More covered linkways, elderly friendly bridges for commuters

 The government will spend some S$690 million to better connect commuters to transport nodes and reduce noise levels from passing trains.

Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew on Thursday announced the initiatives mapped out under the latest Land Transport Master Plan.

One key project -- Walk2Ride -- will make it easier for more commuters to walk to MRT stations.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) will build sheltered linkways within a 400-metre radius from all existing MRT stations, compared to the current radius of 200 metres.

Currently, sheltered linkways are built to link to schools, healthcare institutions and other transport nodes like bus stops and taxi stands.

But under Walk2Ride, developments within a 400-metre radius like shopping, leisure, commercial and residential areas will also be linked.

Mr Lui said walking experience has been a key point in discussions with residents.

He added: "We will improve the 'first and last mile experience' for commuters. One key feedback from our focus group discussions was that more people would take public transport if we improve the walking experience between their homes or the MRT station and bus stop.

"Many told us while our public transport system is well-connected, the walking experience was generally uncomfortable and inconvenient, given our tropical climate and sometimes unpredictable weather."

There are also plans to link up developments within a 200-metre radius of all bus interchanges, LRT stations and high-usage bus shelters.

In all, some 200 kilometres of linkways will be added islandwide by 2018, more than four times the existing 46 kilometres today. The project is expected to cost some S$330 million and will begin from 2014.

The Walk2Ride initiative is being rolled out, following a successful trial at Lakeside MRT.

Desmond Lee, MP for Jurong GRC, said: "Many of them (residents) are elderly residents as well as families with young children on strollers, and a significant number of them have requested for some form of lifts or pedestrian crossing or escalator to ... Lakeside MRT.

"So with this announcement, residents will find their access to Lakeside MRT that much more convenient for them."

Ang Wei Neng, a member of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Transport and MP for Jurong GRC, said the move will help reduce traffic congestion and the reliance on feeder bus services.

He said: "People prefer to walk because it is more reliable, more predictable than taking the bus which is subjected to traffic conditions."

Another S$60 million will be spent on making pedestrian overhead bridges more elderly and wheelchair-friendly.

LTA intends to install lifts at 40 of such bridges.

LTA will begin installing the lifts from 2014. Half of them will be completed by 2016 and the remaining by 2018.

Pedestrian overhead bridges located near MRT stations and integrated transport hubs will be given priority.

Beyond connectivity, residents living near elevated train tracks such as in Simei, Marsiling and Dover can expect the noise level from passing trains to drop.

S$300 million will be spent on installing some 20 kilometres of noise barriers along stretches where noise levels exceed the National Environment Agency's guideline of 67 decibels.

Since September, LTA has been measuring noise levels at 455 residential flats located close to such tracks.

With the noise barriers, Mr Lui said noise levels can be reduced by about five to 10 decibels.

Installations will start at the end of this year and be completed by 2020.

Mr Lui said: "They are just some of the key initiatives that we plan to roll out over the next few years to improve our living environment, and enhance our quality of life, and core to the goal of the Land Transport Master Plan 2013 -- which is to build a people-centred land transport system that supports an inclusive and liveable community."

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Good initiative by the minister of transportation. After last week's announcement of doubling Singapore's rail network, this piece of news further emphasize that more work is in the pipeline to beef up the viability of public transport in the midst of Singapore's population boom.

Food for thought though, all these good news always start to pop up whenever the ruling party is participating in an election. Nevertheless, Singaporeans will welcome improvements to infrastructure, to make our society more pleasant to live in.

COE premiums mostly down after latest bidding exercise

Certificate of Entitlement (COE) premiums were mostly down at the end of the latest bidding exercise at 4pm on Wednesday.

For small cars, the premium fell S$1,090 to S$91,010.

The premium for big cars closed down S$709 to S$95,501.

In the goods vehicles and buses category, the premium was down S$2,949 to end at S$57,051, while COE premiums for motorcycles ended at S$1,781, down S$152.

The only category where premiums rose was the open category, which went up S$1,788 to S$97,889.

While the changes are not significant, some car dealers are advising consumers against holding out on buying.

Mr Raymond Tang, a car dealer, said: "If you carry on waiting, because of the next quota premium, the COE is getting less, it is definitely not going to benefit you. But of course, you have to see your own financial status. If you don't want to spend so much, you can actually go to the used-car market."

Mr Tang expects premiums to continue heading north, going forward.

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Calm before the storm. Starting February, the COE quota will be further reduced. The $100k mark will definitely be breached, sooner rather than later.

Lorry driver caught on tape crashing into motorcyclist on PIE

A three-minute long video of a lorry crashing into a female motorcyclist on a busy expressway has gone viral on local forums and on Facebook.

