Stages 1 & 2 of Circle Line to open in first half of 2010

Stages 1 & 2 of Circle Line to open in first half of 2010

By Asha Popatlal

SINGAPORE: The next phase of the Circle Line – Stages 1 and 2 – will start operations in the first half of 2010. Transport Minister Raymond Lim revealed this at a dialogue session in Bukit Panjang on Sunday.

Its exact opening date, however, will only be finalised after engineers complete the necessary tests.

The first five stations on the Circle Line opened for service on May 28. Even though ridership has not been as high as initially projected on the 5.7-kilometre stretch, this could change with the opening of 11 new stations next year.

Stage 1 of the Circle Line starts from Dhoby Ghaut, through MRT stations like Esplanade and Nicoll Highway, and ends at Stadium, while Stage 2 starts from Mountbatten, through interchange station Paya Lebar, and ends at Tai Seng.

The other 13 stations from Marymount to Harbourfront will be ready by 2011. Daily ridership of this 33.3-kilometre line is estimated to be close to half a million when it is fully operational.

As for buses, the Land Transport Authority (LTA), which is taking over the role of central bus network planner from the end of the year, will consult grassroots leaders islandwide on how to improve the bus network from next month.

Mr Lim said: “Rather than do a major overhaul of the existing system which may actually lead to people being worse off, (we want to) get a feel of how residents want this because really, there is no right or wrong answer here. Different people have different needs and want it done differently.”

LTA hopes to complete this consultation exercise by end-March next year.

A Bukit Panjang resident, whose child has to endure long bus rides to school, said: “Because there are no direct buses, it takes three hours of travelling time, to and fro, from our constituency to Nanyang Technological University.”

Another resident has a grouse on the location of a new MRT station which is to be built in Bukit Panjang as part of the new Downtown Line.

“All of us are very happy about that, but the location isn’t very convenient because it’s not linked to the LRT and is far away from the interchange,” he said.

Responding to this, Mr Lim said there are technical constraints in the area, but the LTA is looking for a better solution.

What Bukit Panjang’s grassroots leaders hope to achieve in their talks with the LTA is to move the bus interchange from its current premises closer to the new MRT station of the Downtown Line.

This would then link all three transport nodes – MRT, LRT and buses – within a 70-metre radius. Currently, the proposed new MRT station is 120 metres away from the bus interchange.

- CNA/so

Source : Channel NewsAsia - 31 August 2009

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GIC appoints presidents for Europe and Americas

GIC appoints presidents for Europe and Americas

By Jonathan Peeris

SINGAPORE: The Government of Singapore Investment Corporation (GIC) has created two new appointments “to enhance its global perspectives and strategy development.”

Lim Chow Kiat, GIC’s former head of fixed income, currency and commodities, will be President for Europe, covering Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

He will be based in London.

Anthony Lim has been appointed President for the Americas and based in New York.

The fund said the appointments come at a time when critical changes will be made to the global financial system.

GIC added that there is a need for it to not only gather but also contribute deeper insights into investment opportunities and challenges in the coming years.

- CNA/yb

Source : Channel NewsAsia - 31 August 2009

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Sales hit new high at Natas fair

Sales hit new high at Natas fair
Pent-up demand, rallying economy, low airfares, drive more to book year-end trips
By Jessica Jaganathan

About $57 million worth of holiday packages were wold at the Natas travel fair from Firday to yesterday, as more than 62,000 people headed to the Singapore Expo to check out the best deals. — ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM

CLEARING skies from the dual storms of the economic crisis and Influenza A (H1N1) outbreak ended in sunny sales at a weekend travel fair, helping them to hit a new high.

By 7pm yesterday, travel agents at the National Association of Travel Agents Singapore (Natas) fair had sold about $57 million worth of holiday packages over three days.

This was not only 14 per cent higher than last year’s $50 million, gained at the start of a slowing economy, but also set a record, said Natas chief executive officer Robert Khoo.

He expected the final tally to be even higher, as more deals will be closed in the weeks following the fair. The packages are mostly for travel in the last quarter of the year.

Pent-up demand that had been held back because of H1N1, a recovering economy and the rallying stock market could have attracted more people to book holidays now, said Mr Khoo.

The industry lost big time from June to this month when the H1N1 scare kept people at home, especially during the mid-year school holidays.

Previous estimates said sales dropped 40 per cent for January to August this year compared with the same period last year.

‘We are happy, considering it’s been quite a challenging year so far. There were a lot of cancellations because of H1N1. But now, Singaporeans are re-booking their holidays,’ he said.

More than 62,000 people headed to the Singapore Expo to check out the best holiday deals at the Natas travel fair - slightly fewer than last year’s 65,000. Queues started to form as early as 7am, three hours before the exhibition area occupying halls 4 and 5 opened its doors on Friday. One couple even started camping at 2am, just so they would not miss out on the good deals.

