- 20 hours ago
Most Singaporeans utilise public transport to get around the island. But as our needs grow, how are we planning, innovating and designing commuting into an efficient and reliable experience?
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Watch more: https://www.asiaone.com/video
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00:01Have you ever seen the underside of a bus?
00:03Come, I'll show you.
00:06Many Singaporeans depend on public transport to get around.
00:09But it is not without its challenges.
00:12While most of us might not give it much thought,
00:15beyond the conveniences that it brings to us,
00:17there are some who do.
00:25So why did you choose to meet us in this station today?
00:29Well, because this station, Expo,
00:32to me it has the most interesting architecture
00:34with its elongated dome-shaped roof that is also quite shiny.
00:38Yeah, actually I don't recall seeing anything like this
00:40in any of the other stations.
00:42Yeah, I guess the closest would be Dover or Canberra.
00:45Oh! Okay, maybe I need to step out and take a look next time.
00:48But have you always been interested in trains?
00:51Well, it may have started when the third generation of MRT trains,
00:55the C75RB, started rolling out on the MRT network.
00:58And that train was like a radical redesign of the MRT trains
01:02in a very long time.
01:03It was black and then there's the LCD screens inside.
01:07That was very cool back then and it made me start to pay attention
01:11to the different kinds of rolling stock on the MRT.
01:14So, this train, this model train looks very familiar.
01:18Can you tell us more about that?
01:19Well, this is the first generation that rolled out on the whole MRT network.
01:24It's called the KHI C151.
01:26But sadly, just recently, the last of the C151s has officially retired.
01:33And just a few days before we are recording this,
01:35they had their last day of service on the train.
01:38So, we're never going to see these on the tracks again?
01:41Unfortunately, no.
01:42That's quite a shame.
01:43I hope that they will preserve these trains in some upcycling projects
01:48that we can still have a visit.
01:49But one thing you will never hear is that hum,
01:52that distinctive hum of the C151.
01:54Particularly when it's accelerating, it goes like
02:01Something like that.
02:02The C151 is definitely something that many Singaporeans will subtly remember.
02:08So, she's an icon?
02:09Yes. Long live the C151.
02:14What would you say is one of your earliest memories of a new train launch?
02:18Well, one that I can remember is the North East Line.
02:21Why the North East Line meant a lot to me was because
02:25Boong King didn't used to have an MRT station back then.
02:28But once Boong King MRT station opened,
02:30I will feel happy every time I visit my grandmother
02:32because I can ride a new train.
02:33Oh, that's nice.
02:34Yeah.
02:36So, is this station part of your daily commute?
02:39Or what is your daily commute like?
02:41So, in terms of the lines that I use the most,
02:43it will be probably the North-South Line,
02:45and then the Thomson East Coast Line,
02:47followed by maybe the Circle Line
02:49because coincidentally a lot of my workplaces are along that line.
02:52That's pretty cool because then you get to travel on the older lines
02:55and the very new ones as well.
02:56Yeah.
02:57So, what's the biggest difference you see?
02:58I think what interested me about the Thomson Line was
03:01that it was now $5 per carriage.
03:03The Cross Island Line will also have $5 per carriage.
03:06Oh, okay.
03:07Oh, I'm excited about that one.
03:08Yeah.
03:09Yeah, that'd be pretty cool.
03:10But in terms of the existing line,
03:12the North-South and East-West Lines,
03:13they also added a new rolling stock
03:16which is called the Elsterm R151.
03:19Just in the nick of time,
03:21this is the latest,
03:23the current latest model of MRT trains
03:25running on the North-South and East-West Lines.
03:27It's called the Elsterm R151.
03:30That's cool. Thanks.
03:31Talk me a lot about trains.
03:33Trains and buses are the backbone of Singapore's transport system.
03:37They help people like Jevin get to where they need to go.
03:41Sometimes,
03:42our commutes between a train station and a bus interchange
03:45can be kind of hot.
03:47But nowadays,
03:48our journeys are getting a little bit more comfortable.
03:55Okay, so where are we?
03:56We're at Bungo Coast Bus Interchange.
03:58And this bus interchange is part of the integrated transport hub.
04:02So, there is a train station and a mall as well.
04:05Yes.
04:06So, why are they necessary?
04:07So, our Singapore Public Transport System follows the hard and spoke model,
04:11where the bus network is critical to provide the first and last mount connectivity
04:14to the MRT backbone.
04:15And that's where the ITH comes in,
04:17to provide a seamless and convenient public transport
04:20by integrating the bus interchange with the MRT station
04:23and adjoining commercial spaces.
04:26This approach allows commuters to easily transfer between buses and trains,
04:29while also running their errands like shopping as part of their daily commutes.
04:33So, how does a place get selected for the development of an ITH?
04:38So, LTA builds bus interchange to serve the needs of new growth areas,
04:41as in the case of Bungo Coast's ITH,
04:43to serve the commuters in the Bungo Digital District.
