More full day bus lanes from 2 June 2008

As promised by the Minister for Transport in his Land Transport Review announcement in Jan 2008, full day bus lanes will be expanded to more locations in Jun 2008.

A map summary of the different implementation phases of the full day bus lanes is shown below. Please click on the link to view the expanded map which include more details. LTA's news release on the same subject is also appended below.

Interestingly there was no mention of the "trebling of full-day-bus-lanes from 7km to 23km" as mentioned in the Land Transport Review. Suspecting something is amiss, I did some measurement. The result? The expanded scheme to be implemented in Jun 2008 is at most 15km, which is no where near the promised trebling. Please correct me if I'm wrong. :)

View Larger Map

LTA Extends Bus Lane Scheme to Improve Travel
Experience for Bus Commuters

1. From 2 June 2008, full-day bus lanes will be extended to 11 new locations in the CBD, with the aim of ensuring that buses will be able to give commuters a faster and smoother journey with less interruption on the road.

2. Surveys conducted showed that the most important aspects of the bus journey for commuters are waiting time and travelling time. As buses are more efficient carriers of commuters, with a higher number of passengers per unit road space as compared to other vehicles such as cars, it is necessary to give priority to buses so that more commuters reach their destinations on time.

3. Since the implementation of the full-day bus lane scheme in Orchard Road in 2005 average bus speeds have improved, with non-peak bus speeds increasing by 10% on weekdays, and 23% on Saturdays.

4. Along the 5 stretches in the city at Eu Tong Sen Street, Somerset Road, Victoria Street, Hill Street and Bras Basah Road where full day bus lanes were implemented in 2007, we have seen improvement in bus speeds by as much as about 12%.

5. Feedback received from bus commuters and bus captains also show that they have experienced faster bus journeys on stretches with dedicated bus lanes.

6. The improved bus travelling speeds help make the bus commute a more attractive and pleasant option and encourages more commuters to take public transport.

7. The full-day bus lane scheme operates from 7.30am to 8pm on all weekdays and Saturdays, except public holidays.

8. Please refer to Annex A for the full list of roads that the full-day bus lane scheme is extended to.

On-board Bus Lane Enforcement Video Cameras

9. To ensure that the bus lane scheme remain effective in improving travel time for buses, LTA will be introducing the use of on-board bus lane enforcement cameras from 2 June onwards.

10. Ninety buses across 12 SBS Transit bus services that ply along routes with bus lanes will be fitted with video cameras which will be used to record bus lane infringements. The cameras will work in tandem with the current warden scheme and ensure that bus lanes remain clear during operating hours.

11. This system requires little intervention by the driver as the video is set to continuously monitor the road in front of the bus. The video camera also allows LTA officers to assess the circumstances more accurately if motorists are caught on video infringing bus lanes.

12. LTA will review the use of cameras and extend them to more bus services, if they prove to be effective in keeping the bus lanes clear for bus travel.

13. Motorists who infringe bus lanes are liable to a fine of $130. No demerit points will be imposed on the driver.

14. "To make public transport a competitive option to the car, we must continue to improve the travel experience of public transport commuters. We want to encourage more people to choose public transport as a travel mode during peak hours to reduce congestion on the roads. Thus, we hope motorists will appreciate and understand the rationale behind our measures and help us give priority to buses," said Mr Yam Ah Mee, Chief Executive, Land Transport Authority.

ANNEX A

Locations of New Full-Day Bus Lanes in the CBD from 2 June 2008

Road Name	Start	End
Collyer Quay	Fullerton Rd	Marina Blvd
Fullerton Rd	Esplanade Dr	Collyer Quay
Grange Rd	Somerset Rd	Devonshire Rd
Shenton Way	Boon Tat St	Maxwell Rd
Robinson Rd	Maxwell Rd	Finlayson Green
Bencoolen St	Rochor Rd	Bras Basah Rd
Hill St	Stamford Rd	River Valley Rd
New Bridge Rd	River Valley Rd	Upp Cross St
North Bridge Rd	Rochor Rd	Parliament Place
South Bridge Rd	Circular Rd	Cross St
Victoria St	Rochor Rd	Stamford Rd

Source: LTA, 15 May 2008

Real-time bus arrival information panels & Key bus services map: Part II

More than half a year ago, LTA introduced two initiatives to enhance public transport information: Real-Time Bus Arrival Information Panels that show estimated bus arrival times, and Key Bus Services Map which shows key bus routes plying city area in pictorial form.

LTA will be installing 20 more Real-Time Bus Arrival Information Panels as "commuters feedback has been positive". This brings the total number of panels to 50. Out of the 20 new locations, 10 will be in the city mainly spread across Chinatown, Bugis and Orchard area, while the rest of the 10 will be equally distributed across the island. If you're eager to find out whether you'll get a chance to see them near your home, please refer to Annex A (link below).

One interesting improvement is that the bus arrival time panels will be upgraded to public transport arrival time panel by including train's arrival information. Two such pilot panels that will carry the arrival times of both bus and train will be put up at bus stops near Bugis MRT station and Chinatown MRT station.

Interestingly, the rational given for choosing these stations is "the bus stops at the stations have a high volume of commuter traffic". I fail to see how this can be rationale for selecting the stations: it is pointless to provide train arrival information to bus passengers if they do not need it, so why choose to conduct a pilot trial of the hybrid panels at bus stops just because they have high volume of commuter traffic? (If you have any slightest clue, do post it in the comment. Thanks.)

What is even more interesting to note is that at the Bugis bus stop, where one of the pilot hybrid panels will be installed, the arrival time of train is already easily viewable from the bus stop at a certain angle. Why conduct a pilot trial at such trivial location?

As I simply can't figure out the rationale behind, I came up with a possible wild explanation. Perhaps, they are suggesting that the bus stops near the MRT stations are crowded, perhaps to a point that is beyond what the bus stops can handle. So, in a bid to reduce the crowd at the bus stops, they are trying out such hybrid panels to entice passengers to switch to taking a train! This is similar to the MRT messages usually heard at busy stations during weekends or festive seasons , which goes like this: "The station is crowded. Please leave the station if you are not boarding the train. Thank you." (Sorry, no audio clip)

Coming back to the point of the rationale of selecting the location of hybrid panels pilot trial, I feel that a more likely rationale should be the bus stops have high volume of transfer passengers to train. The most ideal location that popped into my mind is the bus stop opposite Ang Mo Kio MRT station (bus stop code 54269) along Ang Mo Kio Ave 3. The reason is that the bus stop is one of the busiest, if not the busiest, in terms of passenger traffic, and it is also an important transfer point for many north-eastern residents who take a bus, alight at this stop, and then transfer to Ang Mo Kio MRT station. As the bus stop and the MRT station are a distant apart, placing such hybrid panels will allow the residents to pace themselves so as to catch the next train in time and not wait up to 7 mins or 12 mins during off-peak hours. This thinking is in line with the Ministry's of a "people-centred land transport system". I quote Yeo Ghim Lay's article which state that "Only then can Singapore claim to have the commuter-centric transport system it is working towards - one that, as Transport Minister Raymond Lim put it, has its fingers firmly on the pulse of the people."

