Transport
Terminal 5 at Changi Airport not just another terminal, will be “our second airport”: Transport Minister
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In a bid to remain at the forefront of the competition, it is paramount that Changi Airport continues to expand ahead of demand, said Coordinating Minister of Infrastructure and Minister for Transport Khaw Boon Wan yesterday.
Speaking at the official opening of Terminal 4 at Changi Airport, Mr Khaw said that one of Singapore’s “economic success factors” lies in the ability to anticipate demand in areas such as aviation, maritime, and industrial development.
Mr Khaw said: “For global business, if you don’t have the capacity to serve, you lose business to your competitors. It’s as simple as that.”
He also highlighted the importance of making calculated and informed predictions in building ahead of demand, saying that it “requires strong judgement”.
The Transport Minister said that the aviation sector is “unpredictable, subject to many disruptions, including oil prices and at times, unhelpful governmental interventions”, adding that it “may end up with white elephants” should these potential risks fail to be taken into account in the process of building new infrastructure.
“We must be sensitive to potential disruptions and be ready to make strategic changes promptly when warranted,” he elaborated.
Touching on the construction of Terminal 5, which he dubbed as Singapore’s “second airport”, he said that an estimated rise in 50 million passengers will be observed annually at Changi Airport as a result of the terminal’s debut.
This will result in an estimated 150 million passengers yearly, in comparison to the present capacity of 82 million passengers.
Elaborating on the development of Terminal 5, Mr Khaw said: “To manage the risk of disruptions, we are designing T5 in scalable modules and to build them in phases.”
“This is a practical approach to avoid over-investment and being caught wrong-footed should our projections turn awry,” he concluded.
At approximately 1,000 hectares, Terminal 5 will take up land that is equivalent to the size of Tampines New Town, or more than twice the size of Marina Bay.
Netizens were baffled by Mr Khaw’s argument for the new developments taking place at Changi Airport, with many arguing that many other sectors are in need of the funding that has been channelled into building Terminal 5 and even Terminal 4.
Jenny Jee Eng said:
Why does Singapore need so many airport terminals? Kiasu syndrome!
Fauziah Ismail wrote:
This is called a Terminal illness ???
Kenneth Chan wrote:
“Projecting demand is indeed one of Singapore’s economic success factor” & “building ahead of demand requires strong judgement”, so did we have to build the ‘Budget Terminal’ previously? Was it a failure in projecting demand then?
It was not too long ago then the budget terminal was opened in 2006 and shut down in 2012? What happened to “building ahead of demand” then? From building only a new budget terminal, shutting it, rebuilding as Terminal 4 & now to say they need to have a Terminal 5 as a “SECOND AIRPORT”?
I cannot agree that this is an economic success factor as claimed [by Khaw].
Timothy Ang said:
Having a bigger airport is better because tourists do not need to come out and see the real Singapore. Singaporeans never notice when they ask their overseas friends what they think of Singapore. All they can say is, “oh Changi Airport is very nice”, not “Toa Payoh got good shopping [spots]”.
Cheryl Chew commented:
Then next time, they’ll suggest to use the whole of Singapore to build a super trillion airport. Then can earn more $$$.
Several netizens have touched on high costs borne by citizens regarding basic necessities such as healthcare and how the funding for Terminal 5 should have been used to subsidise healthcare systems and other basic necessities:
Kevin Ng wrote:
Why are we spending money like nobody’s business when we don’t have enough for basic necessity like healthcare?
Kelvin Wong said:
Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan said: “When we underestimate demand, the result is overcrowding at hospitals, as we now experience at Tan Tock Seng Hospital. If we over-estimate demand and over-supply, we end up with under-utilised assets – a costly outcome.
“Between over-supply and under-supply, I would prefer to slightly under-supply than to over-supply as this will put pressure on ourselves to intensify usage and minimise over-consumption.” – September 2007
William Sam said:
The logic is simple. How has the average Singaporean benefitted from these projects? The cost of living has been increasing at an accelerated rate. If there are benefits then we should be able to see reduced costs and not higher costs.
