Speech by Dr Amy Khor, Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment & Transport, at Continental Techfest

Mr Lo Kien Foh
President & CEO of Continental Automotive Singapore 

Mr Philipp von Hirschheydt
Chairman of the Board of Continental Automotive Singapore, and Head of Business Area UX 

Distinguished Guests Ladies and Gentlemen 

Introduction 

1.     A very good morning to one and all. It is indeed my pleasure to join you here today to witness the signing of three Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) between (i) Continental and Hyundai Motor Group, (ii) Continental and Singtel, and (iii) Continental, Go-Ahead Singapore and Nanyang Technological University (NTU). In line with the ethos of both countries, Singapore and Germany, this is a highly productive event with three MOU signings. Congratulations. 

Singapore’s Vision for Smart Urban Mobility 

2.     Today, Singapore faces the challenges of rising travel demand, increasing manpower constraints and limited land space. To meet these challenges, we have established a vision to create a car-lite Singapore where people choose to Walk, Cycle and Ride using public transportation, and where urban mobility can be achieved in the most resource efficient and sustainable manner. To do so, we use digital technologies and data analytics to provide greater comfort, convenience, reliability, and support for various stakeholders in our Smart Urban Mobility ecosystem. 

3.     An example is the SimplyGo project. First launched in 2019, SimplyGo allows commuters to enjoy a “tap and go” fare payment experience by simply tapping their contactless bank cards, or mobile wallets, on the bus fare readers or train fare gates, without the need for upfront cash top-ups. Charges for public transport rides are reflected in the commuter’s credit, debit card bill or bank statement, similar to the experience for contactless retail transactions. In 2021, the SimplyGo EZ-Link Card was launched to allow existing EZ- Link cardholders to enjoy the full range of benefits of transacting digitally. SimplyGo has helped to enhance commuters’ experience, and reduce operators’ cost in handling cash transactions. 

4.     Another example is the Remote Control & Monitoring System (RCMS), which will be progressively implemented island wide. So far, more than 75% of the RCMS has been implemented. The RCMS remotely controls streetlights with the use of data and real-time monitoring, instead of relying solely on time-based triggers. This allows streetlights to be more responsive to inclement weather and varying street lighting needs, enhancing operational efficiency and – most importantly, especially now – optimising energy use. The RCMS also enables real-time fault detection, through automated alerts if the streetlights malfunction. This smart system translates to quicker maintenance response by LTA. 

5.     In the longer term, we are also researching into how other technologies, such as autonomous technologies, can be applied to improve our lives. Autonomous technologies can improve road safety by reducing human-related errors. It can also reduce traffic congestion by lowering the demand for car ownership and optimise land take. More crucially, in the public transport setting, it can reduce our reliance on manpower – this is especially important given that the median age of our bus captains in Singapore is in the early to mid-50s, and there is a challenge to recruit younger Singaporeans to be bus captains. 

Partnerships to Support our Vision 

6.     Our Smart Urban Mobility vision can only be transformed into reality through strong partnerships. The Government can work with stakeholders to develop the key vision, and put in place enabling policies and regulations. But to achieve this vision, it will ultimately depend on close partnerships with the industry to develop and deploy commercial and technological solutions. 

7.     I am happy to note that our government agencies are already working closely with many of the industry partners in today’s event. For instance, LTA and IMDA partnered closely with Continental and TÜV SÜD for the use of autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) on public paths. AMRs can be used for various purposes to improve our lives, from parcel and grocery deliveries, to security patrols and enforcement. In some sense, they can be seen as the first stage of getting the public to be comfortable with autonomous machines on our public paths, before seeing autonomous vehicles on our roads in the possible future. 

8.     We have also seen strong public-private partnerships between LTA, Singtel and Continental, whom I understand have worked together on a preliminary study to establish a framework for cybersecurity assessments on connected vehicles, amongst others. The study allowed the parties involved to gain a better understanding of the automotive cybersecurity threat landscape, and greater insight into the possible types of tools used to hack into a vehicle’s electrical and electronic architecture. While still a preliminary study, it is an important step towards nurturing a safe and resilient AV tech ecosystem in Singapore. 

9.     Likewise, the MOUs signed today will boost Singapore’s Smart Urban Mobility ecosystem through collaborations on technology building, development and piloting, with the aim of commercialisation. Together, they also strengthen our reputation as a leader in research and development, and innovation. 

10.    The Continental-Hyundai MOU will facilitate collaboration to pilot robotics and other smart city technologies, as well as enable new partnerships with start-ups, supporting the development of proof-of-concepts and new automotive products for the future. The Continental-Singtel MOU will explore the use of 5G connectivity for automotive use-cases, which can enable transportation to be smarter, more convenient, safer and more sustainable. The Continental, Go-Ahead Singapore and NTU MOU will develop and enhance the driving safety management system. This will involve on-road pilot trials of bus captain profiling and risk assessment solutions to enhance public road safety. 

Conclusion 

11.    On this note, allow me to conclude by conveying my heartiest congratulations to the industry partners at today’s event, for all your accomplishments and contributions. Let us continue to work together to realise our shared vision of Singapore as a Smart Mobility Hub. Thank you.