Keynote Speech by Senior Minister of State for Transport, Dr Amy Khor, at the High Level Panel 1 at 19th Intelligent Transport System Asia Pacific Forum 2024

His Excellency Mr Budi Karya Sumadi,

Distinguished guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

1.     A very good afternoon to all. It is my great pleasure to be here to share with you on Singapore’s journey towards sustainable and intelligent urban mobility. 

Sustainable Urban Mobility

2.     Let me first start with sustainability.

3.     Singapore is a small island nation of about 730 square kilometres. We are susceptible to the impact of climate change. Higher temperatures, rising sea levels, and more intense rainfall can disrupt our very existence.

4.     We have therefore pledged to do our part to combat climate change by achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.  

5.     Based on our emissions profile, the land transport sector is the third largest carbon emitter, contributing to about 15% of national emissions. Hence, it is imperative that we focus our efforts to reduce emissions from this sector. 

6.     To accelerate our move towards sustainable urban mobility, Singapore has identified six key strategies for the land transport sector – namely, Green Commutes, Green Vehicles, Green Infrastructures, Green Operations, Green Opportunities, and Green Communities. Let me elaborate on two of these strategies to reduce carbon emissions – that is Green Commutes and Green Vehicles. 

7.     Green Commutes. This emphasises on reducing carbon footprint through transportation. Compared to commuting using Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicles, commuting via electric public buses can lower one’s carbon footprint by 70%, while taking trains can achieve a 90% reduction. Even better still, one’s carbon footprint is effectively zero if he or she chooses to walk or cycle, apart from the carbon dioxide emitted when you breathe out.

8.     This is why Singapore is committed to provide an accessible, convenient, and well-connected ‘Walk, Cycle and Ride’ transportation network. By 2040, we aim to achieve 9 in 10 peak-period journeys to be by walk, cycle or ride, and 8 in 10 households to be within a 10-minute walk from a train station. 

9.     The next strategy I would like to highlight is Green Vehicles. Singapore already has one of the tightest vehicular control regime in the world, with vehicular growth rate capped at zero since 2018. Still, there are some who wish to own a vehicle for various reasons, and it is important that we nudge and encourage them towards purchasing a cleaner vehicle.

10.    Singapore aims to have 100% cleaner energy vehicles by 2040 as part of the Singapore Green Plan. Indeed, we are technology agnostic – the cleaner energy vehicles could be hybrid vehicles, EVs or even hydrogen vehicles, depending on how the technology develops.   

11.    We will start by phasing out ICE vehicles, with registration of such vehicles and taxis to cease from 2030. We are also committed to have a 100% cleaner-energy public bus fleet by 2040, with 50% e-buses by 2030. To support the transition to electric vehicles (EVs), LTA will put in place sufficient charging infrastructure, ahead of demand. For instance, we plan to have all of our housing estates to be EV-ready by 2025.  

12.    Overall, the six key strategies integrate sustainability into planning and construction, reduce utility consumption, promote green financing, and encourage collaborative efforts for environmental solutions. With these strategies, our land transport emissions has been on a downward trend since it peaked in 2016. 

Intelligent Urban Mobility

13.    I shall now move on to innovation and technology.

14.    Singapore leverages on innovation and technology to shape land use and transport planning. For instance, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) play an important role in urban planning. It allows planners to rapidly analyse large sets of transport data and identify patterns, trends, and potential issues. Planners can then make more informed, data-driven decisions that consider the needs of all residents, including communities with different needs. This can lead to more inclusive infrastructure, transportation, and public spaces that are accessible to people of all demographics and needs. 

15.    Notably, Singapore’s Land Transport Authority (LTA) and Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) have established a close collaboration to leverage AI and ML technologies to improve the modelling outcomes of major land development and transport projects. They have also used AI and ML to accelerate the analytics of big data, such as commuter travel patterns on public transport. 

16.    For example, LTA and URA have jointly created a Land Use and Transport Integrated (LUTi) application using AI/ML models. The AI/ML model helps both land-use and transport planners to test incremental changes in localised developments such as, changing the number of housing units, number of employment centres in a precinct, and obtain a quick sensing of the resultant impact on transport.

17.    There are also ongoing efforts to build a digital twin of Singapore’s urban landscape using technologies such as Geospatial Information Systems (GIS) and Building Information Models (BIM). 

18.    For example, LTA has developed an in-house GIS portal called Ignite and a BIM portal called InSIGHT. Together, they are a one-stop place for everything geospatial and BIM related in LTA. Increasingly, planners have been utilising GIS to analyse, and visualise geospatial data and enhance collaboration. Bringing in the BIM element, they can create a digital twin of the city which is helpful for comprehensive modelling as well as visualisation. 

19.    As such, digital twins improve the understanding of the built environment and foster better collaboration between the different types of planners.

20.    Generative AI will increasingly impact urban planning with its distinct abilities in putting together information from a variety of sources such as data, models, documents, and the internet. And a combination of these new technologies will assist planners in the simulation of diverse scenarios and the generation of innovative design solutions. Harnessing such transformative technologies is aligned with Singapore’s commitment to data- and technology-driven urban design and planning. 

21.    Specifically on Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS), rapid advancements in sensor technology, digitalisation and AI have also enabled the move towards intelligent urban mobility, including trials for autonomous vehicles as well as connected vehicles.

22.    These trials have demonstrated the possibility of Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) communication to improve safety and traffic efficiency. Such developments present us with opportunities to redefine the way we operate and manage our roads and road traffic more effectively and efficiently, with better safety outcomes for road users. 

Conclusion

23.    To conclude, Singapore’s journey towards sustainable and intelligent urban mobility is marked by the need for proactive measures to address environmental challenges and embrace digitalisation. By prioritising initiatives like greener commutes, and leveraging advanced technologies, we will do our part to create a sustainable, inclusive, and efficient urban environment. 

24.    With this, let me thank the organisers for inviting me to share Singapore’s ideas. I wish you all a fruitful discussion ahead. Thank you.