Uploaded by a driver who witnessed and recorded the entire accident from his in-vehicle camera, the video shows a white lorry tailgating a motorcyclist on the Pan-Island Expressway (PIE) between Eng Neo Avenue and Stevens Road on Friday afternoon.

At about 2:10 minutes into the video, the lorry tries to overtake from the right but clearly barges into the hapless motorcyclist at high-speed.

The impact of the collision sends the motorcycle crashing, as the female rider is flung onto the road. A loud "waah" can be heard as the shocked witness sees the crash unfold right ibefore his eyes.

As he pulls over to the road shoulder to assist the fallen motorcyclist, the in-camera unit continues to record and shows the lorry pull up in front, as the driver -- a slightly chubby Chinese driver -- get out, first walking and then running backwards, presumably to check on the fallen rider.

"I stayed very neutral and looked at this road accident as a mishap where nobody [wanted] it," said Facebook user Liew Yew Leong, who witnessed the accident and posted the video on behalf of a certain Aaron Ng.

According to Liew, the lorry driver showed little remorse as he went back to check up on the injured motorcyclist.

"While waiting for the ambulance and traffic police to come, I took an umbrella to shade the injured motorist who is still lying on the road. The [lorry driver] took over my umbrella ... to shade himself from the sun!" he wrote.

The video, which has been shared nearly 5,000 likes as of Monday morning, has sparked debate among netizens, many of whom said it looked like the lorry driver almost intentionally hit the motorcylist.

Others said the motorcyclist was also partly at fault and should not have road-hogged.

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What do you make of such an accident? First of all, why is a lorry travelling on the second lane of the expressway? Was he dreaming while making an "overtaking" move that doesn't seem to be an overtake at all?

As for the biker, she seems to be indifferent about her surroundings. Was she road hogging? If a lorry is tailgating you in such a precarious manner, please move aside and give way. And she didn't make any evasive move when the lorry was momentarily right beside her.

Well I guess it's all too late to say anything now. I wish her a speedy recovery.

Launch of the first supercharged model for Nissan - the Note

Nissan's first supercharged model has arrived. The all new Nissan Note was unveiled to a crowd of distinguished guests and friends of the media at an event in Clarke Quay. Following the victory of the Nissan Leaf electric vehicle a year ago, the Nissan Note had also been recently awarded The Car of the Year by the Automotive Researchers' & Journalists' Conference of Japan. The Nissan Note will be available in a base variant as well as the DIG-S supercharged version.

Sophisticated and dynamic are words that come to mind when looking at the front facet of the Note

The Note sports a stylish and impressive exterior, featuring a striking characteristic known as the 'Squash Line' and an aerodynamic shape. Combined with its distinctive front grille, headlamps and rear tailights, the car creates a sense of sophistication and dynamism.

The cabin of the Note is spacious, beyond expectations for a car of its class. The glossy piano-black centre console with silver finishing which is only available on the DIG-S variant adds to the luxurious feel - something that is rarely seen in entry level hatchbacks.

Under the hood, the base variant is powered by a 1.2-litre HR12DE engine while the supercharged Note features Nissan's newly developed 1.2-litre DIG-S HR12DDR engine, which is capable of delivering performance equivalent to a 1.5-litre engine. This highly efficient supercharged engine combined with an electric clutch controls the On/Off operation depending on engine speed, resulting in both greater fuel efficiency and acceleration performance on demand.

Mr Joseph Ong, Managing Director, Tan Chong Motor Sales said that the Note is primarily targeted at the young who are looking for a compact hatchback that combines style and performance but is also easy to maintain.

Glossy piano-black centre console enhances the luxurious feel of the Nissan Note's cabin

Combining an aerodynamic exterior with advanced technology, coupled with the 1.2-litre DIG-S supercharged engine, the Note achieves class-leading fuel efficiency of around 20km/L and low CO2 emissions of 121g/km. As a result, it is eligible for a $10,000 CEVS rebate.

The first 30 customers who purchase the new Nissan Note are entitled to a helicopter aerial tour of Singapore or a half-day yacht charter.

The Nissan Note retails for $134,800 and the DIG-S supercharged version retails for $142,800 at press time. (Price is inclusive of COE and CEVS rebate)

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The prices make one dizzy, welcome to Singapore. Price aside, the Note seems to be a great product in the midst of high fuel prices. Boasting a fuel consumption of just 20km/L, alot of cash can be saved without compromising on the power with a supercharger.

Road tax and insurance will be cheap with a 1.2L engine, plus the new CEVS rebate, had the COE been lower, this would have been a great car to own.

