Speech by Minister For Transport, Mr Chee Hong Tat at MOT Committee of Supply Debate 2025

Introduction 

1.     Mdm Chair, I thank Members for their questions and suggestions.

2.     Over the past 60 years of Singapore’s nation-building journey, we worked hard as one people to overcome our challenges and turned them into opportunities. 

a.     We developed our communications and transport infrastructure, and built Singapore as a global transport hub. 

b.     This remains a key growth strategy, one which strengthens our supply-chain resilience, our connections to the world, and our geostrategic relevance.

3.     We equipped our companies and workers to succeed. Today, our homegrown companies such as PSA, CAG, SIA, and SATS are global leaders, bringing Singapore to the world and the world to Singapore.

4.     Equally important was how we connected Singaporeans to people and places at home through national projects such as the MRT system. 

5.     As Mr Saktiandi Supaat noted, transportation has played a vital role in our nation’s development and will continue to do so.  

6.     At this year’s COS, we will build on our strengths to improve the way we live, move, and connect through three areas: 

a.     First, Stronger Connectivity. 

b.     Second, Safer and More Comfortable Journeys. 

c.     Third, More Opportunities for Businesses and Workers.

Stronger Connectivity

7.     Let me begin with how we are building stronger connectivity through the land transport network, which serves about 10 million journeys daily. I will start with our rail network.

Public Transport

8.     Our MRT system opened on 7 November 1987 with five stations – Yio Chu Kang, Ang Mo Kio, Bishan, Braddell, and Toa Payoh. From those early foundations, the network has grown significantly, with the North East Line in 2003, Circle Line in 2009, Downtown Line in 2013, and Thomson-East Coast Line in 2020. 

9.     We will add new stations or lines every year till the end of this decade:

a.     A few days ago, we opened Hume station on the Downtown Line.

b.     By the middle of next year, we will close the loop for the Circle Line, by connecting HarbourFront station to Marina Bay station via three new stations.

c.     In the second half of 2026, we will open Thomson-East Coast Line Stage 5 and Downtown Line Stage 3 Extension, linking these two MRT lines.

d.     Between 2027 and 2029, we will open parts of the Jurong Region Line, starting with Choa Chu Kang to Boon Lay and Tawas, followed by Tengah to Pandan Reservoir, and eventually connecting to NTU Campus and Jurong Pier.

e.     From 2030, we will progressively open our eighth MRT Line, the Cross Island Line, to connect the eastern, western, and north-eastern regions.

10.    As PM said, we are never done building Singapore. Rail projects are major investments. They require careful planning, taking into consideration current and future land-use needs, engineering feasibility, and potential environment impact. 

11.    It also requires political stability, as well as a strong government which can plan long-term, and have the ability and resources to turn these plans into reality, because the plans will span multiple terms of government. In economies that face persistent budget deficits, they would not have the fiscal resources to implement such large-scale projects.

12.    With your permission, Mdm Chairman, may I display a slide on the LED screens? 

13.    Several Members such as Mr Ang Wei Neng, Ms Foo Mee Har, Ms Rachel Ong, and Mr Leong Mun Wai had previously asked about rail connectivity in the western region. Last year, SMS Khor and I provided updates on one of the projects which LTA has been studying – the West Coast Extension (WCE).

14.    The Government plans to proceed with the West Coast Extension in two phases:

a.     The first phase will extend the Jurong Region Line from Pandan Reservoir station to connect with the Cross Island Line at West Coast station by the late 2030s.

b.     Under the second phase, our current plan is to further extend the Jurong Region Line from West Coast station to connect with the Circle Line at Kent Ridge station by the early 2040s. 

15.    This will enhance rail connectivity for residents in the West, and support future developments along the corridor. It will reduce journey times to the city centre by up to 20 minutes.

16.    The WCE will also enhance the overall resilience of our rail network, by providing an alternative via the Cross Island Line, and to the city centre via Circle Line.

17.    Mr Gan Thiam Poh and Mr Ong Hua Han asked about a new rail line to serve residents in the north and northeast regions. When the Land Transport Master Plan 2040 was released in 2019, we had shared plans for feasibility studies into a new line. 

18.    This line, tentatively called the Seletar Line, could serve areas such as Woodlands, Sembawang, Sengkang West, Serangoon North, Whampoa, Kallang, and the Greater Southern Waterfront.  I hope it could also go through some parts of Toa Payoh. Feasibility studies are currently ongoing.

