Pedestrian involved in motorcycle accident recovering in hospital

A female pedestrian involved in a motorcycle accident that occurred last Saturday is recovering at Khoo Teck Puat Hospital.

The pre-dawn accident happened at the junction of Woodlands Avenue 6 and 7.

The motorcyclist who hit her was arrested on the spot for riding dangerously.

A video of the accident, captured moments before the pedestrian was hit, has gone viral on the internet. The motorcycle which hit her had beaten a red light.

The woman was flung a distance on impact, with the motorcyclist involved eventually returning to the scene.

The pedestrian, who is in her late 40s, was conscious after the accident and brought to a hospital.

Police investigations are ongoing.

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Why are Singapore roads getting so dangerous nowadays? It seems that no matter how long have the red light come on, there will still be idiotic drivers/riders wanting to dash through it. It is lucky that the lady survived. Hope she'll have a speedy recovery.

COE premiums for small cars hit S$81,889

Certificate of Entitlement (COE) premiums for vehicles rose in most categories, with the premium for small cars hitting another all time high, at the end of the latest bidding exercise today.

The premium for cars 1,600 cc and below (Category A) finished at S$81,889, up for the previous high of S$78,523 which was recorded at the last bidding exercise.

The COE premium for big cars (1,601cc and above) also rose by 3.7 per cent from S$90,200 in the earlier bidding exercise to S$93,501 while the premium for motorcycles increased by 5.5 per cent to S$1,701.

In the Open category, where COEs can be used for any vehicle type, the premium dropped by 1 per cent to S$95,990 from S$97,000 at the beginning of this month and the premiums for commercial vehicles also saw a 1.3 per cent dip to finish at S$62,201.

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What a record breaking year we've had. In the final bidding exercise, Cat A broke the record again. Very soon, the COEs will be able to buy a HDB flat in Singapore.

Fare increase not just to raise salaries of bus drivers: Lui Tuck Yew

It's not just driver salaries, but the need to improve and maintain public transport systems for the long-term that necessitates fare revisions, said Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew in a message posted to his Facebook page today.

He was writing in response to the discussion generated over his comments made on the 6th of December. Then, he had said that increased salaries for bus drivers would be taken into account in future fare revisions for buses.

However, he said his comments were made in view of a "wider perspective".

"We need to go well beyond the one-time increase earlier this year which raised salaries by up to a few hundred dollars a month," Minister Lui wrote in the Facebook post. He cited the need to attract more local drivers as a reason for sustained increases of wages for bus drivers.

"Locals currently make up slightly more than half (57 per cent) of our 7,500 bus drivers, a sharp decline from almost 80 per cent just 6 years ago. Most local drivers are already in their 50s and 60s. Clearly we should continue to welcome foreign bus drivers within limits. But we also need to attract more locals to take up bus driving if we do not want to rely overly on foreigners." he wrote.

He also stressed that fare increases were not to boost the short term profits of public transport operators. Instead, they should be used "not just to improve salaries of bus drivers but to improve service to commuters while keeping public transport operations commercially viable." This includes the upgrading and maintainance of fleets, as well staff salaries.

PROPER BALANCE NEEDED

Minister Lui acknowledged that as fares increased, the Government would have an increasing role to keep public transport affordable. Examples he cited of Govenrment help included expanding the rail network, as well as the S$1.1 billion Bus Service Enhancement Programme introduced earlier in the year.

However, he said that even with Government help, improving public transport would be a costly endeavour. He wrote: "Somebody has to pay for these costs, either commuters in fares, or taxpayers in government subsidies, or the PTOs.

"The proper balance is something we have to study very carefully. But we should not simply take the populist approach of avoiding any fare increases completely, and just push it onto the PTOs or rely on more and more government subsidies. Not only would this require additional public money, but it would give operators no incentive to be efficient, or to provide good services to commuters."

Minister Lui emphasised that the Government is "fully committed to an affordable public transport system" for vulnerable groups, and he wants PTOs to consider what more can be done for such groups as part of the next fare adjustment.

