Some Interesting Critters@USR
from Beauty of Fauna and Flora in Nature
Fireworks and more coastal works at Sentosa
from wild shores of singapore
Soil investigation works near Pulau Jong until Jan 10
from wild shores of singapore
Works near Pulau Hantu until Dec 09
from wild shores of singapore
5 Dec (Sat): Kusu Island Reefwalk with the Blue Water Volunteers
from wild shores of singapore
Freshwater quality and biodiversity for primary schools
from Water Quality in Singapore
Wasp nest in DBS
from Urban Forest
Courtship feeding of the Chestnut-headed Bee-eater
from Bird Ecology Study Group
Powering up Pulau Ubin: what wild effects?
from wild shores of singapore
Salt sand export extended until June 2010
VietNamNet Bridge 20 Nov 09;
The government has decided to extend the deadline for exporting sand recovered by dredging passages, estuaries and ports until June 30th 2010.
According to the guidance released on November 17 by deputy prime minister Hoang Trung Hai, from now till June 2010 is the time for custom offices and sand exporters to move the volume of sand stuck at ports because of the decision to ban the export of sand of all kinds.
Hai asked the General Department of Customs to immediately fulfill custom clearance formalities for salty sand.
Previously, businesses who had recovered this kind of sand complained to the Prime Minister and related agencies about losses of a billion dong due to the sudden ban on export.
These enterprises said that they invested in dredging projects in return for having the right to exploit and export the salt sand.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Ministry of Transport, the cost of dredging estuaries and passages at seaports is over 1.2 trillion dong annually, from the state budget.
The policy that allowed enterprises to export sand in 2007-2009 has helped reduce spending while local budgets benefit from export tax, natural resource tax and environmental protection tax.
This sand is not used in construction. It is exported, mainly to Singapore, to serve sea encroachment projects.
VietNamNet/VNE
Pilot project launched to optimise use of electricity
Jessica Cheam, Straits Times 20 Nov 09;
SINGAPORE will soon have its first smart grid - a high-tech network of intelligent meters that speak to one another and allow consumers to optimise their power use.
A multimillion-dollar pilot project to build what the industry calls an Intelligent Energy System was announced by the Energy Market Authority (EMA) yesterday.
It will employ a range of technologies to make the electricity grid smarter, and help reduce Singapore's carbon footprint by making energy consumption more efficient, said EMA chief executive Lawrence Wong.
The project, to be implemented mainly at Nanyang Technological University (NTU), will also include multiple sites such as the neighbouring CleanTech Park at Jalan Bahar and selected residential, commercial and industrial buildings.
It will test smart grid technologies like advanced electricity meters that tell energy providers and consumers how much electricity is being used and fed into the grid (see side story below).
The pilot project will also test ways to integrate other sources of power, such as solar energy, into the main grid.
Mr Wong said yesterday: 'With this pilot, we will lay the foundations for an even more intelligent energy system in Singapore.
'We will bring the capabilities of our power grid to the next level and ensure that our electricity infrastructure is ready for the future.'
The EMA has already tested smart meters in a small-scale pilot project at two local housing estates.
The test yielded good results, with households reducing electricity consumption by 2 per cent and shifting 10 per cent of their usual usage from peak to off-peak periods.
'If demand can be shifted away from peak periods, power companies would not need to build extra power plants to cope with such high demand requirements, which will ultimately reduce carbon emissions,' said Mr Wong, who was speaking at the Smart Grids 2009 Summit, held as part of the Singapore International Energy Week.
While the households tested about 400 meters, the new pilot project will involve 'several thousand smart meters', taking the project to the next scale, he added.
The EMA will call for a tender towards the middle of next year, and the project will be implemented in the next two to three years.
Mr David Rouls, Accenture's global managing director of transmission and distribution, said yesterday that Singapore, with its stable grid and condensed population, makes an ideal city to adopt smart grids.
'The challenge will come from finding the right technologies among many, and integrating them to cater to Singapore's needs,' he said.
Accenture may bid to be involved in the project, he added.
No country has adopted smart grids on a nationwide level, said Mr Wong, but investments are pouring into this fast-growing sector.
The United States, for instance, is investing more than US$4 billion (S$5.6 billion) in projects to upgrade its electricity grid, as part of its economic stimulus package. Japan has also announced a 6 billion yen (S$93 million) investment for smart grid pilot projects on 10 islands, noted Mr Wong.
Singapore will not be a laggard in this, and will 'keep on top' of the technologies, he added.
'If we make the right moves, the smart grid presents an enormous growth opportunity.
'It will provide the platform for new products and services, spur energy innovations, and completely transform the shape of the energy industry in future.'
How smart is smart?
Straits Times 20 Nov 09;
CONSUMERS on a smart grid will get an intelligent electricity meter that will tell them how much power is being used and even how much energy the fridge and other appliances use.
The meters are connected through a communications network to inform both energy firms and consumers of how much electricity is being used and fed into the grid.
Users will be able to monitor and manage their consumption according to the electricity price. This sets the stage for the longer-term objective of fully opening up the domestic retail electricity market to competition.
Eventually consumers will be able to choose their power plans - rather like they choose mobile phone plans now - according to their needs.
Refining such high-tech power distribution systems could lead to electric vehicles being connected to the grid to draw or supply electricity, paving the way for a greener, more efficient transport system here.
Smart grid may hold the answer
Lin Yan Qin Today Online 20 Nov 09;
SINGAPORE - Consumers could soon be using energy in a more efficient way.
They could be able to use household appliances that switch themselves off during peak periods when electricity prices are higher.
They could even be able to buy electricity at competitive prices in an open retail market. And they could have even more choices when renewable energy sources like solar power - when they are ready for mainstream use - are added to the power grid.
