Grant (ECCG), which has since co-funded about 1,700 chargers. To further encourage charger deployment at condominiums, we will expand the ECCG to co-fund an additional 1,500 chargers on top of the original 2,000, but subject to a cap of $3,000 per charger, and extend the grant duration to 31 December 2026.

To Assoc Prof Jamus Lim’s suggestion to change the COE duration for EVs, I should highlight that the current 10-year duration is not based on the lifespan of vehicles. We implemented a 10-year duration as part of our vehicle quota system for greater equity, so that motorists do not own a car in perpetuity at the expense of future prospective owners.

Should vehicle owners, including EV owners, decide to deregister their vehicles at any point, they will be able to get a refund of the unused portion of the COE, as well as Preferential Additional Registration Fee (PARF) rebates. Having different COE validity periods across powertrains will make the COE system unnecessarily complex. Vehicle technologies will continue to change. So, it is not sensible to tie our COE validity periods to specific technologies, let alone the uncertainty of lifespans of EV batteries, as Assoc Prof Lim has noted.

We must also not forget that after 2020, hybrids will still be allowed. As raised by Ms Poh Li San, Mr Ang Wei Neng and Mr Neil Parekh, for heavy vehicles, the market for cleaner energy variants is nascent but we are seeing encouraging market developments. Particularly, for some segments of lorries and buses, there are commercially-ready electric models today. This is an area where we can do more to catalyse adoption in the next bound of land transport decarbonisation.

We will help companies adopt cleaner energy heavy vehicles. As announced by the Minister for Finance at Budget 2025, we will introduce the Heavy Vehicle Zero Emissions Scheme and an Electric Heavy Vehicle Charger Grant.

Starting from 1 January 2026, we will provide $40,000 in incentives for each new zero-tailpipe emission heavy vehicle registered. We will also provide the first 500 private heavy vehicle chargers co-funding of up to 50% of the charger installation cost, capped at $30,000 per charger. These measures will narrow the lifecycle cost gap between an electric and internal combustion engine heavy vehicle and spur adoption of electric heavy vehicles.

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Chairman, in conclusion, we will press on to create friendlier and safer journeys for all, while strengthening the connectivity of our land transport system.

The Chairman: Minister of State Murali Pillai.

The Minister of State for Transport (Mr Murali Pillai): Sir, the hon Member Mr Saktiandi Supaat raised the issue of safety on our public buses in his speech. Minister Chee just announced that the Bus Safety Tripartite Taskforce which I chaired has completed its work. The Government accepted the recommendations of the task force and will work closely with our tripartite partners to implement them over the coming years.

Buses are the workhorses of our roads. Every day, four million trips are made on our public buses by commuters. At the peak, about 6,000 public buses ply our roads. A system at this scale, which includes almost 10,000 bus captains, requires a sustained and unceasing effort to maintain a strong safety record. The Government, together with our tripartite partners, are fully committed to this. But to succeed, we need the public behind us. As part of this effort, the Bus Safety Tripartite Taskforce was formed in July last year.

The task force approached this exercise in the spirit of ensuring that commuters, bus captains and other road users continue to have strong confidence in the safety of our public buses. We would like to thank all stakeholders who participated in this important work.

We are starting from a position of strength. The annual number of serious road accidents involving public buses has been stable in the past few years. Nevertheless, there is room to improve. Members of the public gave feedback on bus captains' driving, the design of buses, as well as bus scheduling. Bus captains offered suggestions on similar issues. In addition, they shared real life challenges faced while on the road – motorists encroaching into bus priority boxes, or yellow boxes and bus lanes, as well as with cyclists who cycle close to the blind spots of the buses.

The task force has taken a serious look at all these suggestions and consulted with both local and international safety practitioners and experts from the bus sector, before arriving at its recommendations.

Mr Shawn Huang asked how we can better support bus captains in carrying out their role. Indeed, a common thread throughout the task force's discussion is that bus captains have a demanding job.

In my first meeting with public transport union leaders after we formed this task force, Brother Peh Chee Kang, Vice President of the National Transport Workers' Union, pointed out that driving a public bus is like piloting an aircraft. Besides operating large vehicles through busy streets while staying on schedule, bus captains must also take care of the safety of passengers and help commuters navigate to their destination. Unlike planes, there is no autopilot available for our bus captains. They are constantly multitasking and looking out for other road users.

The task force was clear that ensuring bus safety means giving our bus captains the best support to do their job well. Our recommendations were focused on two major aspects. First, equipping bus captains with the right tools; and second, providing them with a conducive working environment. Today, I will highlight a few key recommendations.

The first area is technologies to improve the situational awareness of our bus captains. The task force has recommended that the Government equip our buses with 360-degree collision warning, anti-fatigue and camera mirror systems.

Bus Captain Mohammed Syazwan Bin Mohammed Salim from Tower Transit Singapore is one of those who experienced first-hand how anti-fatigue systems can enhance road safety. The system actively prompted him when he yawned, which was useful in maintaining his alertness while driving and ensured the safety of the bus captain as well as commuters.

Second, technology helps our commuters and other road users stay safe when they are on or around buses. In this regard, the task force recommended a number of safety features, such as better torque management, audio safety announcements onboard buses and an enhanced rear electronic display system.