Mark Roche wrote:
Money should go into making Singaporeans’ cost of living cheaper and more affordable, instead of wasting it on unnecessary costly projects.
Kohila Thavanesan said:
Another expensive project? Ahead of demand?! What about existing demands like the increased costs of living of Singaporeans – isn’t that a primary concern? Utilise reserves to solve that issue. We are not happy with being labelled the most expensive city in the world! Get off your ivory tower and look at what’s happening around you.
Naidu Billy said:
Many homeless Singaporeans…
Can they go there sleep bo?
Patrick Fok said:
Claiming the best, largest and most modern airport in the world does not feed the marginalized citizens!
Imran Becks said:
And us Singaporeans feel the pinch. Gas prices go up. Electricity goes up. Public transport fare goes up. Not long from now, GST will be increased too. All for unnecessary things like this.
A small country but with 5 airport terminals. Go figure.
David Firdaus said:
Competition never ends la. So if we have more competitors means what? Build more airports?
Sudyono Bin Salleh wrote:
Then go and build one airport all around each of the estates lah.. Easy for us Singaporeans.
Dennis Teo commented:
Soon the whole island will just be airport terminals.
Several netizens have also highlighted the importance of upgrading the current Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system instead of building what Mr Khaw calls a “second airport”.
Jian Xun said:
Why not use the money to upgrade trains and improve on rail infrastructure? Demand of tourist is more than demand for train efficiency?
Leon Khor wrote:
How about spending more of that money to improve the MRT system…
Lim Jun Jie commented:
So… Does this mean that air travel is more important than internal transport systems? Hence things like MRT do not need to improve “ahead of demand”?
Jason Tan, however, supported the expansion of Changi Airport via Terminal 5:
Being forward thinking with a measure of risk is what will take us forward. Ask any entrepreneur, they do not calculate all their risk and allow the fear of risk to cripple them, but take measure risk and with foresight run ahead and take the lead. That is the different between success people and other. He former focus on opportunity and the other focus on risk.
Octovan Spartan Foo also supported the move to expand Changi Airport:
Yes it’s very expensive, I agree, but… […] If not, how to cope with the rising demands? How to boost Singapore tourism to earn money? And building [a new terminal at the] airport = more job opportunities for security industry, retail industry, construction industry also, among other sectors… At the end of the day, Singapore’s economy will still benefit from this [new terminal at the] airport.
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Singapore
SimplyGo revamps app to allow top-up and card blocking features
On 6 September, SimplyGo launched a revamped app allowing commuters to top up and activate card-blocking features for older EZ-Link cards via mobile phones. This comes after the government reversed its plan to phase out older payment cards in January following public outcry over the inability to view balances when tapping their SimplyGo cards on public transport.
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SINGAPORE: On Friday (6 September), SimplyGo, an account-based ticketing (ABT) system primarily used for public transport, launched a revamped app that enables commuters to top up and activate card-blocking features for older card-based EZ-Link cards through their mobile phones.
The upgraded app offers a more comprehensive experience, integrating transit ticketing and travel card-related services into a single platform.
This move follows the merger of TransitLink and EZ-Link into one entity on 1 Sept.
The updated SimplyGo app provides access to the EZ-Link digital wallet for seamless in-store and online payments, announced SimplyGo.
Additionally, motorists can now use the EZ-Link Motoring service to pay for Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) and carpark charges using locally-issued Mastercard or Visa cards.
To top up older EZ-Link cards through the app, users must activate Near Field Communication (NFC) on their mobile phones and tap the physical card on the device.
The auto top-up feature, also available in the revamped app, automatically deducts a pre-set amount when the card’s balance drops to $3 upon exiting train gantries or buses.
For lost or misplaced cards, the new card-blocking function can be activated, though it may take up to 48 hours to complete.
SimplyGo emphasized that the revamped app is part of an ongoing effort to consolidate services that were previously split between the EZ-Link and TransitLink SimplyGo apps.
Existing EZ-Link app users do not need to re-register their cards, as their accounts will sync across the new app using their previously registered mobile numbers.