This could be a reality if the Energy Market Authority's (EMA) pilot testing of a "smart grid" delivers promising results.
To be conducted over two to three years, the project will involve several thousand smart metres - indicating electricity use - being placed in households and commercial buildings, and the testing of various systems to manage demand and energy supplies from a range of sources.
"The current design of the grid results in sub-optimal outcomes for all," said EMA chief executive Lawrence Wong as he unveiled the project at the Smart Grids 2009 Summit yesterday.
Consumers and power companies alike currently lack information on the use and transmission of electricity, while the grid is not ready to handle the use of renewable power, or potential demand from electric cars.
"With this pilot, we will bring the capabilities of our power grid to the next level and ensure our electricity grid is ready for the future," said Mr Wong.
Called the Intelligent Energy System (IES), the pilot project follows the just-concluded Electricity Vending System (EVS) trial, which saw 400 households try out smart meters and different tariffs for different hours of use.
If the trial garners good results, EMA will work with Singapore Power to implement the system on a bigger scale, and it will serve as a platform to open up the retail market to competition.
On Wednesday, EMA announced plans to develop a micro-grid on Pulau Ubin to supply electricity and test clean technologies. Solutions developed from this micro-grid could be exported into the IES.
Interested industry players can participate in a pre-qualification exercise, and tenders will be called by middle of next year.
The project will be based mainly at Nanyang Technological University and neighbouring areas such as the upcoming CleanTech Park.
Before "widespread adoption", however, adjustments and refinements will be needed.
"The benefits of smart grid technologies scaled up to a national level have not been evaluated ," said Mr Wong.
Mr David Rouls, managing director of Accenture Smart Grids Services - which is keen on undertaking the project - said Singapore's grid system was up-to-date and well placed for conversion into a smart system.
The trial will help determine which are the best technologies, given that smart grids are a very expensive prospect which can run into "hundreds of millions" - though such costs are hypothetical given no full-scale grids have been set up, he said.
EMA did not give a cost estimate, beyond saying that bidders will submit their estimations after needs had been evaluated.
Nearly all the households in the EVS trials opted for differentiated price plans over a flat electricity tariff.
They also shifted about 10 per cent of their usual electricity load from peak to off-peak periods. Overall electricity consumption dropped by two per cent. Shifting energy demand from peak periods will mean that power companies need not build extra power plants.
Overhead costs will come down and there will be lower carbon emissions, said Mr Wong.
Smart power grid pilot project is on
Firms will be invited to offer solutions to make energy use cheaper and more efficient
Joyce Hooi, Business Times 20 Nov 09;
THE Energy Market Authority (EMA) continued to lay the groundwork for more efficient energy use with the launch of an Intelligent Energy Systems pilot project yesterday.
The project will test the components of 'smart grids' that promise to make energy use cheaper and more efficient.
'Singapore is well-positioned to play a leading role in the smart grid arena. We already have an advanced power grid to build on,' EMA chief executive Lawrence Wong said at the Smart Grids conference yesterday.
Two recently concluded trials in Marine Parade and West Coast housing estates found that providing households with smart meters that generate real-time information about their power use caused them to shift 10 per cent of it from peak to off-peak periods, which resulted in smaller bills.
Smart grids will also be better equipped to handle the demands of a mix of renewable energy sources, like wind and solar power, that Singapore is tinkering with.
In addition, smart grids will make the widespread use of electric vehicles in Singapore more feasible.
'If 10 per cent of the vehicles in Singapore are electric, an additional 1.3 terra watt hours of electricity per annum will be required, equivalent to six times the energy needs of our public housing estate in Ang Mo Kio,' Mr Wong said.
The focus of the pilot project will be Nanyang Technological University and its neighbouring area, the upcoming CleanTech Park at Jalan Bahar.
EMA will work together with the Economic Development board, the Agency for Science, Technology and Research, the Housing and Development Board, the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore and the National Environment Agency.
EMA plans to call a tender for companies interested in providing smart grid solutions.
Selected companies will work with the grid owner and operator, Singapore Power, to implement the project. The closing date for submissions is Dec 18.
EMA launches pilot project for "Intelligent Energy System"
Imelda Saad, Channel NewsAsia 19 Nov 09;
SINGAPORE: Singapore's Energy Market Authority (EMA) is launching a pilot project aimed at helping households and businesses save more on electricity bills.
The initiative comes on the back of higher consumption patterns and more diversified energy sources.
When you switch on the fan or light, chances are you won't know how much electricity you have used or how much you have spent until you get your power bill at the end of the month.
That is because of the current design of Singapore's energy grid. The limitation also presents a challenge for power companies.
EMA's chief executive, Lawrence Wong, said: "Most utilities have limited visibility into what happens after electricity has been despatched and so are unable to tell if a power outage has occurred."
The growing use of renewable power like wind and solar will create complications as power source becomes intermittent and variable. To address these challenges, the EMA is rolling out its pilot "Intelligent Energy System" project aimed at developing and testing what it calls smart grid solutions.
It includes deploying "smart meters" to more homes. These are special electricity meters which provide households with real-time information on their electricity usage.
Trials in some 400 households in Marina Parade and West Coast resulted in a reduction in electricity consumption by some 2 per cent.
The trials also tested differentiated electricity tariffs. As a result, households shifted about 10 per cent of their electricity load from peak periods to off-peak periods, thus enjoying savings in their electricity bill.
EMA's Mr Wong said: "These findings also have important implications at the system level. If demand can be shifted away from peak periods, power companies would not need to build extra power plants to cope with such high demand requirements.
"We would also be able to reduce the spare generation capacity that power companies are required to maintain and thus bring down the overhead costs in our power system."