The other initiative that also received a boost of proliferation is the Key Bus Services Map. This is essentially is a poor copycat of Spidermaps which was conceptualised by Transport for London (LTA's counterpart in London) -- this is confirmed by a recent interview that Ong Teck Chuan ( Deputy Director, Public Transport Promotion) gave to Straits Times Classified (of course he didn't admit to the poor copycat part).

If you have not had enough of the complicated map that is "designed primarily for tourists and infrequent public transport users", you can download a copy here. If you wish to own a nice huge print-out of the map, it comes free to those who purchase Singapore Tourist Pass, which is available for sale to tourists only (sorry locals!). Nevertheless, you can pick up a copy at Singapore Visitors Centre too.

LTA Extends Real-Time Bus Arrival Information Panels To More Bus Stops

Commuters Find Real-Time Bus Arrival Information and Key Bus Services Maps Useful

1. Commuters will be able to get real-time bus arrival information of both SBST and SMRT bus services at an additional 20 bus stops around Singapore by May 2008. This will help commuters better manage waiting time and transfers, and to make more informed travel decisions.

2. The LTA is extending this initiative as commuter feedback has been positive. In a survey to measure commuter receptivity to the first 30 real-time bus arrival information panels which were installed in July last year, 9 out of 10 respondents polled felt that the real-time bus arrival information panels were useful and important. More than 90% of the respondents hoped to have panels at more bus stops.

3. The additional panels will be installed from 31 March at bus stops with a high volume of commuter traffic (Please refer to Annex A for the full list of the 20 bus stops). Installation of the panels will be completed by end-May 2008. The panels will display the bus services that call at a particular bus stop, the arrival times of the next and subsequent buses for each bus service, and a symbol to indicate whether the bus is wheelchair-accessible.

4. In addition, to facilitate commuters making transfers between rail and buses, the panels at each of the bus stops located near the Bugis MRT station and the Chinatown NEL station will also display the arrival times of rail services at those stations. This additional rail information will be available from July 2008. Two panels carrying the same arrival times of bus and rail services at the bus stops near these stations will also be installed at the station entrances from July 2008. These two MRT stations were selected as the bus stops at the stations have a high volume of commuter traffic. The LTA will monitor commuters' feedback on the usefulness of this additional information before deciding on further roll out.

More Key Bus Services Maps in the Orchard Road and Chinatown Vicinities

5. LTA will also extend the Key Bus Services Maps to the Chinatown vicinity and to more areas at Orchard Road by the second half of this year. These include 35 bus stops along the main thoroughfares of Eu Tong Sen Street, New Bridge Road and South Bridge Road and five bus stops along Napier Road and Tomlinson Road (Please refer to Annex B for the list of the 40 bus stops).

6. LTA's survey showed that 8 out of 10 respondents found the Key Bus Services Maps useful. Nine out of 10 respondents also indicated that they would like to see the Key Bus Services Maps displayed at more bus stops in the Orchard Road vicinity, while 8 out of 10 respondents would like to see similar maps displayed at major bus stops at other key areas or attractions.

7. Launched in July 2007, the Key Bus Services Maps were first installed at 36 bus stops in the Orchard Road area. Designed primarily for tourists and infrequent public transport users, each map provides pictorial information on key bus services calling at the bus stop and the routes they cover. It also indicates the MRT stations along the routes, significant buildings and locales such as places of interests, tourist attractions and major shopping malls.

8. "As part of LTA's on-going efforts to enhance the public transport experience and to empower commuters to make informed decisions when using our public transport system, LTA will continue to explore other platforms on which such information can be disseminated. By working in partnership with commuters and other stakeholders, we can better achieve our aim of making public transport a choice mode for all," said Mr Yam Ah Mee, LTA's Chief Executive.

Source: LTA (28 March 2008)

New ERP gantries: Part II

I noticed that lately there has been a spike in my readership, with the bulk of the readers visiting via search terms like "new erp gantries", "new erp charges" etc. As such, this post is dedicated to you who are searching for more information on the 16 new ERP gantries mentioned by Minister Raymond Lim in Land Transport Review Part 3.

The locations of the new ERP gantries are all summarised in the map below. For better viewing experience, I would strongly encourage you to click here for bigger map and better interactivity (yes, you can zoom in and out of the bigger map by using the scroll wheel). The pins denote the exact locations of the ERP gantries. The colour code of the pins is as follows:

• Blue pins: Operates from 5 Nov 07 (implemented)
• Red pins: Operates from 7 Apr 08
• Green pins: Operates from 7 Jul 08
• Purple pins: Operates from 3 Nov 08

In addition, the map also outlines the boundaries of the newly demarcated ERP cordon area Bugis-Marina Centre Cordon, which is a new area carved out from the existing CBD so that differential ERP rates can be applied to this area to better regulate through-traffic.

View Larger Map

If you are keen to read the full LTA's press release on the new ERP gantries, please read on (also available here).

Measures To Manage Road Usage

1. As announced by Mr Raymond Lim, the Minister for Transport, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) will be making changes to the Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) system to enhance its effectiveness in managing traffic congestion on the roads. With the changes, a total of 16 new ERP gantries will be activated this year, and this includes the 5 gantries which were announced in August 2007 last year but have not been activated.

2. The ERP changes will be phased in gradually, starting with the Central Business District (CBD) and Orchard Cordons in July 2008. This is to give time for motorists to adjust their travel plans and allow for the impact of the changes in the CBD and Orchard Cordon to work its way through the rest of the road network.

3. The enhancements to the ERP system, the implementation of new ERP gantries and how the new ERP criteria will take effect are outlined below.