He also said that there would be a fuller debate in Parliament about fare revisions, once the fare review committee completes its work early next year.

"It is a matter of all the stakeholders - the PTOs, the Government, and yes, commuters too - coming together to ensure we enjoy a reliable, high-quality and affordable public transport system," he wrote.

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Singaporeans have come to a stage where whatever the minister say, we will rebut, especially so in the public transport factors. And who can blame them? Fare increment has become almost a yearly affair for the past decade and while the PTOs continue to make handsome profits, they continue to cry for help when it comes to providing better services and salaries.

However, there isn't much we can do once they have decided to raise fares. We can make all the noises we want but we still have to use the public transport and continue paying.

Lucky draw to attract more cabbies to airport

Cabbies who pick up passengers from Changi Airport this month stand a chance to win up to $1,888 in cash.

The weekly lucky draw has been introduced by the airport's operator, Changi Airport Group, in a bid to attract more taxis to its terminals as December is its busiest month of the year.

It hopes the incentive will draw about 10 per cent more cabs and keep waiting time at the taxi stands to no more than 10 minutes, said Mr Yeo Kia Thye, the company's senior vice-president for airport operations.

Last December, Changi handled 4.5 million passengers - an average of 146,000 a day.

The lucky draw from Dec 3 to Jan 1 will see one cabby taking home a grand prize of $1,888 each week and six others winning $88 each.

Every cab that enters the taxi holding areas at Changi is eligible for the contest.

Their in-vehicle unit number will be tracked by the operator.

Cabbies that make trips between 4pm and 6pm and between 11pm and midnight - the periods just before the start of fare surcharges - will triple their chances of winning.

Those who drive to Changi between the peak arrival period of 6pm and 11pm will earn two chances to win.

Said Mr Yeo: "We wanted to find something that appeals to drivers and is also fun. The prize had to be something that resonates with the drivers and is substantial enough for them to be interested."

He added that Changi Airport Group had mulled over other options such as raising the airport surcharge, which ranges from $3 to $5 depending on the time.

"But if we go down that route, what is going to stop the others from raising theirs as well?" he said, referring to the $3 surcharge passengers pay to take a cab at the two integrated resorts.

Cabby Quah Seh Hong, 55, estimates that he drives to the airport at least 20 times a week.

He is confident that the chance to win money will attract more cabbiesthere.

Agreeing, cabby Lee Yew Kiak, 54, said: "Having a chance to make extra money by picking up passengers is a good incentive."

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This is interesting. Definitely a more creative way to draw more taxis to the airport during this festive season which will boost overseas travels and tourist visitors.However it is strong enough to pull the cabbies there? In fact the queue of taxi during the wee hours at the Changi Airport is already pretty amazing. But then this lucky draw will add extra incentive for cabbies to go there during other times.

If it works, i think CAG deserves a prize man.

Who wants to be a bus driver?

Driving a bus may be among the things young boys dream of doing, but everyone soon wakes up to the bleak reality.

Bus drivers are among the lowest-paid workers in Singapore, making more than cleaners but a bit less than factory operators - two of the lowest-paid groups of people here.

After this year's round of adjustments, the average Singaporean driver takes home between $2,000 and $2,500 monthly after overtime and allowance.

Drivers from Malaysia and China make even less.

Salaries aside, working hours can be daunting. They wake up as early as 4am if they are on the morning shift, and knock off after 1am on the late shift.

A split-shift system also means they can be rostered to drive during the morning and evening peak hours on the same day; and days off are not as predictable as those of, say, office workers.

It is no wonder then that SBS Transit and SMRT find it increasingly difficult to hire Singaporean drivers.

In the 1990s, they started sourcing from Malaysia.

Soon, with rising education levels and growing affluence, even Malaysians were hard to come by.

In 2008, the two operators started hiring drivers from China.

There are currently about 7,300 bus drivers between the two operators.

About half are Singaporeans or permanent residents, followed by Malaysians and Chinese.

Chinese drivers make up 11 per cent and 22 per cent of SBS' and SMRT's drivers respectively.