To address the feedback by bus captains on having to multi-task, LTA will also explore whether the number of display units in the driving cabin can be reduced to lessen the cognitive load on bus captains.

The Government will review the various technologies recommended by the task force through pilots and study the feasibility of incorporating such technologies into existing fleets and making these technologies a requirement for upcoming bus purchases.

Ms Yeo Wan Ling asked how we can further improve the working conditions of bus captains to help manage their workload. This brings us to the other major set of recommendations by the task force that deals with the human dimension of safety, focused on creating a more conducive working environment for bus captains to perform their roles effectively.

We have a range of recommendations in this area, and I will focus on bus runtimes and training for bus captains, which we believe will have the broadest impact.

Firstly, on the management of runtime. The runtime is the total time taken for a bus captain to complete a route. It affects safety because if runtimes are not scheduled correctly, bus captains come under pressure to stay on schedule. Today, bus operators, bus captains, together with LTA, already do regular reviews of runtimes to account for changes in traffic conditions and travel patterns. They will continue to do so.

But beyond having realistic runtimes, the task force felt that runtimes should not be too long. As Mr Ang Wei Neng pointed out, we have some routes with scheduled runtimes exceeding two hours, and bus captains gave feedback that such prolonged periods of continuous driving can cause discomfort for them, such as the need for toilet breaks, and could cause lapses in concentration.

LTA has committed to not introducing bus routes with scheduled runtimes exceeding two hours. In addition, LTA and bus operators will review our existing bus services with long runtimes, to see how we can make them more manageable for our bus captains, such as by adjusting the routes or swapping bus captains in the middle of a long route. As any adjustments will have an impact on commuters, we will review such routes carefully and implement any changes progressively.

Besides scheduling, the task force made a number of recommendations on bus captain training. In our engagements, the task force observed different models, both locally and abroad, of how a strong training regime can make a difference to driver confidence and retention. Some of the good practices we saw, such as more personalised training and peer support, can be more prevalent across the bus sector.

I am glad to announce that we will be introducing an industry-wide training point system, as recommended by the task force. Under this system, bus operators will track the number of training points that their bus captains obtain per year, corresponding to a baseline level of continuing training each year. This ensures that all bus captains receive the necessary training to refresh their skills and keep up to date with best practices.

On the Government's part, the Singapore Bus Academy will improve its training offerings, to better support bus operators and bus captains to achieve their training targets. We will share more details on these in due course.

Besides improving the working conditions for our bus captains, Mr Saktiandi will be glad to note that the task force has also made several recommendations to improve the road environment to better support bus operations.

One aspect that affects all road users is the management of road works. Bus captains told us that they encounter situations where barriers are placed improperly, resulting in difficulty faced in manoeuvring buses through affected stretches, or when inexperienced road marshals do not provide proper guidance.

To address this issue, LTA will work with relevant agencies to upskill workers responsible for managing traffic during road works, to make sure that contractors are able to comply with regulations. We will also review the penalty framework, to take a tougher stance against contractors who do not comply and cause obstructions.

Finally, commuters and other road users have an important role to play, too, in ensuring the safety of buses. LTA and the bus operators will continue to work with organisations, such as Traffic Police and the Singapore Road Safety Council, to carry out publicity efforts to improve commuters' awareness of safe practices onboard buses, as well as other road users' awareness of and compliance with measures to facilitate bus movement. We will provide more details on how we will be implementing these and other recommendations of the task force in due course.

Let me now turn to Maritime Singapore. As Minister Chee mentioned, Maritime Singapore did well last year, breaking several records. Annual vessel arrival tonnage reached 3.11 billion gross tonnage, and Singapore's container throughput crossed 40 million twenty-foot equivalent units, or TEUs, for the first time. Total bunker sales hit a new record of 54.92 million tonnes, with sales of alternative fuel crossing the one million tonne mark for the first time. The International Maritime Centre grew in scale and diversity, too, with close to 200 shipping groups with a presence in Singapore and more than 30 companies were established or expanded operations here.

Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked how we achieved these records. These achievements did not come easy. While other ports in countries with more land and labour can compete on cost and larger consumption bases, Singapore competes on efficiency and reliability. Due to the Red Sea crisis and congestion in ports around the world, shipping lines relied on Singapore to handle increasingly complex cargo movements and demand as they unloaded cargoes bound for Asian ports beyond Singapore and used Singapore to rearrange containers on vessels to mitigate delays.

Through these challenges, we remained resilient, thanks to our tripartite partners and the hard work of our maritime workers.

With strong competition and an uncertain outlook ahead, we cannot rest on our laurels. Because of our stable political environment, we are able to plan and build for the future with the multi-decade development of Tuas Port. Ms Yeo Wan Ling asked for an update. Eleven berths are operational and seven more are scheduled to commence operations by 2027. When completed in the 2040s, Tuas Port will have more than 60 berths.

As Prime Minister Wong said in his Budget speech, global economic competition is intensifying and we will be left behind if we fail to stay competitive.

Mr Saktiandi Supaat also asked how we will ensure that we remain competitive amidst fierce competition in the region. We plan to seize opportunities amidst future growth and challenges in three areas. First, technology; second. decarbonisation; and third, talent development.

On technology, we are leveraging technology to sharpen Maritime Singapore's competitive edge.

