Louis asked the Minister for Home Affairs whether the Ministry will consider (i) putting a speed counter on heavy vehicles that are allowed to ferry passengers which will register each time the vehicle exceeds the speed limit for a prolonged period (ii) establishing a fine and demerit system for drivers caught speeding through these speed counters.

Mr Desmond Lee (for the Minister for Home Affairs): Madam, currently, all heavy vehicles with maximum laden weight exceeding 12 tonnes for goods vehicles and 10 tonnes for public service vehicles are required by law to be installed with speed limiters, which restrict their maximum speed to 60 kilometres per hour. This includes vehicles such as public or private buses, which ferry passengers. Such vehicle owners are required to send their vehicles for annual inspections at registered vehicle inspection centres to ensure that the speed limiters are in working condition. Heavy vehicles with speed limiters are also required to undergo additional speed limiter inspections, if these vehicles were caught speeding. Those caught tampering with their speed limiters can be fined up to $1,000 or imprisoned up to three months, while repeat offenders can be fined up to $2,000 or imprisoned up to six months.

Heavy vehicle drivers caught exceeding the speed limit by up to 40 kilometres per hour will be given composition fines ranging from $160 to $200 and four to eight demerit points. Heavy vehicle drivers caught exceeding the speed limit by more than 40 kilometres per hour will be charged in court and given 12 to 24 demerit points.

TP and LTA are reviewing measures to curb heavy vehicle speeding and will announce the changes later this year. 

Louis: I just wish to clarify that what I am suggesting is what we already put in our military vehicles. You would realise that for the military vehicles, nobody is speeding, but most of us on the ground would see that a lot of the heavy vehicles are speeding, especially those carrying a lot of passengers in the back. If an accident happens, it is the loss of a lot of lives, including other commuters on the road. I am hopeful that this can be implemented or at least, a review will take place to make sure that we can curb this problem.

Mr Desmond Lee: We will take that onboard when we review. Thank you.

Source: Hansard (Parliament of Singapore)

Louis asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) for each year in the past three years, how many people have been fined or prosecuted in court respectively for failing to give way to emergency vehicles; and (b) whether the Ministry intends to review the penalties for such offences.

Mr K Shanmugam (MHA): The vast majority of motorists do give way to emergency vehicles. Only a very small number of motorists fail to do so. From 2014 to 2016, a total of 22 drivers were issued composition fines for failing to give way to emergency vehicles; no driver was charged in Court.

The Traffic Police (TP) will take action against motorists who fail to give way to emergency vehicles, because such behaviour may have serious consequences for people who critically need help. Offenders will be given four demerit points and a composition fine. We will prosecute offenders in Court if there are aggravating factors. Upon conviction, there can be a fine not exceeding $1,000 or an imprisonment term not exceeding three months for offenders charged for the first time. The maximum fine and imprisonment term could be increased to $2,000 and six months respectively, for subsequent charges which result in court appearances. My Ministry has no plans to review the penalties, as they are adequate for now.

It is also important to raise public awareness of the importance of giving way to emergency vehicles. SCDF has worked with LTA to display "Give way to emergency vehicles" messages on electronic signboards located along expressways and major roads. Similar messages have also been printed on decals given out to motorists at petrol kiosks. We will continue to sustain such public education and outreach efforts.

Source: Hansard (Parliament of Singapore)

Louis asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) whether ambulances are allowed to run red traffic lights when attending to emergencies; (b) if not, whether there are plans to allow this; and (c) what are the steps that the Ministry is taking to encourage motorists to give way to ambulances.

Mr Amrin Amin (for the Minister for Home Affairs): Today, the law does not expressly provide for ambulances to run red lights in an emergency.

However, SCDF officers are given the discretion to do so when responding to life-threatening emergencies, such as cardiac arrest and stroke, where every second counts. Similar discretion is given for the drivers to make U-turns at places where it is not authorised by traffic rules.

To reduce the likelihood of an accident, SCDF has in place operating procedures. An ambulance driver who intends to run a red light or make an unauthorised U-turn is required to sound the siren and activate the blinker lights to alert other road users. When approaching the traffic junction, the driver must slow down and come to a complete halt, so that he can make a situational assessment of the traffic conditions before proceeding further.

Should an SCDF driver be issued a "Notice of Traffic Offence" for running a red light or making an unauthorised U-turn, an appeal will be lodged and Traffic Police will evaluate the case. They will waive the offence if the driver was responding to a life-threatening emergency.

This appeal and waiver process can be avoided by providing legislative clarity that SCDF's ambulance drivers are allowed to run red lights and make unauthorised U-turns, where necessary.