Enhancements to the ERP System

4. The ERP system has essentially remained unchanged since its introduction in 1998. As traffic volumes today are far different from a decade ago, enhancements are necessary to ensure the ERP system’s effectiveness. As part of the Land Transport Review, the LTA has studied and reviewed the matter carefully, and will be implementing the following changes to enhance the ERP system from July 2008:

a. Use the 85th Percentile Speed Measurement Method

The current threshold speeds (45 km/h on expressways and 20 km/h on arterial roads) were set 10 years ago. Today, the threshold speeds are close to the point where traffic flow can deteriorate rapidly into the unstable zone where ‘stop-start’ conditions become common. In order to create a buffer, LTA will use a more representative method of measuring actual traffic conditions for ERP rate reviews, with speeds determined using the 85th percentile speed measurement method, instead of using average speeds as is done currently. The 85th percentile speed measurement method is also an international traffic engineering practice for assessing traffic conditions. With the revised speed measurement method, motorists will be assured of smooth travel on ERP-priced roads at least 85% of the time;

b. Increase the Initial ERP Charge and Rate Increment
Motorists today are less sensitive to the rate structure which has remained unchanged since 1998. For ERP charges to remain effective in influencing motorists’ behaviour, LTA will raise the incremental ERP charge from $0.50 to $1. In addition, the ERP base charge, which is the starting charge for a new ERP gantry point, will be increased from the current $1 to $2. These changes will improve the effectiveness of the ERP system, so that each time ERP rates are adjusted, motorists who still choose to drive on these roads would see a visible improvement in traffic flows.

c. Manage Congestion in the City Area

To address the congestion in the city area, LTA will introduce the Singapore River Line, comprising 5 new ERP gantries that run roughly along the Singapore River to discourage through traffic from using the city for outbound trips, and Saturday traffic.

New ERP Gantries

5. LTA has been monitoring traffic conditions closely on the roads, and has assessed that 16 new ERP gantries are necessary to help manage congestion at the identified locations. The LTA will phase in the implementation of the 16 gantries as shown below.

April 2008 – Operation of 5 gantries that were announced in Aug 2007
6. In August 2007, LTA had announced that ERP gantries would be installed at 5 locations, namely (i) Upper Bukit Timah Road ; (ii) Toa Payoh Lorong 6; (iii) Upper Boon Keng Road; (iv) Geylang Bahru Road ; and (v) Kallang Bahru Road . These gantries would be activated only when traffic speeds fall below the optimal speed range. LTA has been monitoring the traffic conditions at these 5 locations closely, and has established that traffic speeds on all 5 roads have fallen below the optimal speed threshold based on the current speed criteria [1].

7. Therefore, LTA will be activating these gantries from 7 April 2008. The operating hours of these 5 gantries will be from 7.30am to 9.30am. Please refer to Annex A for the location and ERP rates of these gantries.

July 2008 – Operation of 5 new gantries along the Singapore River in the CBD
8. The five gantries on the Singapore River Line will run roughly along the Singapore River from Clemenceau Ave to Fullerton Road, separating the commercial and shopping areas such as the Suntec area from the office-based areas such as Shenton Way/Robinson Road . These 5 gantries serve to reduce through traffic from using the city area for outbound trips in the evening, similar in concept to the Orchard Cordon where ERP was implemented to reduce through-traffic which would otherwise use Orchard Road to get to other areas. Traffic speeds on these roads are below the optimal speed range, based on the revised criteria.

9. To better manage the speeds within the Orchard and CBD
cordons, the ERP operation hours for the CBD will start from 7am to 8pm on weekdays. The ERP for Orchard Cordon will start from 10am to 8pm on weekdays.

10. The 5 gantries on the Singapore River Line will come into operation on 7 July 2008, and will operate from 5pm to 8pm on weekdays. Two of the new gantries – namely Eu Tong Sen Street and Fullerton Road (towards Esplanade Drive ) – will operate on Saturday from 10am to 8pm. The rate increase of $1 will be applied if the traffic conditions closer to July warrant it for each of the half-hour time slots.

11. Please refer to Annex B for the locations of these gantries.

12. On Saturdays, the gantries at Eu Tong Sen Street and Fullerton Road (towards Suntec City), together with th the existing CBD gantries north of the Singapore River Line, will help to demarcate the Bugis-Marina Centre Cordon as traffic conditions within this cordon have deteriorated below the optimal speed threshold. The Bugis-Marina Centre Cordon and the existing Orchard Cordon will operate during the same hours on Saturdays and will help in in managing g traffic in the City area on Saturdays. [Please refer to Annex C for the location of the different cordons.]

November 2008 – Operation of 6 new gantries on arterial roads and expressways
13. Based on the new ERP criteria (i.e. 85th percentile speed measurement method), traffic speeds at 6 locations on arterial roads and expressways have fallen below the optimal speed range, and ERP is needed to manage the congestion that is building up at these areas. The new gantries will operate from 3 November 2008 onwards, and they are as shown below. Please refer to Annex D for the location of the 6 new gantries.

a. 3 new gantries on roads along the Outer Cordon in the morning. LTA will be installing new gantries at the following 3 locations along the Outer Cordon to address the congestion on these roads, namely (i) Commonwealth Avenue; (ii) Jalan Bukit Merah; and (iii) Alexandra Road.

b. 2 new gantries on expressways in the morning. One gantry is along AYE (westbound), near Alexandra Road, and the other is along PIE (westbound), near Eunos.

c. New gantry on Serangoon Road in the evening. To address the congestion on Serangoon Road during the evening peak hours, LTA will be installing a gantry there.

14. The operation hours and ERP rates at each of the 6 gantries above will be determined and announced closer to their implementation in November 2008. [Please refer to Annex E for a map showing the location of the Outer Cordon.]

Implementation of New ERP Criteria and Rates on Existing ERP Gantries

15. LTA will be phasing in the implementation of the new ERP criteria and new ERP rates on existing ERP gantries to allow time for motorists to adjust their travel plans. The new criteria will first be applied to the CBD and Orchard Cordon in July 2008 before being extended to other roads progressively. This will also allow for the impact of changes in the city area to work its way through the rest of the road network. If the new ERP rates in the CBD and Orchard Cordon result in fewer motorists driving on the roads leading to the city, ERP rates need not be adjusted if speeds do not fall below the threshold speed.

16. The following is the schedule for the application of the new ERP criteria (i.e. 85th percentile speed measurement method and ERP rate increment of $1) on existing ERP gantries:

• July 2008 – to be implemented on gantries in CBD and Orchard Cordon (on weekdays) and Orchard and Marina Centre Cordon (on Saturdays).
• November 2008 – to be implemented on gantries on roads within and up to the Outer Cordon. Map showing the location of the Outer Cordon is given in Annex E.
• February 2009 – to be implemented on all gantries islandwide

17. Before the new ERP criteria is applied to the respective areas, LTA will continue with using the existing ERP criteria in the quarterly ERP rate reviews.

Conclusion

18. The main aim of the ERP changes is to keep our roads smooth flowing and ensure a high quality urban environment. We are putting a lot of effort into making public transport a viable alternative to driving and we hope that more motorists will give it a try.” said Mr Yam Ah Mee, LTA Chief Executive.

[1] Using the average speed measurement method

Source: LTA, 30 Jan 2008

New MRT map

Spotted any difference?

• Red North-South Line gets a little bend
  
• Sembawang finally updated with a "Bus Interchange Station" logo
  
• Downtown Line Phase 1 is drawn (in dark brown)
  
• And, Farmway LRT is opening soon. :)

[Post note: For information on new rail lines as announced in Land Transport Review Part 2, please refer to here.]