19.    We have also identified another corridor for a new rail line, tentatively called the Tengah Line. Similarly, feasibility studies are ongoing to assess if such a line could supplement the transport network in the west and northwest regions, serving areas such as Tengah, Bukit Batok, Queensway, and Bukit Merah.

20.    Based on LTA’s preliminary assessments, these two potential rail lines could meet at the Greater Southern Waterfront. Our feasibility studies will therefore look into the possibility of linking the two lines into a single line, for more seamless connectivity and better efficiency for commuters.  

21.    If studies confirm that these two new MRT lines are feasible, we expect to complete them in phases from the 2040s. It will benefit more than 400,000 households who will be within a 10-minute walk from this new combined line.

22.    For our MRT system to remain the backbone of our public transport network, our efforts must go beyond growing the rail network, to ensuring that trains continue to operate safely and reliably for all commuters. This is a challenging task, as our MRT network is an expanding system with many inter-connected elements. 

a.     The rail network relies on the dedication of 7,000 workers and the commitment of tripartite partners to operate smoothly every day.

23.    Over the past decade, we have invested heavily and made significant strides in rail reliability. 

a.     We set ourselves a high bar – to achieve 1 million mean kilometres between failure, or MKBF, and have consistently achieved this since 2019. 

b.     MKBF is a reliability benchmark used by many metros globally, and the 1 million MKBF benchmark puts us among the top performing metros in the world.

24.    This is the result of strong tripartite commitment. Since 2020, the government has supported operators to improve maintenance and operation standards. We have also supported rail sector workers to strengthen their capabilities and improve productivity, through training grants and productivity incentives.

25.    Maintaining high standards will become more challenging as our network grows. We have one of the densest networks in the world, and with more trains covering longer distances, sustaining a high reliability target of 1 million MKBF will require even greater effort. There is also a need to manage both newer and older systems and assets. 

26.    I thank Mr Saktiandi, Mr Melvin Yong, Ms Poh Li San and Ms Yeo Wan Ling for acknowledging the hard work of our workers, and recognising their integral role in maintaining a safe and reliable rail network.

27.    To further support these efforts, the Government intends to invest up to an additional $1 billion over the next five years to further strengthen our rail capabilities and scale up technology adoption. This will enhance the way we monitor and maintain our assets. The additional funding will also support skills upgrading for our workers to keep pace with these developments. 

28.    This move builds on the New Rail Financing Framework, or NRFF, where LTA handles asset procurement and replacement, and the operators handle asset maintenance. 

a.     Under this framework, LTA holds our operators accountable for their maintenance of assets. We also have incentives and performance standards in place to ensure that operators deliver good, reliable service. If any operator does not perform, it could face financial penalties and miss out on incentives. This approach has helped us to improve reliability and achieve good outcomes for commuters.

b.     As more of our rail assets approach the end of their service life, we will need to invest more to improve life cycle management so that we optimise the lifespan of our assets while making replacements in a timely manner. 

29.    The enhanced NRFF will allow us to:

a.     Expand condition monitoring capabilities for more proactive intervention and targeted maintenance;

b.     Carry out targeted replacements of sub-systems and components to better sustain the useful life of our assets; and

c.     Scale up the adoption of new technologies to boost maintenance efficiency and effectiveness across the sector. 

30.    Our operators will continue to be responsible for the maintenance of assets, as per their existing responsibilities under the NRFF. 

a.     With the additional investments, LTA can better optimise the life cycle management of rail assets.  

b.     LTA will determine, based on the condition of each asset, whether maintenance needs to be stepped up by our operators so that the asset can continue to run until the end of its service life, 

c.     or whether the asset needs to be replaced early, or if it can have its service life extended.

31.    This will enable LTA and the operators to achieve high reliability standards while keeping a tight control on maintenance and asset replacement costs, which will benefit commuters and taxpayers.

32.    Beyond technology and hardware, we will also invest in uplifting the maintenance capabilities of our entire rail sector, and enable tripartite partners – LTA, operators, and workers – to achieve higher levels of safety, reliability and resilience. 

33.    We will strengthen training programmes, provide more opportunities and incentives for workers to upgrade their skills, and support rail operators to drive workforce and operations transformation.

34.    We will also continue to learn from leading overseas metros and international rail experts to help us stay at the forefront of rail excellence.  

35.    Over time, as workers upgrade their skills through upskilling and reskilling, they will be able to take on higher value jobs, improve their productivity and earn higher wages. This will also help to further uplift standards across the industry.