To Mr Gan Thiam Poh and Ms Poh Li San's questions, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) will use technology to streamline port and marine services to enable the industry to enjoy higher productivity and reduced costs and manpower needs.

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One example is the use of AI to streamline the processing of Port Clearance Certificates by reducing the need to manually input information from multiple ship certificates. This system will be implemented over the next few years and enhance the accuracy of data entry and verification, and reduce the time taken to obtain the Certificate from up to three days to just a few minutes!

We will facilitate the development of new solutions for the maritime ecosystem. We will be expanding our maritime innovation test-beds and regulatory sandboxes to more locations within the port for testing of new solutions, such as remote or autonomous operations.

MPA is on track to complete the third and final phase of Maritime 5G coverage by this year. Stronger connectivity, more consistent data coverage and bandwidth will enable the provision of new maritime services. Together, this means that successful pilots for innovative solutions will more quickly become a part of day-to-day port operations. We will also develop response capabilities using drones to track and enhance safety for first responders.

Next, we will position ourselves as a bunkering hub for alternative fuels. Building on our hard-earned reputation as a reliable bunkering hub, we are committed to support the industry's safe transition to alternative fuels.

To answer Mr Neil Parekh's question, we are taking the lead to develop Technical References for alternative fuels, which provide shipping companies better quality and quantity assurance when bunkering alternative fuels in Singapore. We are upgrading the provisional national quality standard for marine biofuel into a Technical Reference to include biofuel blends up to 100% biofuel and non-FAME products. This complements the International Maritime Organization's recent announcement that conventional oil tankers may soon be allowed to carry biofuel blends containing up to 30% biofuel, instead of the current limit of 25% biofuel.

For methanol bunkering, two sets of standards will be launched in March 2025. MPA and Enterprise Singapore will launch a standard on the requirements for methanol bunkering and MPA will launch standards on the equipment and operational efficiency for methanol bunker tankers. This marks an important step towards operationalising methanol bunkering at scale in our port. We are also targeting to launch a new standard for ammonia bunkering this year.

Finally, we will press on with talent development. Mr Gan Thiam Poh, Mr Neil Parekh and Ms Yeo Wan Ling asked how we can ensure that we have a robust pipeline of talent with the right skills and competencies to maintain the competitiveness and productivity of Maritime Singapore.

MPA, together with industries and unions, are doing so at two levels: first, we will groom future leaders of the industry by raising the annual intake of the Maritime Leadership Programme (MLP), from about 20 to 25 places, to admit industry leaders from adjacent trading and logistics sectors.

MPA will also support the onboarding of MLP alumni to the Singapore Leaders' Network, a leadership community that prepares Singaporeans for regional and global leadership roles by providing overseas transition support and mentorship opportunities. Together, these changes will strengthen cross-sector collaboration and provide opportunities for maritime professionals to learn about adjacent sectors and vice versa.

Second, we are equipping workers with new skills to better meet industry needs. MPA has established the Maritime Energy Training Facility to train the global maritime workforce in safe handling and operating of vessels using alternative fuels. MPA is also on track to launch the Maritime Testbed of Shipboard Operational Technology System (MariOT) by March 2025, which provides training in cybersecurity for operational technology systems in a realistic shipboard environment. Over the next three years, we expect more than 300 students and professionals to benefit from this simulation platform.

Working with our partners, we will continue to invest in a strong pipeline of talent to the maritime industry. Sir, transport is a vital public service that moves people across our island and plugs our economy into the open seas. On both land and sea, you will see that it is our people that makes the difference and this Government will continue to invest in this critical human dimension, for now and into the future.

The Chairman: Senior Parliamentary Secretary Baey Yam Keng.

The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Transport (Mr Baey Yam Keng): Chairman, allow me to share how we are making journeys on public paths and public transport safer and more comfortable.

First, as announced last year, we will implement new rules to curb the misuse of Personal Mobility Aids (PMAs). Second, we will improve the commuting experience on public transport, by rejuvenating our stations and cultivating a better commuting culture.

Last year, the Government accepted the Active Mobility Advisory Panel's (AMAP's) recommendations to tighten regulations for PMAs. We have observed more able-bodied individuals misusing PMAs, which are meant for those with mobility needs. Speeding and overly large PMAs have also caused anxiety and concern. We need these new rules to improve path safety, especially for vulnerable users, like young children and seniors.

Ms Jean See and Ms Poh Li San asked for an update on the new rules, while Mr Eric Chua asked how we can improve path safety. To implement the rules, we need to amend legislation and we are scheduled to do so through Parliament later this year. We will provide sufficient transition time for users and other stakeholders.

I will now share more details on how we plan to implement the new PMA rules. First, we intend to reduce the speed limit for riding PMAs on public paths from 10 kilometres per hour to six kilometres per hour, from the first quarter of 2026. The exact timeline will depend on when we can amend legislation. Six kilometres per hour is the same speed as a brisk walker, so that is a reasonable top speed allowable since PMAs are meant for those with walking difficulties.

Second, we will align the PMA dimension restrictions on public paths with those on public transport, also from the first quarter of 2026. This means individuals should not ride a PMA exceeding a width of 70 centimetres, a length of 120 centimetres, a height of 150 centimetres and a laden weight of 300 kilogrammes.

