Committee of Supply – Head W (Ministry of Transport)

Head S (cont) –

Resumption of Debate on Question [8 March 2022],

"That the total sum to be allocated for Head W of the Estimates be reduced by $100." – [Mr Saktiandi Supaat].

Question again proposed.

Reining in High Motorcycle COE Prices

Mr Murali Pillai (Bukit Batok): Sir, hon Members on both sides of the aisle have expressed concern about the high motorcycle COE prices. These prices impact persons from low-income background, especially those who use motorcycles as part of their work. For them, taking public transport is not a viable option. Even as demand for these continue to be strong, the supply has been squeezed. Last year, the Government announced a zero-growth rate for cars and motorcycles until 31 January 2025. In these current circumstances, motorcycle prices may rise even further unless something is done.

I support a cap on our vehicles, as the number on our roads draw near to one million, but I wonder if the total number can be allocated differently. For example, I note from the categorisation of vehicles for COE purposes, goods vehicles are in a separate category, Category C. I further note that this category is allowed a growth rate of 0.25% of the vehicle population divided by four until 2025. I wonder if the Government is prepared to recognise a separate category of delivery motorcycles and apply a similar growth rate for this category. This may go some way to mitigate the high COE prices for motorcycles used for work. It is a practical and fair way to harness the market to work for us.

11.00 am

Motorcycle Ownership

Mr Abdul Samad (Nominated Member): Chairman, the cost of owning a motorcycle has risen miserably for motorcycle riders since the past year, more so with COEs for motorcycles crossing the $10,000 mark. This has impacted many workers riding small motorcycles, not just to and from work but also for those who use it to earn a living, to bring food on the table for themselves and their family members.

Many of my cousins, friends, union members and fellow workers shared with me their concerns and they are worried about how the cost of owning a motorcycle would affect their livelihood. Not more than three years ago, the cost of purchasing a new motorcycle with a small engine capacity is around $8,000 or below, including with COE. But today, it is a really big challenge for them. My recent engagement shows that owning a new small motorcycle with the same small engine capacity will cost between $15,000 and $18,000 dollars.

MOT certainly has the data of motorcycle ownerships based on engine capacity. Hence, on behalf of all of them, I am appealing that MOT takes a much deeper and closer look and provide the necessary support or assistance for this group of riders. Can MOT also consider tiering the COE prices based on engine capacity?

To the Minister for Transport, this is the plea I wish to convey on behalf of them: "We like to earn a living for ourselves and family and this is only what we can afford. If you don't help us, who then should we turn to, Sir?"

Affordable Motorcycle COE

Mr Liang Eng Hwa (Bukit Panjang): Sir, the Certificate of Entitlement (COE) premiums for motorcycles hit new highs and stayed above the $10,000 level since January this year. The premiums now can cost more than two times the price of an entry level motorcycle. Does this make sense? And how does it impact those who are dependent on motorcycles for their livelihoods?

Sir, while the market-based approach to allocate COEs is efficient, it may not always lead to the desirable economic and social outcomes. Motorcycles is one the essential mode of transport that have helped many meet many critical and general business needs, such as delivery and dispatch of goods and documents. It is less impacted by traffic jams and hence, can be a more reliable transport mode to get around, including delivering essential items like medicines or attending to emergency repairs and many other economic activities.

Many full-time and freelance workers are also dependent on their motorcycles for livelihoods. Hence, the sharp rise in COE premiums do cause anxieties to these riders. Their concerns are whether would the COE premium continue to rise higher and to stay high.

Like any markets, there is always room for interventions when the price actions do not reflect fundamentals, or where there are market distortions that cause imbalances in demand and supply.

What are the reasons for the recent record high premiums of motorcycle COEs? What can the Government do to moderate or bring down the premiums to more affordable levels? Should we look at the supply of the motorcycles' COE as one way to meet the higher demand? Otherwise, would the Government consider other additional measures to help those who are impacted and dependent on their motorcycles for livelihoods?

Increasing Number of Motorcycle COEs

Mr Kwek Hian Chuan Henry (Kebun Baru): Chairman, in previous Budgets, COS debates and Parliamentary Questions (PQs), I have spoken about whether the Government can do more regarding the high prices of motorcycle COEs.

High demand, like what my Parliamentary colleagues have just mentioned, is one of the reasons. Another possible reason is that over the years, there was a reduction of the percentage of total COEs used by motorcycles. And this is because a portion of motorcycle COEs were converted previously into Open Category COEs, even though motorists rarely used the Open Category COEs for motorcycles.

I previously asked for MOT to consider stopping this transfer to Open Category and for a greater proportion of COEs to be allocated to motorcycles over time, with an eye of restoring the original ratio of motorcycle versus non-motorcycle COEs. MOT has responded then by stopping the transfer to Open Category, which was helpful to moderate motorcycle COE prices then. In view of the current prices of motorcycle COEs, is there more that MOT can do and possibly increase the number of COEs for motorcycles?

Active Mobility and Cycling Network

Ms Poh Li San (Sembawang): Chairman, over the years, the Government has conducted several reviews of regulations to ensure safe usage of active mobility devices. Active mobility modes have also increased in popularity since the pandemic started.

Would the Ministry provide an update on the situation today? How many Singaporeans and residents are using active mobility devices on a regular basis today, compared to the last two years? What are the Government’s plans to support active mobility while ensuring safety for all users and pedestrians?

Would the Ministry provide an update on the Islandwide Cycling Network? With the rise in the number of cyclists for commuting, delivery and leisure, would the Government speed up the construction of cycling networks, especially in towns with dense cycling traffic?

Safe and Responsible Riding

Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong (Hougang): Mr Chairman, in the past half a year or possibly longer, I have noted from media websites that the authorities have been regularly conducting operations to promote safe riding efforts by cyclists and Personal Mobility Devices (PMD) users.

And according to news, media reports or the LTA Facebook page, these efforts included enforcement against errant riders, as well as efforts by officers to stop and engage riders on-the-ground on safe riding etiquette, as well as use of the right equipment, such as having compliant e-bikes complying with road traffic or active mobility rules – such as observing appropriate speed limits, complying with traffic lights, riding against the traffic, no riding on expressways, wearing of helmets and riding in the right numbers or formation.

I had previously spoken of the need for consistent enforcement and I am heartened by the publicity on more regular enforcement. The enhanced publicity for these operations and engagements are also good, as they should help to encourage riders to be more conscious in riding safely and complying with road traffic or active mobility rules.

Will the Government give a brief report of its enforcement and engagements over the past year, including the number of cases of infringements by cyclists or PMD users, who were taken to task?

While I agree that the recent efforts are a step in the right direction, I have continued to see, on quite a regular basis, that there are still riders who, for example, beat red lights or cycle against the traffic, or do not wear helmets and riding on the road. I still see some e-scooters on the road or on footpaths, even though their use on these services have been banned for some time.

Though I agree that the use of PMDs on roads or footpaths have reduced considerably from the time before the ban took place, I am often surprised to see that people continue to take the risk of riding illegally. Sir, I hope the Minister would share MOT's plans on how the Ministry will engage or deal with this smaller group of active mobility users who may continue to use their bikes or e-scooters illegally or inappropriately, so that we can continue to improve the riding culture in Singapore.

In particular, are there any lessons learned from the enforcement or engagement efforts in recent months, which can be applied to persuade this group of active mobility users?

Active Mobility Advisory Panel

Dr Shahira Abdullah (Nominated Member): With Singapore moving towards being a car-lite society, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic leading to a cycling boom, there have been many altercations between motorists and cyclists in Singapore. These incidences may be uploaded on social media, which serves to stoke further tensions between them. Therefore, the recommendations from the Active Mobility Advisory Panel (AMAP) came at a timely juncture to ensure safety as motorists and cyclists increasingly share the roads.

I am glad the Panel has recommended that cyclists take up third-party liability insurance. It can help protect the cyclists when accidents occur, providing compensation for victims of accidents. As such, I would like to find out the timeframe for rolling out these measures.

Even though the Panel has decided not to license on-road cyclists, public education is still an important part of the adoption of these recommendations. There is also a concurrent need to educate the drivers as well. Motorists may not be aware of what cyclists can do on the road and not all cyclists are familiar with the highway code. What will the Ministry be doing to step up public education on road safety for cyclists and motorists hand-in-hand with its enforcement action? How will the Ministry be ensuring that errant cyclists and motorists will be caught and censured?

Bike Lanes in Towns

Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim (Sengkang): Sir, I wish to make the case for designated bike lanes in towns, carved from the existing road network. These lanes would be proposed by the Town Councils in collaboration with LTA and can be piloted on roads that are less heavily utilised within their estates.

To be clear, there is already an extensive network of island-wide bicycle-friendly trails, comprising the Park Connector Network (PCN), alongside trails as well as corridors. But these trails do no address the so-called "Last Mile Problem", where riders are still required to ride on regular roads and occasionally on pavements, to the detriment of some of the Members of this House as well as safety, to get to their final destination, or to traverse across the estate.

Bicycle riders can, of course, make use of existing roads, riding to the far left. But when bike lanes are not designated, there is an absence of clear guidelines for vehicle drivers and this often results in compromising the riders' safety when passing vehicles leave uncomfortably little space.

Accordingly, riders ride defensively, sometimes two abreast, to occupy the entire lane, which would be more inefficient than designating a clear, even if narrow, bike lane and correspondingly narrow lines for regular vehicles.

Dedicated bike lanes will support commercial activity. Since cycling paths currently allow the use of powered vehicles, delivery riders that cannot ply foot paths, will have a safe alternative for their Personal Mobility Devices (PMDs). In Sengkang, such delivery riders and dedicated bike lanes seem like a win-win solution that will accommodate our many PMD users. Such bike lanes will also encourage activities that promote environmental sustainability. Lanes that connect within estates will serve as an important supplement to the tripling of bike trails envisioned in the Singapore Green Plan 2030.

