New measures to boost air, maritime, land transport

This article is more than 12 months old

Mar 08, 2019 06:00 am

During the Ministry of Transport's Committee of Supply debate yesterday, new measures were announced to improve the air, maritime and land transport industries. Here are some of the highlights.

RIDE-HAILING AND TAXIS

A new licensing regime for all point-to-point sector operators, including both street hails and ride hails will be introduced later this year.
This will prohibit driver exclusivity arrangements if the operators do not employ them; ensure commuter and driver safety; and minimise business and regulatory costs, including streamlining regulatory differences, such as taxi availability requirements.

INFRASTRUCTURE

Jewel Changi Airport will open on April 17. The $1.7 billion retail and lifestyle development will have aviation facilities and house about 300 shops and food and beverage outlets.
Changi Airport's Terminal 2 will be upgraded and expanded, with automated check-in kiosks, biometric-enabled bag drops and automated immigration gates.
Hume station, a shell station between Hillview and Beauty World on the Downtown line, will be opened by 2025, following calls by MPs and residents to do so.
Cycling paths will be built in Bukit Panjang and Bishan and networks in Ang Mo Kio and Tampines will be expanded over the next three years.
Inter-town cycling routes will be built to connect Geylang and Queenstown with the city area by next year, and bicycle parking spaces will be increased from over 220,000 to 267,000 lots.
Transit Priority Corridors with dedicated turns and lanes for buses will be built at upcoming key developments like Jurong Lake District.

ACTIVE MOBILITY AND SAFETY

Over 40,000 e-scooters have been registered since the Land Transport Authority made it mandatory in January.
Of the 14 e-scooter-sharing licence applicants, none intend to require user deposits.
Pedestrian priority zones with 'Slow' markings, speed regulating strips and signs will be considered.
Ten more Silver Zones in residential areas including Ang Mo Kio, Potong Pasir, Hougang and Yishun will be built by next year. Silver Zones have senior-friendly road safety features, like reduced speed limits, extended green man timing at traffic lights and two-stage crossings for pedestrians to stop and rest.

PUBLIC TRANSPORT

Mastercard users can pay for bus and train rides from next month. This is part of SimplyGo, an account-based ticketing system. Visa is to come on board later this year.
All public buses will use cleaner energy sources by 2040. All taxi companies and some private-hire car booking providers and car rental companies have committed to running cleaner energy fleets by then.

INCLUSIVITY

A priority cabin for vulnerable commuters, such as seniors and people with disabilities, will be piloted on one of the rail lines.

DRONES

The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore is looking at tightening regulations for drones. This may include mandatory registration.
An area near Marina South Pier will be designated as a maritime drone estate to test and develop maritime drone technology, like delivering goods from shore to ship, and develop safety and regulatory standards.