To this end, MHA is working towards exempting SCDF's ambulances from the legislative provision that prohibits red-light running and unauthorised U-turns. Such exemptions already exist in foreign jurisdictions, such as California and the United Kingdom.

Other road users must play their part. They should exercise civic responsibility and give way to SCDF's emergency vehicles, as this can make a real difference in saving lives. MHA is updating the Highway Code to include pointers on how motorists should respond when they encounter emergency vehicles. We will also continue to raise public awareness. For instance, SCDF has worked with LTA to display "Give way to emergency vehicles" messages on electronic signboards located along expressways.

Motorists who refuse to give way to emergency vehicles are liable for four demerit points and a composition fine. If there are aggravating factors, the offenders will be prosecuted in Court.

Louis: I thank the Parliamentary Secretary for his reply and for sharing the good news that MHA is reviewing it. I know my Parliamentary Question is asking only about ambulances, but I am wondering whether the review can also cover other emergency vehicles like the Police and fire engines. The point is if a fire engine can be there early, there might not be a need for an ambulance to come in the first place.

Mr Amrin Amin: Yes, we will include fire engines and the Police in the review. Thank you.  

Source: Hansard (Parliament of Singapore)

Louis asked the Minister for Finance (a) what is the rationale behind allowing taxi drivers but not private-hire vehicle drivers to deduct expenses such as vehicle rental fees, fuel and ERP from their assessable income tax; and (b) whether the Ministry will consider allowing tax deductibility of these expenses for private-hire vehicle drivers based on the mileage clocked on private-hire driving. 

Mr Lawrence Wong (for the Minister for Finance): Mr Speaker, Sir, tax deduction of expenses incurred for a private car is currently not allowed. This is applied consistently to both corporate and individual taxpayers. It is in support of our long-standing policies on car ownership. That is why private car drivers today are not allowed to claim tax deduction on any car-related expenses. Private-hire car drivers can, however, claim tax deduction on non-car-related expenses, such as commissions paid to third-party operators.

The current tax treatment that we have was introduced before the advent of companies like Grab and Uber. With the introduction of private-hire car services, the private-hire car drivers are essentially operating in the same space as taxis. We have noted the feedback from Members of this House and the National Private Hire Vehicles Association. We are carefully reviewing this matter to see how we can refine the tax policy to ensure they remain relevant and effective.

Louis: I thank the Minister for the reply. I do agree that perhaps the tax regimes for taxi drivers and part-time private-hire drivers should be different. But I think for full-time private-hire drivers, it should be the same and I am just wondering whether the Minister would consider establishing, say, a minimum mileage clock, after which then the private-hire driver is considered full-time and can then enjoy the same tax regime as a taxi driver.

Mr Lawrence Wong: Mr Speaker, Sir, we are reviewing this holistically and it has also to be done in conjunction with MOT's on-going review of the regulations on such private-hire car services. So, that is happening now. MOT and LTA are reviewing the regulations for this group of companies, how they should be regulated vis-a-vis taxi companies. When that is done and clearer, I think the tax treatment can also be adjusted accordingly.

Source: Hansard (Parliament of Singapore)

Louis asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) what are the findings from the trial of using speed-tracking devices for heavy vehicles in 2018; and (b) whether there are plans to mandate speed-tracking devices for heavy vehicles to curb speeding.

Mr Amrin Amin (for the Minister for Home Affairs): Today, the Traffic Police (TP) already requires the use of speed limiters for heavy vehicles. One limitation, however, is that the speed limiters can be tampered with. 

Between December 2017 and August 2018, Traffic Police conducted a trial on speed-tracking devices, to assess if they might be more effective than speed limiters in discouraging heavy vehicle drivers from speeding. TP concluded from the trial that even though the speed-tracking devices were accurate in measuring vehicle speed, they were also susceptible to being tampered. They do not therefore confer significant advantages over speed limiters.

In addition, the cost to install the speed tracking devices is not low. TP has decided not to make the speed tracking devices mandatory. TP will continue to require the use of speed limiters in heavy vehicles. 

TP will continue to monitor the development of other technologies that can help to discourage speeding. TP will also continue to adopt a multi-pronged strategy to getting heavy vehicle drivers to drive safely, including strict enforcement, and sustained education and engagement.  

Louis: I thank Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the reply. My main concern really is when there is accident involving a heavy vehicle, the chance of fatality is very high, especially for those who are carrying a lot of people in the back. And I think we still see them speeding and I think the problem then is how we are going to tackle the people who are tampering with the speed limiters. Whether Senior Parliamentary Secretary or MHA can consider increasing the penalties for those who tamper with the speed limiters. 