Shared Use of Footpaths

Mr Lim Biow Chuan (Mountbatten): Sir, last year, during COS debate, I spoke about the frustration caused to many pedestrians due to a minority of reckless cyclists, who speed along shared paths and footpaths. Their inconsiderate behaviour is a cause of danger to other users of the shared paths or foot paths, who may be injured by such riders.

I have seen regular enforcement action taken by LTA and NParks' officers, but this situation does not seem to have improved. The enforcement officers cannot possibly be at the park connector or other shared paths every day. Pedestrians tell me they do not feel safe using the shared paths or footpaths, when cyclists zip by them at high speeds and in a dangerous manner. And this is especially so for pedestrians who are seniors or with young toddlers. One wrong step by the toddler or the senior person may mean serious injury if a speeding bicycle crashes on them. It does not help that many shared paths do not have clear demarcation as to which side of the path is for pedestrians and which side is for the cyclists.

Indeed, I myself have walked along such paths and I felt it was very stressful not knowing whether a reckless cyclist would crash into my back.

May I ask LTA to do more – to educate and remind all cyclists using shared or footpaths that they should not speed and be considerate to other users? Can LTA put up more prominent signs along the paths reminding cyclists on the dangers of speeding and riding recklessly?

In Tanjong Rhu, there used to be a sign – a small sign – that the cyclists are not supposed to ride beyond the bicycle lane. But nobody obeyed it. But when a prominent "No Cycling" sign was put on the floor of the footpath bridge, I saw marked improvements in the behaviours of cyclists and a large majority of cyclists dismounted and pushed their bicycles across the foot path. Without the prominent signage, many cyclists would just ride across the bridge.

11.15 am

Safe and Pleasant Pedestrian Experience

Mr Cheng Hsing Yao (Nominated Member): Sir, recently, a foreign friend shared that one of the best things about Singapore is that people can walk freely and comfortably on the streets, even in the early morning or late at night. They do not feel that their safety is threatened. This is the combined efforts of MHA, which maintains a very low crime level in Singapore and the concerted planning and execution of various Ministries, like MND and MOT. I am a member of the Discover Tanjong Pagar Business Improvement District (BID), which is an association of private development stakeholders. We work together to find ways to enhance the Tanjong Pagar neighbourhood. Initially seeded by MND and URA, the Discover Tanjong Pagar BID has become a close-knit group of stakeholders. The BID had many positive experiences working with the agencies, such as URA, NParks, SLA, PA and LTA.

On walkability, members of the BID had site walks with LTA officers to explain some of the areas of concerns for pedestrian safety or comfort. With the other agencies, we have jointly developed green spaces, introduced play facilities and tree planting. LTA considered the inputs from the BID and implemented improvements, such as introducing new traffic lights or widening of footpaths. These efforts cannot make news headlines, but they relate to the detailed on-the-ground adjustments that greatly improve the experience of the neighbourhood. Can MOT share more about how agencies and stakeholders can work together to make our city more walkable, vibrant and liveable?

The Chairman: Mr Gan Thiam Poh, take your three cuts together.

Cycling Network

Mr Gan Thiam Poh (Ang Mo Kio): Thank you, Chairman. More Singaporeans and residents are taking up cycling as a form of exercise and as a green mode of transport. Can the Ministry share an update on the islandwide cycling network as well as plans to make cycling safer for cyclists and pedestrians on pathways which are currently not part of the network?

Road Network

Our road network spans 9,000 lane-kilometres and requires much maintenance to keep it in good and safe condition. In the face of labour shortage, how would LTA upkeep maintenance? Will LTA be leveraging on new technology or materials to maintain this network effectively?

Modified Vehicles

Illegally-modified vehicles cause not only noise pollution, which disturb residents, especially late at night. They also put the drivers, passengers and other road users at risk. There have been quite a number of incidents where they either burst into flames or would not be able to function safely. What is LTA doing to address this problem of illegally-modified vehicles and motorcycles?

Point-to-Point Sector – Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle

Ms Yeo Wan Ling (Pasir Ris-Punggol): Through the years, our taxi and private hire vehicle driving community has been keeping Singapore going. Rain or shine, early mornings and late nights, pandemic or no pandemic, providing a reliable and safe form of transportation for many Singaporean families. Our resilient hardworking drivers have weathered changes to their industry, affecting their livelihoods and lives. Some changes are sudden, like COVID-19; some changes are long-tailed, like technology changes, ranging from changing diesel standards, the invention of ride-hailing apps, the rolling out of full EV vehicles.

Our drivers have rolled with the times and, with the support and representation of the NTUC Associations, National Taxi Association and the National Private Hire Vehicles Association, their resilience and courage have carried them out of these situations stronger and better. In the midst of the fuel price surges, which have left our drivers reeling and frightened about the sustainability of their livelihoods, our association leaders have led the charge and bringing the matter of business cost up to the taxi and ride-hail platform partners as well as LTA. Our leaders have similarly worked with the tripartite partners in the introduction and extension of the COVID-19 Driver Relief Fund (CDRF), which has given our drivers some added measure of relief.

One evergreen challenge our leaders have brought up is the support needed to aid drivers looking to transit out of driving. Unlike salaried employees who may take paid training leave, for every hour a self-employed driver spends away from his trade, it is an hour less spent on earning a living. Hence, most drivers who wish to undertake training must bear triple costs – training fee, vehicle rental and loss of income. To provide some ground reality, the current training allowance provided by WSG is pegged at $4.50 per hour. An eight-hour training day equates to $36 or 50% of vehicle rental cost. Given that many drivers have depleted their savings trying to cope with COVID-19, this is a challenging dilemma. As our drivers seek for more sustainable future-proof livelihoods, will the Ministry consider training allowances to be adjusted? Can the Ministry also provide an update for the support of our drivers to prepare for a better future?

Throughout COVID-19, our drivers have been frontliners and sometimes face the wrath of angry and unreasonable commuters. This can range from ugly spats on the COVID-19 measures to our female drivers who meet the tricky passengers as they brave the long night drives. What are some of the new safety nets that the Government will be putting in place to ensure that our drivers remain safe and how has it been effective as a deterrent for taxi drivers and PH drivers since its inclusion in July 2021?

The Chairman: Minister S Iswaran.

The Minister for Transport (Mr S Iswaran): Mr Chairman, I would like to thank all Members for their questions and suggestions for my Ministry, which Senior Minister of State Amy Khor, Senior Minister of State Chee Hong Tat, Senior Parliamentary Secretary Baey Yam Keng and I will endeavour to address.

Sir, connectivity is the lifeblood of Singapore. We depend on our transportation links, domestic and international, for our lives and our livelihoods. Hence, MOT's aim is to build a Resilient, Sustainable and Inclusive Transport Hub. I will focus my response to Members' cuts on four themes: first, the recovery of our Aviation Hub; second, our sustainability initiatives; third, keeping land transport accessible and affordable; and fourth, creating good job opportunities in the transport sector.

Let me start with the reopening of borders and aviation recovery, which Mr Melvin Yong, Mr Gan Thiam Poh, Ms Poh Li San, Mr Dennis Tan and Mr Raj Joshua Thomas have asked about. This is our immediate priority.

Changi's air connectivity anchors the Singapore economy. Many companies choose to be in Singapore because they can easily reach their customers and suppliers in our region and beyond. To lose Changi's connectivity is to lose this key competitive advantage and our livelihoods that depend on it.

In the early stages of the pandemic, we were faced with a stark and difficult trade-off between protecting public health and opening our borders. Fortunately, we are in a different situation today, thanks to a better understanding of the virus, well-established safe management measures and high levels of vaccination in our population.

Hence, we have been able to take careful and calibrated steps to reopen our borders. In early 2021, the passenger volumes were at 3% of pre-COVID-19 levels. We introduced Vaccinated Travel Lanes (VTLs) from September last year, barely six months ago, although it feels like a lifetime. Today, we have VTLs with 32 countries and regions. These VTLs have enabled us to attain passenger volumes of about 15% of pre-COVID-19 levels in December 2021. Flights at Changi have reached 38% and city links are at 58%. Many have, finally, been able to reunite with family and friends abroad.

We must sustain this momentum. Other aviation hubs, like Dubai, Qatar and Istanbul, are already at up to 70% of their pre-COVID-19 international passenger traffic. In our region, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines have announced plans to reopen their borders to all vaccinated travellers. In short, the world is learning to live with COVID-19.

We now have the confidence and opportunity to move decisively. IATA forecasts that international passenger volumes in the Asia Pacific will recover to about 40% of pre-COVID-19 levels this year. We aim to restore Changi's passenger volumes to be at least 50% of pre-COVID-19 levels in 2022.

We are now in the first phase of this plan, launching VTLs with specific countries and regions. Just last week, we announced further VTLs with Vietnam, Greece, Malaysia, Indonesia, India and Europe.

The next phase will entail a more fundamental shift – from Vaccinated Travel Lanes to vaccinated, quarantine-free travel. Our aim is to allow all fully-vaccinated travellers from countries and regions under MOH's "Low Risk" and "General Travel" categories to enter Singapore without having to serve Stay-Home Notice (SHN) or quarantine. This will, effectively, reopen our borders to the rest of the world.

MOT will work closely with the Multi-Ministry Task Force (MTF) and MOH on the timing of this transition, which will depend on the public health situation in Singapore and the world, among other things.

We share Ms Poh Li San’s concerns about the potential impact of the situation in Ukraine. It has already affected fuel prices and could impede the recovery of the global economy and international aviation. We are monitoring the situation closely with our aviation partners and will mount an appropriate response should the need arise.

