February 2012

Commuters Spread Word On Gracious Behaviour On Public Transport

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2 Better Access To Marina Bay With New Stations

4 Woodsville Tunnel Opens

6 Make It Right For A Better Ride!

8 A New Experience For Vehicle And Transit Licensing

9 Winning Ideas For A Better Ride

10 Ideas Wanted: Distributing Travel Demand At MRT Stations

11 Global Land Transport Organization Sets Up Knowledge Hub In Singapore

12 New Hoardings At Sentosa Gateway And Keppel Viaduct

CONTENTS

A day before the official opening of the Bayfront and Marina Bay MRT Stations, hundreds of curious commuters flocked to the stations for a sneak preview.

Better Access To Marina Bay With New Stations

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A saxophonist serenades commuters in the train, Elvis Presley pose for pictures with visitors and a group of chefs drum up a storm on pots and pans to entertain thousands of curious commuters.

Members of the public were treated to a visual and aural spectacle at the open house for the Bayfront and Marina Bay MRT stations on 13 January, a day before the stations’ officially started operating.

Shutterbugs snapped away at the stunning architecture of the stations, and the artwork featured, including a dancing flower mobile.

Everyone also enjoyed unlimited free rides throughout the duration of the Open House.

The stations now provide greater connectivity to the newest part of the financial district and the exciting amenities and recreational facilities throughout the bay.

1 Opening performance by Chefs-In-Motion.

2,4-5 Buskers entertaining the crowd during the Open House.

3 Grassroot members mingle with Minister for Transport Lui Tuck Yew at the event.

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Every new MRT line and new station opens doors to greater connectivity.

With the North-East line and the Circle Line, Sengkang resident Foong Foo Kong is moved to write in to Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew to reflect on how his work commute has been transformed: “I want to thank you and the public transportation system for giving me a smooth journey from Sengkang to Kent Ridge within 1 hour and 15 minutes. As I took the NEL train ride and subsequently to Circle Line, I can’t help but recall my journey 10 years ago from Sengkang to Haw Par Villa. Back then I sat on buses for two hours and often still arrived at the office late. Many thanks to the public transport staff who make my journey smooth and hassle-free.”

ThankyouforGreaTerConneCTiviTy

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1 A dragon dance to mark the opening of the Woodsville Tunnel. On stage is Guest-of-Honour Mr Yaacob Ibrahim, Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts and Adviser to Kolam Ayer Grassroots Organisation.

2 A view of Woodsville Tunnel from the street level.

The Woodsville Tunnel opened to traffic on 9 am on 28 Jan.

Made up of three vehicular tunnels, the Woodsville Tunnel links Upper Serangoon Road and MacPherson Road to Bendemeer Road.

Motorists can use the tunnel as a direct link, bypassing traffic lights at the surface road.

And they will enjoy time savings. For instance, travelling from Upper Serangoon Road to Bendemeer Road will take just four minutes, instead of 10 minutes during peak hours.

Woodsville Tunnel Opens

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3 The very first vehicles in the new tunnel.

4 Mdm Ruby, owner of Harummanis Nasi Padang with (from left) Guest-of-Honour Mr Yaccob Ibrahim, Mdm Ruby’s husband and LTA’s Deputy Director for Woodsville Project Sihan Sadikin.

5 Lo Hei for everyone to mark the Lunar New Year.

Traffic is also expected to ease along the Pan-Island Expressway (PIE).

The new Woodsville Tunnel is part of the upgrading project for the Woodsville Interchange.

Works for the S$130 million upgrading project started in 2008. Besides the construction of the three tunnels, the project includes a 400-metre flyover from Jalan Toa Payoh to Jalan Kolam Ayer, leading to Kallang Way and the PIE (Changi), which was opened in July 2011.

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Mdm Ruby, owner of Harummanis Nasi Pandang Stall located at Upper Serangoon Road whose business was affected during the construction is very happy that the tunnels are finally completed and traffic flow has improved. Another stakeholder, Ms Rini from Teakland Gallery said that during the construction period, she will work as closely as possible with the construction team to resolve any matters. “We are like friends with the construction team. We are happy that our shop is more visible after the road upgrading project and have some new customers as a result!”

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Make It Right For A Better Ride!Remember when Phua Chu Kang and the Dim Sum Dollies exhorted you to give up your seat on the MRT?

This year, you won’t hear it from them. Instead, the message to be a gracious commuter may well be coming from the person next to you: A fellow commuter.

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Taking a ground up expressions approach to resonate with commuters and promote the desired gracious behaviour, the LTA, together with the Public Transport Council, Singapore Kindness Movement as well as the two public transport operators, SBS Transit and SMRT worked with various schools and organisations to tap on ideas from the public.

These ideas, including poems and slogans from students and original verses in elegant Chinese calligraphic strokes by members from the Life Art Society, are displayed at MRT stations, bus shelters as well as in trains and buses.

1-6 Posters featuring the winning submissions.

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1-2 Interior of the new LTA customer service centre at Sin Ming Drive.

