SINGAPORE – The Elections Department (ELD) has spelled out the dos and don’ts for candidates and their supporters on Polling Day (May 7) and Cooling-off Day for the Bukit Batok by-election.

Cooling-off Day on Friday (May 6), the traditional day of campaign silence introduced in 2011, is meant to give voters a chance to reflect rationally on various issues raised at the by-election before going to the polls.

No one is allowed to canvass or visit the homes of voters on both days, while holding election meetings is also prohibited.

The wearing, using, carrying or displaying of any political propaganda – which include badges, symbols, flags, advertisements and posters – by people or on vehicles is also banned. The public should refrain from wearing any apparel affiliated to a candidate, ELD added.

Also on the prohibited list: publishing or displaying any election advertising in Bukit Batok.

In addition, the publication of election surveys and exit polls before the close of all polling stations is not allowed.

There are, however, exceptions to the rules that prohibit election advertising. These include reports in the newspapers or on radio and television, approved posters and banners lawfully displayed before the start of Cooling-off Day, the transmission of personal political views by individuals to other individuals on a non-commercial basis and the wearing by candidates of a badge indicating affiliation with their political party.

Bukit Batok by-election rally May 3

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AsiaOne, YouTube screengrabs

ELD also said that candidates and their supporters are expected to abide fully by all relevant laws, and refrain from conduct that “goes against the spirit behind the prohibition against campaigning on Cooling-off Day and Polling Day”.

Candidates should as far as possible avoid visiting voters or attending public events in the constituency, where they are likely to attract public attention and may be perceived as canvassing for support.

They can attend religious ceremonies for private prayer or worship, or attend functions in the course of their work.

As for voters, polling stations will be open from 8am to 8pm on Polling Day.

They are reminded to bring their NRIC or passport to the polling stations to cast their vote, and may wish to avoid going to the stations during the morning peak period when waiting times tend to be longer.

Bringing any camera, video or photographic equipment into the polling station is not allowed. For more guidance, visit the ELD website.

Bukit Batok by-election: Nomination day

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AsiaOne, The Straits Times

This article was first published on May 6, 2016.
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Whether you are at City Square mall in Johor Baru (JB) or the Ban San Street terminal near Bugis on any evening, you might find yourself accosted by touts hawking taxi services to “Singapore? Singapore?” or “JB, JB?”.

After agreeing on a fee which can range from $10 to $30 per person, passengers are ushered into a car or multi-purpose vehicle (MPV), joining others to make the trip across the Causeway.

These informal – and illegal – cross-border taxis have been around for more than a decade but have proliferated in recent years, aided by technology and the spread of social media platforms.

A Straits Times check found at least 20 making use of apps like Facebook or WeChat to advertise and organise services. Mostly Malaysia-registered vehicles, some even provide on-call, door-to-door rides that pick up groups of 10 to 12 in Singapore and take them to tourist attractions in Johor like Legoland Malaysia.

The convenience of the unsanctioned services speaks volumes. Some have more than 10,000 page likes and receive a steady stream of inquiries.

Their growth has made licensed cross-border taxi drivers cry foul, even with rules being relaxed in 2012 to allow them to pick up and drop off passengers anywhere in their own countries.

Currently, there are 173 and 187 taxis from Singapore and Malaysia respectively that are licensed to ferry passengers across the border, according to the Land Transport Authority (LTA), with a total of 400 permits available. They charge fixed fares, with a trip from the Ban San Street terminal to JB’s Larkin bus terminal costing $48 per taxi, or RM80 (S$27) in the opposite direction.

A spokesman for the Singapore-Johore Taxi Operators’ Association, which represents Singapore taxis, said that profits for taxi drivers have plunged by 50 per cent from 2014 mostly because of the intense competition from illegal services.

“It is unfair because some of these drivers do not have to meet safety or insurance requirements. We’re losing our business to them because we can only drive our passengers to designated spots in the other country, while they go door-to-door,” said the spokesman, who asked for enforcement to be stepped up and for some relief to be provided in the form of financial subsidies.

The LTA said it issued warnings to four offenders for operating illegal taxi services from Ban San Street terminal in 2014, and prosecuted four last year for the same offence.

At the JB Sentral train station, JB City Square mall and the Ban San Street terminal last week, touts were active despite the signs warning against them.