36.    Moving to buses, we will continue to improve our public bus network, to provide residents with convenient first- and last-mile access to the rail network, and to amenities in their towns. 

37.    I launched the Bus Connectivity Enhancement Programme, or BCEP, in July 2024 to better serve new and existing estates across Singapore. Mr Gan Thiam Poh asked about this. 

a.     So far, we have introduced 10 new services and enhanced 36 services to improve capacity and connectivity for residents in Yishun, Tengah, Hougang, as well as Mr Gan’s residents in Fernvale.  

b.     LTA plans to introduce another 15 more bus services in 2025 across different towns, including Punggol, Bidadari, Yew Tee and Tampines. 

38.    As we deploy more buses, we will also give them priority on more roads to facilitate their movement and improve their reliability. LTA will add about 20 km of new bus lanes this year, with more to follow in the coming years. 

39.    I would like to assure Mr Dennis Tan and Mr Faisal Manap that, as with all bus services, LTA will continue to monitor demand and ridership, and introduce new services or enhancements where necessary, including in Hougang SMC and Aljunied GRC.

Point-to-Point (P2P)

40.    We announced some moves last year on taxis and private hire vehicles. SMS Khor will provide an update on how we will improve the stability of supply, strengthen contestability, and improve passenger experience and access.

Safer and More Comfortable Journeys

41.    Mdm Chairman, the public transport experience goes beyond hardware and infrastructure; we must also pay attention to improving safety and comfort for commuters. 

Comfortable Journeys

42.    Commuters remain at the heart of how we design our transport services. LTA has been progressively enhancing its infrastructure, working closely with Grassroots Advisers and Community Leaders to better serve our commuters and residents in different towns across Singapore. 

43.    The design for MRT stations and bus interchanges have evolved and improved over time. For instance, newer train stations and bus interchanges, such as Punggol Coast station on the North East Line and Buangkok Bus Interchange, are better integrated with residential and commercial developments, making them more accessible and vibrant.

44.    Our stations, interchanges, trains, and buses have also been equipped with more features to improve accessibility for passengers of diverse needs, such as family-friendly facilities, and wheelchair-friendly Passenger Service Centres.

45.    LTA has developed strong engineering expertise to build our large-scale infrastructure projects. We want to complement this by enhancing LTA’s capabilities to integrate human-centric design with its engineering expertise. 

a.     Just like how companies like Apple and Dyson are known for combining engineering with design to bring greater value to customers.  

b.     We want to learn from such industry leaders and see how we can make key public transport nodes like MRT stations and bus interchanges more user-friendly, more comfortable, and more convenient.   

46.    LTA is planning a multi-year effort to review and improve our infrastructure and services, guided by four ‘E’s:

a.     First, Enhance. We will improve the design of all our transport nodes, to apply what we learnt from building new lines, stations, and interchanges to enhance our existing infrastructure.

b.     Second, Enlarge. We will enlarge the reach and coverage of our commuter infrastructure, through features such as covered linkways, more benches, and additional escalators and lifts. This will also make it safer and more convenient for our seniors to age well in the community. 

c.     Third, Enliven. Our transport nodes can host more community activities, offer better retail and F&B services, and serve as venues for promoting arts, heritage and music to support our local artists and performers. 

d.     Fourth, Enable. Commuters can make better use of our spaces and services, through improved signages, wayfinding, and digital services. And I would like to thank MP Ong Hua Han for his feedback and suggestions.  

e.     We acknowledge that in some of these areas, there is room for improvement. MOT and LTA are committed to making these improvements by learning from best practices, here and abroad.  

47.    As the North-South and East-West Lines have been in operation for over 30 years, I asked LTA to look into a multi-year programme to rejuvenate the stations on these lines.

48.    We will study how we can do this through a Station Rejuvenation Programme for the North-South and East-West lines. We will review the upgrades required for each station, tailored to the station’s ridership, footprint, typology, and surrounding developments.

49.    Yishun station, one of our older MRT stations in Singapore, which is expected to become even busier with surrounding developments, will be the pilot project for this programme. SPS Baey will provide more details.

50.    This Station Rejuvenation Programme will refresh our stations, making them more welcoming and user-friendly while preserving key heritage elements.

51.    Similarly, our bus interchanges have also grown into familiar community hubs for residents. We will open new bus interchanges to provide more convenient transfers, and refresh existing ones to improve commuter experience and comfort. 