While the older EZ-Link app remains accessible, commuters are encouraged to switch to the upgraded SimplyGo app to access the full range of features.
Enhanced security measures are also in place, allowing only local mobile numbers for account registration, which ensures better fraud management and more accurate refund services.
Tourists and foreigners can use the app in “Guest Mode” to check their card balances.
SimplyGo’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr Tan Kim Hong, noted that the enhanced app is the company’s first step towards making SimplyGo the go-to platform for public transport commuters, offering a convenient and secure experience.
More features, such as a wayfinding tool for navigating MRT stations and bus interchanges, will be rolled out progressively.
LTA: Voluntary conversion to SimplyGo for MOE School Smart Cards to commence from 7 Sept
In a separate statement, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) announced that from Saturday (7 Sept), students will have the option to convert their student concession cards into SimplyGo school smart cards.
This option will be available to all students from Ministry of Education primary and secondary schools, as well as junior colleges and Millennia Institute.
“This follows feedback from parents and students who expressed a preference for converting their existing Student Smart Cards (SSC) to SimplyGo SSCs, allowing parents to top up their children’s cards remotely via the SimplyGo app,” said the LTA.
The conversion process is free and can be completed at selected ticketing machines across all MRT stations and bus interchanges.
However, those wishing to revert to a non-SimplyGo concession card will need to return their SimplyGo school smart card and purchase a new non-SimplyGo concession card for S$8.10 (US$6).
“With this, all commuters now have the option to convert their travel cards to SimplyGo,” said LTA.
In January, LTA U-turn on SimplyGo transition; Transport Minister issued apology
SimplyGo’s latest app revamp was announced following the government’s embarrassing reversal in January of its initial plan to transition entirely to SimplyGo and phase out older public transport payment cards, which was met with significant public outcry.
On 9 January, LTA revealed plans to retire the older card-based ticketing system used by EZ-Link and Nets FlashPay cards, in favor of SimplyGo, an account-based system (ABT).
This transition aimed to streamline fare payments by processing transactions on the back end, moving away from the traditional method of storing transaction data on individual cards.
However, the announcement triggered immediate backlash from commuters, who were particularly frustrated by the inability to view fare deductions and balances directly on the cards.
In response to the public dissatisfaction, Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat announced on 22 January that the government would invest an additional S$40 million to extend the lifespan of the card-based ticketing system, allowing passengers to continue using older payment cards until at least 2030.
Minister Chee publicly apologised for the government’s decision, admitting that the LTA had underestimated the strong preference many commuters had for the existing system.
Singapore
COE prices hit new highs across all categories in latest tender
COE prices rose across all categories on 4 September, with premiums for smaller cars hitting a 2024 high of S$96,490. Category B COEs rose to S$106,300, while motorcycles saw the largest increase to S$9,801. Commercial vehicle premiums also climbed, marking the fifth consecutive rise.
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In the latest Certificate of Entitlement (COE) tender on 4 September, prices across all five categories rose, with the premium for smaller, less powerful cars reaching a 2024 record of S$96,490. This marks a 2.8 per cent increase from the previous tender’s S$93,900 for Category A COEs, which cover smaller cars and electric vehicles (EVs).
Category B COEs, which are for larger and more powerful cars and EVs, also saw a slight rise of 0.4 per cent, bringing the premium to S$106,300 from S$105,889 in the previous tender.
Meanwhile, Open category COEs (Category E), which can be used for any vehicle type except motorcycles but are generally applied to bigger cars, increased by 0.8 per cent to S$106,901, compared to S$106,001 two weeks ago.
Motorcycle COEs (Category D) saw the steepest rise of 5.3 per cent, climbing from S$9,310 to S$9,801, while the commercial vehicle category (Category C) continued its upward trend with a 2.2 per cent increase to S$74,001, marking its fifth consecutive rise.
COEs are a crucial element of vehicle ownership in Singapore, granting the right to own and use a vehicle for a limited period. These rising premiums reflect the ongoing high demand and limited supply in Singapore’s car market.
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