Bus Journey Planner

Weeks ago, I lamented the snail pace progress of the electronic bus journey planner. Originally scheduled for public trial release in July, it is not until today that it is launched. For those who are unaware, you may read up some background here. Essentially it is an integrated tool that enable people to plan how to get from one point to another using public bus services offered by the two major operators.

I've given it a try and here are my findings:

• It is bus-stop based. Although it offers three different ways of search (by street names, MRT stations, or bus interchanges), it still requires user to select which bus stops they are boarding and alighting. This is unlike journey planners in other countries which also offer major attractions/landmark as another way. It would be great if TransitLink can incorporate "landmark enquiry" into the bus journey planner.
  
• Bus stops are paired. What this means is that it is able to advice you to walk to the opposite bus stops if you choose the wrong direction of travel. Say goodbye to solutions that require you to travel in nonsensical loops.
  
• Walking distances are coded. When suggesting an alternative bus stop, it is able to tell you the walking distance from the bus stop you've selected to the proposed boarding point. Best of all, you can select how far you are prepared to walk to alternative bus stops for more direct journey by choosing from a selection of 200m, 300m or 400m. (Why not offer solutions of up to 800m if people are willing to walk?)
  
• Number of bus stops. Besides providing the usual information of fares and travel times, it also lists the number of bus stops in between boarding point and alighting point of each leg of the journey.
  
• Make it more user friendly please. It would be easier to select the street addresses from the drop-down menu if it is separated into smaller list (say breakdown by alphabet) instead of a single long-list. Second, it is intuitive to provide a link at the proposed solutions page to allow users to view the bus route details with a single click.
• More fare information please. Instead of giving adult (ez-link) fare and cash fare only, why not list child fare and senior citizen fares too? Also, please help us to compute the total journey fare by including transfers rebates too! (I'm sure you're able to deal with the complications arising from SBST $1.90 fare cap)

And the last of my comment? Please consider expanding the journey planner to include other modes. We should not be contended with having a BUS ONLY journey planner. We should challenge ourselves to develop a total integrated journey planner, offering solutions using buses, MRTs, and even walking!

Explore it here now.

LTA And Transitlink Launch Electronic Bus Journey Planner

Joint News Release

From today, commuters will be able to plan their bus journeys with the Electronic Bus Journey Planner at www.transitlink.com.sg. The Planner will cover all bus services provided by SBS Transit and SMRT.

1 By indicating the origin and destination bus stops or bus interchanges, commuters will be able to obtain information on various possible bus travel routes, select their desired travel route, determine the estimated travel time, number of transfers required and fares for each route.

2 The Planner is introduced on a 3-month trial basis, with funding support from the Land Transport Authority. This is part of LTA's continual efforts to promote the use of public transport and make it a choice mode for commuters. During the trial, TransitLink will obtain commuters' feedback and suggestions and improve on the Electronic Bus Journey Planner where relevant. Commuters are encouraged to provide their comments via TransitLink website www.transitlink.com.sg.

Source: LTA, TransitLink (27 Aug 2007)

New ERP gantries

[Note: If you're looking for locations of the 16 new ERP gantries as announced in the Land Transport Review, please refer to this latest post instead.]

More ERP gantries coming your way on 1 Nov 2007 onwards. In summary, the changes are:

• South-bound CTE: Operational hours extended from 7:30am - 9:30am to 7am - 11am on weekdays
• North-bound CTE (before PIE): New gantry charging from 5:30pm - 10:30pm on weekdays
• East-bound CTE: Two new gantries charging from 6pm - 8pm on weekdays. One gantry is placed before the Rochor Road exit and another at the Ophir Road slip road.
• South-bound BKE (before PIE): New gantry 7:30am - 9am on weekdays

[Post-note: The 4 ERP gantries mentioned above are denoted by blue pins. The rest of the pins are the location of the new 16 ERP gantries that was announced in the Land Transport Review Part 3. ]

View Larger Map

Expanding ERP Coverage To Better Manage Congestion

1. Traffic congestion affects the quality of life and the environment as well as the overall efficiency and productivity of the economy. The LTA adopts a holistic and multi-pronged approach to deal with congestion in a sustainable manner. These include promoting the use of public transport, moderating vehicle growth, and using Electronic Road Pricing (ERP).

2. The ERP is a key tool for managing congestion, by maintaining traffic flow within the optimal speed range of 45 to 65 kilometres per hour on expressways and 20 to 30 kilometres per hour on arterial roads. The ERP seeks to achieve relatively smooth flowing roads by encouraging motorists to consciously plan their trips via different routes or consider public transport alternatives. As demand for travel increases due to factors such as population and economic growth, the ERP has to be continually reviewed for effectiveness, to take into account dynamic traffic conditions.

3. The LTA has completed its review of traffic conditions on the roads and will be extending the coverage of ERP at the following locations. The changes take effect from 1 November 2007.

South-bound Central Expressway (CTE): Extension of Morning ERP Hours

4. Currently, ERP is in operation on the south-bound CTE from 7.30am to 9.30am during weekdays. The ERP has been effective in keeping traffic congestion in check during this period. However, outside the current ERP operating hours, traffic speeds have consistently fallen below the optimal speed range on the stretch between Ang Mo Kio Ave 3 and Braddell Road.

5. To improve traffic speeds, the charging hours at the ERP gantry between Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1 and Braddell Road will be extended to operate from 7am to 11am on weekdays.

6. There will be no changes in the operating hours (7.30am to 9.30am) of the other three ERP gantries along south-bound CTE (between Braddell Road and PIE; and Serangoon and Balestier Slip Roads). This is because the speeds along this CTE stretch between Braddell Road and PIE remain within the optimal speed range.

North-bound Central Expressway (CTE): New Gantry with Extended Evening ERP Hours

7. The implementation of evening ERP on the north-bound CTE since August 2005 has helped to improve travel speeds on the CTE north of the Pan Island Expressway (PIE) exit. However, the average traffic speeds on the stretch from Bukit Timah to just before the PIE exit have consistently fallen below the optimal speed range due to the high volume of traffic from the city exiting to the PIE.

8. To manage congestion along this stretch, a new ERP gantry will be erected along the north-bound CTE just before the PIE exit. The charging hours at this gantry will be between 5.30 pm and 10.30 pm on weekdays. The charging hours reflect the period during which congestion is experienced on this stretch of the CTE.

Evening ERP on East-bound East Coast Parkway (ECP): New Gantries for Evening ERP Charging

9. The high traffic volume along the east-bound ECP between 6pm and 8pm on weekdays has led to traffic congestion occurring between Ayer Rajah Expressway (AYE) and Fort Road exit of east-bound ECP.

10. In March 2007, LTA had provided an additional lane in each direction of the ECP between Fort Road and Marina South to help alleviate the congestion. Despite this, traffic speeds continue to remain below the optimal speed range.