In the meantime, our airport community is gearing up for higher travel volumes. During the pandemic, the workforce in Changi Airport Group, SIA, SATS and other aviation companies fell sharply. Based on MOM's latest published employment data, as of September 2021, the air transport sector employed about 25,000 workers, nearly one-third less than pre-COVID-19 levels.

Our companies are now ramping up recruitment. SIA has started hiring new cabin crew and SATS is bringing back experienced workers. This is an important effort, but by no means an easy one. The Government will continue supporting our aviation sector amidst the continued uncertainty with a $500 million "OneAviation Resilience Package" in the coming financial year. Of this, $60 million will go towards manpower support, as companies build up capacity ahead of demand; $390 million for continued cost relief and measures to safeguard public health at the airport; and $50 million to support long-term industry digitalisation and transformation efforts via a top-up to the Aviation Development Fund.

Mr Melvin Yong and Mr Dennis Tan asked for an update on Terminal 5 (T5). In 2020, we announced a two-year pause in the development of T5.

We have used the opportunity of this pause to review the T5 design in light of the pandemic experience and the heightened sustainability ambition. But there should be no doubt that we are firm in our resolve that Changi must have the capacity and capability to seize opportunities that arise from aviation growth, especially in Asia, and we will provide an update on the review in due course.

Let me now turn to Environmental Sustainability. Yesterday, in the Joint Segment on the Singapore Green Plan, I announced our land transport emissions target and explained how vehicle electrification will contribute to that effort. Today, I will cover other sustainability initiatives in the transport sector.

11.30 am

Let me begin with our Aviation Hub. Ms Poh Li San asked about the Sustainable Air Hub Blueprint which is key to Changi’s future competitiveness. The Blueprint will establish emissions reduction targets for 2030 and 2050 and the specific measures we will take at the airport, with airlines and in air traffic management. All of these can contribute to a more sustainable air hub. Besides lowering emissions, it will also create new opportunities for Singaporeans in fields like data analytics and engineering. The detailed plans will be announced in early 2023.

Ms Poh also asked how we will help aviation companies cope with increased business costs arising from carbon taxes, which would include higher electricity charges. MOT and Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) are working with our aviation companies to adopt new technologies and other measures to enhance energy efficiency, reduce electricity usage and lower carbon emissions, such as through the deployment of solar panels at the airport. I should add that our aviation enterprises should also view this as an opportunity to differentiate themselves and enhance their competitiveness, given the global focus on sustainability.

In a similar vein, I would like to inform Mr Dennis Tan that we are making significant efforts to build a sustainable maritime hub. International shipping accounts for about 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Maritime centres like Singapore can play a meaningful role in achieving the emissions targets set by the International Maritime Organization.

As a follow-up to last year’s recommendations of the International Advisory Panel for Maritime Decarbonisation, the Maritime Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) has held extensive consultations with the industry. This effort has culminated in the Maritime Singapore Decarbonisation Blueprint, which I am happy to launch today. Let me highlight three aspects of the Blueprint.

First, we will reduce emissions from our port terminals and harbour craft. Our terminal operators will electrify equipment, optimise energy usage and leverage renewable energy. We aim to reduce emissions by at least 60% from 2005 levels by 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions at our port terminals by 2050.

For harbour craft that operate in our port, we will first use low-carbon fuels such as biofuels, LNG and diesel-electric hybrids. This will enable us to reduce emissions by 15% from 2021 levels by 2030. In parallel, we will develop and deploy zero-carbon vessels such as those using electricity, to further halve 2030's emission levels by 2050.

Second, we will support global efforts to decarbonise international shipping. We are working with the industry, research community and international partners on R&D, pilots and standards development for low and zero carbon fuels, especially at the new Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation. We expect hydrogen and its carriers, including ammonia and methanol, as well as bio-LNG, to be important components of the future fuel mix. We will, therefore, prepare our port for this multi-fuel transition.

Third, MPA will commit an additional $300 million in funding over the next 10 years to reduce emissions from our port terminals and harbour craft and support the development of green technologies and fuels for international shipping.

Finally, public transport is a core element of our sustainability efforts. As I shared yesterday, the adoption of EVs can make an important contribution, but the greenest modes of mobility are walking, cycling and the use of public transport. We will continue to enhance these options for commuters.

Let me start by first assuring Members that notwithstanding the disruptions wrought by COVID-19, the Government is committed to continue expanding our rail network. It is a critical investment in the capacity of our public transport system, the productivity of our economy and effective mobility for our people.

We are making good progress in this regard. LTA’s 2021 Household Travel Survey shows that seven in 10 households now live within a 10-minute walk of the nearest train station. This brings us closer to our target of eight in 10 households by 2030.

Trips during peak hours are also shorter. The proportion of peak hour walk, cycle or ride journeys completed within 45 minutes has increased from 66% in 2019 to 71% in 2021. We aim to raise this to 90% by 2040.

In August last year, we opened the second stage of the Thomson East Coast Line, or TEL. We expect 11 more TEL stations to commence service in the second half of 2022. This will connect residents in the north directly to many destinations in the city and significantly shorten travel times. Those who live or work near stations like Great World, Maxwell and Shenton Way will have direct connections to the entire MRT network. When TEL is fully opened over the next few years, more than 240,000 households will be within a 10-minute walk from a TEL station.

Beyond the Thomson East Coast Line, the Jurong Region Line (JRL) and Cross Island Line (CRL) will open in stages from 2027 and 2030 respectively. The JRL serves the north-western part of Singapore, connecting towns like Choa Chu Kang, Tengah and Jurong to Nanyang Technological University and the Jurong Innovation District. For CRL, we had earlier shared details about the first stage comprising 12 stations from Aviation Park to Bright Hill, as well as the extension with three stations from Elias to Punggol. The second stage of the Cross Island Line will extend further west and run through areas such as Turf City, Sunset Way, Clementi, West Coast and Jurong Lake District. We will release more details later this year.

The Cross Island Line will have interchanges with all the radial lines, giving commuters more travel route options. A wider and denser network also strengthens resilience at the system level. When these lines are completed, we would have increased our rail network by 50% to 360 kilometres.

The rail network is complemented by bus services. As we expand our public transport system and the asset and operating base grows, costs will inevitably rise. One way to sustain this growing network and manage costs is to optimise the provision of bus and rail services holistically at the system level. This may entail reallocating capacity and resources. Senior Minister of State Chee will elaborate on how we seek to achieve this, with a focus on the overall benefit to commuters.

Mr Ang Wei Neng suggested giving discounts to encourage more off-peak travel. Indeed, this is another way to better utilise our existing public transport infrastructure. Today, commuters who tap-in at any MRT or LRT station before 7.45 am on weekdays, excluding public holidays, enjoy a discount of up to 50 cents. With changing work and travel patterns, we will continue to work with employers and study various options to smoothen peak demand.

Some Members like Mr Lim Biow Chuan have pointed out that a high-quality public transport system must be resilient, yet affordable and accessible. The challenge is in striking the difficult but essential balance, between quality, affordability and financial sustainability of our public transport system over the long term.

In particular, even as we manage increasing costs, we have always sought to keep public transport affordable for all Singaporeans, especially for vulnerable commuters like our seniors and persons with disabilities (PWDs). Indeed, that is why we tilt public transport subsidies towards more vulnerable commuter segments. In addition, in the last two Fare Review Exercises, for example, we set aside approximately $20 million a year in Public Transport Vouchers to help defray the impact of the fare increase. Seniors and persons with disabilities from lower-income households can benefit from this additional support.

So, when Assoc Prof Jamus Lim suggests making public transport free for seniors and persons with disabilities, we understand where he is coming from, yet do not necessarily agree with where he suggests we go. To address the Member’s proposal, it is worthwhile to first understand what we are already doing today and what his suggestions mean for commuters and taxpayers.

Overall, the Government spends more than $2 billion annually in subsidies for public transport commuters: about $1 billion for bus operations and $1 billion for train operations. On average, we subsidise more than $1 for every journey taken on public transport.

As of January this year, there are around 975,000 seniors and persons with disabilities who hold concession cards, which is nearly 1 million. Depending on the trip, they receive a discount of up to 55% from what an adult commuter would pay. The Member has estimated that his proposal will cost $300 to $400 million annually, which he has acknowledged has to be paid for by commuters or taxpayers. Using his numbers, for taxpayers, this would mean a 15% to 20% increase to the $2 billion in subsidies already borne by them. If borne by commuters, adult fares will have to be increased by around 20% to 25% today, or 30 cents to 40 cents on average – this is up to 11 times the fare increase last year.

This financial burden is by no means insignificant and it will only grow by 2030, when the number of persons with disabilities and seniors aged 60 and above is expected to increase, by about 28%, to about 1.2 million.

In contrast, the Public Transport Council, or PTC, which is cognisant of the need to ensure that fares remain affordable for vulnerable commuter groups, adopts a different approach. When fares are increased, PTC has apportioned less of the increase to concessionary commuter groups and more to other adult commuters. But everyone pays a share and those who can pay more, do so. This is a more equitable approach, which has served us well over the years.

11.45 am

Looking ahead, several converging trends will affect our public transport system over the next decade – a growing rail network, shifting work and travel patterns, our ageing population and volatile energy prices. Amidst these changes, it is important to have a fare formula for long-term financial sustainability. The current fare formula is valid until 2022. We will commence the fare formula review this year and conclude the exercise by next year. The PTC will continue to strike a delicate balance across cost pressures faced by public transport operators, the burden on taxpayers of public transport subsidies and fare affordability for commuters.

Mr Chairman, let me now turn to active mobility and private transport.