04:46We also redeveloped single-storey bus interchange into ITHs,
04:50so that we can co-locate other users such as the retail and boarding clinics.
04:55Oh, I've seen these signs of public transport.
04:58Yes, this is what we call the priority queue zones,
05:00and we have it in all our bus interchange.
05:02And these seats are prioritised for expectant mothers, seniors,
05:05or those with mobility needs.
05:08You might also notice that these are the tabletop-guarded pass
05:10for the visually impaired,
05:11and it connects all the boarding bells and the key entrances.
05:14On top of that, we make it easier for the visually impaired
05:16to identify which is the correct queue to queue at
05:19by having the braille signs at the head of the queue rail.
05:22Let's go over there.
05:23Okay.
05:24And here we are at the Commuter Care Room.
05:30We have these kind of rooms at our newer bus interchange,
05:32and it's meant to provide a quiet and calming space
05:35for some of our commuters who may need it.
05:37And we even have dimmable lights to calm down our commuters when they need it.
05:41And these kind of rooms are usually located
05:43away from the main concourse of the bus interchange.
05:45It's really interesting.
05:47I mean, I think it's great that the needs of different
05:49computers are being considered now in the newer developments.
05:52Yeah.
05:53As part of our inclusive fabric transport,
05:55we also have the baby care room,
05:56where we have the baby cleaning station,
05:58the hot and cold water dispenser,
06:00and also a separate compartment for nursing mothers.
06:05Very nice.
06:06Looks comfortable.
06:08So if you didn't know that these facilities were available,
06:11well, you're not alone because I didn't either until today.
06:14But I think it's really great that our interchanges are now
06:18a lot more accessible, especially for those who need it.
06:21Integrated transport hubs make commuting a little more convenient.
06:26But running things smoothly takes more than just thoughtful design.
06:29I'm here to find out how SMRT detects potential train disruptions.
06:34Okay, so we are in the Circle Line Operations Control Centre.
06:38There are a lot of screens behind us.
06:40What information are they telling us?
06:42So the display is called Overhead Display System.
06:45And this Overhead Display System, or ODS in short,
06:49shows the entire Circle Line statuses,
06:52including the statuses of, for example, the platform screen doors,
06:55the track statuses, and what happens on the Circle Line.
06:59Okay, so it can tell if the train has stopped as well.
07:03Exactly.
07:04Right.
07:05So just now you saw the Overhead Display System.
07:08It has so much information on it,
07:10and it's quite challenging for the human to look at all the details.
07:15So what we did was that we developed an in-house technology
07:21that helped us replicate whatever you see on the ODS
07:25to what we call Overwatch.
07:27And then we only focus on the important details
07:30for us to respond faster.
07:32So what happens after Overwatch detects a delay?
07:35After Overwatch detects a delay,
07:37it will start to track the stoppage of each train,
07:41and it will display a timer on top of the train icon
07:44to indicate how long the train has stopped.
07:46So in a delay, a typical delay,
07:48because our track layout,
07:50we don't have the overtake facilities,
07:53so the rear trains will stop.
07:55And Overwatch will suggest
07:57it's time to turn around trains.
07:59What we mean by turn around is that
08:01along the lines, we have facilities we call crossings.
08:04So using the crossings,
08:06trains can turn around.
08:08So imagine passengers travelling
08:10at the unaffected sector,
08:12they can still take the train service,
08:14it's still available to them,
08:15while we quickly fix the issue
08:17and get the trains moving.
08:19So Overwatch helps the team here
08:21to respond more quickly to any issues that might come up?
08:24Yeah, exactly.
08:25Ultimately, with a faster response,
08:27the delay experienced by our passengers will be shorter.
08:31trains are not the only form of transportation
08:37that we rely on in Singapore.
08:39Buses are equally important too.
08:41And recently, Singapore has been moving towards
08:43a more sustainable form of transportation,
08:46electric buses.
08:47So what's happening here?
08:58He's hoisting up the bus to do an undercarriage inspection.
09:01But is it a necessity for it to be very, very high?
09:04Or is it usually at this height?
09:06No, we can actually go up higher to get a better feel.
09:10If we are struggling underneath,
09:12it's not a good thing actually.
09:14Especially to carry out repairs also.
09:16So last time without these machines,
09:18how was this done?
09:19Without this machine,
09:20there's another way is to drive the bus through a pit.
09:25But a pit is limited space.
09:27You can get the full view of the undercarriage.
09:30So this definitely increases the efficiency of repairs that you can do.
09:34Yes.
09:39Okay, this is our training centre.
09:41So what exactly am I seeing here?
09:44This is a bare bus without a body.
09:47We can run this vehicle also.
09:48We can start up this vehicle.
09:49Oh!
09:50Yes.
09:51So here is where the people who maintain the buses practice.