11. To manage the congestion, ERP will be implemented on the east-bound ECP from 6pm to 8pm during weekdays. An ERP gantry will be erected at each of the two accesses into the east-bound ECP from the city and the AYE, namely, (i) before the Rochor Road exit and (ii) at the Ophir Road slip road.

South-bound Bukit Timah Expressway (BKE): New Gantry for Morning ERP Charging

12. Average traffic speeds on the BKE have deteriorated below the optimal speed range on weekdays. A new ERP gantry will be erected after the Dairy Farm exit, before the BKE joins the PIE, to help manage the traffic congestion there. The operating hours for this gantry will be from 7.30am to 9am during weekdays.

Installation of Other Gantries Which Will Not Be Activated Until Speeds Fall Below Optimal Speed Range

South-bound Upper Bukit Timah Road: New Gantry

13. With the introduction of a new gantry at the south-bound BKE, traffic at Upper Bukit Timah Road may deteriorate as traffic decants from the BKE. Hence, an ERP gantry will be erected along the south-bound Upper Bukit Timah Road after Hume Avenue to allow us to address congestion in a timely manner if it were to build up. This gantry will only be activated when congestion builds up and traffic conditions warrant the implementation of ERP.

14. LTA will give prior notice before levying any ERP charge at this gantry.

Outer Cordon: New ERP Gantries

15. In May 1999, LTA announced that the ERP system would be progressively expanded beyond the Restricted Zone (RZ) to relieve traffic congestion along roads in the Outer Cordon area under Phase 2 of the ERP plan. The aim is to relieve congestion in the Outer Cordon area by forming a cordon covering the radial roads leading into the city around the RZ.

16. On 6 September 1999, LTA implemented seven gantries in the Outer Cordon and the Central Expressway under ERP Phase 2A, and announced that the remaining Phase 2 gantries would be implemented as and when traffic conditions warrant it.

17. There are 10 locations remaining in the Outer Cordon where ERP has not been implemented. LTA has been monitoring traffic conditions on these roads very closely and anticipates that traffic speeds may deteriorate below the optimal speed range at four of the locations.

18. To enable LTA to be more timely in managing traffic congestion on these roads, LTA will be installing gantries at these four locations, namely Toa Payoh Lorong 6, Upper Boon Keng Road, Kallang Bahru Road and Geylang Bahru Road. ERP charging will be activated only when traffic conditions deteriorate and warrant the implementation of ERP. LTA will continue to monitor the traffic conditions at the remaining six locations.

19. LTA will give prior notice before implementing ERP charging at these gantries.

Enclosures:

Annex A - ERP charges at new gantries/extended hours of operation
Annex B - Summary of implementation dates for ERP 2007 (including KPE)
Annex C - Location maps of gantries (with dates of implementation for gantries operating in 2007)
Annex D - Location map of ERP Outer Cordon gantries

Source: LTA (23 August 2007)

Real-time bus arrival information panels & Key bus services map

I've come to a realisation that this transport blog is too boring: text, text, and more text. In an effort to spruce things up, I've posted some photos. Pardon for the poor photography skills though.

(A) Real-time Bus Arrival Information Panel

Passengers will be able to know when their next bus will arrive with the new real-time bus arrival information panels. Two panels are already up at bus stops outside Delfi Orchard and Le Meridien Shopping Centre. A total of 30 bus stops will be fitted with LED panels by August 2007 -- 20 in Orchard; 5 in Ang Mo Kio town, and another 5 in Yishun Town.

Real-time bus arrival information panel @ Delfi Orchard

Panel @ Le Meridien Shopping Centre

Bus 700 is clearly approaching the bus stop. Why is it the panel showing next bus is 12-min away?

Basking in bright daylight, the LEDs fade into the background, leaving passengers squirming their eyes over the bus services number in green. To improve service delivery, they can consider enhancing the LED contrast, or change the font colour. How useful are these panels? Take a poll on your right to voice your opinion!

(B) Key Bus Services Map

Key Bus Services Map will be installed at 36 bus stops around Orchard Road by August 2007. It will provide graphical information of selected key bus routes calling at the bus stops and the routes they cover. Measuring 1m x 1m, they are housed in specially designed and installed tampered proof glass panel.

Key Bus Services Map

Bus routes are differentiated by colours and labels

Look! "You are here!"

The key bus service map looks uncanningly familiar to an equivalent London's map. London's version is so much more elegant. Our own version is living demonstration to our failed attempt to copy the initiative.

Don't get me wrong. The map is a good initiative. Perhaps what LTA needs to do is to engage a better design agency that can produces a map with better layout, better typography, and a design that is more consistent with their public transport signal guidelines. It would help greatly if they replace the meaningless shopping malls logo with one that reflects the architecture of the building. Oh? No unique architecture for shopping malls in Singapore? It's not LTA's fault then. Pardon me. May the new ION Orchard and Orchard Central shopping malls add some spice to Orchard Road architecture.

[Post note: Softcopy of Key Bus Services Map is now available]

The untold story of LTA's unsuccessful bid

Singapore was bidding to host a prestigious event – the 2011 UITP World Congress and Mobility & City Transport Exhibition. The biennial congress is highly regarded as a platform to showcase best practices. It is public transport conference that host close to 2,000 public transport professionals from all over the world. UITP, the organising body, is considered the international authority on public transport issues and opinions.

There are a multitude of reasons why Singapore was bidding to host the event. Part was to support Tourism Board's aim of growing tourism arrivals to 17 million by 2015. Part was to grow the MICE sector. But the bulk of it was to showcase Singapore's land transport system to the world.

To garner support for their bidding, LTA drummed up quite a fair bit of publicity. First, there was a news release (attached below). Then, they reported the visit by UITP assessment officials in their newsletter (page 5).

It is quite rare for LTA to create such publicity when they are not declared a winner. Maybe they have insider news that say they are the fore-runner in the three-legged race that saw them compete against Dubai and Melbourne.

Despite all the effort, the bubble burst. Singapore lost the bid.

Dubai won.

Singapore Bidding To Host Prestigious UITP World Congress And Exhibition On Public Transport

UITP Officials In Singapore for Host City Selection

LTA is pleased to announce that Singapore is shortlisted as the potential host for the 2011 UITP (Union Internationale de Transport Public) World Congress and Mobility & City Transport Exhibition, a highly prestigious event within the international public transport industry.

UITP officials are currently in Singapore for the host city selection process. They arrived today for a 2-day site inspection visit.

UITP is the worldwide network of public transport professionals, representing over 2700 urban, local, regional and national mobility actors from more than 90 countries across all continents, and covering all modes of public transport. It is considered the international authority on public transport issues and opinions, and its various studies and conclusions are traditionally viewed as the benchmark for public transport standards, and therefore highly valued. Its recent report, ‘Mobility in Cities Database’ published in 2006, benchmarked Singapore with over 50 world cities, and consisteistently placed Singapore among tre among the top three cities, alongside Vienna and Helsinki, with the most striking successes in efficient and enjoyable public transport.

