LTA saves $8.6m through green efforts

Straits Times 6 Mar 09;

THE Land Transport Authority (LTA) has saved almost $8.6 million since 2007 through 'green' practices.

During its three-year partnership with IT giant IBM, the agency has made the effort to use energy more efficiently through moves like buying only energy-saving computer equipment.

Under the programme called Green IT, old energy-guzzling machines have been replaced, saving $150,000 a year.

LTA has also tied up with Temasek Polytechnic and IBM to develop a system to track and manage the energy consumption of all its computing devices.

When this is up and running, it will slash energy costs by at least $100,000 every year.

Green IT follows LTA's efforts to cut down on the use of paper, for example, by encouraging motorists and its business partners to carry out transactions online.

Looking ahead, it plans to recycle incinerated ash as material to pave roads.

NICHOLAS YONG