We will make it an offence to display, advertise and sell PMAs exceeding the dimension limits, or with device speed limit above six kilometres per hour. Based on checks with several retailers, many have already stopped selling such PMAs or are clearing limited stock.

We understand that genuine users may own PMAs that can go up to 10 kilometres per hour, based on the current rule. We will allow PMAs with a device speed limit of up to 10 kilometres per hour to be used on public paths until end-2028. However, they must be used safely within the new speed limit of six kilometres per hour and comply with the upcoming dimension limits. To monitor the speed, PMA users may take reference from the walking speeds of other path users or use a physical speedometer or mobile application.

Third, only those with genuine medical needs will be allowed to use a mobility scooter. Since last year, we have engaged stakeholders, including healthcare professionals, to develop a certification process. MOH will engage and provide guidelines to the medical community ahead of implementation. This requirement for certification does not apply to motorised wheelchair users.

From the fourth quarter of this year, we will implement the Assessment for Mobility Scooter (AMS). Under AMS, users with medical conditions which result in mobility difficulties will be certified to need a mobility scooter.

Before the commencement of AMS, those who were prescribed a mobility scooter subsidised by the Seniors' Mobility and Enabling Fund (SMF), under the Agency for Integrated Care; or the Assistive Technology Fund (ATF) under SG Enable, will automatically be certified without having to do anything. Individuals with an existing non-subsidised mobility scooter or who intend to obtain a mobility scooter, should visit their regular doctor for an AMS.

Those purchasing an SMF- or ATF-subsidised mobility scooter for the first time should obtain an AMS through their regular doctor or Occupational Therapist at their existing touchpoints. For most new SMF or ATF clients, AMS will not add any extra steps to the current subsidy application process.

From the first quarter of 2026, mobility scooter users on public paths must have this certification of need. We will give users some time to obtain the certification, and enforcement officers will engage and educate users on the new rules during this transition period. Users do not have to approach healthcare professionals to obtain certification now. Please wait for more details to be released in the third quarter of this year.

We understand that some genuine PMA users who do deliveries are concerned that the reduced speed limit will affect earnings. Together with delivery platforms and the National Delivery Champions Association, we have just issued a joint statement on this. The delivery platforms have given assurance that they will continue to be inclusive on their platforms, in terms of job allocation and managing customer expectations.

In addition, the Government will continue working with stakeholders to enhance the infrastructure and processes supporting last-mile deliveries at developments. Taken together, we hope these new rules will curb the misuse of PMAs and improve safety for all path users.

Mr Lim Biow Chuan raised concerns on safety risks from non-compliant motorised Personal Mobility Devices (PMDs) and Power-Assisted Bicycles (PABs), both the device itself and its use on public transport.

Over the years, we have put in place stringent measures and safety standards to mitigate the risks of motorised PMDs and PABs. Our enforcement officers conduct operations daily against non-compliant devices on paths and we take action against retailers selling non-compliant devices or those that illegally modify devices. However, challenges remain with online sales and illegal modifications.

We have observed incidents in other cities where such devices caught fire on public transport, resulting in injuries and the banning of such devices from public transport. While there has not been any fire incident involving such devices on our trains and buses so far, the safety risk is amplified in such enclosed crowded spaces, with potentially serious consequences to surrounding passengers.

As such, AMAP will be consulting the public on the safety and mobility needs of commuters, before making its recommendations to the Government. Thereafter, we will review the regulations on motorised PMDs and PABs on public transport.

Sir, another aspect of making commuters feel safe and comfortable is the behaviour of fellow commuters on public transport. Mr Gan Thiam Poh, Mr Lim Biow Chuan and Mr Dennis Tan raised feedback on inconsiderate commuters who eat and drink, play loud music and pose a nuisance to other commuters. In more egregious cases, some harass others and even challenge our bus captains.

Public transport is a shared space and such behaviour affects the commuting experience for everyone. At worst, it can make people feel unsafe about travelling on public transport.

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We have therefore increased patrolling and enforcement against such offences on both trains and buses, and will be strengthening our regulatory powers to act against inconsiderate behaviour.

At present, our regulatory power to manage commuter behaviour onboard buses is more limited than on rail. As a first step, we are working with our public bus operators to put in place Conditions of Carriage. These conditions will provide for a safe and comfortable experience for commuters and bus captains. It will set out what transport workers can do to alleviate situations with uncooperative commuters. In egregious cases, bus captains can instruct disruptive commuters to alight from the bus, or if necessary, activate the Police.

By next year, our regulatory framework against inconsiderate behaviour will be aligned across trains and buses. Those who behave egregiously will face penalties commensurate with the severity of their impact on other commuters, with higher penalties for repeat offenders. I thank Mr Dennis Tan for his suggestions – the use of loudspeakers on public transport is one of the nuisance behaviours we are looking at, and we will consider the suggestion of using a decibel threshold to define disruptive noise.

We recognise that some cases involved commuters who may be experiencing a mental health episode and what they need is support. Our officers will exercise discretion in applying these regulations.

To complement these, we will continue to promote gracious journeys, with more signages and public announcements to encourage positive behaviour, such as keeping volumes low and occupying only one seat.