52.    In the coming months, we will open three integrated air-conditioned interchanges at Woodleigh, Pasir Ris, and Punggol Coast. LTA will also upgrade older bus interchanges. Works have started at Toa Payoh bus interchange, Singapore’s first integrated transport hub. 

53.    In response to Mr Ang Wei Neng, commuters at Bishan, Bukit Merah, Eunos, and Tampines bus interchanges can look forward to upgrades with new rain screens, additional benches and fans to improve their comfort and commuting experience.

54.    We also welcome suggestions and ideas from commuters. I am glad that Members agree with the Government’s vision to build a car-lite society, where Walk-Cycle-Ride are the main modes of transport. LTA will set aside an experimentation fund to support ideas from commuters and work with them to jointly develop cost-effective solutions.

55.    While the vast majority of commuters are considerate and gracious, we need to protect the quality of their commute from the small minority of black sheep whose anti-social behaviours and actions cause discomfort, and sometimes even endanger others. 

56.    We will continue with our public education efforts, but we know education alone will not be enough and needs to go together with effective enforcement. 

57.    I have asked LTA and the operators to step up their Enforcement – which is the fifth ‘E’ – by strengthening our regulatory powers and increasing the penalties to deter egregious commuters, especially repeat offenders and those who refuse to cooperate when they are advised by public transport workers. I thank Members from both sides of the House, including Mr Gan Thiam Poh, Mr Lim Biow Chuan and Mr Dennis Tan, for expressing their support for strengthening enforcement against such behaviours.

58.    Another key aspect of commuter experience is safety.

59.    In July last year, we launched the Bus Safety Tripartite Taskforce. MOS Murali and our tripartite partners sought views from thousands of commuters, bus captains, and both local and international safety experts, who shared their ideas to improve safety practices for the public bus sector.

60.    The Taskforce has submitted its recommendations, which I have accepted.  These include how we can equip buses with more safety features, facilitate their smooth travel on the road, and better support Bus Captains to provide safe journeys for all. 

61.    Making roads safer for everyone also means that more pedestrians and cyclists can benefit from active mobility through Friendly Streets and Road Repurposing Projects. SMS Khor will elaborate on this.

62.    While we need to be inclusive to those with genuine mobility needs, we must also ensure the safety of other path users. SPS Baey will give an update on the implementation timelines for the changes to the safety rules for Personal Mobility Aids that were announced last year.

63.    Mdm Chairman, in Mandarin, please. 

64.    主席，我们将分两个阶段落实西海岸延伸线。第一阶段将在西海岸站衔裕廊区域线和跨岛线; 而第二阶段将会延长裕廊区域线并与环线衔接。西海岸延伸线工程完工后可缩短西部居民到市中心的通勤时间。

65.    此外，我们也将探讨兴建两条新地铁线。第一条，暂定为实里达线, 它将从北部和东北部衔接到南部濒水地区。另一条新的地铁线，暂定为登加线，它将从北部和西北部衔接到南部濒水地区。

66.    若这两条新地铁线是可行的，它们可连成一条较长的地铁线，实里达-登加线，从北部通到市区，连接到西部。它在2040后陆续完工，可让超过四十万户家庭受惠。

67.    我们的巴士服务和地铁网络在提高居民的通勤便利是相辅相成的。我们去年推出总值高达10亿元的巴士连接增强计划 (BCEP)。至今，我们已推出了10条新的巴士路线并增强了36条巴士路线。在接下来的一年里，我们将在榜鹅、比达达利、油池与淡滨尼等地区再推出15条新的巴士路线，让更多居民受益。

68.     地铁站和巴士转换站的设计不断改进。今年，我们将启动南北线与东西线    车站升级计划，全面提升所有车站。 此外，我们也在推动巴士转换站的升级改造。在接下来的几个月，我们将开放兀里、巴西立和榜鹅海岸三个全空调一体化巴士转换站。

69.    陆交局也计划提升其他已运营多年的转换站，包括大巴窑和碧山巴士转换站。  

More Opportunities for Businesses and Workers

70.    Let me turn to my final topic of how we are providing more opportunities for businesses and workers in the transport sector.

71.    Mdm Chairman, this Government believes in the importance of planning long-term, and having the ability and resources to implement these plans effectively. 

a.     This is how we developed Singapore into a global aviation and maritime hub, and why we have made significant investments in developing Changi Airport Terminal 5 and Tuas Port.  

b.     These achievements do not happen automatically, and we should never take our hub status and competitive advantages for granted given the intense global competition. 