Having a smarter power grid will also ensure continued reliability in electricity supply, using renewable energy sources, and offer the ability to tap into electric cars as an energy storage system to feed power back to the grid during peak periods.
Mr Wong said that as technology takes off, there will be increasing demand for electricity charging by both plug-in hybrids and full-battery electric vehicles.
10 per cent of the vehicles in Singapore are electric. To power them up, an additional 1.3 terra watt hours of electricity per annum is required. That is equivalent to six times the energy needed to power up a housing estate like Ang Mo Kio.
Mr Wong said: "These vehicles will contribute less to greenhouse gas emissions compared to regular cars running on fossil fuel.
"The technology for vehicle-to-grid power is still several years away, but we need to start thinking about an intelligent interface to coordinate and facilitate interactions between electric vehicles and the power grid."
The pilot project, which could take up to three years to complete, will be carried out at Singapore's Nanyang Technological University and other commercial buildings in the west.
EMA will call a tender to identify and select companies interested in offering smart grid solutions to work on the project.
- CNA/ir
Falling silicon prices making renewable energy a viable industry
Amresh Gunasingham, Straits Times 20 Nov 09;
THREE years ago, it cost US$300 (S$415) per kg to buy silicon, the base material used to make solar cells to convert sunlight into electricity.
Today, silicon costs US$60 per kg and could become even cheaper in the future, potentially moving the nascent solar industry forward as a viable source of energy to meet the world's energy demands.
This goal - to produce electricity from the sun more cheaply - will be a key focus for the $130 million Solar Research Institute of Singapore (Seris), which held its official opening at the National University of Singapore (NUS) yesterday.
More than 70 researchers, housed at a 5,000 sq m facility, will work on projects that improve efficiency in converting sunlight into electricity, develop cheaper materials for photovoltaic cells and find ways to ramp up economies of scale. They will also work on how to integrate solar power into building structures.
'R&D on silicon solar cells is essential in order to optimise electricity generated from solar power, in particular to realise strong cost reductions (in energy bills),' said Professor Joachim Luther, chief executive officer of Seris.
The move into the renewable energy sector is in line with Singapore's target of achieving economic growth in an environmentally sustainable manner, while overcoming a heavy reliance on fossil fuels, said Dr Tony Tan, chairman of the National Research Foundation.
Speaking at the centre's opening ceremony, he said Singapore could become a 'hub for environmentally sustainable solutions, where clean energy products are produced and exported'.
'Worldwide demand for energy will continue to increase, and the many more cities that are being created will require sustainable development solutions,' he said. 'Cities within the tropics, including Manila, Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur, will also benefit from Seris' research.'
Solar energy has tremendous potential, as the earth's surface receives the same amount of energy from the sun in an hour - most of it lost - than it consumes in a year, noted Dr Erik Sauar, senior vice-president of Renewable Energy Corporation, which has invested $6.3 billion to build the world's largest integrated solar manufacturing plant in Singapore.
Current technology, though, is hindered by prohibitive costs and the need for better efficiency. Photovoltaic technology at this time can only convert 16 per cent to 20 per cent of sunlight into electricity.
A 2007 National Energy Policy Report noted that using solar power would be two or three times more expensive than using electricity from Singapore's grid, mainly generated from burning natural gas.
But costs are coming down, said Dr Sauar, because of improvements in manufacturing processes and technology. It costs about half the amount now to install solar panels for air-conditioning in a building than it did 10 years ago.
Because of its obvious potential, research at the centre will have a strong industry focus, NUS president Tan Chorh Chuan said. 'A key component of it will be to do research that is relevant to industry, as well as attract industry funding.'
Seris will seek $40 million in additional investment from the private sector over the next few years, said Prof Luther.
Solar energy gets a boost
Rachel Kelly Today Online 20 Nov 09;
SINGAPORE - The price of solar technology is an issue that the Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore (Seris) is gearing up to tackle.
Jointly supported by the Economic Development Board (EDB) and the national University of Singapore, the institute will tie up with the international solar industry to conduct research and development.
"I think the prices will be brought down by industry, not by R&D (Research and Development) , but R&D can help. We have done this analysis and we are working together with the industry… we can guarantee this, and this will happen in the next three years," said Mr Joachim Luther, Seris' chief executive officer.
"This will create grid parity, where the cost of solar energy produced in solar energy installation will equal the price at which utilities sell electricity, and this will be another breakthrough in the market of solar energy. If we have a breakthrough, the market will increase even more and this will bring down the cost of solar."
Seris has just settled into a new 4,800-square-metre home at the National University of Singapore and is now looking into tapping on industry-generated revenue. As it grows, it also expects to employ more than 100 researchers by 2012.
Operations at the institute started just over a year and a half ago, and it is expected to have some $130 million to spend over the next five years. The core funding from EDB originates from the National Research Foundation as part of the clean energy strategic programme.
Seris has also established a certification and testing centre that offers a full suite of solar module testing. The centre will begin operations at the end of this year.
Cygnus Power wants to harness the natural power of the wind
Neo Chai Chin, Today Online 20 Nov 09;
SINGAPORE - The ventilation units of large buildings and shopping malls could one day be the site of wind farms in Singapore if a local start-up has its way.
Cygnus Power wants to install wind turbines - not the common windmill-like structures, but aerodynamic blades that rotate like a silent, revolving cylinder - next to the vents to harness the energy otherwise wasted.
With just a wind speed of 2.5 metres per second - the speed of an average jogger - needed for a small model to start generating electricity, the company believes wind energy can be introduced here where wind energy is commonly thought unfeasible, given the mild winds that come in multiple directions.