According to the two firms, drivers typically have secondary school education and are between 21 and 65 years old.

Prior to joining, they must have held a Class 3 (car) driving licence for at least a year.

An understanding of simple English is about the only other criterion needed for application.

Successful applicants undergo training of between 31 and 60 days, depending on their familiarity with Singapore roads.

On average, 15 per cent of the 7,300 drivers leave each year.

But some make a long-term career of it. SBS says its longest-serving Singaporean driver has been on the job for 44 years, while a Malaysian has been at it for 38.

While some used to be drivers in previous occupations, others have held various jobs, such as being cooks and policemen.

The Straits Times understands that those who leave usually go on to drive trucks.

Demand for truck drivers - who typically earn 60 to 70 per cent more - has soared with the construction boom.

Malaysians typically start their own businesses back home.

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As a Singaporean, do you want to be a public transport bus driver? Or would you rather be a cabbie?

SUV in Orchard Road turns turtle on 7/12/12

What do you think? Recently there has been alot of such videos/accidents surfacing on Singapore roads; drivers dashing through red traffic lights. 

Volkswagen dominates small-car COE category

Almost one in four cars sold with Category A certificates of entitlement (COE) this year wore a Volkswagen badge on its grille.

In the first 10 months, the German mid-range manufacturer accounted for 2,352 of the total 10,142 registrations in Cat A (for cars under 1,600 cc). This was 23.2 per cent of the market share for this so-called small-car segment.

From January to October, the top VW model was the Jetta compact sedan, with 744 registrations, followed by the Scirocco sports hatch (416) and the Golf hatchback (408).

But in Cat B, VW is a small player. There, German luxury makes BMW and Mercedes-Benz take the top two spots.

In this COE category, VW has managed only 595 units or 4.5 per cent in a total big-car market of 13,327 new registrations.

VW's domination of the small-car COE category has come at the expense of the traditional Japanese favourites; for now, the German car has pushed them all out except for one - Toyota.

Japan's biggest carmaker was Singapore's best- selling brand between 2002 and 2010, before it was overtaken by BMW and Mercedes-Benz last year. Today, it is still the third most popular make here, with VW in fourth position.

VW sales could, however, expand further amid the tight COE quota, under which the popularity of premium and near-premium makes has risen in tandem with COE prices.

VW could also clock even better sales through its full range of diesel models, which make their debut next month to take advantage of the upcoming Carbon Emissions-based Vehicle Scheme (CEVS).

The 11 Volkswagen "TDI Clean Diesel" models are the Polo, Beetle, Scirocco, Touran, Jetta, Tiguan, Passat, Sharan, CC, Touareg and Phaeton.

Under CEVS, which comes into effect on Jan 1, buyers of cars with carbon dioxide emissions of 160 g/km or below are entitled to rebates of between $5,000 and $20,000.

VW is already in a strong position to benefit from this; in the first nine months of this year, 82 per cent of its cars sold already had emissions of 160 g/km or less.

So even though Euro V diesel models attract a diesel tax of 40 cents per cc next year - down from $1.25 per cc currently - the CEVS rebate may more than make up for this surcharge.

Volkswagen's PR manager Colin Yong said: "For most Volkswagen models, the additional CEVS rebate earned by the TDI models more than covers the slightly higher annual road tax, which includes the diesel surcharge."

For example, the road tax for the Jetta 1.6 TDI is $762 more a year than that of the 1.4 TSI model, but the Jetta 1.6 buyer will get $5,000 off upfront when registering the car - which equates to more than six years' worth of the road tax difference.

Mr Yong said: "Additionally, TDI cars also have even lower fuel consumption than our already economical TSI models, and customers pay less for diesel fuel at the pumps."

The TDI cars here will be sold at the same price as their equivalent petrol models. In Europe, diesel models usually cost 10 per cent more than their petrol versions.

Mr Yong said that VW expects Singaporean motorists to be curious about diesel technology and the potential savings, so it will open a TDI Clean Diesel Experience Centre in its Alexandra showroom.