Walking and cycling complement our public transport network, especially to bridge the first- and last-mile connections. Many different groups of commuters use our various paths and I note the comments by several Members about the nature of the interactions in these different pathways. These paths should not be territory that is jostled or contested over. Rather, they should be common spaces that we share and enjoy with a culture of graciousness. To balance the needs of different users and promote safety and graciousness, the Active Mobility Advisory Panel, or AMAP, was first formed in 2015. I would like to thank the Panel for their good work over the past few years under the strong leadership of Minister of State Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim. Senior Parliamentary Secretary Baey Yam Keng has taken over from Minister of State Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim as Chairman since the start of the new term of AMAP in January this year and he will elaborate more on the steps that we have taken and on AMAP’s key priorities going forward.

Next, private transport. Given our limited land, we have long pursued a car-lite strategy. The COE system is an allocation mechanism that responds to market forces. Mr Liang Eng Hwa, Mr Murali Pillai and Mr Abdul Samad raised questions about motorcycle COEs where prices have been high in recent times. Mr Henry Kwek and Mr Murali Pillai have also suggested increasing motorcycle COE supply. I understand the reasons for their suggestions and share their concerns for those who may depend on motorcycles for a living. However, it is important to note that there has been strong and persistent demand for motorcycles. This is reflected in the utilisation rate of motorcycle Temporary Certificates of Entitlement, or TCOEs, which have remained consistently high at over 99% since bidding resumed in July 2020. TCOEs mean that the bidder has six months. So, it is a temporary COE – six months within which they can then utilise that COE. And the fact that, over that six-month period, the utilisation rate has been high consistently at 99% underscores the point that demand has been high.

The distribution of these COEs is also noteworthy: 70% have been used for motorcycles with 200 cc engine capacity or less, about 20% in the 201 cc to 400 cc range and about 10% are more than 400 cc.

There have been some suggestions, like from Mr Murali Pillai, that perhaps we could consider a special sub-allocation. But the problem is that the overall number of COEs available is between 400 and 600, on average, per bidding cycle exercise. That being the case, if we further subdivide the category, the likelihood of greater volatility in the prices is significantly increased.

Having said that, we have observed early signs that the utilisation rate may be softening for TCOEs obtained in more recent months. So, I want to assure Members that I have asked LTA to study this very carefully and they will be completing their review soon.

Several Members asked about job prospects and how we will develop local talent.

Mr Chairman, the changes I have outlined will need the support of our transport workers and unions. The past two years have been difficult for the entire transport community, especially for our frontline workers in our airport, seaport and land transport system. With hard work and grit, they have kept Singapore connected. And I want to thank the entire transport community, especially our frontline transport workers, for their tenacity and forbearance in this most challenging of times.

Beyond COVID-19, as we forge ahead with electrification, digitalisation and automation, I know that many of our workers in the workforce may be worried about their jobs and their future. Our commitment to you is that we will be with you every step of the way. We are working with the unions and employers, our tripartite partners, to ensure that you navigate this transition successfully. We will help you to upskill and retrain so that you can seize these new opportunities. Senior Minister of State Amy Khor and Senior Minister of State Chee Hong Tat will elaborate on how we will do this.

Mr Chairman, a resilient, sustainable and inclusive transport network is essential for Singapore's survival and success and to safeguard the lives and livelihoods of our people. Our world-class Aviation Hub, Maritime Centre and land transport network of today are the fruits of the labour of earlier generations who adapted to the challenges and needs of their time while planning and investing for the future.

The critical decisions our transport pioneers made were not necessarily conventional wisdom of the time nor were they self-evident. Building Changi Airport, betting on containerised shipping, constructing an MRT network and introducing vehicle population control measures are just some examples. But with the passage of time and the benefit of hindsight, we can appreciate how their decisions, some even unpopular, positioned Singapore strategically for the future.

In the same way, the responsibility now falls upon us to steward our world-class transport ecosystem adapted to the evolving circumstances and emerging trends and, ultimately, pass on an even more resilient, sustainable and inclusive transport hub to and for future generations of Singaporeans. [Applause.]

The Chairman: Senior Minister of State Chee Hong Tat.

The Senior Minister of State for Transport (Mr Chee Hong Tat): Sir, let me begin with Mr Melvin Yong and Mr Gerald Giam's questions on bus services. Mr Yong proposed that bus operators tap on taxi drivers as reserve bus captains who can be deployed during a crisis. Ms Joan Pereira made a similar suggestion at a recent Sitting to bring back former and recently retired bus captains. I thank both Members for their suggestions. These are possible ways to increase the resilience of our public transport workforce.

On Mr Gerald Giam's questions, we shortened three bus services on 12 December 2021. Service 22 and service 66 ran from Ang Mo Kio to Tampines and from Jurong East to Bedok respectively. Service 506 was an express service from Jurong East to Upper East Coast. As Service 22 was shortened, consequential changes were made to service 65 to serve Tampines Avenue 4.

Sir, I understand Mr Gerald Giam's concerns. When there are changes to bus services, commuters need time to adjust to the new arrangements. My PAP colleagues, who look after areas affected by these changes, have also shared feedback from their residents.

I thank Mr Giam for giving MOT this opportunity to explain our approach to keep Singapore's public transport system financially sustainable while trying our best to balance the different trade-offs and always focusing on the best overall interests of commuters.

Earlier, Minister Iswaran spoke about the importance of financial prudence and sustainability, for our public transport system to remain resilient, affordable and accessible over the longer term. To achieve this, we need to regularly trim and reallocate excess capacity, including bus services, when we expand our MRT network to keep overall costs manageable for commuters and taxpayers. So, how does LTA decide on changes to bus services? We start with ridership data, which is an objective indication of commuter demand.

To be clear, we do operate bus services with low ridership. There are many such services which run at a loss and require funding from the $1 billion pool of bus subsidies every year because they provide necessary connectivity for commuters in some areas who otherwise would not have alternative public transport options. We also keep some trunk services for network resilience.

However, there are bus services with low ridership that run parallel to MRT lines and have alternative bus services plying similar routes, including the three services 22, 66 and 506 that we are discussing. Their ridership numbers along some parts of the trunk route had been low and fell further after Downtown Line 3 became operational in 2017. If we look at the data before COVID-19, the sustained drop in ridership for these three services ranged from 32% to 55% for parts of the routes.

This is because many commuters preferred to take MRT for longer journeys, using buses as feeder services for travelling to and from key transport nodes within the town.

By switching to a combination of bus and MRT for long journeys, commuters enjoy lower fares and shorten their total travelling times, compared to taking the bus from start to end. For example, a trip from Bedok North to MacPherson, after including waiting and transfers, would take around 25 minutes via feeder bus and DTL versus 42 minutes via bus service 66. The bus-MRT option also costs less because the distance travelled is shorter.

LTA amended the route of bus service 65 in Tampines, so that commuters would still have connectivity between Tampines Avenue 4 and Bedok Reservoir Road when service 22 was shortened. The original route for service 65 through Tampines Avenues 1 and 5 has three other bus services.

LTA will continue to explore cost reduction methods before making changes to a bus service. This includes switching from double deck to single deck buses and reducing service frequency where possible. These steps were taken for the three bus services before the decision was made in 2021 to shorten their routes.

However, the cost reductions from the above changes are not very significant as running a bus service still requires bus captains to work in shifts and a technical crew to maintain the buses. By trimming some of the existing bus services with low ridership, we free up resources that can be reallocated to provide new feeder services for new residential estates.

Through these efforts, we are better able to meet new demand for bus services without a rapid increase in operating costs and subsidies.

The shortening of the three bus services, for example, saved $9.5 million of subsidies per year, which can be reallocated to new bus services. Put another way, if we continue to run the three bus services without any changes, it means that either commuters or taxpayers would have to pay an additional $9.5 million per year.

Hence, I hope Mr Giam understands why we are unable to agree with him to retain as many trunk services as possible. We will retain some as I explained, but we cannot go to the extent he has proposed. That will not be financially prudent and sustainable. And we will not be doing what is in the best collective interests of commuters and taxpayers.

12.00 pm

Sir, I will now speak about the plans to grow our maritime sector. Maritime Singapore did well in 2021. We strengthened our reputation as a trusted hub port and international maritime centre (IMC). Container throughput reached a new high of 37.5 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), while our IMC attracted 23 companies to expand or set up operations in Singapore.

Singapore ranked top in the 2022 Leading Maritime Cities of the World report, including for "Attractiveness and Competitiveness" and "Maritime Technology". I would like to thank our tripartite partners and maritime workers. This achievement would not have been possible without your dedication, your contributions and your sacrifices.

Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked how we are enhancing Singapore as a reliable and resilient transport node. Maritime Singapore will develop strong capabilities, superior connectivity and rewarding careers to address emerging challenges and seize new opportunities.

First, building strong capabilities. PSA has commenced operations of its first two berths at Tuas Port as scheduled. We are making steady progress with the rest of the construction. When completed, Tuas Port can handle up to 65 million TEUs a year, 50% more than our current capacity. Tuas Port will secure Singapore’s cargo connectivity to the world and keep up our competitiveness as a global hub port.

Our port will leverage on technology to operate more efficiently, sustainably and safely. MPA will use artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to manage the increasing scale and complexity of ship movements in our waters. Our next-generation Vessel Traffic Management System (VTMS) will be equipped with advanced smart collision detection capabilities. It will be based at the future Port Operations Control Centre in Tuas, to be completed in 2025.

Another key technology is 5G telecommunications, which will support new concepts of operation. It will enable shore-to-ship deliveries using drones, which is cheaper, better and faster than the traditional method of sending a boat and crew; or piloting a containership safely from a control room on shore. 5G will support our vision to be the Silicon Valley of Marine Tech and be a game-changer to differentiate our port and IMC from the competition. Maritime 5G for Maritime SG.