Yet, in October last year, a Taiwanese company tried to find a distributor for a similar vertical axis wind turbine said to be suited for urban use, without making further inroads.
Has anything changed since Today first reported about that pioneer attempt?
Yes, according to a check on the Government's business opportunities portal Gebiz.
Three tenders have been called for wind turbines in the last six months - from the National Parks Board, the Institute of Technical Education and Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP) - suggesting a recent heightened interest in wind power in the public sector.
And NYP could become the first in Singapore to have a vertical axis wind turbine installed.
The turbine order is part of NYP's effort to develop capabilities in clean energy, and is meant for "training and education of students, research and development (and) innovation and support to industry", said a spokesperson.
But the power generated by a 2-kilowatt turbine system - to be supplied by Cygnus Power and installed mid-January - will also be used by the institution, said Mr Chan Yew Meng, Senior Director of NYP's School of Engineering (Electronics).
But whether the turbines take off in a bigger way, he said, will depend on "a matter of economics", such as cost, savings and payback period.
According to Japanese aerodynamics expert Tsuneo Noguchi, who invented the blade design, about 50 to 60 of these turbines are being used atop some streetlights in Ginza, as well as Japan's Ministry of Science and Education.
Efforts began nearly 40 years ago to get vertical axis turbines to start at low wind speeds, but Professor Noguchi, who is also a director of Cygnus Power, said he applied aircraft technology to come up with a breakthrough design. He has patented it in Japan, China and the United States.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Clean Energy Expo Asia, Cygnus Power's chief executive Ong Gin Keat said two major property developers have also expressed interest in the turbines.
"They can be placed not just on top of buildings, but also where buildings form a wind tunnel, or where there's forced draft of ventilation," said Mr Ong.
"Every hotel and shopping centre has chiller and ventilation units, which vent out into the open, and energy is totally lost. It will definitely reduce their cost of operations."
With the adoption of several turbines, "windfarms in large buildings and even shopping centres" can be created.
And while the cost is relatively high - ranging from US$9,000 ($12,500) for a 1kilowatt turbine to US$33,000 for a 5kW one - maintenance is minimal and the payback period is three to 10 years, Mr Ong said.
Blow, wind, blow
Grace Chua, Straits Times 20 Nov 09;
THE windy city Singapore may not be, but researchers here are still confident of tapping wind power.
Where normal wind turbines rotate like the hands of a clock, a new wind turbine on its way here spins like a top. And Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP) believes it will be able to generate power at wind speeds too low for conventional wind turbines.
The poly recently awarded the tender to install the device at its campus in Yio Chu Kang.
By early next year, it plans to install a 2 kilowatt (kw) version of the vertical-axis turbine which can power two rice cookers or 50 fluorescent light tubes, said Mr Chan Yew Meng, senior director at NYP's school of engineering.
The school will study the turbine's performance over time, comparing it with conventional models which have a horizontal shaft. The research will be part of a diploma programme in electrical engineering that will be launched next year.
According to local distributor CygnusPower, which won the tender, the new turbines can start generating electricity at wind speeds of 1.3 metres per second (ms), well below Singapore's average of 2ms. In comparison, conventional horizontal-axis turbines need wind speeds of 2ms to 3ms.
The concept of vertical turbines is not new, but the key to CygnusPower's turbine efficiency is its lightweight aluminium-alloy blades which are shaped to catch the wind, said inventor Tsuneo Noguchi, of Japan's Nihon University.
Vertical-axis turbines are less noisy than the horizontal machines and can run on the wind from air-conditioning exhaust fans, Professor Noguchi said.
A basic 1kw system would cost about US$9,000 (S$12,500), not including installation costs, said CygnusPower chief executive Ong Gin Keat.
A Taiwanese competitor, iWind, also produces vertical-axis machines but with a different type of blade.
Past experiments with conventional wind turbines here have not always worked. For example, a local entrepreneur spent $40,000 importing a 2kw wind turbine from Germany in 2006. The project never took off, and the turbine now sits silently atop a Marine Terrace apartment block.
That does not mean wind turbine researchers are merely tilting at windmills.
Small turbines at Changi Naval Base and on Pulau Semakau have powered lights there for the past few years. Danish wind-power giant Vestas invested $500 million in a research centre at Fusionopolis last year, but that was more because of Singapore's push into clean power R&D than its wind power potential.
Vertical-axis turbines have their doubters, like Singapore Polytechnic's Dr Jiang Fan of its clean-energy technology centre. He believes there is too little data available on their performance. But, he added, Singapore Poly plans to test such a turbine by the end of next year.
Mr Chan said that while solar power is probably a more workable solution, it is still too early to rule out wind.
Redevelopment of oil-fired plants to be completed in 2012
Ronnie Lim, Business Times 20 Nov 09;
(SINGAPORE) Singapore's largest generating company, Senoko Power, will start work on its deferred $750 million re-powering project in January, outgoing president and CEO Roy Adair said yesterday.
The move follows a recovery in electricity demand since mid-year when the economy started turning around, and the government's takeover of the delayed $1-1.5 billion liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal project from which Senoko intends to obtain gas to fuel the re-powering project.
Next on the cards for the genco - in the longer term - will be spot trading of LNG here, Mr Adair's successor Brendan Wauters told BT.
Senoko - now owned by a French-Japanese consortium of LNG players - is discussing this with LNG terminal developer Singapore LNG Corporation, Mr Wauters said.
In a farewell interview, Mr Adair - who leaves Senoko this week after six years - said his return to Australia, where he intends to be involved with the power and environment industry, was something he had planned since March and was not, contrary to market speculation, anything hasty.
