New Transport Minister Spoke About Opening Green Lanes With Rigorous Testing Regime

Just yesterday (14 August), new transport minister Ong Ye Kyung recorded his first speech at his new post and dedicated it to the Ministry Of Transport family on National Day.

The video recording was also uploaded onto his Facebook page, where it has since garnered over 2.4K likes and reactions, as well as 117 comments.

But what is it about, exactly? And is there anything that you should take note of?

Well, without further ado, we break down some of the more important points for you.

New Transport Minister Spoke About Opening Green Lanes With Rigorous Testing Regime

In his speech, Mr Ong spoke about the opening of green lanes, with the possible inclusion of a rigorous testing regime.

The topic comes after a serious evaluation of Singapore’s faltering air tourism industry, which has suffered tremendously since the outbreak.

As such, Mr Ong has proposed a challenge: to restore passenger volume, all the while inhibiting virus transmission across flights.

One place to start would be countries where the virus transmission risk profiles are similar to Singapore’s.

Also, sensible measures should be adopted. Some possible methods include unilateral access to passengers from certain countries or regions, or the involvement of Reciprocal Green Lanes for business travel, which can then be expanded for general travel.

However, because the 14-day mandatory isolation period is a definite killjoy for prospective travellers, Mr Ong also spoke of a possible replacement in the form of a rigorous testing regime.

What it entails exactly, however, has yet to be breached.

Next-Generation Tuas Port

Similarly, Singapore’s port has also been affected by the epidemic outbreak, and PSA is expecting a drop in volumes this year.

However, Mr Ong has stated that the PSA will respond fast and efficiently, in a bid to grasp new opportunities in areas such as e-commerce, and investing in its competitive advantage.

Apparently, PSA is focusing on the Next-Generation Tuas Port and is consolidating its operations there.

By the 2040s, it expects to host a total capacity of up to 65 million TEUs.

A Greener Way To Move

And of course, no speech by a Transport minister could possibly be complete without mention of Singapore’s often maligned land transport system.

According to Mr Ong, new stations and lines will be open almost every year over the next decade or so, starting with the remaining stages of Thomson-East Coast Line.

The cycling network will also be expanded, with further improvements on the first and last-mile connections.

Apparently, the government has been shelling out $2 billion every year to subsidise the running of the public transport system.

Mr Ong also concedes that an attractive public transport system would bring about a greener, fairer and better Singapore, and help the nation progress towards a car-lite nation.

“Transport is one part of the greener development of Singapore,” he mentioned in the first part of his speech.

“MOT will be working closely with MND and the new MSE, to develop a comprehensive sustainable development plan for Singapore.”

To conclude, he reiterated MOT’s mission, declared that Singapore will bounce back from this latest setback and wished everyone a happy 55th National Day.

You can view the full Facebook video here.