Drop in car COE quota smaller than expected

As expected, the COE quota for the next six months has a smaller allocation for the passenger car categories, but not by as much as some motor distributors had feared.

The total quota for the period from February to July 2013 will be 19,263 - marginally down from 19,351 for the August 2012 to January 2013 period - due to relatively low vehicle deregistrations and a lower vehicle growth rate (now at 0.5 per cent based on the vehicle population as at Dec 31, 2012, from one per cent previously).

As a result, the number of COEs available in Category A (for cars below 1,600 cc) will be 15.1 per cent lower at 667 per month, while Cat B (for cars above 1,600 cc) will dip 13.7 per cent to 605.

Cat E (the open category which currently tracks Cat B) will slip 1.9 per cent to 476.

Only Cat C (for commercial vehicles) and Cat D (for motorcycles) will enjoy a bigger crop of COEs. Cat C gets 451 each month, or a 25.3 per cent jump, while Cat D will have 1,012 COEs, or up 13.2 per cent.

"Cat B was as forecast. But we were expecting a slightly bigger cut for Cat A of 20 per cent, so 15 per cent doesn't sound so bad," said Chin Kee Min, senior manager of Cycle & Carriage Kia. "However, since the base is already so low, I suppose whether it's 15 per cent or 20 per cent doesn't make much of a difference."

Taxis were one of the variables at work, according to George Lee, general manager of Opel distributor Auto Germany and Chevrolet dealer Alpine Motor.

"There were more Cat A COEs because some taxis - 402 units to be exact - were deregistered without any replacement. These 402 were put back into the system as fresh COEs."

The number of Cat E COEs was another surprise. Some distributors had expected this category to suffer a much bigger contraction but instead, it dipped by just 1.9 per cent.

"Cat E benefited from high motorcycle scrappage," said Kia's Mr Chin, who pointed out that the deregistrations of two-wheelers had been higher than normal in the second half of 2012.

But Alpine's Mr Lee said that Cat E was also boosted by taxis. From Aug 6, 2012, taxis were moved to Cat E from Cat A. Because of this, a net adjustment of 304 COEs was made to the Cat E quota, according to the Land Transport Authority.

Looking ahead, Mr Lee said that with the overall contraction in passenger car COEs, he expects premiums to continue rising.

"The festive season is also around the corner, while luxury distributors will continue to dominate because of their bigger volumes and margins. Ultimately there are just too few COEs to go around."

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There you go, another round of reduction for the next 6 months. A $100k COE value will sure be a norm soon but the good news is that commercial vehicles will have a 25% increase in quota, which is good for business.

S'pore to have two new MRT lines by 2030

Singapore will have two new MRT lines, while three existing lines will be extended. These will double the rail network stretch to 360 kilometres, compared with the current 178 kilometres.

By then, eight in 10 households will have a train station within a 10-minute walk, compared with about six in 10 currently.

These plans for the rail network followed a review of the Land Transport Master Plan by the Land Transport Authority (LTA).

Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew announced the new developments when he visited Chinatown Station of the Downtown Line on Thursday.

The new lines are the Cross Island Line (CRL) and Jurong Region Line (JRL).

The CRL will run from Jurong Industrial Estate and pass through areas such as West Coast, Bukit Timah, Ang Mo Kio, Punggol and Pasir Ris before ending in Changi. The 50-kilometre line, which is expected to be completed by 2030, will be connected to all existing lines.

It is expected to relieve the load of the existing East-West and North-East lines and shorten journey times significantly.

Mr Lui said: "The eastern leg of the CRL will also include a segment that extends into the centre of Punggol. Residents in Punggol will be able to take a short cut to Pasir Ris, which is a popular and much demanded travel route, in only 10 to 15 minutes, compared to a 40 minute bus journey that they experience today."

The other new line -- Jurong Region Line -- will be completed in 2025. The 20-kilometre line will pass through areas such as Jurong West, Jurong Industrial District, West Coast, Choa Chu Kang and potential new developments in Tengah.

Those travelling from the North to Jurong, like students of Nanyang Technological University, can skip Jurong East Station on the East-West Line.

Three existing lines -- the Circle Line (CCL), Downtown Line (DTL) and North-East Line (NEL) -- will be extended.

The CCL will be four kilometres longer -- to close the link between HarbourFront and Marina Bay stations and save commuters the hassle of making multiple transfers. The extension, which will also pass through Keppel, is expected to be completed by 2025.

The DTL will be two kilometres longer by 2025 -- to run through the East Coast area. It will be connected to the East West Line and the Eastern Region Line, which will be ready by 2020, so that commuters can transfer between the Downtown Line and Eastern Region Line in the east.