Commuters can also make journeys more gracious by looking out for those in need. In 2023, I had announced the expansion of the "Helping Hand" scheme, with cards indicating, for example, a commuter’s need for a seat. Recognising that commuters have different needs we will be launching a universal Helping Hand card with a blank space where commuters can write their specific needs. This will be in addition to the earlier issued cards.

With these measures, I hope that all commuters will play their part in fostering safer and more gracious journeys.

Sir, the Minister spoke about prioritising the commuter experience in the coming years. Let me share more on how we are enhancing commuter infrastructure for more comfortable and enjoyable journeys.

Just as we rejuvenate older estates, we want to make sure that commuter infrastructure keeps pace with changing needs. For example, after the completion of the Woodlands Extension in 1996, the total daily ridership for the North-South and East-West lines stood at about 900,000. Today, that number has grown to 1.6 million.

Our infrastructure must also be inclusive, especially for seniors and those who need more assistance with navigation.

We have continually improved our MRT stations over the years. Certain high-traffic stations, like City Hall and Raffles Place, are undergoing enhancements, such as new lighting and air-conditioning systems, upgraded toilets and clearer signages.

When a new line connects to an existing station, we improve pedestrian walkways and include new entrances and exits for better accessibility and crowd management. For example, when linking Orchard station along the North-South Line with the Thomson-East Coast Line, we installed more escalators and travellators and new entrances serving surrounding malls.

Besides nearby transport nodes, we also endeavour to provide covered linkways from new stations to key developments. We seek Mr Lim Biow Chuan’s understanding that these sometimes come after new stations are opened, as more time is needed to address differing stakeholder requirements.

Beyond these station improvements that have taken place over time, we are planning for a refresh of our North-South/East-West Line stations to accommodate increasing ridership and to ensure a more seamless, comfortable commute. We will study how the positive lessons from the newest Thomson-East Coast Line, which has been well received by commuters, can be applied to older stations. These improvements could include making stations more accessible, with additional escalators and lifts; improving navigation, with better wayfinding signages; and making our spaces more pleasant, with upgraded amenities like toilets and services for commuters.

We are currently looking at Yishun station as our first case study. Yishun is one of our older North-South Line stations. In recent years, the station has become busier and we expect more commuters as surrounding developments are completed. We will study whether the station platform can be extended to ease crowding during peak hours. We may add escalators, lifts and access points to facilitate the flow of commuters. We will also explore how we can improve the transfer experience, with upgrades to the bus stop, drop-off point and taxi stand, and new covered linkways to enhance shelter to nearby locations.

Before the Yishun case study is finalised, we have already made plans for improvements to North-South-East-West Line stations that will become interchanges with the upcoming Jurong Region Line and Cross Island Line. These include Choa Chu Kang and Boon Lay stations, with works to be completed in 2027; Jurong East station, in 2028; Pasir Ris and Ang Mo Kio stations, in 2030; and Clementi station, in 2032.

Beyond these infrastructural enhancements, we also want to re-imagine public transport spaces to better serve commuters and the community. For example, the new Punggol Coast Station on the North-East Line has a civic common space where residents, students from the Singapore Institute of Technology and people working in the Punggol Digital District can enjoy and interact.

Our public transport operators have already been working with the communities to improve the vibrancy of stations and interchanges. We will find opportunities to create more vibrant spaces such as by repurposing underutilised areas to support community and commercial uses. More details will be shared when our studies are completed.

So, now let me now say a few words in Mandarin.

(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Last year, we announced that the Government had accepted recommendations to tighten regulations on Personal Mobility Aids (PMAs) to curb misuse by able-bodied individuals and ensure that the sale and use of PMAs would be safe and sustainable. We intend to commence the new rules from the first quarter of 2026, to ensure that users and retailers have sufficient time to get used to the new rules.

Based on the new rules, riding a PMA on public paths above a speed of 6km/h and using or selling oversized PMAs will be an offence.

To curb the misuse of mobility scooters, from the first quarter of 2026, users will be required to have a certification of medical need to ride on public paths. From the fourth quarter of this year, users can visit their regular doctor to obtain this certification of medical need. We will release more details in the third quarter of this year and provide sufficient transition time. Users do not have to approach healthcare professionals to obtain certification now. This requirement for certification is only for mobility scooter users and does not apply to motorised wheelchair users.

We hope that these rules will ensure that PMAs are used responsibly, improving path safety.

We also hope that commuters enjoy a safe and comfortable journey on public transport. Unfortunately, we have been receiving increased feedback on inconsiderate commuter behaviour on public transport. This includes commuters consuming food and drink, or playing loud music or videos on their mobile devices. Some commuters have even soiled our train stations, or harassed others.

Thus, to maintain a positive travel experience for commuters, we will be strengthening our regulatory powers to act against inconsiderate behaviour, with the penalty increasing for repeat offenders. Public transport is a shared space. We hope that all commuters will play their part to be considerate and foster more comfortable and pleasant journeys.

(In English): Mr Chairman, in conclusion, we will continue making journeys on public transport and public paths safer and more comfortable. We look forward to the support of commuters in understanding and abiding by the regulations. Together, let us build a more gracious commuter culture.

The Chairman: Clarification time. Mr Saktiandi Supaat.