09:54Yes, correct.
09:55We can undergo training here.
09:56We can set up faults to let our abilities to identify it.
10:01So this is a diesel bus?
10:03Yes, correct.
10:04How is it different from the electric buses?
10:07The most obvious would be the engine.
10:10Diesel bus obviously we got engine but not on EVs.
10:13EVs are only mainly running on motors.
10:16Yeah.
10:18Okay, this is where we maintain our aircon.
10:19Ah, an important part of the commuter's journey.
10:20Yes.
10:21Technically, any items that fail our inspection will not be on the road.
10:37Because it's not road-worthy and it's not safe for our commuters.
10:41So we need to ratify it immediately before it goes on the road.
10:46Right.
10:47So every component is critical?
10:48Yes, correct.
10:49So do the VTs have to be certified to work on different kinds of buses?
10:52Ah, for EVs, yes.
10:54First of all, before we work on EVs, everyone needs to be certified to be working on it.
10:59Oh.
11:00Yeah, due to the high voltage.
11:01So what are some tools that you use here to make your job easier?
11:05No, actually our buses are planted with a condition monitoring system which we can monitor it on real-time.
11:11So before the bus breakdowns, we actually can identify the fault.
11:17So it gives us time to swap out the bus without disrupting the service.
11:21So how is this different from how it was done like in the past, before the system was changed?
11:25Okay, in the past, we rely mostly on our bus captain.
11:29So they report a defect or a breakdown, then we can ratify it after that.
11:34Right.
11:35But now it's a different thing.
11:36We can ratify it before it happens.
11:38Hmm, that's great.
11:39That's great.
11:40Town Street currently having about 20 electric vehicles.
11:45There will be more rolling out soon by the LTN.
11:48How was the transition for you personally?
11:50You know, moving or upgrading your skills from a diesel bus to an electric bus?
11:55When it first rolled out, everyone was scared about EVs.
11:58Oh.
11:59But after we undergo all the trainings, then we realised that it's not that difficult.
12:04If you know that you have the knowledge, it will be easier.
12:07So it's more about learning new sets of skills.
12:10Right.
12:11Today we are at POMGO 21CC as part of our series of community roadshows to help educate the public on EVs as well as to let them have the first touch or first feel of the EVs that will be deployed in their area.
12:35Right.
12:36So what is Singapore's approach to deploying autonomous vehicles on the roads?
12:40Yeah, so Singapore is well-positioned because we have well-maintained and comprehensive road networks.
12:45So for our approach towards deployment, we are doing more of a phased approach where we start with like fixed services that will be deployed in POMGO to really help improve transport connectivity for residents.
12:57So what are some of the frameworks that are used to test these vehicles to ensure that they are ready to be on our roads?
13:03Yeah. So safety is our priority.
13:05So first, we have to do some kind of document review to see whether the experience from the EVs deployed overseas is sufficient.
13:13And beyond that, we also do a closed circuit test where we go through different scenarios that are representative of our road scenarios today where you have pedestrian crossing the road and traffic lights and whatnot.
13:25So after that, when we have ascertained that there's sufficient documents as well as experience, we will then have the vehicles go through something called deployment readiness assessment,
13:36where we slowly allow the vehicle to go on the road to experience real traffic conditions and get our experience both for the vehicle as well as the safety operator on board so that we can eventually graduate the vehicle from a safety operator mode to a remote operator mode.
13:54Even after we have done the testing, we also do a continuous monitoring where we do real-time data collection and performance monitoring on the vehicles.
14:03So like your computers where you have to do upgrades and whatnot, right?
14:07You have to make sure that the performance stays consistent even when we do software updates to the vehicles over time.
14:14So it's really cool to come down to this roadshow today and take a look at the AVs.
14:19I think in my head, I always picture autonomous vehicles as like being completely driverless.
14:24But you know, today I got to find out a bit more about the safety frameworks in place and also realizing that, oh, there will be a safety operator on board.
14:32So I think that gives a bit of reassurance to somebody who is definitely interested in taking one of these rides in the future.
14:39And I just hope that, you know, we rolled out soon. I'll be very interested to take a ride on one of these.
14:49Our public transport system is not without its challenges.
14:55From peak hour crowding to occasional delays, there are hurdles still to overcome.
15:00But there are people working tirelessly behind the scenes, innovating and improving the system to ensure our travels remain safe and efficient.
15:09Dun-dun-dun-dun!
15:11Dovina, Marina, Saupian, Marina Bay and Bayfan
15:14Root City Hall, Red First Place and Explanate and Beauty World
15:17Dovigot, Suburb, Sadbukis, Ocean Neutral, Agrape World
15:20Ferrer Park, Ferrer Road, Lentor, Aldrin Antimid, McFlower, Magpusson, Botanical, Gardener, Sixth Avenue, Bongo Coast, Amor Kyo, Hume Expo
15:28Yay!
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