Anchoring the Maritime Hub 

72.    Singapore remains a leading maritime hub, achieving new records in 2024. We will continue to build on this momentum, to strengthen our competitiveness. MOS Murali will provide more details.

Strengthening our Aviation Hub

73.    I will share on our aviation sector, which has recovered well from the COVID-19 pandemic. 

a.     For the 12 months ending February 2025, Changi saw 68.4 million passenger movements, representing a full recovery over pre-COVID levels. The air hub is off to a good start in 2025, with Changi’s passenger numbers exceeding 11.5 million for the first two months of 2025, a 7% increase from the same period last year. 

b.     We added 11 new city links in 2024, to places like Brussels, Guiyang, Phu Quoc, and Vancouver. 

c.     Our strong performance would not have been possible without the collective efforts of the aviation community. I thank our tripartite partners from the industry and unions for their strong support in helping the air hub recover and grow, and our aviation workers for their contributions and hard work. 

74.    The future of aviation is bright. Global passenger volumes are expected to double in the next two decades, with the Asia-Pacific regions driving half this growth. As an international business centre, and a global air hub, Singapore is well-placed to capture these opportunities.

a.     We will break ground for Terminal 5 in a few months. T5 will increase Changi’s capacity by 50 million passengers per annum, on top of the current 90 million passengers per annum. 

b.     T5 will enhance our hub status and provide new and exciting employment opportunities.

75.    Mr Dennis Tan raised concerns that building T5 would result in more flights and higher aviation emissions. 

76.    Mdm Chairman, as a member state of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and International Maritime Organization (IMO), Singapore is committed towards contributing towards ICAO and IMO’s global ambition of achieving net zero targets by or around 2050. 

77.    The United Nations Framework Convention of Climate Change sets the global reporting requirements for greenhouse gas inventories. Emissions from international aviation and maritime do not accrue to national greenhouse gas inventories. Singapore complies with this.  

78.    Likewise, there is no benefit for Changi to move too far ahead of other airports when it comes to adoption of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). At last year’s COS, I explained why we will start with a 1% target in 2026 to spur investments in SAF production capacity and increase this over time to 3-5% by 2030, subject to global developments and the wider availability and adoption of SAF. 

79.    I believe it is a pragmatic approach, because the cost of SAF is currently much higher than conventional jet fuel, and we need to strike a balance between sustainability and competitiveness. 

a.     Several countries including India, Indonesia, and Republic of Korea have also adopted a 1% initial target before ramping up in subsequent years.  

b.     The UK started with a 2% SAF mandate in 2025, and not 10% as what Mr Tan said.     

80.    Our approach is to enable our aviation sector to grow and improve environmental sustainability concurrently. We launched the Sustainable Air Hub Blueprint last year, which sets out Singapore’s medium and long-term goals for international and domestic emissions, and our plans to achieve them with stakeholders across the airport, airline, and air traffic management domains.  

81.    Our air hub is a source of many good jobs for Singaporeans and a key enabler for many other sectors in our economy such as manufacturing, professional services and tourism.  

a.     I hope Mr Tan is not suggesting we should forgo building T5 because that will bring more flights to Singapore and increase aviation emissions.    

b.     If our air hub is not competitive, planes will still fly but they just bypass Changi.  How is that good for Singapore and Singaporeans?      

c.     This Government cares about environmental sustainability, but we also care about the well-being of our people, our workers and our businesses.  

d.     As SM Teo said, we are climate realists, not climate zealots.

82.    While our air hub is well-placed to ride the winds of growth, competition is intensifying. We are mindful about rising costs faced by aviation stakeholders. The Government is committed to working with the aviation industry to improve our service levels, raise productivity and reduce operating costs where possible. If we achieve cost savings, we will share these with our industry partners.

83.    Mdm Chairman, one of the biggest advantages that Singapore has today over many competitors, is our ability to work as one aviation ecosystem and the close tripartite relationship between companies, unions, and government. We must continue to leverage this as we look at ways to enhance Changi’s air hub competitiveness.

84.    To Mr Mark Lee, Ms Poh Li San, and Mr Sharael Taha’s questions, we will strengthen our support for Changi in four key areas - Connectivity, Infrastructure, Innovation and Technology, and Manpower. 

85.    CAAS will commit $1 billion over the next five years to catalyse action and partnership in the four areas. This is on top of the $5 billion top-up to the Changi Airport Development Fund that PM announced. 