We will also help maritime SMEs build capabilities to ride the digitalisation wave. We currently provide funding support under the Sea Transport Industry Digital Plan (IDP) and this is given to SMEs in the ship agency, harbour craft and bunkering sub-sectors to help them implement digital solutions to improve their operations. We will expand IDP to cover all SMEs in the Sea Transport sector, including those providing ship supply services. MPA will also extend the grant beyond end 2022, to benefit eligible maritime companies on an ongoing basis.

Next, we will expand our physical and digital connectivity. Tuas Port will be the nucleus of a larger ecosystem of business and industrial districts. We can enhance the connectivity of high-value sectors like advanced manufacturing and cold chain logistics by locating such companies close to the port. The Government has set aside land around Tuas Port for companies to integrate their developments with the port. We will also review our regulatory processes to maximise the benefits from integration and process efficiency.

MOT will leverage on our strengths as an air and sea hub to expand the suite of connectivity options for cargo owners, including multimodal options. Such air-sea cargo solutions provide additional efficiency and resilience and support just-in-time manufacturing and distribution for regional supply chains.

In the information age, digital connectivity is as important as physical connectivity. Electronic bills of lading (eBLs) are documents proving ownership of cargo in transit. The benefits of eBLs over physical documents are clear: receive cargo faster, free up working capital and have more secure transactions. However, adoption of eBLs has been slow due to legal and technical hurdles. MPA will co-fund three consortiums to develop and trial eBL solutions across the container, wet bulk and dry bulk segments. Through these trials, we aim to grow the ecosystem and encourage adoption of eBLs in Singapore and beyond.

With the expansion in capabilities and connectivity, Maritime Singapore will grow and create rewarding career opportunities for our people.

In response to Mr Saktiandi and Mr Melvin Yong, the Sea Transport sector aims to create 1,000 good jobs for locals between 2020 and 2025, including traditional maritime jobs like seafarers and port operation managers, and many emerging roles such as software engineers and supply chain managers. Looking at our progress so far, there is scope to grow even more good jobs by 2025, if conditions remain favourable.

As Mr Yong noted, it is important to attract more local workers to take up both seafaring and shore-based jobs. MPA is supporting the industry and unions to attract talent, nurture our workforce and transform workplaces in Maritime Singapore.

Seafaring experience is important in the maritime sector and can open doors to good shore-based careers. Captain Ranesh Sandhu started out as a seafarer in Neptune Orient Lines and became a ship master after a decade of sailing. His seafaring credentials have laid the foundations for a meaningful shore-based career, including in leadership positions such as Senior Director of Shipping for Marathon Petroleum Corporation and Managing Director at BTS Tankers.

MPA has partnered the Singapore Maritime Officers’ Union (SMOU), the Singapore Organisation of Seamen (SOS) and maritime companies to attract and develop locals for seafaring careers through scholarships and awards. Local seafarers like my Toa Payoh resident, Mr Takamasa Ng, have benefited from the Tripartite Maritime Scholarship (TMSS). Takamasa obtained his Class 3 Certificate of Competency (CoC) in 2018. He currently works on board a ship for NYK Line and he wants to continue sailing and attain his Class 1 CoC, which is the highest level of certification.

Qualifying as an experienced seafarer is a long and challenging journey. Attaining the Class 1 CoC can take eight years or more and the job requires frequent stints away from home. We will support our local seafarers on this journey.

Beyond the existing scholarships, MPA and our tripartite partners will provide an additional $12.5 million to fund a new Sail Milestone Achievement Programme (SailMAP) to enhance the retention of local seafarers.

Over the next five years, up to 250 local seafarers can receive up to $50,000 each, when they attain key career milestones. This helps to support their income when they are not sailing, so they can continue to upgrade their seafaring skills and knowledge. Most of the funding will come from the Government and the remainder will be funded by the Singapore Shipping Association, SMOU and SOS as part of this tripartite partnership.

In addition, we will launch an accelerated training pathway for individuals with mechanical engineering backgrounds to become shipboard marine engineers, shortening the duration from the current 120 weeks to 22 weeks. I hope this will encourage more local mechanical engineers to become marine engineers.

We have also collaborated with Yellow Ribbon Singapore to place suitable inmates as trainees with harbour craft operators to become steersmen or engine drivers. Eight ex-offenders have benefited so far and we hope to increase the number over time.

Since 2018, we have helped around 200 mid-career workers undergo skills conversion to take up new roles through Career Conversion Programmes (CCP) in the Sea Transport sector. This includes 30 PMETs who have been successfully placed in new roles in 14 companies under the enhanced CCP for Sea Transport Professionals and Associates launched in November last year.

Sir, as we attract and nurture local talents, our maritime hub must remain open and welcome people from abroad. This is especially important for an international industry like maritime, which requires openness and connectivity to thrive.

Singapore cannot be a hub for maritime, aviation, finance or technology, if we adopt populist manpower policies, build walls around us and disconnect ourselves from the world. We cannot aim to be a hub and yet become inward-looking. There is no such thing as an inward-looking hub.

Foreign talents bring new capabilities and perspectives that keep our hub dynamic and they complement our Singaporean Core. The tripartite partners fully support this approach, as we understand that a good local-foreign complement is necessary to grow our economy and create good jobs for our people.

Sir, as Maritime Singapore grows our capabilities, connectivity and careers, an ocean of exciting possibilities awaits. I would like to encourage our students, our workers and our businesses to make Maritime Singapore your port of call and join us in turning these opportunities into reality. [Applause.]

The Chairman: Senior Minister of State Dr Amy Khor.

The Senior Minister of State for Transport (Dr Amy Khor Lean Suan): Chairman, I will speak about MOT’s efforts to improve Singapore’s land transport system, in four aspects. First, I will touch on how we have transformed the taxi and private hire car sector and made it more resilient.

Second, I will share on how we leverage technology to improve the resilience and reliability of our road network, and how we prepare for new shifts from these technologies, like vehicle electrification. Third, I will explain how we are reshaping our transport infrastructure by focusing on people and sustainability. Finally, I will conclude by sharing about our continual pursuit to enhance safety on our roads.

Our land transport sector has remained resilient through the pandemic. This stems largely from the courage and dedication of our frontline workers.

Taxi and private hire car drivers took extra precautions such as regularly disinfecting their vehicles even as ridership plunged. To tide them through, the Government, associations and operators provided targeted financial support. Close to 50,000 drivers benefited from over $390 million of support through the Special Relief Fund and COVID-19 Driver Relief Fund.

Today, the situation has improved. The number of trips is about 75% of pre-COVID-19 levels, up from about 25% during the circuit breaker period. We expect this to rise further but will continue to monitor the situation closely. If necessary, we will step in again to support our drivers.

Ms Yeo Wan Ling will be glad to know that we go beyond financial support. We will improve our service delivery to drivers, with the launch of the digital vocational licences in the second quarter of this year. Prospective drivers will receive their digital licences in about half the time, from around 20 days today. Drivers no longer need to worry about losing their vocational licences, as they can easily access it through Singpass.

We also agree that drivers should feel safe. Indeed, taxi and private hire car drivers are covered as public service workers under the Protection from Harassment Act. We stand ready to support drivers who encounter abusive passengers.

Chairman, our land transport system is in the midst of a major transition – towards vehicle electrification. A wide range of industries will be affected and workers, such as workshop technicians, must upskill to remain competitive. The Government is, therefore, actively consulting OEMs, fleet owners and other industry partners to better understand the training needs of these workers. The aim is to equip them with the necessary skills to seize these new opportunities.

12.15 pm

Our taxi fleet will also be increasingly electrified. At least half of our taxi fleet will be electric by 2030, up from about 2% today. To prepare drivers, LTA will launch an updated training curriculum for taxi and private hire vocational licences this month. The refreshed curriculum will cover electric vehicles and the latest on-the-road competencies, such as the use of mapping and navigational tools.

Our public transport workers will also receive support to be future-ready. As Mr Saktiandi Supaat and Mr Melvin Yong would know, we want to ensure that public transport workers, young or old, are ready to seize new opportunities arising from the greening of our fleet. The Singapore Bus Academy has conducted 17 runs of cleaner energy bus training programmes since December 2019, involving over 550 workers.

While preparing for the future, there are core functions that LTA must continue to perform, such as the maintenance of the expanding rail, road and footpath infrastructure. As Mr Gan Thiam Poh shared, technology can help us be more efficient.

One example is the use of video analytics and artificial intelligence in the maintenance of our 9,500-odd lane kilometres of roads. LTA has trialled the use of highspeed cameras mounted onto a van to automatically detect and report defects on the road since 2020. Defects are automatically logged backend, to enable targeted, predictive maintenance. When fully implemented, the technology-enhanced process can reduce manhours by up to 30%.

Beyond leveraging technology, we will build more sustainable transport infrastructure, in collaboration with our communities.

The greenest way to travel is by walking, cycling and using public transport. That is why we have several Transit Priority Corridors, or TPCs. These corridors incorporate bus, cycling lanes and footpaths for all.

We will add another 60 kilometres of these corridors by 2030, including the longest TPC along the North South Corridor. This may not sound like a lot, but each TPC will become the key thoroughfare for the neighbourhood. An example of an upcoming TPC is along Sin Ming Avenue, between Upper Thomson Road and Marymount Road. Wider footpaths, new cycling paths and bus lanes will be incorporated. Residents in the area can more seamlessly ride a bus, walk or cycle to the amenities near them, such as schools and the Bright Hill MRT station.

Mr Cheng Hsing Yao will be glad to know that we have made good progress in reimagining our road spaces. We widened the footpaths along a busy stretch of Havelock Road, where there are several popular eateries. Residents and visitors now find it a safer and more comfortable walking experience.