Started in 1889, the UITP World Congress and Exhibition on Public Transport, is held every two years, with various cities bidding for the honour to host this significant event, attended by leaders and decision makers from public transport sectors the world over.

“This event is an opportunity for Singapore to showcase its excellent public transport system, as borne out by the UITP’s own studies, and for its members to experience the system for themselves. They can then bring their experiences back with them for further thought, and their feedback would, as always, help us to improve further. Also, the cutting edge exhibits to be presented at the event will give Singaporeans a sneak peak into the exciting future of public transport. For these reasons, and more, we hope that Singapore will host the UITP World Conference come 2011,” said LTA Chief Executive, BG (NS) Yam Ah Mee.

Mr Aloysius Arlando, Assistant Chief Executive, Business Travel &l & MICE Group, Singapore Tourism Board, in supporting Singapore’s bid, says:

“The Singapore Tourism Board fully supports the bid to attract UITP World Congress and Mobility & City Transport Exhibition to Singapore in 2011. Given the opportunity to host this prestigious transportation industry event, Singapore will receive a further boost in our efforts to showcase our MICE capabilities and exciting tourism offerings while promoting Singapore as a leading MICE destination in Asia. This event will also strengthen Singapore's profile as a key global transportation node highlighting our integrated public transport infrastructure and our seamless access to the world's major and growing economies.”

The 59th UITP World Congress in Rome, in 2005, was attended by more than 2300 delegates and over 300 exhibitors from 80 countries.

The results of the host city selection process will be announced in May 2007 at the 2007 UITP World Congress in Helsinki. The other candidates are Melbourne and Dubai. The 2009 UITP World Congress will be held in Vienna.

Source: LTA (5 January 2007)

Top management of LTA, SBS Transit and SMRT

After the Nicoll Highway incident that claimed three lives and delayed Circle Line project, LTA welcomed a new CEO Mr Yam Ah Mee. Except for a few minor reorganisation to ensure more safety, LTA's top management was pretty stable. However, there had been some turbulence over the past year. Two top management left in late 2006. Now, another two left. The latest departure is reported in an article by Straits Times (attached below).

2 more directors quit

THE Land Transport Authority, beset with top-level resignations in recent months, has lost two more group directors.

Group director of roads Tham-Lee Siyou Kim, who is in her 50s, has quit. So has Ms Rebecca Teo, 47, group director of corporate services. Both left in May without new jobs. They were among nine top managers reporting to chief executive Yam Ah Mee, 49.

In January, deputy chief executive Low Tien Sio and director of policy and planning Eng Sok Yong quit.

Mr Low, 60, is now with a team building the Sentosa integrated resort, while Ms Eng, 39, is with corporate development at transport group SBS Transit.

Other LTA honchos who have left include former chief executive Ho Meng Kit, 50, and director of projects Rajan Krishnan, 56, who left soon after the Nicoll Highway collapse in 2004.

With the latest departures, Ms Maria Choy, in her late 50s, is the only 'old guard' LTA group director remaining. She heads the vehicle and transit licensing unit.

Source: The Straits Times (17 July 2007)

Unless we have insiders' news or the press decided to investigate further, we would not know the reasons of their departure. It just quite bewildering that top management people are leaving a company without a job. I do reckon they could be retiring early. However, that contravenes the government's effort in promoting a more elderly workforce.

For SMRT, all the old guards of former bus company TIBS had left, with the exception of Mr Morris Piper. The departure were inevitable for a merged company as it is usual that the staff in the acquired company leave. The only surprise is the departure of former Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Mr Patrick Lau, who left in 2006. He is now heading a company reproducing famous art works.

For SBS Transit, Executive Director Mr Ong Boon Leong left in April 2007 to heed higher calling. There are no other departures.

Out of the three organisation, SBS Transit seems to be the only organisation with stable top management. In fact, they manage to rope in former LTA high-flyer Ms Eng Sok Yong to join as Senior Vice President (Corporate Development). With her experience in LTA, she now oversees the departments in the support area, with key focus on finance, human resource, information technology and corporate communications.

Personally I feel that such drastic movement is unhealthy. Especially in this times where the land transport industry is at an important juncture. LTA is currently undertaking a review of the industry, and it is better to have people who understand the land transport industry. Nevertheless, having new blood could bring fresh perspective to this industry that had seen little progress in recent years.

Let's keep our fingers crossed.

A story of an old Angsana tree

Photo source: TODAY

Since antiquity, there is an old Angsana tree in Singapore. It is a valuable tree. So valuable that it has earned itself immunity: it was ruled that the tree is not to be chopped down if it is in the way of construction; instead it will be moved and transplanted under the guidelines issued by the authority overseeing trees.

This old and valuable tree sits in the middle of Braddell Road, overlooking Raffles Junior College. Many years have passed and the surroundings have morphed many changes, but the old tree remains just as it was fifty years ago. It still sits faithfully on its spot and continues to provide its service and shade to the people who reciprocated with much love and appreciation.

However, things took a twist of turns a few years back.

The traffic authority decided one day that a new viaduct connecting Lornie Road and Braddell Road would be necessary to alleviate the perennial traffic congestion (it was part of the Outer Ring Road System actually). Unfortunately the old Angsana tree sits right at the centre of the road diversion arising from the new viaduct. The construction company lamented at how ‘suay’ (colloquial slang which means ‘unfortunate’) it is. Already faced with rising construction costs, it needs to cough up another huge sum of money to transplant the tree under authority’s guidelines.

Then came along a brilliant idea. Why not get the authority that oversees tree to waive the requirement? That is, to chop the tree down. Nope, not successful.

Then came another brilliant idea. Why not a fork road (technically known as bifurcated road)? The traffic can go round the tree. Eureka! The tree is saved, traffic flow resumes, everybody is happy. This is not new in Singapore: there is also a forked road at North Buona Vista Road that goes around a MRT column due to Circle Line construction.

After numerous attempts to convince the traffic authority that safety would not be compromised, the forked-road scheme finally got the blessing to go ahead. It is not a cheap sum mind you. It is a whopping $200K. But considering how much moving a tree would cost, this sum pales in comparison.

And so everybody is happy. The authority looking after the trees is happy that the tree gets to survive; while the authority overseeing traffic is happy that it is paying a lesser sum for variable order (a technical term in construction that refers to any contingency work that went beyond the contract agreement).

It seems everyone is happy with the odd arrangement, until a few important passers-by happened to pass by the area.

“Unsafe” was the verdict.

This simple six-letter word was all it takes to throw the forked-road scheme away. Tussle followed.