86.    Over the next few months, CAAS will work with companies and union leaders, government agencies, and international partners to develop schemes in each of these areas which will help our companies and workers to thrive and succeed. 

a.     First, on Connectivity. Singapore’s current network of over 160 city links connect us with the world and is a key enabler of the Singapore economy. We aim to build a larger network of over 200 city links by the mid-2030s, to anchor Singapore as a key global node. CAAS will work with economic agencies and industry to identify key links and develop schemes that can accelerate these new connections. 

b.     Next, on Infrastructure. CAAS will work with aviation stakeholders to plan enabling infrastructure for the Singapore air hub and coordinate development across companies. It will provide funding support to accelerate the development of common use infrastructure that will benefit all airport users, to support state-of-the-art, efficient, and cost-competitive airport operations. 

c.     Third, on Innovation and Technology. CAAS will work with industry and the research community to develop a 10-year technology roadmap to guide technology planning and translate research and development into operational capabilities that can be deployed across the aviation ecosystem. The technology roadmap will leverage the development of T5 to set up living labs to testbed and grow new capabilities. 

d.     Fourth, on Manpower. Skilled manpower is a key competitive factor for air hubs around the world. CAAS will work with aviation companies and unions to grow a quality workforce, comprising a strong Singapore core complemented by foreign workers who are important contributors to Changi’s overall competitiveness. We will invest in skills upgrading for our workers and redesign jobs to better attract and retain local workers. In this way, our air hub can continue to remain competitive and provide good employment opportunities for Singaporeans.  

Strengthening the Air Cargo Hub  

87.    Besides moving people, Singapore’s transport story is also about moving goods. We will strengthen Changi’s position as a trusted, efficient, and well-connected air cargo hub.

88.    Let me address Ms Poh Li San’s question on how we will develop the air cargo hub.

89.    First, capacity. In the mid-2030s, Changi’s handling capacity will increase from 3 million to 5.4 million tonnes per annum with the opening of the Changi East Industrial Zone. 

90.    This will be complemented by the Airport Logistics Park 2 that was announced last year, which will also provide additional capacity to anchor logistics activities, including Regional Distribution Centres and freight forwarding. 

91.    In the lead-up to these developments, we will continue to work with industry partners to ensure we have sufficient capacity to meet growing air cargo demand. 

a.     Changi Airport’s largest cargo handler, SATS, has plans to invest $100 million over the next two years to upgrade its existing air freight terminals at the Changi Airfreight Centre. 

b.     With this, SATS’ cargo handling capacity will increase by 30%, from 2.3 million tonnes to 3 million tonnes per annum, and ensure it has sufficient capacity to support growing air cargo demand over the next decade.

c.     This is a good example of how we work together as a One Aviation Community, to support one another and enhance Changi’s overall competitiveness. 

92.    Second, capability. We will harness technology to uplift productivity and allow our cargo workers to optimise their time and resources. 

a.     CAAS and CAG are supporting the air cargo community to implement an ecosystem digital solution for truck dock slot pre-booking (TDSB), with full roll-out expected later this year. 

b.    TDSB transforms cargo collection and lodgement from a “first-come-first-serve” basis, to one that is pre-planned and better optimised. This will raise the productivity and efficiency of current processes. Outcomes from the initial phase have been promising, with dwell time by truckers reduced by up to 30%. I hope that this can be scaled up so that more benefits can be reaped.

Conclusion

93.    Mdm Chairman, as a nation, we have come together over the last 60 years to improve the lives of Singaporeans and helped many individuals and families to fulfil their aspirations. 

94.    Transport has played a vital role in this. We built up major transport infrastructure such as the MRT network and our air and sea ports, which have catalysed and enabled the progress of our nation from third-world to first.  And we are still building.  

95.    As we navigate through unchartered waters in an increasingly fragmented and volatile world, the key values from our Transport journey remain relevant. 

a.     Singapore must continue to stay open and strengthen our connections with the world. 

b.     We will always place Singaporeans at the heart of all we do, and work with tripartite partners to strengthen our social compact and grow our economy.

c.     And finally, we will take calculated risks and make bold long-term decisions, as we venture out of our comfort zone to seize new opportunities.  

96.    Madam, transport will continue to be an enduring part of the Singapore Story, 

a.     as an enabler to improve the lives of Singaporeans, 

b.     to keep our world moving, 

c.     and to ensure we remain connected to the world and with one another.

97.    Thank you.