A New Experience For Vehicle And Transit LicensingThose who need to attend to vehicle and transit licensing matters will now have reason to smile: They can expect a more pleasant experience at a new centre, which is still housed within the same location at 10 Sin Ming Drive.

What they will enjoy:• Child-friendly waiting areas• Informative queue-number displays • Environmentally-friendly furniture

The design of the new building was conceptualised following surveys with customers and service staff.

The centre was also awarded the Building Construction Authority’s Platinum Green Mark for Buildings Award in 2011 green features like a green roof which reduces heat gain and solar panels which run the centre’s lifts.

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Idea: Smart phone app allowing commuters to check train arrival times and which will send out alerts in event of disruptions or emergencies

Who: Ms Hong Jingting, 24, Tax Officer

Jingting, who takes the MRT to work everyday, took a week to come up with her idea. She was inspired by a travel application in Hong Kong called MTR Mobile, and Singapore’s bus travel application, IRIS. “I thought an application on MRT arrival times and crisis solutions would benefit the increasing number of people who are using smart phones.”

Idea: Displaying information at all bus stops directing commuters to the nearest MRT station

Who: Ms Yvette Chee, 26, Executive

Yvette is a car-owner who occasionally takes public transport and is sometimes asked by commuters which bus to take to the MRT. “They give up trying to read the small-font bus route information at the bus stop. I wish there was a clear sign at the bus stop spelling out clearly what buses to take in big bold fonts, so that within a split second, I would know immediately which buses I should flag down to reach the train station.”

Idea: Interactive touch-screen panels at MRT stations providing information on train or bus routes to reach destinations as well as places of interest and eateries

Who: Mr Raphael Lee Tze Chuen, 34, Biomedical Researcher at A-STAR

Raphael, who takes the MRT to work everyday, took 5-10 minutes to come up with the idea. “I also made the effort (to send in the suggestion) because of the convenience it will bring to me, tourists, locals and physically-challenged people if it is implemented.”

Winning Ideas For A Better RideThe LTA held a competition between October and December last year for members of the public to give ideas on designs and features they would like to see implemented at bus stops and MRT stations that would improve their commuting experience. It received 667 entries and 8 were shortlisted for public vote.

Here are the three winning ideas with the highest number of votes, which might be implemented in future.

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Ideas Wanted: Distributing Travel Demand At MRT Stations

Would you travel to work earlier if you were given a 30 percent fare discount?

Or if you were given credits which entitle you to win prizes?

These attempts to lighten the passenger load on the trains during the peak periods, which are currently being tested out in a university study as well as by the SMRT, are being studied right now to see if they work.

These are travel demand management schemes, which essentially work to improve the transport system so it less congested by altering the pattern of demand from road users and commuters.

Do you have any ideas to improve our transport system by altering travel demand?

The LTA is calling for more ideas and suggestions. We all have a stake in our transport system, and every idea counts.

So do think about it.

Do you have any ideas how to change travel patterns on the MRT so the passenger load is better spread out?

Write in with your suggestions to: lta-traveldm@lta.gov.sg

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1 LTA’s Chief Executive, Mr Chew Hock Yong (second from right) and, UITP’s Secretary General, Mr Hans Rat (third from right) at the signing ceremony.

2 LTA Group Director of Corporate Planning, Mr Lew Yii Der delivers a speech at the event.

Global Land Transport Organization Sets Up Knowledge Hub In Singapore

A global transport association is going to work with the LTA to set up a knowledge hub in Singapore for land transport matters.

LTA and the International Association of Public Transport (UITP) plan for the UITP Centre for Transport Excellence - which will be located at the LTA Academy at Hampshire Road - to provide training and support to land transport administrations and practitioners in the Asia-Pacific region via conferences, seminars, training programmes, exhibitions and study visits.

The UITP, which has over 3,400 members with an involvement in public transport from 92 countries, chose to set up shop in Singapore because of its excellent public transport development.

First on the cards: A LTA-UITP Singapore International Transport Congress (SITC) in October 2013, which will feature eminent international speakers.

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In order to give a better sense to motorists of how road construction works will ultimately benefit them, the LTA installed new billboards surrounding the main perimeter hoardings of the Sentosa Gateway and Keppel Viaduct project sites. What’s more, our very own LTA staff are featured on these hoardings. Amongst them is LTA’s Engineer for Road Safety, Sheryl Tan. Sheryl is part of a team that audit roads and conduct checks to ensure that our roads are safe. “I am proud to be part of this important piece of communication. Initially, I wasn’t too used to be being in front of the camera but I was surprised to see the end result. It is lovely”, says Sheryl. The other LTA staff who are being featured include officers from various departments including Engineering, Community Partnership and Corporate Communications. They are Lim Si Ting, Luke Yong, Parthiban s/o Palamani, Sarinah Bee Bte Mohamed Gani, Muhammad Bin Ismail, Nor Aishah Bte Mohamad Arshad and Daryl Chen.

New Hoardings At Sentosa Gateway And Keppel Viaduct

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1-3 Visuals of the new hoardings.

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