In the end, after a brutal fight, the tree has to go. By this Sunday (15 July 2007).

If you happen to pass by the area, take a few moments to mourn for the tree.

So much for the guidelines.

Braddell Road Angsana Tree To Be Removed

1. An Angsana tree that stands in the middle of Braddell Road will be removed this month to ensure motorists’ safety.

2. Usually, in its construction projects, LTA undertakes to conserve the greenery and minimise the impact of its construction activity on the surrounding environment, often working with NParks in these efforts. When the construction for the new Lornie-Braddell Road Interchange began in 2005, LTA and NParks had opted to save the Angsana tree by bifurcating the slip road around the tree. This was done after LTA’s studies showed the bifurcation design – or splitting of the road around the tree – would be a safe option if motorists were to drive within the stated 40km/h speed limit.

3. As a precautionary measure, LTA had drawn additional road markings and placed additional signs to remind motorists driving along this stretch to keep within the speed limit. To further ensure safety for motorists, the chevron markings in front of the tree were extended and a double white line was painted on the road before the tree.

4. In the two years since the bifurcation design was implemented, LTA has continued to monitor traffic conditions around the Angsana Tree. Despite the additional measures, LTA’s ongoing monitoring has revealed that many motorists do not drive within the 40km/h speed limit, and consequently, run the risk of colliding with the tree, resulting in injury or worse. It was also observed that, in not staying within the safe speed limits, many motorists are unable to keep to their lanes. We have also received feedback from motorists involved in ‘near accident’ situations along this stretch of Braddell Road.

5. Ms Karen Loh, a businesswoman, who drives pass the stretch occasionally told LTA: "When I come to this road, I have to make a split second decision on which lane to take. I also found it difficult to slow down. While I applaud the authorities' efforts to conserve the tree, many drivers don't realise the need to slow down to manoeuvre the curve in the alignment of the road.''

6. Based on LTA’s observations and the public feedback, LTA and NParks came to the conclusion that removing the tree is the most prudent course of action to prevent any future accidents.

7. The removal of the tree and the realignment of Braddell Road will take place from 15 July 2007. To facilitate the removal, there will be lane closures along Braddell Road from 15 July 2007 to 7 August 2007.

8. With the removal of the tree, a straighter three-lane carriageway will be constructed along this stretch of Braddell Road.

Source: LTA (11 July 2007)

[This post is not possible without John's contribution. He helps to improve the story flow and added a human touch to the writing. Thanks John.]

If I were the Transport Minister

Raymond Lim is inviting you to try to fit into his big shoes by playing "The Great Transport Challenge 2020" game. This is similar to an earlier game with similar title to help explain the Budget 2007.

The game gives a quick comprehensive view of the issues that are currently being discussed or debated in tandem with the White Paper review. It is a good guide for starters and a good summary for those who are familiar.

Do play the game and learn a thing or two from it. There are prizes to be won too!

A tale of two companies

Yesterday, Singapore’s exchange market was rife with speculation about a possible merger of the two land transport giants: ComfortDelGro and SMRT. As a result, their share prices skyrocketed between 5.9% and 6.6% at closing.

ComfortDelGro is the “world’s second largest public listed land transport company with a fleet of more than 40,000 vehicles”. It is the parent company for Comfort and SBS Transit which are the market leaders in taxi and bus industry in Singapore respectively. SMRT, the market leader for train services, is a multi-modal public transport company offering train, bus and taxi services, as well as expertise in consultancy and project management in railway systems. Both companies have advertising arms.

In a newspaper report by The Straits Times (attached below), it was reported that ComfortDelGro has submitted a position paper to the Ministry of Transport, giving their two-cent worth on how the public transport industry should be structured. Two specific suggestions are given: to merge with rival SMRT to create one big giant transport company, or to have two separate companies with different areas of expertise – one running buses while another operating trains. (Note: It should be quite obvious that SBS Transit will be the natural bus company and SMRT will be the train company).

It is not hard to fathom why ComfortDelGro is keen to push for the two scenarios because they will have the upper hand in both scenarios. For the first scenario, if they were to merge with SMRT, it would most likely to be a take-over exercise rather than merger. With a market capitalisation of S$4.8 million over SMRT’s S$2.6 million and a ferocious appetite for aggressive acquisition, it would be quite unthinkable that they are willing to “merge” with SMRT. I speculate that they would have said something like this in their position paper:

Having a one giant company would create a company that can offer a holistic transport solution to Singapore with economy of scale. Also, by taking over merging with SMRT, we will hasten the process of achieving our mission of creating the world’s number one land transport operator. This would be Singapore’s pride: the largest land transport operator which is profitable.”

For the second scenario, though left with buses only, they will be able to use buses to compete with the trains by offering point-to-point services and direct bus services which are what the passengers wanted – faster and more direct services without the hassle of transfers.

Hitherto, SMRT has not yet put forth any position paper. Judging by their rival’s move, I would think they would be forced to come out with one. Already, they are managing shareholder and market’s expectation by responding to media about the position paper submitted by ComfortDelGro. A day after the news was reported, SMRT responded:

“(SMRT) Having operated trains and buses for over five years, we have grown to understand the synergistic benefits of a multimodal model. This is our preferred mode.”

What could we read from this statement? It could mean that they are supportive of the merger to create one big giant company, but this is quite unlikely as they will be a takeover subject. Another possibility is that they are against the one-bus-one-rail industry structure advocated by their rival. It is not hard to think why they are against bus-rail competition because the bus company could employ a bus network strategy that degrade the attractiveness of feeder buses to train stations while offering direct trunk services that offer door-step services or point-to-point services to compete with the trains (which SBS Transit is already doing so by replacing feeder services with passing through trunk services). Without the support of feeder buses, the trains will be left with pockets of small catchments area around the train stations.

What then is the government preferred industry structure? Minister for Transport Raymond Lim had previously state that there is no sacred cow that cannot be slaughtered, but they would not be slayed for the sake of doing so. Ultimately, with a pragmatic government, what is more important is to find solutions that achieve the outcome they want, rather than be engaged in an academic argument that debate which theoretical model best fit Singapore.

So far, the Ministry has made clear that in the next 10 to 15 years, the key solution to land transportation is to make public transport more attractive. It can no longer act as a captive market which attracts users who are unable to afford a car. As part of the land transport industry review, Ministry of Transport and Land Transport Authority have lately engaged the public in first of the many focus groups. One issue touched on is the possibility of bus route-tendering system, where bus routes are centrally planned by an independent body while the operation of the routes is being awarded to bus transport companies through competitive bidding.

In light of this, you might want to add one more possible industry structure to ComfortDelGro’s list: one rail company with multiple bus companies with route tendering.

Let us continue to wait in anticipation for the final outcome of the public transport industry review.