He said that while Senoko had deferred the re-powering project - which was supposed to start in April - it had continued with planning, even as monthly electricity demand plunged as much as 5-8 per cent in the first half.
The project involves re-developing of three 30-year-old oil-fired plants of 250 megawatts each into two, more efficient, combined cycle gas turbines of 430 MW each, and will make Senoko - already 97 per cent gas-fuelled - into one of the most environmentally friendly players here.
Senoko, which now buys about 230 million standard cubic ft of piped Malaysian and Indonesian gas daily, will need another 60 million once the re-powering project is completed in mid-2012.
To meet this requirement, Mr Wauters said Senoko has been in discussions with BG Group, the LNG aggregator, about securing long-term base supply. The genco is also talking to Singapore LNG Corporation, the terminal developer, about making additional LNG spot purchases for its own needs, and possibly for spot trading down the road.
The latter move is no surprise, given the Lion Power consortium - which bought Senoko for $4 billion in September last year - comprises consortium leaders Marubeni Corp and France's GDF-Suez, both of which are big LNG buyers and traders. Its other members, like Kansai Electric and Kyushu Electric, are LNG consumers.
Mr Adair said Senoko, which currently has a 28-29 per cent share of the electricity market here, 'doesn't expect a material drop in this during the re-powering'.
Mr Wauters said it is still early days on whether Senoko - the only station in the north - will bid for the new Lorong Halus power station site the government is offering in the north-east. At present, there is more than enough generating capacity to meet demand, he said.
In his first interview with The Straits Times as head of the Transport Government Parliamentary Committee, Dr Lim Wee Kiak gives his take on the Land Transport Master Plan and what needs to be done to reverse a two-decade decline in public transport share.
Christopher Tan, Straits Times 20 Nov 09;
SINGAPORE could face a transport crunch between now and 2020 if bold changes are not made to bus and taxi services.
Transport GPC chief Lim Wee Kiak said the country cannot afford to wait until all $40 billion worth of new rail projects - which will double the network to 280km by 2020 - are up and running.
'Rail projects have a long gestation. We have an acute problem now that needs fast solutions in the short and medium term,' Dr Lim told The Straits Times in an interview.
'During peak hours, it is very, very crowded on both buses and trains.'
And as certificate of entitlement (COE) supply shrinks and a greying population grows, more people will be pushed towards public transport, he said. 'If nothing is done now, the overcrowded situation will get worse.'
The GPC chief, who takes public transport occasionally, dismisses assertions that MRT trains here can accommodate more commuters during peak hours and that the crowded situation is nowhere as bad as in some other cities.
'I don't think Singaporeans want our trains to be sardine-packed like in Tokyo. It will be sad if train operators here need to employ people to push commuters into the train,' he said.
The Government has been trying to raise public transport ridership for more than two decades now. The latest target: 70 per cent of trips by train, bus and taxi during the morning peak by 2020.
In a recent survey of 10,500 households, the percentage was found to have slipped to 59 per cent last year, from 63 per cent in 2004, 67 per cent in 1997 and 70 per cent in 1990.
The booming car population has been blamed for this. But Dr Lim believes it has to do with the public transport infrastructure reaching peak capacity as well.
'Can the public transport system take that jump from 59 per cent to 70 per cent overnight? It's a capacity issue,' he added.
Dr Lim said that when all the new rail projects - including the Downtown Line, Eastern Region Line and Thomson Line - are up, the situation will improve. By then, the network should be able to cater to a foreseeable population of 6.5 million, from around 5 million today.
'But what do we do to alleviate the situation now? I think the fastest way we can gear up is with buses.'
The planners have persuaded the bus operators to expand their fleets, more bus lanes have been drawn, and there is an ongoing review to make the bus system more commuter-centred.
'I really appreciate all that,' Dr Lim, 40, said.
But he holds high hopes for a route revamp the Land Transport Authority (LTA) will undertake when it assumes the role of central route planner. For starters, he said, the process of gathering feedback from commuters could be hastened.
The ophthalmologist, married with three children, said the authority should not shy away from making sea changes if and when necessary.
'But the (transport) ministry has warned us that there won't be any paradigm shift, but small incremental changes. This is so current users will not be adversely affected.
'I tend to differ here. If we don't have surgical changes, my fear is that the old problems might persist.'
Dr Lim, who took over the helm of the government parliamentary committee for transport from Mr Cedric Foo in May, believes the fear that commuters will be confused is unfounded.
'I am sure passengers will be able to adapt quickly, especially if you have a good comprehensive system in place.'
He is confident the planned liberalisation of the bus industry will be beneficial to commuters, 'but how we induce true competition is key'.
'What we have now are two companies which operate like monopolies,' Dr Lim said. 'This does not encourage service improvement, because service improvement does not change the bottom line.
'There is currently no reward system for the operator that gives better service,' he observed. 'And since operators are profit-driven, even if a particular route is required but is not profitable, a bus company will be reluctant to run it.'
In the proposed opening up of the industry, the LTA, after it has redrawn routes, will bundle these in parcels for operators to bid for. When the term is up and the next bidding cycle comes, an operator who does not perform may lose his parcel to a rival.
'My concern is that there are currently only two public transport companies with the capacity and capability to bid. So, even if you divide Singapore into four or five sectors, how much true competition will there be?
'I think if there are four or five sectors, there should be four or five players.'
The Transport Ministry has also said that Singapore could accommodate more bus companies.
Besides buses, the GPC chief said, taxis could also play a significant role.
'The taxi has not been fully harnessed as a key mode in our plan between now and 2020.
'If we can facilitate a higher usage of taxis, we may cut down on car ownership... because if taxis are so convenient and accessible, why own a car?'