My second question is whether MHA will consider installing the speed counters that we have in our military vehicles. We seldom see the military vehicles speeding and whether we can consider putting those counters in our heavy vehicles? 

Mr Amrin Amin: I thank the Member for the suggestion. We will study on whether we need to increase the penalties for tampering, but currently the penalties are quite significant. Just to share with the Member – it is an offence to tamper with a speed limiter installed on heavy vehicles. First-time offenders are liable for imprisonment term of up to three months, a fine of $1,000 or both – and this is for first-time offenders. More severe punishment is meted out to those who are repeat offenders. There are also laws that ensure heavy vehicle owners maintain the speed limiters in proper working condition. And again, there are penalties for failure to abide by this law.

That said, we are not just stopping there, we are also looking to enhance the punishment, in particular. MHA recently announced increases in composition sums for road traffic offences which will take effect on 1 April 2019. And with this change, the composition sum for heavy vehicle drivers who exceed the speed limits by over 31 km/h would be increased from $200 today to $400.

Also, TP engages heavy vehicle drivers regularly through education, safety dialogues and various other sessions. On the use of the speed tracking devices, that is part of the trial. In fact, what we have tested in the trial, was enhanced features where the business owners could actually track the speed of the vehicles when they are transmitted to the companies. So, the tracking device – as I have mentioned – they can be tampered with and tampering is something that is very difficult to detect. That is why we have quite serious punishment for it.

We will continue to study what we can do better and on a good note, the accidents involving heavy vehicles have, in fact, decreased. Let me share with the Member the figures that we have. Between 2014 and 2018, the number of speeding violations involving heavy vehicles with speed limiters actually decreased by about 37%, from 1,737 in 2014 to 1,087 in 2018. And the number of speeding related accidents involving heavy vehicles decreased too; by about 37% from 27 in 2014 to 17 in 2018. But nevertheless, we agree with the Member, one accident is still too many. We will see what we can do better in this area.  

Source: Hansard (Parliament of Singapore)

Louis asked the Minister for Transport whether the Ministry will consider making it mandatory for all bicycles and PMDs to be fitted with laser lights which project a symbol of a bicycle or PMD on to the path five metres ahead, to warn pedestrians that there is a cyclist or PMD approaching them.

Dr Lam Pin Min (for the Minister for Transport): Mr Deputy Speaker, we require all bicycles and personal mobility devices (PMDs) that are used at night to display a white light in front and a red light at the back. If the rider of the PMD is unable to fit such lights onto the device, the requisite lights would have to be worn by the person. The purpose is to increase visibility of the rider to other path users. 

We will study the practicality and effectiveness of the suggestion of using laser lights, bearing in mind the costs and safety implications.

Louis: Sir, I do understand the cost implications. But I am just wondering whether we could start this with the delivery drivers. Because at night, the bulk of the PMDs on our paths are the delivery drivers when there is an increase in the number of food orders. A lot of the issues are with the delivery drivers. So, maybe, we can start with them, where the food delivery companies will bear some of the cost of installing these laser lights. I understand the white light as well, but that can only be seen when you are facing the PMD. What I am suggesting is the laser light, which means that even if the PMD is behind you, you can actually see your path, in front of you, that there is a PMD about to approach. 

I actually experienced this in London, where it was very useful. All the time, I could see that there was going to be a bicycle that was approaching me and I can then take whatever necessary action to make sure that I do not get hit.

Dr Lam Pin Min: I would like to thank Mr Louis Ng for the suggestion to extend that requirement, firstly, to a particular group of PMD users. Just to share with Mr Louis Ng, we did look at the initiatives that were implemented in London. We understand that the key benefit of the laser projection light is to aid on road cyclists, in their interactions with other motor vehicles that may have blind spots. In the context of Singapore, there are key considerations that we have to look into.

First, there really has not been any conclusive study about laser projection lights' visibility and effectiveness on shared paths and footpaths. Bear in mind that what was done in London was actually on roads shared with motor vehicles. 

Secondly, because Singapore is generally quite brightly lit, whether the laser projection light will be sufficiently visible and provide that kind of effectiveness to pedestrians, cyclists and drivers, is also something that we have to study carefully.

Thirdly, the glare from the laser beam. As we know, the laser beam is a Class 3A or 3R laser. There is a certain element of risk when it is shone into the eye. This could potentially harm path users, especially children who may be at that particular eye level with the laser projection.

We will definitely look at the suggestion and see whether it is indeed effective and worth implementing.

Source: Hansard (Parliament of Singapore)