The Energy Market Authority and Singapore Power said the initiative was to help them evaluate the performance of large-scale energy storage systems for Singapore.
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EMA, Singapore Power call for proposals to test energy storage system
CPF's Robinson Rd centre to relocate to Maxwell Rd in Feb
The Central Provident Fund Board’s (CPF) current service centre at 79 Robinson Road will be relocated to Maxwell Road in February next year, it announced on Thursday (May 12).
This follows the sale of the CPF Building at Robinson Road in Nov 2015.
The new service centre at 5 Maxwell Road, The URA Centre East Wing, was chosen for its central location and easy accessibility, CPF added. It will continue to provide over-the-counter services to members and employers.
The service centre at Robinson Road will remain in operation until the new centre is ready. Operation details of the service centre at Maxwell Road will be released later this year.
minlee@sph.com.sg
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Thursday, May 12, 2016 – 11:12
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Sentosa brings back kid-friendly beach festival for second run
The Sentosa FunFest 2016 will run from May 28 to Jun 5 at Palawan Green in Sentosa.
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Grab hopes cheaper insurance will see more becoming part-time drivers
A new and cheaper commercial motor insurance plan has been launched to entice more people thinking of making extra pocket money to become part-time Grab drivers.
Grab and AXA Insurance Singapore yesterday rolled out the policy based on distances covered in Grab rides, enabling drivers to save up to 30 per cent of insurance premium that they have to pay.
The first of its kind in the region, the plan is designed to help reduce operating costs for Grab drivers. A typical commercial policy can cost about $3,000 a year on the average.
Under the new policy, Grab drivers will pay a flat rate of 70 per cent of a base premium, and an extra S$0.06 for every kilometre up to 100 per cent cap of the base premium. Those with an existing policy will move to the new plan once the former expires.
Aiming to increase its pool of drivers especially during the peak-hour rush when there is a dire shortage of cabs and private-hire cars, Grab hopes its latest move would draw more to drive part-time. Already, over 40 per cent of Grab drivers are part-timers, clocking fewer than 10 hours a week.
Mr Lim Kell Jay, Head of Grab Singapore, believes the new policy “will reduce cost barriers to entry” for new drivers and help grow the supply pool to meet demand.
“This is part of Grab’s commitment to helping our drivers maintain sustainable livelihoods by managing operational costs such as insurance, rental, fuel and mobile data plans,” he said.
Mrs Doina Palici-Chehab, CEO of AXA Insurance Singapore, also noted that the regular fixed insurance premium model had been a key obstacle especially for part-time drivers and those thinking of joining the industry.
“With flexi driving hours, paying a fixed insurance premium does not make economic sense for them,” she said when explaining how the new pricing model was made attractive to newcomers.
The latest policy is part of Grab’s plan for a comprehensive safety and insurance coverage, following its launch of free personal accident insurance for drivers and passengers in Southeast Asia in March.
The new policy covers all commercial trips for third-party liability including passengers and property damage.
Safety for drivers and passenger is what Grab and AXA continue to have in mind as both partners look into ways to offer incentives to encourage safe driving habits and formulate innovative insurance plans relevant to needs.
Apart from using telematic data from navigational devices in insurance calculation, they will also depend on it to study patterns on speed, braking and single out most congested days and lull periods. The information would help drivers plan better routes and Grab to incentivise safe driving.
The use of telematics in monitoring the speed of Grab drivers in Jakarta recently gave the company an opportunity to warn those who ignored speed limits. As a result, there was a 35 per cent drop in speeding.
chenj@sph.com.sg
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Thursday, May 12, 2016 – 10:51
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Movie Review: The Family Fang (PG13)
Jason Bateman gives dysfunctional family a new meaning.
His second directorial effort about a pair of siblings Annie (Nicole Kidman) and Baxter (Bateman), whose adulthood is a mess due to their upbringing, deals with deep,…
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WICKED -The Musical
15% EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT ENDS IN 3 MORE DAYS!
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WICKED has captivated 50 million theatregoers of all ages, and is already one of Broadway and the West End’s most celebrated, spectacular and successful musicals of all time.Discover a colourful fantasy world of wizards, witches, sorcery and magic and experience an enchanting story of two unlikely f…
Human speed 'cameras' to ensure footpath safety
If you are zipping down a footpath on a bicycle or a device like an electric scooter, do not be surprised if someone dressed in a yellow top and black bermudas stops you and asks you to pedal safely.
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) launched a new unit yesterday to patrol footpaths and crack down on cyclists and personal mobility device (PMD) users who speed or ride recklessly on pavements and cycling paths.