He reckons there is a huge mismatch of demand and supply. 'We have to examine the inefficiency of the system... In some places, you see long queues of taxis waiting for passengers, and in other places, you see long lines of commuters waiting for cabs.'
The LTA has been grappling with the supply-demand mismatch conundrum for more than a decade.
Dr Lim said the problem could ironically be due to the slew of surcharges in place. 'Perhaps the way we apply our surcharges is complicating demand.
'Maybe we should look at how Hong Kong does it. There is always a cab around when you need one there.
'Is it because our taxi fares are too high? And I guess we don't really need so many Mercedes-Benz taxis. We can consider 1-litre or 1.3-litre models coming into the market to help lower cost.'
Beyond tackling supply, Dr Lim said the planners could also look at ways to even out demand for buses and trains.
'One way of doing this is differential pricing... to allow operators to charge slightly higher fares during peak hours and lower fares during off- peak,' he proposed. 'That way, certain enlightened employers might want to shift working hours for their staff so that not everyone comes in at the same time.'
Dr Lim is convinced that controlling the car population remains crucial in the years ahead, especially when the human population is increasing but the land space is not.
'The number of COEs must be reduced. But while we control the car population, the option of an efficient and reliable public transport system must be there, for people to switch.
'If public transport remains as it is now, then it's very hard to convince current car owners to abandon their cars.'
He concedes that higher usage charges such as road pricing, parking, as well as an expanding network of bus lanes will make it less attractive for Singaporeans to drive in the future.
'But I do not want a situation where because of all these inconveniences and cost increases, people have no choice but to shift to public transport,' Dr Lim said.
Demand v supply: A chicken-and-egg situation
Straits Times 20 Nov 09;
A LACK of public transport services can hamper development.
Dr Lim Wee Kiak, who is an MP from Sembawang GRC, cites the example of his ward.
'There is no direct bus service from Sembawang town to the eastern sector,' he said. 'And when residents request a service that goes to Changi Airport or the Changi area, the reply from the public transport operators is that they have done a survey and found that there is not enough demand for such a route.'
He likens it to a chicken-and-egg situation.
'It's because there are no buses going that direction, therefore residents are less likely to apply for a job there, or to apply for a school there for their children, or to go there for medical, recreational or whatever reason.'
Dr Lim, who is also head of the Transport Government Parliamentary Committee, believes transportation is a great facilitator for development.
'But if you argue that because there is not enough commuter demand, then seriously, which comes first?'
His views are echoed by other MPs, including Mr Charles Chong (Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC) and Mr Seah Kian Peng (Marine Parade GRC).
Mr Chong was a vocal advocate for the North-East Line's Buangkok station to be opened earlier, while Mr Seah was among those who pushed for Stage 3 of the Circle Line to start running - even though the other four stages are not completed.
They point to examples of how new MRT lines have accelerated the growth of new towns.
On that front, is Singapore's rail expansion plan - as ambitious as it is - enough? Can we build even more sooner?
Dr Lim said: 'To build faster will simply mean that we will suck up a lot of the construction industry's resources. We want to maintain a stable construction or civil engineering industry.
'We don't want to load them with a lot of projects, and then suddenly, no project after that. The current pace is reasonable.
'If there are certain projects that can be faster, I welcome it, but not at the expense of a boom-and-bust situation for the construction industry.'
He added that too much construction activity at one go will also contribute to road diversions and traffic snares.
'It has to be staged carefully,' he said.
CHRISTOPHER TAN
Straits Times 20 Nov 09;
COMMUTERS now have one more online resource with which to plan their car or public transport journey. Online search giant Google yesterday launched the Singapore version of Google Maps, with traffic information from the Land Transport Authority (LTA) updated every few minutes.
It is one of the handful of sites online with data from LTA, amid several providing a similar service.
Gothere.sg, for example, has its own source of live traffic data and works in a similar way, but also throws in taxi fares and tips on avoiding Electronic Road Pricing gantries. At the Google site, found at www.maps.google.com.sg, commuters can get directions, journey time, distance and traffic conditions, including where there are road works.
Users can also find out the likely traffic conditions for, say, early afternoon on the coming Sunday - with the system showing how road conditions have been on recent Sundays along that route at that hour. And if a driver wants to take an alternative to the recommended route, he only needs to drag an on-screen marker for the navigation results to adjust accordingly.
LTA's chief executive Yam Ah Mee said: 'This service complements our existing services like the bus arrival time panels and public transport journey planner. It gives commuters a choice of how they want to get their information.'
Google's head of product management for South-east Asia, Mr Andrew McGlinchey, said more information will be added to the site. Google has anecdotal evidence that drivers who use its maps have been known to opt for the bus or train where public transport promised to be quicker.
LTA said it hopes the new service will boost public transport's share of morning peak-hour journeys.
Rednano.sg
# Gives directions to drivers and has a search function for telephone and business directories
# Runs a scrolling newsfeed listing traffic incidents on the road
Gothere.sg
# Gives directions to drivers, and bus, rail and taxi commuters
# Includes the cost of the journey on public transport, carpark locations and rates, and Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) charges
Streetdirectory.com
# Gives directions to drivers and public transport commuters
# Offers suggestions on the quickest route, or routes on major roads or expressways
Oneshift.com
# Gives directions to drivers
# Indicates petrol stations, nearby carparks, speed cameras and ERP gantries
It's map-tastic!
Traffic data on a free map - a first for Singapore
Hedirman Supian, Today Online 20 Nov 09;
SINGAPORE - My main gripe about public transport is how dependent your journey is on traffic conditions. Now, thanks to a tie-up between the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and Google, I can plan my next trip by bus or MRT and steer clear from heavy traffic.