We have also transformed the Civic District as we closed Connaught Drive, Fullerton Road and Anderson Bridge to vehicular traffic. Pedestrians can now walk freely and enjoy the picturesque landscape, as they visit key landmarks, such as the Padang and the Esplanade Park or various art and cultural institutes, all without having to worry about traffic and fumes. This has also opened up opportunities for us to work with stakeholders in the Civic District to bring new arts and cultural activities outdoors to further enliven the area. It does not stop there.

Residents in Tiong Bahru, a popular neighbourhood, can look forward to wider footpaths and more community spaces. Works will begin later this month.

With your permission, Chairman, may I display some slides on the LCD screens.

The Chairman: Please do. [Slides were shown to hon Members.]

Dr Amy Khor Lean Suan: We will convert the roadside car parks along Seng Poh Road to wider footpaths. This will create a safer environment for pedestrians, especially for seniors and children. We will also begin pedestrianisation trials for Eng Hoon Street to create space for community use.

These ideas were shaped in consultation with the local community including residents, shop owners and the Tiong Bahru Market and Hawkers’ Association. LTA will work with URA to co-create placemaking ideas with the local community that will be implemented through the Lively Places Programme.

Another identified area is Tanjong Pagar. URA had earlier announced the pilot Business Improvement District programme to drive placemaking efforts. To complement this, LTA will lead an inter-agency workgroup to study plans to enhance the pedestrian and cycling experience. Key areas of focus include connectivity to transport nodes, conversion of road spaces for wider footpaths and cycling paths and community activities.

These repurposing projects are connected by a common thread – the active input from local communities. Going forward and in the spirit of inclusivity and citizen participation, this approach will be our modus operandi.

Finally, enhancing safety remains a priority.

Illegally modified vehicles are dangerous to motorists and pedestrians and many of them cause noise disturbances as Mr Gan pointed out. To ensure roadworthiness of vehicles and compliance to in-use noise emission standards, LTA mandates periodic vehicle inspections.

LTA also conducts joint enforcement operations with other agencies to flush out these vehicles. During a joint enforcement conducted in December 2021, LTA officers issued summons for 34 vehicles for offences including illegal modifications. Two workshops were charged last year for providing illegal modification services.

Our approach to safety must take cognisance of society's changing needs. Given our ageing population, LTA has implemented Silver Zones at towns with a higher senior population since 2014. Key measures implemented include reduced speed limits and narrower roads to slow traffic. They have proven effective, reducing the accident rate of senior pedestrians by about 80%.

To date, LTA has completed 22 Silver Zones. LTA will implement another 28 Silver Zones by 2025 in towns, such as Tampines, Ang Mo Kio and West Coast.

Agencies have also been working to improve the safety of workers transported on lorries. Mr Yong asked for an update on this.

We understand the union's and NGOs' concerns and likewise want to improve safety for workers. To protect lives and livelihoods, we need to take a balanced approach and make changes that are sustainable. This is why we consulted extensively on this issue, including with trade associations in the construction sector, such as Singapore Contractors Association Limited, the marine and process sectors and private bus operators.

Indeed, their needs are different. Many small and medium enterprises, especially in the specialist trade, shared with us the constraints they face. They may need to transport a small crew with bulky equipment to several different locations in a single day. It will be operationally challenging and inefficient for them to use buses for workers and separately transport their equipment in lorries.

In addition, in our engagements with private bus operators, they have told us that there are simply insufficient private buses and drivers to transport the large number of workers in the manufacturing and construction, marine and process sectors, especially when other activities like tourism resume post-COVID-19.

A full transition to buses could require a doubling or even tripling of the number of large private buses in the industry today! Even if multiple and staggered trips are made, the demand for buses will still be significant. Furthermore, bus operators shared that the shortage of bus drivers would be an even more binding constraint.

These challenges are not all insurmountable, but we will need time to work through them with the industry and relevant agencies.

The good news is that some firms have already shifted away from using lorries for some projects. For example, Tong Tar Transport was asked by a multinational construction company to ferry about 3,000 workers of their main and sub-contractors between dormitories to the construction site via buses.

This was a large-scale endeavour that involved coordination among various bus operators but shows that it is possible under the right circumstances. We encourage more in the industry to follow. We will facilitate the sharing of best practices and will study the "conditions for success" to enable more companies to make the shift.

In the meantime, we have identified two areas to further improve the safety of workers on lorries.

First, the Government will require all lorries to be subjected to some form of speed management device. Today, speed limiters are already mandated for all goods vehicles with maximum laden weight (MLW) of 12 tonnes and above. The Traffic Police (TP) will be expanding the speed limiter regime to encompass all lorries of MLW above 3.5 tonnes. TP will be engaging the industry closely on this and will release more details when ready.

Second, besides ensuring the relevant hardware is in place, it is crucial to ensure that lorry drivers operate safely behind the wheel at all times. MOM will introduce new measures to require employers to provide sufficient rest for their drivers, in particular, those who play dual roles of a driver and ground worker.

MOM will also mandate that every lorry ferrying workers have a designated vehicle person-in-charge who will sit next to the driver. This person-in-charge will be empowered to stop the driver from driving if he deems the driver to be unfit for driving.

Some have also suggested requiring lorries to be fitted with seat belts. We recently consulted the motor vehicle dealers and workshops again. Their feedback remains that retrofitting seat belts would not be feasible and could in fact pose safety risks.

How so, you may ask? Commercial lorries today are not designed for seat belts to be installed in the rear deck, as the floorboards in the rear deck might not be sufficiently strong to keep the seat belts anchored in the event of an accident. There are also liability issues for such modifications without the support of the lorry manufacturers. Without the industry being able to bring in lorries with seat belts and vouch for their safety, it is not prudent to mandate this.

Lastly, we have heard calls to mandate rain covers to lorry rear decks to shield workers from the elements. Most employers today already do so. But we will take this one step further. LTA, with the support of MOM, have decided to mandate the installation of such covers on all lorries used to ferry workers. We will share implementation details at a later date.

We will continue to study further measures even as industries adapt and more companies move towards alternative modes of transport. Once again, I urge employers to do their part in ensuring the welfare and safety of their staff.

Chairman, in conclusion, we will improve our land transport system by adopting new technologies, upskilling our workers and refreshing our approach to infrastructure design, all while maintaining safety at the forefront. Together we can look forward to a more sustainable, vibrant and safe land transport system!

The Chairman: Mr Baey Yam Keng.

The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Transport (Mr Baey Yam Keng): Mr Chairman, Minister Iswaran spoke about our plans to transform Singapore into a resilient, sustainable and inclusive transport hub. To support a shift towards greener choices, I am going to cover the two transport modes that have the lowest carbon emission: active mobility and public transport. In particular, I will share how we will continue to invest in both the "hardware" and "heartware".

12.30 pm

First, Mr Ang Wei Neng, Mr Gan Thiam Poh, Assoc Prof Jamus Lim and Ms Poh Li San will be pleased to hear about our efforts to enhance our cycling path network.

Despite the pandemic, we have accelerated the plans for the Islandwide Cycling Network. These are not easy infrastructure projects, especially in mature towns where there is little space on the sidewalk and various utilities underground. The cycling network is around 500 kilometres long today. We will grow it to 800 kilometres in the next two to three years and eventually reach our target of around 1,300 kilometres in year 2030.

This will greatly improve convenience and connectivity both within and between towns. A good example of connectivity within a town is Bukit Panjang, where LTA is on track to complete seven kilometres of cycling paths this year. By then, residents can cycle to Bukit Panjang Hawker Centre for lunch, continue to Zhenghua Community Club for activities and then to Bukit Panjang Integrated Transport Hub to take a bus or train.

Active mobility users and pedestrians will also enjoy the perks of improved connectivity between towns. Once the North-South Corridor is completed, it will connect to the park connector network and local cycling paths within HDB towns along the entire corridor. Someone living in Woodlands can cycle along dedicated paths all the way to work or play in the Rochor area. This will allow more convenient inter-town travels.

We will also increase the number of end-of-trip facilities. Today, we have about 27,000 bicycle parking lots at public transport nodes. We will provide 3,000 more at MRT stations by 2025. We are encouraging workplaces to provide such facilities through the Active Commute Grant and have awarded the grant to 14 workplaces so far. We hope that more workplaces will make good use of this grant when the next round of applications open this year.

Next, like Mr Dennis Tan suggested, education and enforcement of our rules must go hand in hand.

To reduce the risk of severe accidents, we have put in place regulations that are reviewed regularly with the support of the Active Mobility Advisory Panel (AMAP) in consultation with the public. Over the years, we have imposed speed limits on paths and set restrictions on the weight and size of devices.

At the start of this year, to enhance safety of on-road cycling, we introduced a guideline on safe passing distance between motorists and cyclists, and a new rule to limit cycling group size on roads. However, we heard the desire of cyclists to cycle in larger groups. I am happy to share that we intend to conduct a trial to provide dedicated cycling space along West Camp Road in Seletar on Sunday mornings. More details will be shared at a later date.

We have stepped up enforcement efforts to deter errant riders since the ban of e-scooters on footpaths in 2019. We have also leveraged technology to identify hotspots for enforcement, many thanks to public feedback from the MyTransport app. Notably, the number of off-road accidents involving active mobility devices has decreased by 40% since 2019.

To ensure riders of personal mobility devices (PMDs) and power-assisted bicycles are familiar with active mobility rules, we have introduced mandatory theory tests.

To date, close to 31,000 riders have passed the tests. A significant number considering that we have a population of about 40,000 registered devices. At the same time, like Mr Lim Biow Chuan and Dr Shahira Abdullah pointed out, public education is key. LTA and the Traffic Police are working together to raise awareness among cyclists and motorists through campaigns, and we are also looking to incorporate these materials into the driving theory test curriculum.

Third, an inclusive active mobility system requires a gracious and responsible community, underpinned by clear and forward-looking regulations.