Officers of the new Active Mobility Enforcement Team will be armed with foldable bicycles and speed guns and be deployed daily at high-traffic hot spots such as areas outside schools, bus stops and pedestrian crossings, to ensure the safe sharing of these spaces.
It is currently illegal to ride a bicycle or use PMDs such as e-scooters on the sidewalks.
But the authorities announced last month that the law will be amended to allow bicycles and most personal mobility devices on such paths.
The enforcement unit was also announced last month, as part of measures to ensure safety after the new rules take effect.
“Our officers will be on the ground… to advise (the public) on the incoming law so they won’t be unprepared when the rules and regulations kick in later this year,” said Willy Soo, a deputy manager in LTA’s enforcement division.
For now, the enforcement team will focus on education and hand out brochures and advisories with safety tips, said LTA. This is because the new team does not have powers to issue fines to reckless riders until the new rules take effect.
Currently, cyclists found riding rashly can be prosecuted in court under the Penal Code, and be fined up to $5,000, jailed for up to a year, or both, if found guilty.
Yesterday, Mr Soo and three officers were deployed for the first time along Woodlands Avenue 7, an area where many residents commute by bike to work at the nearby industrial estate.
They gave out advisories and brochures to cyclists, with tips on safe riding.
Residents, cyclists and PMD users welcomed the new enforcement team, saying that their presence would help promote safety.
“Sometimes cyclists here speed through the bus stops; if you have small children and they are walking around, it is not very safe,” said He Ya Peng, 36, a resident who works in customer service.
Engineer Andre Villegas, 33, cycles daily to his work place in Gambas, and said he sees cyclists speeding on the pavement even though there is a park connector.
“I think (the officers) will make the area safer. Sometimes in the morning, these people are cycling quickly to rush to work,” he added.
The new enforcement team will also join the Traffic Police in joint enforcement exercises at hot spots.
“The presence of our dedicated enforcement team will provide the reassurance that we will not tolerate any reckless behaviour by cyclists or personal mobility device users,” said LTA chief executive Chew Men Leong in a media statement.
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Urban Redevelopment Authority, The Straits Times
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Now is the time to get into China's market: Ho Kwon Ping
Amid concerns of a hard landing for China’s slowing economy, Channel NewsAsia’s Perspectives panellists look at the upsides of its rising middle-class.
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Singapore a hotbed for indie music festivals?
While more indie acts are coming to Singapore, promoters are confident that there is sufficient demand among concert goers, especially for value-for-money festivals.
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Thai police to further investigate 'high-tech' exam cheating case
BANGKOK – Thai police have yet to charge any suspects in a much-publicised case of high-tech cheating at Rangsit University’s entrance exams, as further investigation is needed into the case.
Pathum Thani police chief Pol Maj-General Thavorn Khaosa-ard told a news conference Wednesday that officers would need to investigate further before filing charges.
The Coordinating Centre for Public Higher Education Staff (Ches), meanwhile, said this cheating case should remind everyone that such behaviour is illegal.
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The Nation/ANN, Facebook/Arthit Ourairat
“Now is a good time for the National Legislative Assembly’s members who are also university executives to raise this issue,” Ches secretary-general Weerachai Phutdhawong said.
Located in Pathum Thani province, Rangsit University has lodged complaints against five suspects who sat for its entrance exams for its colleges of medicine, dental medicine and pharmacy on Saturday and Sunday.
The tests had to be voided after it was found that three applicants had received answers to exam questions via smart watches.
Two other suspects had worn smart glasses that filmed the exam papers and sent their images out over the Internet, allegedly to one or more tutors.
Dr Jomdet Trimek of Rangsit University, who attended the press conference alongside Thavorn, said police had worked on the complaint and received information about the tutor or tutors involved, but could not provide details for fear of affecting the investigation.
“We will soon inform police about the damage the cheating has caused the university,” he said.
Rangsit University has promised to pursue both criminal and civil actions against the culprits. Because of the cancellations of the exams, make-up examinations will be held.
One of the suspected cheaters showed up at the Pak Klong Rangsit Police Station at 1.30pm Wednesday. Accompanied by his parents, he wore a hood. He left without undergoing interrogation after asking that the session be postponed.
A source said three of the suspects had told police that a tutorial school promised to ensure that its students would sail through entrance exams and demanded payment of Bt800,000 (S$31,000) per candidate.
Adinan Pakbara, secretary-general of the Office of the Private Education Commission (Opec), said the implicated tutorial school had not registered his business with them. The office thus did not have authority to act against this school, even if it is found guilty.
National Police Commissioner General Chakthip Chaijinda, meanwhile, instructed relevant agencies to determine whether the use of high-tech gadgets used in the exam cheating had violated any laws.
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Thursday, May 12, 2016 – 08:42
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