The two entities have collaborated to make Singapore the first country in the world to get a comprehensive and free island-wide online maps service with driving or walking routes and public transport directions accompanied by live traffic data on Google Maps (maps.google.com.sg/transport).
So, when you search for driving directions on Google Maps via an Internet browser, you can easily switch to a route that will get you to your destination via public transport or by foot. On top of that, you can view live traffic conditions.
You can also plan routes and view traffic data on the go, as long as it's on devices that come with Google Maps for Mobile, like the Apple iPhone or smartphones based on the Google-championed Android operating system.
Under the terms of the collaboration, LTA provided live traffic feeds and routes and schedules of public transport.
Google worked with local company Quantum Inventions to integrate LTA's data into Google Maps.
What's also interesting about the Google Maps platform is that users or developers can develop mini-applications (or a mapplet) that mash up or integrate the many layers of data on Google Maps to provide useful tools.
"On Google Maps, you can get public transit routes or turn on the traffic layer, then add (or mash up) additional layers like Electronic Road Pricing (ERP), carpark finder, petrol finder, highway cameras or more," said Mr Andrew McGlinchey, head of product management, Google South-east Asia. For example, there is an incidents mapplet that uses LTA's data to display detailed real-time traffic incidents, construction works and road closures island-wide.
Similarly, gothere.sg, a popular local online maps service, provides bus, train and taxi fares and driving directions with ERP charges as well.
Google, LTA launch travel planning service
Samuel Ee Business Times 20 Nov 09;
GOOGLE Maps' public transit and traffic features were unveiled in Singapore yesterday - the first time the online mapping giant has launched both features together in any country.
A new Google site - maps.google.com.sg - was created for the free service, which can also be accessed from mobile devices.
Google collaborated with the Land Transport Authority, which provided key transit and traffic information such as live traffic feeds and public bus and MRT routes and schedules.
According to Google Southeast Asia's head of communications Dickson Seow, the joint effort began in April and the fast implementation was due to the quality of LTA data.
'Singapore is a good case study to launch features for commuters,' Mr Seow said. 'The transit system is highly efficient and integrated.'
Users of the Google service can 'get directions' in three ways - by car, by public transport or walking. There is also a 'traffic' to reveal the degree of congestion, ranging from slow to fast.
Mr Seow said that by making both features - public transit and traffic - available, people can better plan their journey by choosing the faster mode.
For example, if a particular route by car shows heavy traffic on the roads, they can opt to take the bus or train instead.
There are various online map platforms in Singapore that offer public transit or traffic features, but no other that offers both.
In 2007, the US was the first country to make use of Google's traffic and transit features.
Since then, the transit feature has been launched in 400 cities, but only seven countries - including Singapore - have access to the traffic feature.
To set up the service in Singapore, Google invested in engineering resources that included bringing over its London-based geo-spatial technologist to work on the project. Mr Seow declined to say how much it cost, though he added that there was 'no charge to LTA'.
According to LTA, Singapore has a daily public transport patronage of six million, travelling by bus, taxi and train, and there more than 870,000 other vehicles on the roads.
Tay Suan Chiang, Straits Times 20 Nov 09;
BY CHANGING just one letter in a name, Mr Tham Khai Meng transformed Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark, into Hopenhagen, a worldwide movement to spur people to take action in dealing with climate change.
Last night, Mr Tham, 56, the worldwide creative director at Ogilvy & Mather, was named one of four Designers of the Year at the annual President's Design Award.
The other three recipients were designer Koichiro Ikebuchi, architect Look Boon Gee and creative director Chris Lee. They received their awards from President S R Nathan at the Istana.
The Hopenhagen project was Mr Tham's first campaign since taking on the role of worldwide creative director at the advertising agency in New York in January. It is the awareness campaign for the United Nations Climate Change Conference that takes place in Copenhagen next month.
Mr Tham and his team beat seven other agencies to clinch the project.
Together with two other colleagues from London, the trio played around with the word Copenhagen.
'We toyed with the idea of how to put hope back into the topic of environmental awareness,' says Mr Tham. 'The answer was staring at us. Coping... and hoping.'
The campaign, which includes a series of advertisements with plenty of green in them, has been running in Times Square in New York and on TV, as well as at bus stops around Singapore.
Before his promotion to the New York-based position, Mr Tham was co-chairman and executive regional creative director of Ogilvy & Mather Asia-Pacific for nine years. The 30-year advertising veteran joined the firm in 1999.
Under his leadership, Ogilvy & Mather Asia-Pacific was named the most creative agency network in the region for four consecutive years by advertising industry magazine Campaign Brief Asia.
His past works include advertisements for Singapore Airlines, Raffles Hotel and a user-friendly guide to dying well for the Singapore Hospice Council.
'A good ad has the power of truth, it can make you join the United Nations Climate Conference without you having to board the plane to Copenhagen,' he says.
For Osaka-born Mr Ikebuchi, 44, who designed the Draycott 8 condominium and the interior of the Aoki Japanese restaurant, becoming a permanent resident last year made him eligible for the award.
He started working in Singapore in 1989, and set up his own firm Atelier Ikebuchi here in 2004. On his relocation to Singapore, he says: 'The country has lots of potential.'
The Designer of the Year award recognises designers for their creativity and achievements in any design discipline, based on a portfolio of works.
The President's Design Award, started by the DesignSingapore Council and the Urban Redevelopment Authority, is in its fourth year. It promotes and recognises design excellence in Singapore for competitive advantage, quality of life and a more attractive environment.
In his speech, Acting Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts Lui Tuck Yew said that last year, the design sector's contribution to Singapore's gross domestic product was estimated to be $3.4 billion.
He added that 'the field of design opens up new value propositions for Singapore to stay globally competitive in the midst of growing regional and international competition'.