Mr Saktiandi Supaat: Thank you, Mr Chairman. I have three short clarifications. First of all, I would like to thank Minister for his very detailed speech earlier, indicating about $1 billion to strengthen rail capabilities and skills upgrading. The other good news is about the Seletar Line and Tengah Line going through Singapore. As he mentioned, hopefully, it will through Toa Payoh, and not only Toa Payoh but Toa Payoh East as well.

My first question, Mr Chairman, is in regard to Senior Minister of State Amy Khor's speech. She mentioned about the extension of the areas around schools. When it comes around that, in terms of enforcement, will there be enhancement in terms of surveillance and monitoring around the schools because it is now going to be 24/7 around the school and how will you enforce that? Because originally, it was only during school hours. But as you mentioned, the school hours are becoming a bit more adaptable and dynamic, so, whether there will be enhanced cameras, surveillance and monitoring systems, and whether we will be working with other agencies to enhance that. Because the safety of our children and our students is very important, and I am very particular about that.

Second, to Minister of State Murali, he mentioned about the public bus safety review. He highlighted, very importantly, that driving a bus is like flying a plane, if I am not mistaken. It is like flying a plane. Pilots do regular health check-ups, on a regular basis. I was intently hearing your explanation earlier, but I could not sort of capture whether there were any enhancements in terms of check-ups for our bus captains on a regular basis and whether there will be improvements or enhancements for bus captains going forward, or is it already in the plan in terms of the review?

My third question, Mr Chairman, is in terms of Senior Parliamentary Secretary Baey's speech earlier about medical certification or certificate of needs. I just want to clarify whether the cost will be free. Some of them may already have medical certification before, so, whether there be some leeway in terms of cost issues for them. Because he mentioned that more details will be announced after third quarter, some of them be concerned about how they can expect to apply for this certificate of need and how they will apply for them with the doctors; and whether there are cost issues concerned, whether existing ones can actually travel, can be applied going forward.

The Chairman: Mr Saktiandi, your three short clarifications are not so short. Minister of State Murali.

Mr Murali Pillai: Sir, in relation to the question posed by the hon Member Mr Saktiandi Supaat on whether there will be medical reviews for the bus drivers, firstly, may I just clarify that the drawing of a parallel between a bus captain and a pilot was made by Brother Peh, the Vice President of the National Transport Workers' Union. I can understand why he made that comparison.

As far as regular check-ups are concerned, I am personally aware that this is something that is done through the tripartite mechanism with the unions as well as the public transport operators and perhaps, we could look at that area to see what else can be done.

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Mr Baey Yam Keng: Sir, in response to Mr Saktiandi's question, as I said, for those who were already receiving assistance when they buy their PMAs, they do not have to do any additional certification. But for those who need to get the certification, they can apply through the current process, they will receive the grants based on the means testing basis. And for those who do not meet the means testing requirements, they need to pay a fee for the doctors to give them the certification. More details will be released by MOH later this year, so we urge potential users to look out for that.

Dr Amy Khor Lean Suan: With regard to the extension of the lower speed limit to school zones for full day, we will work with the relevant agencies on the enhanced enforcements. In addition, there will be clear signages and so on to let motorists know that the lower speed limit is for the full day, as well as, of course, work with the various stakeholders like the schools and the residents in the area.

The Chairman: I see many hands. So, I am going to request all Members to really keep it short and, likewise, the answers. Mr Neil Parekh.

Mr Neil Parekh Nimil Rajnikant: I want to thank Minister Chee, the Senior Minister of State, Minister of State and Senior Parliamentary Secretary for their very detailed explanation of the Budget for next year. I just have one question. In your view, what is the key enabler or enablers, I should say, that will ensure Singapore remains a leading global supply chain hub.

Mr Chee Hong Tat: Mr Chairman, I thank Mr Neil Parekh for his question. I think this is an important topic to focus on, especially in our current environment where we see more volatility and more disruptions to trade flows and supply chains.

What are the key enablers that will ensure that Singapore can retain our competitive advantage? I did say in my speech earlier, Mr Chairman, that we must not assume that our current hub status and our competitive advantage will be there forever. The competition is very intense and we do need to make sure that we continue to improve, to upgrade our capabilities to be able to meet with this rising competition. There are a few key enablers in my mind that I think would be critical.

First, is our strong tripartite partnership. This is a key strength for Singapore, and the tripartite partners – the employers, the unions, the Government – we work closely together to achieve a win-win outcome for all stakeholders. And this is something which allows us to be able to overcome obstacles, deal with crisis, including during COVID-19, and to be able to seize new opportunities.

Second, I would say one of our advantages is to be able to work as an ecosystem in an integrated manner. So, we do not just work in silos. We bring the stakeholders together, and whether it is within the Government, across different Government agencies, or with the private sector and the unions, we are able to then look at what will be the best solution as a whole and maximise our collective strength.

Third, long-term planning, because many of these capabilities, whether is it hardware, infrastructure, skills upgrading, you cannot ramp up at the last minute. You need a runway. So, because of that, this element in our process, in the way we work, long-term planning, I think will be quite critical, and you can see that in our planning for Terminal 5 and for Tuas Port,

And I will add a last one, which I think is an area that we need to continue to work on, which is to use the three advantages that I mentioned earlier – tripartism, our ecosystem integration, and with the ability to plan long term – to also look at how we can continuously review and improve our regulatory environment for businesses, to reduce regulatory burdens, business costs, to be able to support new technologies and innovations.