Since 2016, the AMAP led by Minister of State Muhammad Faishal has played an important role in building a safe and gracious active mobility landscape. The AMAP strikes a balance among the many competing needs of different users in consultation with the public. I thank Minister of State Faishal for his leadership over the past six years.

As the new AMAP chairman, I would like to share two key priorities for this new term. First, we will stay ahead of emerging trends that could shape the active mobility landscape. For instance, we will review the use of devices, such as cargo bikes and trikes which have gained popularity overseas and are starting to enter the local market. We will also review the safe use of recumbent bikes and personal mobility aids.

Second, we will continue to strengthen our engagement and education efforts to collectively build a safe and gracious culture on our paths and roads. Many stakeholders have responded positively in partnering us. For instance, public bus operators have emphasised to their bus captains the importance of defensive driving and keeping a lookout for road cyclists. Earlier this year, a few cyclists from the Singapore Cycling Federation tried out bus simulators to better appreciate the perspective and challenges of bus captains. Last year, LTA also launched the new Confidence on Wheels Programme to equip active mobility riders with practical riding skills and to promote safe riding habits. We will build on the momentum set forth by the AMAP to expand and deepen our partnerships with the community.

Next, I will share about our progress towards an inclusive public transport system. Let me start with our efforts on thoughtfully designed hardware for three groups of commuters.

First, to better support communication between commuters and public transport staff, we are working with the Singapore Association for the Deaf to introduce a visual communication tool in all MRT stations and bus interchanges by end 2022. This tool contains pictures and keywords that commuters can point to so that public transport staff understand their needs more easily. Besides the deaf or hard-of-hearing community, this should also be useful to commuters who have other communication difficulties.

Second, we have installed the Hearing Enhancement System at Passenger Service Centres, starting with those at the Thomson-East Coast Line. The system reduces background noise so that commuters with hearing aids can communicate better with station staff.

Next, the elderly group. With an ageing population, conditions such as dementia will likely be more prevalent. Hence, we are working with public transport operators to list all public transport nodes as Dementia Go-To-Points by end 2022. More than five million trips are made on public transport every day. We hope that the millions of eyes and ears can help to look out for people who show signs of dementia and are lost. Members of public can bring them to these Go-To-Points and enlist the help of our staff who are trained in dementia awareness. Everyone can do a part to help commuters with dementia who lose their way to be reunited with their loved ones quickly.

The third group is families with young children. We currently have baby care rooms at all interchange stations on the Thomson-East Coast Line and 60% of our bus interchanges. I am happy to announce that all new bus interchanges and all stations on Jurong Region Line and Cross Island Line will each have a baby care room. In addition, families travelling with young children in strollers will find it more convenient now that stroller restraints are installed on all public buses.

To achieve a truly inclusive public transport system, we must also cultivate our "heartware". Tasked with this mission, the Caring SG Commuters Committee has collaborated with partners on various initiatives, such as by engaging different profiles of commuters on the ground, including those with invisible disabilities. I will urge all of us to adopt four caring behaviours in our daily journeys: give time, give care, give a hand and give thanks.

How else can we play a part in this journey? We can become Caring Commuter Champions to better assist commuters in need. Since its launch in December 2020, more than 500 people have signed up as volunteers. One of them is Ms Ashley See. For her university's final year project, Ashley had researched about wayfinding for persons with visual impairment. She has benefited from the Champions training on how to assist other profiles of commuters. As a Champion, she hopes to encourage more people to lend a helping hand to others.

While the Committee has laid a good foundation, all of us must play our part. Moving forward, the Committee will deepen stakeholders' involvement at the individual, enterprise and community levels to facilitate more ground-up initiatives. Mr Chairman, I would like to say a few words in Mandarin.

(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] We have spared no efforts to build an inclusive public transport system that is a choice mode for all. Over the years, we have enhanced our infrastructure so that all commuters, including persons with disabilities, the elderly and families travelling with young children, can navigate the public transport system more easily. However, a truly inclusive public transport system is not built on infrastructure enhancements alone, but also requires a gracious and caring commuting culture. By giving time, giving care, giving a hand and giving thanks to others during our daily commute, we can all make a positive difference to our fellow commuters' journeys.

(In English): Mr Chairman, people are at the heart of what we do, in connecting people, places and possibilities through our different transport modes. We will continue to invest in both our hardware and heartware. I urge everyone to play our part towards a gracious culture to spin wheels of virtuous cycles that will make every journey on our paths and public transport a safe and inclusive one for all.

The Chairman: Mr Gan Thiam Poh.

Mr Gan Thiam Poh: Thank you, Chairman. I thank the Senior Minister of State Amy Khor for the update on the actions against modified vehicles. May I know from Senior Minister of State, is there a plan to go for enhanced penalty against those who modify their vehicles, the owner and also the one who provided the service?

Dr Amy Khor Lean Suan: I thank the Member for his supplementary question. Since last year, in July, we have enhanced the penalty framework and doubled the fines for illegal modifications. On 1 March this year, a motorcyclist was fined $1,200 for illegal modification of his exhaust system.

We have also decided to enhance the penalty framework by, for instance, applying to the Courts for second and subsequent offenders to have their motorcycles detained for up to three months for illegal modification. Currently, the agencies are looking into imposing demerit points in addition to fines for offenders who knowingly drive an illegally modified vehicle. And we continue to undertake investigations on workshops who provide such services.

The Chairman: Mr Gerald Giam.

Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song (Aljunied): Sir, for trunk services, if ridership has been low, can we use smaller buses or increase the intervals between buses instead of cutting services? This is for trunk services.

And for feeder services, after bus 66 was re-routed, my residents were left with only bus 228 as a feeder service to Bedok Interchange. Many have told me that the intervals of 15 minutes or more are really too long and LTA would be aware of this because I have written many letters on behalf of my residents on this matter. So, can LTA increase the frequency of feeder bus services to make up for the reduction in other services?

Lastly, while I agree there is a need for financial prudence, we must not be penny wise and pound foolish. If more commuters take public transport instead of private transport, it will lower our carbon footprint and reduce traffic congestion. So, does MOT take this into account when it reduces the bus services?

12.45 pm

Mr S Iswaran: Mr Chairman, I thank the Member for his questions. I have a clarification for him, because he has heard the explanations that I and also Senior Minister of State Chee Hong Tat have given in terms of the process and how we go about this. So, may I understand, does he accept the principle that as we expand our rail network and as we invest more, and as the capital base and the asset base grow, we have an obligation to optimise across the system?

Is he disagreeing with us on the principle or is it about the process? Or is it specifically about the outcome in his constituency? I would like clarity on that.

Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song: I thank the Minister. I do not disagree with the principle that we must optimise, but I disagree with how it is sometimes optimised. Because I feel that sometimes, for example, for trunk services, yes, there is a need to ensure that the services are not running empty. But there is a small group of people – the elderly, disabled – who need to travel for long distances and they find it very inconvenient to transfer a lot. So, that is why I am asking, as a compromise, can mini or smaller buses be used?

Mr S Iswaran: Mr Chairman, I thank the Member for that clarification. It is helpful because it means that we agree in principle that we have a fiscal responsibility to see what we can do to optimise the resources.

Senior Minister of State Chee Hong Tat would be able to give more information on his specific points about trunk routes and alternatives.

But the Member also raised the point about financial prudence and about being penny wise and pound foolish. When a proposal is made that will incur $300 million to $400 million more a year, when we raise questions about that, I do not think that is being penny wise and pound foolish. I think it is all about big pounds that are at stake.

When I listen to some of the comments from Mr Giam and also his colleague Assoc Prof Jamus Lim, I am reminded that, Mr Chairman, with your indulgence, there is an Ernest Hemingway book “The Sun Also Rises”. In it, there is a character Mike Campbell and he is asked, “How did you go bankrupt?” And he replies, “Two ways – gradually, then suddenly.”

I think we need to remember this: if we resist every effort to optimise and if we champion every effort to increase services or collect less, but resist every effort to perhaps increase fares and other measures to have the financial resources to do what we need to do, then, what we will end up with is this – the creep will be gradual and the end will be sudden. That is the risk that we run.

So, what we are trying to do here – and I think I am not the first Transport Minister to make this point; it has been made by generations of Transport Ministers and I am sure many more to come – is really to strike that all-essential balance. I do not think there is a monopoly of virtue here, in terms of wanting to help Singaporeans, especially those who are in vulnerable segments, but what we are trying to do is make sure that we are being fair to our commuters, to our taxpayers, to the vulnerable segments and also, to public transport operators and their financial viability.

The Chairman: Senior Minister of State Chee Hong Tat.

Mr Chee Hong Tat: Mr Chairman, I will address some of the more specific points that Mr Giam mentioned. Specifically, on service 228, I touched on feeder services in my speech earlier. For service 228, Mr Giam did give us some feedback because initially, when the bus services were shortened, what LTA then tried to do was precisely like what he mentioned – make sure that we have bus service 228 to provide the connectivity to the necessary key transport nodes.

When Mr Giam shared the feedback with us, we then followed up with the bus operators to make improvements and adjustments to bus service 228. Just to share some data, in terms of the loading level and the waiting time. Before Mr Giam shared the feedback with us, the maximum load during peak periods was about 70% to 75%. This was not excessive, but it would feel more crowded than usual. So, we understand the concerns. When Mr Giam shared the feedback with LTA, LTA then worked with the operator to make some adjustments and the peak loads have now dropped to below 45%. In fact, on most days, and I am referring to peak periods, it is around 25%.

So, the situation has improved and I want to thank Mr Giam for sharing his feedback with us to enable us to be able to address some of these local concerns.