ComfortDelGro shares climb on SMRT merger whispers

Shares in ComfortDelGro, operator of the world's second-largest fleet of buses, taxis and rental vehicles, gained as much as 6.8 per cent after a report said chairman Lim Jit Poh suggested a merger with rival SMRT Corp.

Mr Lim's other proposal reportedly was for one company to operate bus services and the other to run Singapore's subway system to boost the use of public transport. The company does not comment on market speculation, spokeswoman Tammy Tan said.

Singapore is encouraging more people to use public transport to ease road congestion. The Ministry of Transport is reviewing the public transport sector.

“This piece of news could lead to more analysts factoring in the possibility of Singapore having one operator for rail and one operator for the bus system,” UOB Kay Hian analyst Leng Seng Choon said.

Shares of ComfortDelGro gained 13 cents (5.9 per cent), to $2.33 at the close of trading, while SMRT shares jumped 11 cents, (6.6 per cent), to $1.77.

SMRT, Singapore's biggest subway operator, also provides bus, taxi and charter services.

“Having operated trains and buses for over five years, we have grown to understand the synergistic benefits of a multimodal model,” SMRT said in an emailed statement. “This is our preferred mode.” — Bloomberg

Source: TODAY, 21 April 2007

Mega-merger of transport operators or separate all-bus, all-train entities
By Christopher Tan, Senior Correspondent

TRANSPORT giant ComfortDelGro's chairman, Mr Lim Jit Poh, has made a formal proposal to the Government on restructuring the public transport industry.

The Straits Times understands he is suggesting two options:

• A mega-merger with rival SMRT to create a single public transport group, or
• Have one operator run the buses and the other, trains.

Mr Lim has in the past mooted 'inter-modal' competition between separate all-bus and all-train operators.

He submitted his paper to Transport Minister Raymond Lim, following the ministry's call six months ago for an industry review to raise public transport ridership sizeably.

The paper was mentioned in the latest annual reports of ComfortDelGro and its subsidiary SBS Transit, although its contents were not revealed.

The Transport Ministry would not say what ComfortDelGro has proposed, but its spokesman said: 'We treat these as useful inputs coming from a key stakeholder and will give due consideration as part of the ongoing land transport review.'

The ministry is expected to release results of its review by year-end.

Currently, the two key stakeholders - SBS Transit and SMRT - have bus and train operations. SBS Transit does not make much money from rail and SMRT does not make much from buses.

Caught in the middle are commuters who complain that travel in many parts of the island is far from 'seamless'.

In the present set-up, commuters find they require more transfers to get to their destinations because too many bus services were removed to avoid duplicating MRT services.

In his chairman's statement, Mr Lim said: 'I note the public calls for more competition. I also note the cry for centralised and integrated services. These are extreme positions.'

In its General Household Survey 2005, the Department of Statistics found that although buses were the public transport network's fastest way to get around, the proportion of commuters who could take a straight bus to work had fallen from 25 per cent in 2000 to 21.9 in 2005.

The proportion who had to take both bus and train went up from 13.9 to 15.1 per cent.

Asked for her comments on the two options, SMRT president Saw Phaik Hwa said it was unnecessary to overhaul the industry, but improvements could be made.

Ms Saw said a bus-versus-train set-up could mean duplication of resources and, as a result, higher fares. She also said it may not be environmentally sound.

'That's what's happening in Hong Kong, where you see buses occupying five lanes in Causeway Bay. The pollution is bad,' she told The Straits Times yesterday.

The suggestion for one operator to run all the trains was made in 2003 by former transport minister Yeo Cheow Tong, who said 'a lot of the overheads can be saved'.

He even said SMRT would be allowed to operate all future lines if it took over SBS Transit's North-East Line (NEL), which was loss-making then.

Ms Saw said she would not acquire a loss-maker.

But last year, the NEL became profitable. Asked if she would now reconsider her position, Ms Saw said: 'I don't have a problem running the NEL, but the price must make sense. It's a business deal.'

Source: The Straits Times, 20 April 2007

Text (take) me to LTA II: They do return......

Nope. Not the ghosts. It’s LTA’s newly launched SMS channel (77-LTA).

I sent in a SMS query in the morning – just to test the new system. True enough, I got an automated reply acknowledging my feedback. But what followed wasn’t what I expected.

I got a return call from LTA – on a Sunday morning! Also, they clearly demonstrated the spirit of going-the-extra-mile by repeatedly trying to reach me on my phone when I was unable to pick up the call. I’ve lost count, but I think I got at least 7 missed calls from them within two hours. I thought a SMS reply is more than enough for my simple query.

I managed to ask the staff who called me whether this channel will be manned 24/7, which he replied yes. But, he called again later to correct that it will be manned during office hours only, and that today (a Sunday) is an exception due to the first day of launching. I must say I'm impressed with the effort they put in.

In case you're wondering, this is what I text to them:

“Are there any additional telco charges for this SMS channel?”

Personalised vanity car plates

There has been news that Singapore car owners might get to lay their hands on vanity car plates soon. Instead of the usual car plates like “SGP 100 A”, LTA is considering relaxing the guidelines on car plates to allow various permutations of alphabets and letters, up to a maximum 12 characters. The car plates are rumoured to sell at a fixed price rather than on a bidding system, which is the current system in place for Hong Kong.

Actually, a bidding system would be more equitable. It prevents squatters who could be profiteering the first-come-first-serve fixed price model by snapping up high demand car plates quickly and then resell them at a higher price, in the process making a profit. It also allows people who are eyeing the same car plate to fight it out. It will also be consistent with LTA’s current practice of having a bidding system for those who wish to bid on the 4-digit car number plates.

More importantly, a bidding system would generate more revenue for LTA, especially when they need to come up with innovative ideas to replace the 8% reduction in road tax collection for Budget 2007 (click here for more info). But why is LTA not inclined to opt for a bidding system?

Let's do some calculations here. Assuming that personalised car plates are offered at a flat rate of $1,000 per plate (current minimum amount for car registration number bidding), then for LTA to recoup the 8% road tax rebate, it would need to sell about 61,000 personalised car plates, which is about 50% of the total COE quota for next year – quite an impossible take-up rate.

If we assume only 5% of the new COE issued will be applying for a personalised car plate, each plate will be at a flat rate of about $10,000 – a very hefty fee! A bidding system would not likely to achieve this amount (unless the starting bid set quite high), which could probably explain why LTA is thinking of selling the personalised plates at a flat-fee rather than using the current bidding system!

New bus lane operating hours from 1 April 2007

Motorists take note. From 1 April 2007, bus lane operating hours will be revised. To avoid intruding into the bus lanes, please note the following changes:

1. Full-day bus lane will be expanded to cover five new locations: Eu Tong Sen Street, Hill Street, Victoria Street, Bras Basah Road and Somerset Road/Penang Rd. [Post-note: For