As for the NEL, two kilometres will be added by 2030 -- in tandem with new developments in Punggol -- to serve Punggol North, including the new Punggol Downtown.

Mr Lui said all these changes promise not just faster and more convenient travel.

He said: "We will also have a more resilient network that can better mitigate disruptions in our MRT system and also allow us to shut down parts of the network for longer durations to carry out improvement works without causing too much inconvenience to commuters."

The LTA is also exploring the possibility of an additional station between Sembawang and Yishun stations on the North-South Line, in anticipation of future developments in the area.

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Good initiative by the LTA and government to help cope with the massive population boom in Singapore. But all these will only be ready in 2030, which is 17years from now. It is so far away it makes everyone roll their eyes. Haha, hopefully the old people by then will still be able to walk to the MRT stations to make use of them.

 

Accident at Ang Mo Kio Ave 3 under CTE flyover.

Seriously, what's wrong with drivers nowadays? Dreaming? Blind?

Lui: No plans to put off cut in car population growth rate

The Government will stick with its plan to cut annual vehicle population growth to 0.5 per cent from 1 per cent from February, said Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew.

Speaking on the sidelines of a visit to SMRT's Bishan depot Thursday morning, Mr Lui was asked about the record Certificate of Entitlement prices. Category A premiums for instance, breached $92,000 at the latest tender on Wednesday - the highest in history.

Mr Lui in response said that 45 per cent of households here already own at least one car, and noted that there may not be much more room for a higher percentage since "about 12 per cent of space" is already occupied by roads.

He said the high COE prices was not only a function of supply - the smallest since the quota system started in 1990 - but also the robust economy and people's ability and willingness to spend. Mr Lui added that he has asked the Land Transport Authority to look into whether the newly-introduced Carbon emissions-based Vehicle Scheme (CEVS) - which accords lower emission cars rebates of up to $20,000 - had led to more aggressive COE bidding.

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It is here to stay, and I agree with him that COE quotas need to be reduced, or else the driving experience on our roads will turn for the worse. For those who are looking to get a car, perhaps a second hand one will be a more viable option.

Come 2015, I believe a lot of cars will be de-registered. Till then, prepare yourselves for crazy COE prices.

COE for small cars hits new high

Certificate of Entitlement (COE) for small cars hit another all-time high to close at S$92,100 at the end of the latest bidding exercise at 4pm on Wednesday.

The premium for cars 1,600cc and below (or Category A) rose S$10,211 to surge past the previous high of S$81,889 recorded in the previous bidding exercise on December 19, 2012.

The premium for big cars (Category B, 1,601cc and above) also increased S$2,709 to S$96,210.

COE in the Open category climbed S$111 to S$96,101.

Motorcycles' COE (Category D) rose to S$1,933, up S$232.

For goods vehicles and buses (Category C), a COE will cost S$60,000, lower than the S$62,201 in the previous bidding exercise.

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Oh my oh my....... I'm at a loss for words for such COE premiums, especially for Category A. Motor traders attribute the day's results to panic bidding by car dealers bent on securing as many certificates as possible before an even smaller quota kicks in from next month.

This is one of the few times you see the gap between Cat A & B being so small it's almost negligible.  

 

Stuttgart Auto, Ngee Ann Poly to groom talent in automotive industry

Students of Mechanical Engineering at Ngee Ann Polytechnic (NP) will get to work with some of the best in industry, under a partnership between Stuttgart Auto and NP.

The students will get the chance to work as interns at Porsche Centre, and will be exposed to the latest technology, including the state-of-the-art engine systems driving Porsche's hybrid supercars.

Staff of the polytechnic will also be offered opportunities for industrial attachment.

These have been made possible under a five-year partnership with Stuttgart Auto, which is part of Eurokars Group of Companies.

Both sides also aim to create awareness and promote interest in the study of automotive technology.

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What a great opportunity for young car enthusiasts. How I wish there was such a programme a decade ago when I was still a student. This will be very good exposure to local students about automobile and perhaps one day Singapore will have its own car manufacturing plant.

 

1,684 COEs available for first open bidding exercise in Jan

Details for January's first open bidding exercise for Certificates of Entitlement (COE) have been released.

The total quota available for this tender is 1,684.

There will be 410 COEs for Cat A (small cars), 363 for Cat B (big cars) and 462 for Cat D (motorcycles).

For Cat E (open), 256 COEs will be available, while Cat C (goods vehicles and buses) will have 193 COEs.

The tender opens on January 7 at noon and closes at 4pm on January 9.

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After the record breaking final COE bidding in 2012, what other surprises are installed for us in the first bidding of 2013? Will the $100k premium be breached in the Category B COE?