The Chairman: Mr Ang Wei Neng.

Mr Ang Wei Neng: Chairman, I have a clarification for the Minister. The Minister announced that there will be new bus services under the Bus Enhancement Plan this year, in 2025, but none of these services will ply Jurong West. And we know the Jurong Regional Line will only come to Jurong in two to three years' time. So, I hope the Minister can add new services in Jurong West this year, especially linking the residents to essential services like polyclinics, and not have to walk 170 metres.

The second question is on the upgrading of bus stops. Many existing bus stops in Jurong West are old. Some have not been painted for years. So, may I know what is LTA's plan and timeline for upgrading the bus stops in Singapore, including those in Jurong West?

Mr Chee Hong Tat: Mr Chairman, I want to assure Mr Ang that we will certainly follow up with him and his team in Jurong West to take a look at what are the areas for improvement.

For the Bus Connectivity Enhancement Programme, we do need to look at the local situations, the ridership, the demand, but I think based on what Mr Ang has shared, I will certainly ask LTA colleagues to have a good discussion with him and his colleagues to see whether we are able to make some improvements. Bus stops, I will also ask LTA to follow up with Mr Ang.

The Chairman: Mr Melvin Yong.

Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye: Mr Chairman, I believe my concerns with regard to the deployment of autonomous buses in Singapore were not addressed. So, can I ask the Minister to provide an update on the plans to deploy these autonomous buses and what is the road map? How many public transport workers, in particular, the bus captains and the bus technicians, will be affected in such a roll-out? Are there any plans to ensure that the affected workers are suitably upskilled, reskilled and redeployed in advance?

Mr Chee Hong Tat: Mr Chairman, Mr Melvin Yong and the union leaders from NTWU have been working very closely with us on the autonomous vehicles pilot. And Ms Yeo Wan Ling has taken over from Mr Yong, and I think that partnership continues.

So, I want to assure Mr Yong that we will involve the unions closely in this pilot, because we understand that there will be an impact on workers and we want to assure our workers that when we make some of these changes we will bring the workers along with us, and if there are some jobs that will be affected as a result of the implementation of new technologies, we will help our workers to be able to make the transition.

Mr Chairman, we intend to start the deployment of the autonomous vehicle shuttles with routes that are not so challenging. So, the first will be Service 400, which serves the Marina Bay South and Shenton Bay area, and the second one is Service 191 in one-north after that.

We have launched a Request for Proposal in January to purchase autonomous buses for this pilot and we intend to award the contract by the end of this year, and so to get the pilot started, and then we can learn from the experience as we go along, both from the operator's point of view, but also from the union's point of view and then to see what we can do together to give assurance to our workers.

The Chairman: Mr Dennis Tan.

Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong: I thank Minister Chee and Senior Parliamentary Secretary Baey for their answers to the issues I have raised. I would like to assure the Minister that, as a Singaporean, I would also hope that our T5 plans will succeed in ensuring that Singapore can remain as a global air hub and a regional air hub, and I assure the Minister of that.

I think the Minister may have misunderstood the spirit or the thrust of my question in my Budget debate speech. Basically, in essence, I was asking how will we step up in the next few years to mitigate any increase in the aviation emissions arising from the opening of T5 with the increase in the number of flights.

And I just want to make a clarification regarding what I said about Heathrow. Sir, Heathrow has set a target to hit 11% sustainable air fuel by 2030, not now. I was not talking about now, but it is 11%. I did say 10% but I could have made a mistake mixing it up with the UK government's mandate for sustainable aviation fuel to hit the target of 10% by 2030.

Likewise, I think there are also other countries like Japan which is also aiming for 10% by 2030. So, I do hope and I would support Singapore's effort to continue for its mitigation efforts to deal with the aviation emissions even as we expand our airport.

Mr Chee Hong Tat: Mr Chairman, I first want to thank Mr Tan for his clarification and for stating clearly his position that he supports the development of T5 and for our air hub at Changi to remain competitive. So, I wanted to thank Mr Tan for that indeed because the competitiveness of our air hub is one of the goals. But as I mentioned in my speech, we also want to make sure that we grow in a sustainable manner. So, both objectives are important. And for the second one on sustainability, we will pay attention to a few aspects. Of course, the adoption of sustainable aviation fuel is one. We will look at whether we can ramp up our adoption, moving in tandem with global developments and the availability of supply, because that is one constraint that affects many airlines at the moment.

New investments in production capacity will be needed to be able to increase supply, then to be able to support higher levels of sustainable aviation fuel adoption.

But besides sustainable aviation fuel, we also want to look at how we design the airport – and T5 will incorporate this – to be an environmentally sustainable airport. So, the way the airport operates, both the air side operations, and also on the passenger side, how we use energy efficiency measures to reduce energy consumption, to be able to maximise our usage of renewable energy, and also one other aspect which we are looking at is to use technology to improve air traffic management, because if you can reduce the time that the planes are circling and waiting up in the skies, and you can, through that process, reduce fuel consumption, I think that is also another way to be able to help businesses to save cost and reduce carbon emissions.

The Chairman: Ms Jean See.