The night before the Labour Day long weekend found at least five at the Ban San Street terminal within a two-hour window. They parked their Malaysia-registered vehicles along the intersection between Arab Street and Queen Street, and were seen driving passengers away after negotiating fares.

A Singaporean cross-border taxi driver, who wanted to be known only as Mr Tay, said it was difficult for the authorities to nab these operators. “The officers show up in uniform and the touts will disappear immediately when they see them,” said the 70-year-old.

He added that more illegal taxi operators now use minivans that can take seven to 10 passengers. “They say they are a credible business.”

An illegal Malaysian operator who wanted to be known only as Andrew, said he started offering taxi services in November 2014 when he noticed there was “good demand”.

Together with two partners, he operates two 10-seater Hyundai Starex MPVs and a Hyundai Elantra car between Singapore and Malaysia daily.

He admitted he was worried about getting caught. But the former insurance specialist, 29, continues to make about 20 trips a week, earning about RM$20,000 a month. Most of his customers are large families with young children and elderly members.

“It is more convenient for them as they don’t have to get off a bus and queue at immigration,” said Andrew.

Qigong therapist Eileen Chan, 58, agreed and said the unlicensed taxis are far more convenient, even if they are more expensive than a bus or sharing a licensed taxi. She paid $25 for a ride from JB to her home in Yishun in March when she was approached by a tout, and would consider using such a service again.

“It was getting late and taking the car through the checkpoint is much faster than if I take a bus,” she said. “Hopefully they can be regulated so that passengers can be given more options.”

The LTA said that any person caught using a foreign-registered motor vehicle as an unlicensed public service vehicle to convey passengers for hire and reward can be fined up to $3,000 and jailed up to six months. Vehicles used in the commission of such offences may also be forfeited.

This article was first published on May 6, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

SBS Transit’s bus drivers will soon get an extra set of special eyes to help them look out for vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists on the roads.

The intelligent camera sensor, called Mobileye, will be mounted at the front of the bus and alert drivers through a dashboard display unit when they are too close to the vehicle in front, and if a pedestrian or cyclist comes into their path.

SBS, the country’s biggest bus operator, plans to install the Israeli-designed advanced driver assistance system (Adas) on more than 3,000 buses by the end of 2018, The Straits Times has learnt.

Last month, the company awarded a $1.3 million contract to local distributor Chuan-Fa Auto to install the system on a first batch of 750 buses by the end of this year.

SBS chief executive Gan Juay Kiat said: “Mobileye is a system that aids our bus captains by serving as an extra pair of eyes to alert them to potential risks that may come into their paths. This reduces the incidence of accidents.”

SBS is believed to be the first operator in Singapore to have an Adas installed across its entire fleet.

The Mobileye system is also able to detect lane markings, and will alert drivers when they stray out of their lanes without using their turn signals.

Warnings are given to the driver in the form of visual and audio alerts through a small dashboard unit.

For example, if the “headway” or the following distance between the bus and the vehicle in front is two seconds or lower – a parameter customised by SBS – an alarm will sound and an icon of a car will light up on the display unit.

The Mobileye sensor is able to continuously monitor the distance and relative speed of objects on the road, and provide early warnings to drivers to make the necessary corrections.

SBS has finished testing Mobileye on 30 buses being used for passenger service in a trial that began in November 2014.

It involved a “blind phase” in the first few months, during which the Mobileye system was installed and turned on, but the dashboard display unit for bus drivers was not activated.

This gave SBS the opportunity to measure the bus drivers’ driving behaviour and to log down the number of warnings which were triggered by the system.

Mr Ng Chin Sheu, senior manager for bus safety at SBS, said: “After Mobileye was switched on for the bus captains, and with coaching from instructors on how they drove, we found there was a marked improvement in their driving behaviour, with fewer triggers logged.”

SBS bus driver Kang Yen Yen, 39, who was involved in the pilot, said in Mandarin: “Once, a small car suddenly cut into my lane, and with the Mobileye warning, I managed to slow down and avoid a collision.”

“While on the road, we are always mindful of safety, so we are not totally reliant on Mobileye. Still, it’s an extra help,” she said.

It’s a Lush Green makeover for new bus fleet

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The Straits Times

This article was first published on May 6, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.