Opening Remarks by Minister of State for Transport and Culture, Community and Youth Mr Baey Yam Keng at the Land Transport Master Plan (LTMP) Visioning Workshop

1.           Good evening, everyone. It is good to see so many familiar faces here. Each of you had taken part in our earlier engagements for the refresh of the Land Transport Master Plan. Thank you for coming back again this evening to continue the conversation, and for spending time with us again this evening.

2.           We launched the LTMP Refresh in November last year. Since then, more than 8,200 members of the public have shared their views with us. We have spoken with Singaporeans through a range of focus group discussions covering different aspects of transport. We have invited our youths to contribute their ideas through the Transport Future Game Design Competition and the Youth Panel for Transport. We reached out to seniors at Active Ageing Centres. And as you saw in the video screened, we also travelled alongside commuters on their daily journeys, to better understand some of the challenges they face.

3.           So it is through these conversations that we heard many different aspirations. Some told us that they would like more comfortable journeys on our buses and trains. Others want walking and cycling to feel safer and more pleasant. But what struck me the most was how many Singaporeans asked for something that no new train line or new bus service can offer. They asked for a kinder commute. They are asking for a little more patience, a little more consideration for the person beside us. A willingness to look out for someone who may need a little more help. To me, this says something important about the kind of society we want: warm, gracious, and a society that that looks out for one another.

4.           Taken together, these conversations point to a common desire: for Singapore to have a transport system that is not only efficient, but also inclusive and centered around people who use it. With this very deeply human goal in mind, we then ask ourselves: what do we do to get there – to get an inclusive system and infrastructure that is centred around our people?

5.           One thing is clear – such a transport system cannot be one size fits all. At an earlier focus group discussion in January this year, I shared that transport is something very personal to each of us. We each have unique travel needs and preferences. But at the same time, we must share the same buses, trains, paths and roads. As planners, builders and operators, we, including my colleagues at MOT and LTA, have to make choices for these shared infrastructure, and these choices can affect different commuters differently.

6.           That brings us to why we are here today. Over the past year, we asked you to share your experiences, aspirations and ideas. Tonight, as we round up this series of engagements on the LTMP, we want to share back what we have heard and more importantly, to take the discussion one step further, by asking: how can we balance different priorities and needs, so that our transport system works better for everyone? 

7.           This question has no easy answers. But hearing your views, and understanding the reasons behind them, will help us make better-informed decisions as we develop our refreshed LTMP, guiding future transport choices.

Unveiling of the LTMP Refresh Logo

8.           As we continue to shape the future of land transport together, we are marking an important milestone by giving this collective journey a visual identity. With that, I am pleased to unveil the LTMP Refresh logo for the very first time.

9.           Just like our engagement process, we didn’t start out with a logo in mind, because we wanted to know what Singaporeans would resonate with. Our logo tries to bring together what we’ve heard so far. The different lines of the LTMP refresh logo represent the many ways we move around, but ultimately coming together as one Singapore. The vibrant colours represent the personal journeys that bring our city to life. Together, they symbolise our shared aspiration: many different needs brought together, into a transport system that serves us all.

10.        Thank you once again for being part of this journey, and we will be having discussions later on. I look forward to hearing your views and joining you in today's discussions.