Most motorists here have not had the opportunity to drive a modern TDI car, so the showroom will give them a shot at feeling the performance and the quiet running of a TDI Clean Diesel car for themselves, Mr Yong added.

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When the CEVS scheme kicks in in 2013, diesel powered cars will be very popular and one of the first makers to benefit from this is definitely Volkswagen.

Diesel engines give high torque, good fuel efficiency and diesel prices are lower in Singapore. The only worry comes in when more and more people move into diesel cars and its price starts rocketing, causing our public transport to succumb to price pressures and the consumers will bear the extra fuel costs again.

20 arrested for drink driving

The Traffic Police's blitz against drink driving saw 20 motorists arrested early this morning.

In the pre-dawn operation, road blocks were set up at Ganges Avenue, Clemeanceau Avenue, Jalan Bukit Merah, Mountbatten Road and Sims Avenue from 1.30 am to 4.30 am.

More than 72 drivers were stopped and tested for alcohol consumption. Of these, 20 motorists - 18 men and 2 women aged between 23 and 53 - were arrested for drink driving.

The highest Breath Evidential Analyser (BEA) test result was 106 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath which is more than 3 times the prescribed legal limit is 35 microgrammes.

Acting Commander of Traffic Police, Deputy Assistant Commissioner of Police Poh Lye Hin, said: "Drink drivers who failed the BEA test will be prosecuted in court. Pleading ignorance of our laws or having perceptions such as drinking two glasses of beer will be within the legal alcohol limit will not absolve you of the drink driving charge."

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I urge all drivers to be responsible for your own actions. By the time you see that flashing red/blue lights, it's too late. Leave the vehicle at home if you're heading out for a drink.

Have a safe and enjoyable festive season.

Schumacher wrong to return, says Ecclestone

Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone believes Michael Schumacher was wrong to return to the sport, claiming the German had severely damaged his legacy as a seven-time world champion.

The 43-year-old Schumacher quit the sport in 2006 before being tempted into an ill-fated return in 2010 at Mercedes where he spent three seasons being largely outshone by teammate Nico Rosberg.

He brought the curtain down on his second spell at last month's Brazilian Grand Prix where he finished seventh.

"I would rather he had stopped as a seven-time world champion than stopping now," Ecclestone told www.formula1.com.

"People new to the sport -- people who have joined the F1 fan fraternity just recently -- will remember Michael now, not as he was. They don't see the hero that he was but the human that can fail."

But Ecclestone had some words of comfort for Schumacher, admitting that three-time champion Sebastian Vettel will find it hard to break his record of seven crowns.

"He is not half way there. It will be a question of how good his team will stay -- or how bad the others are," said Ecclestone.

"When Michael won his five titles with Ferrari it was because Ferrari did a better job than any other team -- that is the same with Red Bull at the moment. Whether they can continue, you don't know. Let's wait and see."

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Schumi, as we affectionately call him, like all other sports greats, made a comeback in 2010. Still remember in 2009 when Massa had a life threatening accident, Schumi almost made a return for Ferrari as a backup. Suddenly everyone was buzzing about the prospect of the greatest F1 driver of all time getting into the cockpit again.

Sadly that didn't materialise due to a neck injury and Luca Badoer took over instead, to much dismay considering how crappy he is as a racer. But the comeback did arrive, not in Ferrari but at the newly formed team Mercedes GP.

We all thought they can make a huge challenge considering how Brawn GP blown everyone away with their maiden season in F1. Sadly, Mercedes GP failed to reproduce such performances with their many issues with the car.

I wouldn't say Schumi wasted the 3 years. Try putting yourself in his shoes. The temptation is always there, though the outcome isn't what as desired, it put to rest what's left in the basement, like how Rocky Balboa made a last hurrah in the ring.

I believe to all Schumi fans, he still is the best with 7 world titles. Vettel has the biggest shot at breaking that record but there's still a long long way to go for Schumi's fellow German.