Ms See Jinli Jean: Speaker, I just wanted to point out that my question relating to safety of occupational drivers was not responded to. So, could I perhaps ask the Minister of State what are actually the Ministry's plans in working with stakeholders to reinforce the shared responsibility for safety of occupational drivers, who could be PHV drivers as well as heavy vehicle drivers?

Mr Murali Pillai: Sir, in relation to the occupational drivers, some of the recommendations that we have made under the Bus Safety Tripartite Taskforce may be reviewed to see whether they are applicable. As the hon Member would appreciate, my focus or at least my task force's focus, was really looking at the bus captains in the public transport arena, and not in the private sector. And perhaps it is time to visit these recommendations with them and see what can be taken on board.

The Chairman: Mr Mark Lee.

Mr Mark Lee: The Minister mentioned an additional $1 billion on top of the existing $5 billion top-up to support Changi Airport's expansion and connectivity. Could you share on the measures or initiatives that will enable smaller enterprises, especially SMEs, to enable them to tap into new business opportunities arising as Changi continues to grow?

Mr Chairman, I think when we invest in growing our airhub, there will be direct and indirect benefits that will flow to the ecosystem, including our local companies, our SMEs. So, I do not want to be too specific because really depends on how they intend to execute some of these plans, but broadly, I would say, on infrastructure, because that was one of the areas that I mentioned earlier.

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When we build infrastructure, I think there will be opportunities to involve some of our local companies. Some of them may be big enough to take on the contracts as the main contractor, but some of them may not be big enough, but they can pair up with the bigger companies, whether local or foreign. And then they can participate in the process as well and build up their track records. So, that is one area.

Second area on innovation and technology. I think we also have some good local companies that have good technology solutions to offer and I think they can help to optimise the airport operations, including whether there are ways to improve environmental sustainability, as what Mr Tan mentioned earlier. I think these are also areas that we can involve the local companies.

And finally, on manpower. Because skills upgrading will be important, some of our local SMEs are also involved in this space as training providers. So, I think that will also be another possible area that they can benefit.

The Chairman: We have time for two more clarifications. Assoc Prof Jamus Lim.

Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim: Sir, I understand that the 10-year COE duration is not currently tied to the life cycle of the vehicle, but as I explained in my cut, then-Minister for Communications and Information Yeo Ning Hong had said that it was tied to the limit for Preferential Additional Registration Fee (PARF) benefits. But my point is actually that this duration is arbitrary and we needlessly tie ourselves to a legacy duration that may be misaligned with what will be reasonable in terms of a key component of an EV, which is the battery.

Senior Minister of State Amy Khor has indicated that a system of multiple COE durations could become unwieldy. Although, of course, now we seem to manage a two-duration system with no issues. But based on what MOT has already announced, it will anyhow phase out the issuance of internal combustion engine (ICE)-COE starting in 2030 and the local fleet will be all EV by 2040. If so, would a change in duration not be considered at this later point in the future?

Dr Amy Khor Lean Suan: As I have noted in my reply and as the learned Assoc Prof has also said, definitely the validity period of the COE is not tied to the lifespan of the vehicle. When we implemented this, we put a validity period of 10 years. Actually, as I have said, it is really for greater equity, so that motorist do not own a car in perpetuity at the expense of future car owners.

So, this 10-year period really is a good balance between certainty for existing owners and a good chance, a chance for somebody who may wish to purchase a car. And it also happens to tie-in with the time limit for the PARF benefits, which is actually, to encourage vehicle fleet renewal in Singapore, is still relevant.

And as I have said, we have been using this validity period, monitoring. It has worked well. We will continue to, as we have done, take in feedback from stakeholders, interested parties and monitor the appropriateness of this validity period.

But having said that, even the two system – 10-year and five-year – the five-year was a concession for owners whose COE was expiring. They did not think that the cars would last for more than five years and we gave a concession for the five-year renewal. But that is only one time. If they renew for five years, they will not be able to renew again. So, the system has not really got multiple COE validity periods.

And as I have said, actually, we are technology agnostic, too, in the sense that technology evolves. We want cleaner energy vehicles, but it does not have to be EV, although at this point in time, EV is the most viable. But technology changes, evolves. In fact, I checked ChatGPT too, lifespan of EV batteries is 10 to 20 years. Warranty, eight years, but some companies are already giving 10 years. So, I think it is not really sensible to tie it to a specific technology.

The Chairman: Ms Yeo Wan Ling and Ms Ng Ling Ling, I am sorry we have run out of time. So, can I invite Mr Saktiandi Supaat if you would like to draw your amendment?

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Mr Saktiandi Supaat: Mr Chairman, I would like to highlight that I am thankful to all the 19 Members and who have asked questions. We have 55 questions for MOT this year; which is almost 30% to 35% increase from last year. This is a testament to the work that MOT and the One Transport Family has been doing for the past year and going forward as well, given that the work is not just for this year, but also for many decades down the road.

So, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Minister Chee Hong Tat, Senior Minister of State, Minister of State, Senior Parliamentary Secretary and, of course, the One Transport Family, all the staff, including those from LTA, MPA, CAAS; and as Minister mentioned, the importance of our tripartite partners to make sure that MOT work and Singapore is well taken care of.

On that note, Mr Chairman, I seek leave to withdraw my amendment.

Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.

The sum of $2,798,018,900 for Head W ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates.

The sum of $12,528,311,800 for Head W ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates.