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