COE for Open Category vehicles jumps to $97,000 in December exercise

Certificate of Entitlement, or COE premiums, for the first bidding exercise in December ended mixed on Wednesday, with the highest increase seen in the Open Category (Cat E) which jumped by $3,010 to close at $97,000.

Also up are rates for goods vehicles and buses. COE premiums for this category (Cat C) went up by $2,800 to $63,035.

Rates for small cars (1,600 cc and below under Cat A) closed at $78,523 - up by $1,232 from the last bidding exercise.

Going down though are rates for big cars (above 1,600 cc under Cat B) which dropped by $2,804 to $90,200.

Premiums for motorcycles closed at $1,612 - down by just $77.

Observers said car dealers could be bidding more aggressively due to a few factors.

Mr Ron Lim, General Manager of Tan Chong Motor Sales, said one of the factors is the rush for year-end registration.

"Basically you're looking at this month's registration to close off the year. Secondly, in anticipation of the expected further cut in quota come February. So everyone is rushing to get the COE and not take the chance to roll over," he said.

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So, it's another new record for Category A COE. With impending quota cuts in February 2013, the worst is still not here yet. Breaching the S$100k mark for cars above 2000cc is only a matter of time. What is more worrying is the COE price for commercial vehicles. Such high prices will inevitably pass on to consumers and overall inflation will climb even higher for years to come.

Reliance on foreign bus drivers in sharp focus

Monday's action by 102 SMRT bus drivers brought into focus issues that have come with transport operators' growing dependence on foreign workers.

Bus operators began hiring bus drivers from China in 2008. They now make up 11 per cent of SBS Transit's pool of 5,300 drivers, and 22 per cent of SMRT's 2,000 drivers.

The pay gap between Chinese and Malaysian drivers was one catalyst for yesterday's protest. The former received much lower pay rises than the latter group, even though they perform roughly the same functions.

Veteran unionist and MP Halimah Yacob said this was probably because of SMRT's differing cost structures for the two groups of drivers.

For instance, SMRT has to pay for lodging for Chinese drivers, but not Malaysians, who typically commute to and from their homes across the Causeway.

She noted that the drivers should have sought proper avenues to address their grievances.

Even if they failed to reach a resolution with management, they could have turned to the Manpower Ministry, she said.

But Madam Halimah - who is also Minister of State for Social and Family Development - added that companies should be cognizant of changing circumstances facing Chinese workers.

"China is growing rapidly. Its economy is able to absorb many more workers, and they are also able to pay better than before," she said.

"So employers here have to factor that in."

Mr Kenneth Soh, a social worker at non-governmental organisation Transient Workers Count Too, said the larger issue may have to do with why there are not enough Singaporean drivers.

"Perhaps we need to relook at our salary policies, to attract more locals so as to have a lower reliance on foreigners," he said.

Active social commentator and former chief of union-backed insurer NTUC Income Tan Kin Lian also urged public transport operators to pay better salaries and provide better working conditions to recruit more locals.

"Locals will be more familiar with our roads and languages, and can interact better with commuters," he said.

Member of Parliament Cedric Foo, who chairs the Government Parliamentary Committee for Transport, said buses were an essential public service, and Singapore must guard against situations where such service providers are held hostage to protesters.

"There is always a balance to be struck between employee and employer interests," Mr Foo said.

"But conflicts do surface from time to time, and due process should be followed to address them.

"(Commuters) should not be penalised for this."

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Definitely a wake up call for companies who think they can leech on cheap foreign labour, especially for those in service industries as they're more crucial than the others. Can you imagine waking up one day but can't get to work due to the absence of transport providers?

This is an issue facing Singapore as a whole. After the mass import of cheap foreign labour for the past few years, the government has finally come to realise that unlimited boosting of the workforce is not the best way to go and started controlling influx of such workers.

This change in policy suddenly caused many industry to face a manpower and profit crunch. After getting s used to readily available foreign labour, companies must now find ways to improve productivity and make salaries more attractive to locals.

It's ironic that after boosting the population, we need more workers to support this huge population but is finding big troubles in doing so.