China, Japan, South Korea and Europe topped this year’s list of popular tour packages, instead of cheaper getaways to nearer destinations.

Buoyed by low ticket prices - some as much as 50 per cent lower than last year’s - and favourable exchange rates, many booked tickets to farther away places, said travel agents.

‘If people go to long-haul destinations, it means the economy is good,’ said Mr Khoo.

‘Exotic’ destinations, like eastern Europe, Israel and Bhutan, are also becoming more popular, said travel agents, who added booths specialising in these places. Two years ago, there would not have been much interest, they said.

Dynasty Travel spokesman Dorothy Lee said her company saw a 30 per cent increase in sales over last year, with packages to long-haul destinations like Switzerland popular at the fair.

Similarly, ASA Holidays chalked up 15 per cent more sales than last year, hitting $5 million in paid deals by Saturday.

CTC Holidays spokesman Alicia Seah said airfares are at the lowest since the Sars outbreak in 2003, when travel stood still for one to two months.

The company’s own travel show the previous weekend at Suntec City raked in nearly $6 million. She hopes that a target of $9 million will be hit at the Natas fair.

She said the company saw a 20 per cent increase in bookings on Friday and Saturday, over those at last year’s fair.

According to her, demand is so good that carriers like Japan Airlines and Aseana Airlines are considering adding more flights at the end of the year.

The heavy downpour yesterday could not deter those hungry for good travel deals.

Cashier Veronica Lee, 53, changed her destination from Japan to Europe, lured by a $999 deal for a 12-day stay, with a free stopover in Shanghai.

‘Prices are quite hard to resist. I’m not so worried about the economic crisis. As long as I spend within my limits, I should be ok,’ she said.

Accountant Joanne Wong, 34, already had a flight booked for Shanghai in November.

But she was scouting around for good deals for next year.

She had also made a booking for Hong Kong on Singapore Airlines for just over $400, a fare she would have not dreamt of before, she said.

The same trip would normally cost around $650.

‘It’s very cheap now compared to before, so it’s the best time to travel,’ she said.

MAKING UP FOR LOST TIME
‘We are happy, considering it’s been quite a challenging year so far. There were a lot of cancellations because of H1N1. But now, Singaporeans are re-booking their holidays.’

Natas chief executive officer Robert Khoo, on the tourism business in Singapore

Source : Straits Times - 31 August 2009

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Two stages of Circle Line start ops next year

Two stages of Circle Line start ops next year

All 11 stations from Dhoby Ghaut to Bartley on track to get TOP by year-end

By NISHA RAMCHANDANI

STAGES 1 and 2 of the Circle Line are set to commence operations in the first half of 2010, while Stages 4 and 5 will open in 2011.

Preparing to roll: The above-ground works for Stages 4 and 5 - with 13 stations from Marymount (left) to HarbourFront - will be completed by end-2010
Stages 1 and 2 - from Dhoby Ghaut to Bartley - consist of 11 stations, of which five have already achieved temporary occupation permit (TOP), while the remaining stations are on track to achieve TOP status by the end of this year.

Meanwhile, Stages 4 and 5 - from Marymount to HarbourFront - consist of 13 stations. The above-ground works for these two stages will be completed by end-2010.

And in an effort to improve the bus network, from next month the Land Transport Authority (LTA) will begin consulting and gathering feedback from advisers and grassroots leaders about the bus services in their constituencies. The consultation exercise is expected to be completed by the first quarter of next year.

Speaking at a dialogue session in Bukit Panjang yesterday, Minister for Transport Raymond Lim pointed out that while the existing bus system is a good one, there is still room for improvement.

To improve the bus network, LTA will start gathering feedback from advisers and grassroots leaders about bus services in their constituencies.

Separately, the LTA announced on Saturday that the off-peak car (OPC) scheme is being tweaked in response to feedback from motorists in hopes of making it more attractive.

Currently, the restricted usage hours stand at 7am-7pm on weekdays, 7am-3pm on Saturdays and 7am-3pm on the eve of five public holidays (New Year, Chinese New Year, Hari Raya Puasa, Deepavali and Christmas).

By end-January 2010, OPC users will enjoy unrestricted use of their cars on Saturdays and on the eve of the five public holidays. However, as a result of the extended hours, the road tax discount offered to those who opt for the revised scheme will be lowered to $500, down from $800.

Also, those who choose to drive during peak hours generally have to display a supplementary day licence which costs $20.

But in a move to make purchasing a day licence more convenient, e-licences will replace paper licences come November 23.

And instead of physically having to purchase the licence from LTA or selected outlets, motorists will soon be able to buy it online, via an SMS service as well as from AXS stations.

Source : Business Times - 31 August 2009

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