About waiting times, Sir, service 228, I do not think what Mr Giam said earlier is factually correct. During the morning peak, between 6 am and 6.45 am, LTA has asked the bus operator to increase the frequency, precisely because we understand that this is the peak period. So, the frequency is actually every five minutes.

There is another way to help residents to shorten the waiting time, so they do not have to go to the bus stop too early. That is to help them to use the MyTransport app. I understand, maybe some of the seniors may not be so familiar with technology, but that is also an area where, collectively, as a community, we can reach out to them through raising awareness and public education, help them to be able to use these tools, so that they can plan their journeys, they can shorten the waiting time. And, I think, importantly, the shift that I was explaining in my main speech will allow us to provide new feeder services to new areas, meeting the needs of other commuters.

So, yes, we want to take care of as many commuters as possible, but our responsibility is not just to one group of commuters, but to all commuters, collectively. We do need to weigh difficult trade-offs and make the adjustments accordingly.

One last point, Sir. I think I do need to point out that because we shift from bigger buses to smaller buses, it does not mean the cost will shrink correspondingly. I explained in my speech we still need to have bus captains to drive the buses in shifts. We still need to have a maintenance crew to be able to maintain the bus fleet. In fact, if we buy new mini buses, we would have to incur additional upfront costs to buy the buses and train a new group of bus captains and a new group of technical crew to maintain these mini buses. So, from a logistics and maintenance cost point of view, I am not sure that will actually end up with lower costs.

The Chairman: Assoc Prof Jamus Lim.

Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim: Thank you, Chair. I thank Minister Iswaran for his explanation. I feel I should clarify that the proposal that I had explicitly states that the subsidy should be borne by MOT expenditures, not by other riders. He spent quite a bit of time, I felt, attacking a little bit of a straw man.

It is fair to say that $300 million, $400 million is not a chump change, but as I also mentioned in my speech, we should be clear that this is about 3% to 4% an increase in the Ministry’s budget, when you set it within context.

I did also seek a compromise and this was not touched on in Minister Iswaran’s clarification. Which is that even if MOT believes that an unconstrained subsidy is unaffordable, what of the possibility of free ridership during off-peak hours? The marginal costs in this case are likely to be minimal, mainly in the form of foregone revenues, since buses and trains are already operating with spare capacity in this case. And in fact, during the description of what happened during COVID-19, ex-Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung mentioned that buses were ferrying air.

So, I wonder if instead of ferrying air, could we instead ferry the elderly and the disabled in our society?

Mr S Iswaran: Mr Speaker, I thank the Member for his question. Let me start by saying it is not exactly a straw man argument at all. Because, fundamentally, there is a need to explain where the money is going to come from. By the Member’s estimate – I am not saying that I agree with his estimate – but his estimate is $300 million to $400 million. And then, he says it is 3% to 4% of the Ministry’s budget.

I would urge the Member to look at the budget carefully. The Ministry’s budget of $11 billion includes two-thirds which is development expenditure. What the Member is proposing, is a recurrent operational subsidy of $300 million to $400 million. So, in other words, it is on the lower base which we are looking at.

Specifically, the Ministry’s operating budget in the last couple of years has been increased because of COVID-19-specific measures. So, if you discount that further, what the Member is actually proposing is an increase in the subsidies – if I use my $2 billion reference point – of about 20% to 25%. That is a significant increase!

Should we incur such an increase? I think it is something we should debate. But I think then, we should also, to be intellectually rigorous, examine where the Member and his party stand when it comes to sources of revenue. Because you have to square the circle.

Last year, we increased fare revenue and I know that the Leader of the Opposition made a point about how fares have increased and that is contributing to cost of living. In other words, the Workers’ Party looks askance at increases of fares. And yet, we are also arguing about spending more. And where do we get that from? From the Government revenue? And the Member and his party also take a dim view of several of the revenue sources that have been proposed by the Finance Minister.

So, we have to square the circle. And it is by no means a straw man.

The Chairman: Ms Poh Li San.

Ms Poh Li San: Thank you, Mr Chairman. I have two questions. One is for Minister Iswaran. I thank him for the One Aviation Fund to assist the airport community. Minister Iswaran mentioned that about one-third of our airport workers have already left the airport sector, given the pandemic situation and we know that in the Airport, many frontline jobs are actually filled by foreign workers. So, my question is that given the border closures or the border restrictions, how can Government further help airport companies get ready and ensure that we have sufficient workers prepared for the recovery of the aviation sector?

The second question is for Senior Parliamentary Secretary Baey Yam Keng. I thank him for sharing about the island-wide cycling network and the plans. I would like to know if there are any plans to prioritise the building of the stretches of cycling network for cyclists who are involved in day-to-day commuting, especially in the last mile stretches, for example, to the MRT stations? During these peak periods where the cyclists are rushing, there could be a surge in the traffic and that may lead to safety concerns, especially against pedestrians who are using the same stretch. So, I hope that there will be some prioritisation of the building of such last mile stretches in the cycling network.

Mr S Iswaran: Mr Chairman, if I may, I omitted to respond to a specific point that Assoc Prof Jamus Lim made which was on whether we could consider off-peak measures which, I think, was one of his ideas. I would never rule any option out. But again, I just want to make the point that when you run a concession fare system, then, basically, what it means is, you pay one concession fee and then you can vary the terms, but then the revenue level is there. But once we say we are switching from off-peak to peak and so on, then essentially, it changes the construct and we have to look at this quite carefully.

So, I just wanted to make the point. I would not rule out any options going forward because, as I have said, there are various factors that we have to take into account in thinking through our fare formula and our approach. But I just wanted to make that point specifically.

I want to thank the Member Ms Poh Li San for her question. Indeed, she has raised a very important point because it is one thing to say we want to increase our arrivals to 50% or more of pre-COVID-19 levels, but how to make it happen? Because there has been a significant attrition in manpower and we have to re-employ.

1.00 pm

MOT and CAAS are working with the unions and with the companies, first, of course, to see how many Singaporeans we can bring back into the fold. This is an important priority.

But at the same time, a significant portion of the attrition has been manpower from overseas. So, we are also working with MOM to see what kind of solutions we can put in place because once we decide to go towards vaccinated quarantine-free travel, the volumes will pick up significantly and we need to make sure that, from a capacity perspective, we are geared up. The ability to bring in the requisite level of manpower is key and we are working with the companies and MOM on that.

The Chairman: Leader of the Opposition. Oh, a reply from Mr Baey Yam Keng.

Mr Baey Yam Keng: Sir, I would like to assure Member Poh Li San that when we planned the islandwide cycling network, it is, first, at the town level and within the town, at different phases. As we plan the roll-out, we will look at the last-mile connectivity, especially to places where many residents go to. So, in the Bukit Panjang example I quoted, the CC, the transport hub or hawker centres.

We must also plan it such a way that there is connectivity amongst the different stretches of cycling paths so that it makes sense for cyclists to be able to enjoy a more seamless cycling path network.

The Chairman: Mr Pritam Singh, if you can keep it to a minute, so that we can have a minute’s response.

Mr Pritam Singh (Aljunied): I will, Chairman. Thank you.

I did not intend to rise, but I had to, after the Minister for Transport stood up and spoke of "intellectually rigorous". I think he was going to say "intellectually honest" but he stopped himself and said "intellectually rigorous alternative proposals".

Indeed, as part of this Budget debate, the Workers' Party has put up four alternate levers. It is not as if the money is going to come from an unknown source. So, I just wanted to clarify that point, that the party put up four different levers to consider where additional revenues can come from to address some of the issues we have raised, not just here by Member Jamus Lim, but also in our manifesto. I think it is important for me to put that out.

Mr S Iswaran: Mr Chairman, I thank the Leader of the Opposition for the clarification. Intellectual rigour, intellectual honesty – I am not sure, I mean the Leader of the Opposition appears to be imputing words. Whatever it is, I think you cannot have rigour without honesty. So, let us leave it as that.

In terms of proposals, I do not intend to canvass again the arguments about the different sources of revenue. I think they have been well discussed in the main Budget Debate on the Budget policies and so on.

However, I want to bring it back to this Ministry’s budget because it is an important point. Every year, we have to address this issue of the balance between quality service, affordability and financial sustainability. This is not going to go away.

So, when we make proposals, it cannot be that we make proposals that incur additional expenses under one Head, but then, say it will all be taken care of at some macro level. Because we do need the discipline of also addressing how, within that particular Ministry’s budget, we are making every effort to find the appropriate balance.

The Chairman: Mr Saktiandi Supaat, if you can withdraw your amendment, please.

Mr Saktiandi Supaat (Bishan-Toa Payoh): Mr Chairman, the state of our air, sea and land transport is a reflection of our economic and the social state of our country. And we have discussed today quite a significant range on air, land and sea. I am really looking forward to all our efforts to make our air and sea hubs status thrive again: the job opportunities that Senior Minister of State Chee mentioned just now in maritime Singapore and in various other sectors, the dedicated cycling paths that are going to come on stream and also the TEL, JRL and CRL. So, in other words, a wide range of exciting opportunities in the transport sector.

Before I withdraw my amendment, I would like to thank Members for their 30-plus cuts and many thanks to Minister Iswaran, Senior Minister of State Amy Khor, Senior Minister of State Chee Hong Tat and Senior Parliamentary Secretary Baey Yam Keng for their responses. And also the Permanent Secretary of MOT and his team and our MOT family of agencies – CAAS, MPA, LTA.

And most importantly, to all our frontline workers in the transport sector. I think they have put in a huge effort, not just over the last year but over the past two years. I have been saying this for the previous Budget cuts and discussions. So, all their hard work, conviction and passion to keep our air, sea and land hubs working well and going forward, being future-ready. With that, Chairman, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment.

Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.

The sum of $3,704,101,400 for Head W ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates.

The sum of $7,216,684,300 for Head W ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates.