Speech by Minister S Iswaran for Land Transport Excellence Awards 2022 Singapore Expo Max Atria 28 Mar 2022

Introduction

1.     Good afternoon everyone. Thank you very much for joining us today, members of the industry, as well as my colleagues from LTA and MOT.

a. We have held this award ceremony biennially since 2008. Unfortunately, we had to postpone last year’s ceremony in view of the circumstances. 

b. But there are silver linings – this year we are finally able to gather in person, and tomorrow we can look forward to the easing of more safe management measures. Today, I am thankful that we have this opportunity to collectively celebrate the excellent work that is being done in our land transport sector.

Two New Award Categories – Environment and Transport for All

2. While we press on in our efforts to build a more resilient and reliable transport system, we must also ensure that it is a greener and more inclusive one. These are the themes that we covered extensively at the recent Committee of Supply debates. I am thus happy that this year, we are introducing two new award categories to reflect this evolution in our key priorities. Let me elaborate on each of them in turn. 

Environment

3.     While previous editions of this ceremony have featured a combined award for Safety & Environmental excellence, this year we have carved out Environmental excellence as its own award category.

a.     This is in recognition of sustainability as a key priority for the land transport sector. We have announced our commitment to lower land transport emissions by 80% by or around mid-century, from the 2016 peak. It is noteworthy that emissions from our land transport sector have already peaked since more than five years ago but we are setting ourselves an even more ambitious target of an 80% reduction of that peak by or around mid-century. This is an ambitious target and we will need the support of all our partners in this important endeavour.

b.     So it’s not just about what LTA plans to do, whether it is expanding our rail and active mobility network, or encouraging the electrification of commercial and private vehicles. We must also recognise and celebrate partners who are doing their part through projects focused on sustainability.

4.     We have four nominations in the inaugural year of the “Environmental Excellence – Mega Civil Contractor” award, with one winner – the joint venture between Nishimatsu Construction and Bachy Soletanche Singapore.  The JV has an excellent track record on environmental management. Over the course of the project, they have implemented a number of innovative measures which not only optimised work, but made contributions to our environmental sustainability goals. For instance, they came up with a “U-Turn” operation for the tunnel boring machine to avoid the need for dismantling, transportation and reassembly for further tunnelling works, thereby eliminating unnecessary construction work processes and reducing energy consumption. 

Transport for All

5.     Aside from our sustainability efforts, we have also been making great strides towards a more inclusive public transport system. I have mentioned this before, but it bears repeating – a daily commute is not simply about moving from point A to B; it is also about how we navigate shared spaces as a community. Central to this is a gracious and caring culture that promotes a pleasant commuting experience for all commuters. The late Chairman of the Public Transport Council, Mr Richard Magnus, was a very strong and passionate advocate of this. 

6.     The Transport for All award category recognises the efforts of our partners in pursuit of this worthy goal.  In fact, with so much quality in the submissions, not just one or two, but four award winners have been selected for the “Best Community Inclusive Project” award.

a.     Our first winner is SMRT, who impressed with their service delivery efforts, including the “Go-To SMRT” initiative where specialist organisations are invited to train their staff as go-to resource centres for commuters with dementia and other special needs. 

b.     Our second winner is Tower Transit, who used their relocation to the Jurong East Bus Interchange as an opportunity to develop an “interchange with a heart” that features caring commuting amenities, bringing the human touch to an essential public transport node.

c.     Last but not least, our final two winners, Go Ahead and Movement of Inclusivity, launched an initiative to help commuters know when to lend a helping hand to fellow commuters with invisible disabilities and needs. In other words, needs that may not be immediately apparent.

7.     Thank you once again to all our partners, for being champions of our caring commuting culture. 

Navigating COVID-19 Together as a Land Transport Sector

8.     The past two years have certainly been trying. Singapore has had to navigate an uncertain environment and fast-changing circumstances. Despite these challenges, our partners stepped up to adapt to changing safe management measures and evolving macro-circumstances.

a.     For instance, during the pandemic, Woh Hup quickly deployed an integrated digital platform called “Hubble One Platform” for worker management and rolled out a comprehensive disinfection regime at all their dormitories.  This helped to manage infections among our migrant worker population back then, and ensured that our projects could make good progress despite the COVID-induced uncertainty. 

Recognising and Paying Tribute to Our Workers and Industry Partners

9.     We are now at a major milestone in our fight against COVID-19, and taking a decisive step towards living with the virus. 

10.    As we look back on our journey, the strong partnership for co-creation of solutions has been at the heart of all our efforts. While we celebrate our award winners today, I want to express my appreciation to each and every one of you in the land transport sector. Our workers and industry partners have been steadfast in the collective commitment to deliver a stellar transport system. Thank you for your dedication and your resilient spirit. 

Conclusion

11.    Moving ahead, I am confident that each of you will continue to play important roles, as catalysts for improvement, growth and transformation in your respective areas. Thank you for being an integral part of our onward journey to bring our transport system into the future, for the benefit of all commuters. 

12.    Once again, my heartiest congratulations to all award winners and my heartfelt thanks to each and every one of our partners in the land transport sector.