PUBLIC TRANSPORT SERVICE (Measures to improve)

Mr Ang Nam Piau asked the Minister for Communications if he will inform the House of the measures taken and to be taken to improve the adequacy and efficiency of the public transport service and to reduce vehicular traffic congestion.

Mr Yong Nyuk Lin: Mr Speaker, Sir, I can assure the Member for Thomson that Government is giving deep thought and consideration as to how best to improve and resolve the public transport service of Singapore, including the problem of reduction of traffic congestion. This is being tackled at two levels, long term and short term.

As for the long-term solution, a United Nations team of experts is already working closely with the State and City Planning Department in our Ministry of Law and National Development, on the possibility of constructing a mass rapid transit system for Singa pore by the early 1970s, the cost of which, if approved, would involve an expenditure of not less than nine figures.

As for short-term measures:-

(a) Our Public Works Department has over the last few years, particularly during 1968, carried out a large number of road projects, e.g.,

(i) construction of new roads,

(ii) widening and improvement of existing roads and road junctions,

(iii) building of 21 overhead pedestrian bridges and another 10 for this year,

(iv) introduction of one-way traffic systems,

(v) and four fly-overs, now under construction, should be completed within this year, namely :-

(1) Whitley/Thomson/ Jalan Toa Payoh,

(2) Southern access to Toa Payoh new Town,

(3) Northern access to Toa Payoh new Town,

(4) Fort Canning/Oxley Rise.

(b) The Transport Advisory Board, which was set up in August 1968, submitted an interim Report to me at the end of January this year, with recommendations on the following subjects, namely:

(i) queueing at bus stops,

(ii) printing of schedules showing bus routes, service intervals, etc.,

(iii) compulsory wearing of crash helmets,

(iv) special taxis.

I am now studying these recommendations and will make a suitable announcement as soon as I am able to decide how much and how far the recommendations of the Transport Advisory Board can be accepted and when they can be implemented.

(c) Our Registrar of Vehicles has recently instructed bus companies to replace old and obsolete buses, as well as to purchase additional new buses to augment their present fleets. As a result, bus companies have placed orders for about 300 buses with local assemblers. With the recent lifting of the curb on import licensing and quota restrictions on buses by our Ministry of Finance, we can look forward to an improved bus service in the years ahead.