Last night, President Nathan also handed out seven awards for Design of the Year. This year's winners are the Genexis Theatre at Fusionopolis, Henderson Waves, the Paper Fold chair, Republic Polytechnic, The Met condominium in Bangkok, Urband Origami spectacle frame and the X-halo Breath Thermometer.
taysc@sph.com.sg
Three who harnessed the power of design
KOICHIRO IKEBUCHI, 44, DIRECTOR OF ATELIER IKEBUCHI
The Osaka-born Singapore permanent resident is a multi-disciplinary designer. Among his numerous projects in Asia are the interior of the Aoki Japanese restaurant at Shaw Centre, the Draycott 8 condominium off Orchard Road, several private houses in Singapore, and the Hotel Uma Ubud in Bali.
He began working in Singapore in 1989, and in 2004, he set up Atelier Ikebuchi.
The jury recognised his broad portfolio and praised the quiet elegance of his designs.
CHRIS LEE, 39, FOUNDER AND CREATIVE DIRECTOR OF ASYLUM CREATIVE
In 1999, Mr Lee started Asylum Creative, a design studio-cum-retail store in Ann Siang Road.
His wide-ranging projects include interactive design, product development, environmental and interior design, packaging, branding and graphic design.
Last year, he started the Chocolate Research Facility, which sells 100 flavours of chocolate bars. Mr Lee designed the store's colourful interiors and packaging.
The jury acknowledged Mr Lee for his modern approach to communications and his ability to solve problems using novel ways.
LOOK BOON GEE, 48, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF LOOK ARCHITECTS
Mr Look is no stranger at this award ceremony. In 2007, Bishan Community Library was awarded Design of the Year.
He founded Look Architects in 1993, bent on producing designs that would delight and fulfil specific needs.
His recent projects include Alexandra Arch and Forest Walk at Alexandra Road and the Ascott Centre of Excellence in Scotts Road.
The jury lauded Mr Look for exhibiting sensitivity, dedication and thoughtfulness in his works.
Yahoo News 19 Nov 09;
JAKARTA (AFP) – Environmentalists claimed a small victory on Thursday after Indonesia ordered one of the country's biggest pulp and paper companies to halt forest clearing in the Kampar Peninsula.
Forestry Minister Zulkifli Hasan told reporters he had ordered Asia Pacific Resources International Holding Limited (APRIL) to suspend clearing in the area of Sumatra island pending a review of all its permits.
The peninsula's 400,000 hectares (988,420 acres) of peatland forest is home to rare species including Sumatran tigers and forms part of one of the largest natural carbon "sinks" in the world.
The clearing and burning of Indonesia's peatlands account for four percent of total global greenhouse gas emissions, according to Greenpeace, which established a "defenders' camp" in the forest more than three weeks ago.
"Greenpeace expects the forest minister to do a comprehensive review of all the existing permits and concessions for pulp and paper companies in the Kampar Peninsula," Greenpeace Southeast Asia Forest campaigner Bustar Maitar said.
"The main players in the destruction of these precious peatlands are the pulp and paper giants -- Asia Pulp and Paper (APP) and its main rival APRIL."
Greenpeace's camp has been visited by "Inglourious Basterds" star Melanie Laurent and US Ambassador Cameron R. Hume.
But a "non-violent direct action" which drew international media attention on November 12 resulted in the deportation of 13 international Greenpeace activists and two foreign journalists, Greenpeace said.
Greenpeace Southeast Asia campaign director Shailendra Yashwant called on Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to issue a moratorium on deforestation ahead of global climate talks in Copenhagen next month.
"He must stop Indonesia's rampant deforestation that makes the country the third largest emitter of greenhouse gas emissions," he said in a statement.
The Reporters Without Borders media rights watchdog said Tuesday it "deplores" the arrests of the Italian and Indian journalists who were covering the Greenpeace protest.
"These arbitrary arrests of accredited journalists are unacceptable. Do we have to point out that the police are not supposed to take their orders from industrial conglomerates?" it said in a statement.
Sally Piri Brunei Direct 20 Nov 09;
Bandar Seri Begawan - Southeast Asia's average deforestation rate is likely to drop by 2.3 million hectare a year from 2000, an environmental activist said yesterday.
And environmental group Greenpeace is urging governments to help bring the rate down to zero level by 2020, said Greenpeace Southeast Asia Forest campaigner Bustar Maitar.
"The deforestation rate has actually dropped because there has been no episode of the El Nino (the past few years). It was not due anti-deforestation policies introduced by countries such as Indonesia and Malaysia," Bustar told The Brunei Times from Indonesia's Riau Province.
Before year 2000, the very intense droughts associated with the El Nino weather phenomenon in 1997 caused massive forest fires in the region. In Indonesia alone, he added, the deforestation rate reached 2.8 million hectares triggered by El Nino in 1997.
Another reason for the drop in the region's deforestation rate was the absence of forest cover in certain parts of the region. This compelled exploitation projects such as in Thailand and the Philippines to wind up.
Though the average deforestation rate has decreased in the region, he said he is concerned over the expansion of palm oil production, which can fuel deforestation. Nowadays, demand for palm oil is on the rise because it is used not only for food production but also for biofuel production, he added.
Greenpeace is calling on all governments to end deforestation globally by 2020 as a key part of the United Nations climate negotiations in Copenhagen in December.
"We call on the countries with rich forest resources to immediately reduce the carbon emission by lowering deforestation. And if we want to combat current climate change in the world, it means that we must end deforestation."
Based on the State of the World's Forests 2009. Southeast Asian countries have a total forest area of 203,887,000 hectare in 2005.-- Courtesy of The Brunei Times
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