5.3m passengers passed through Changi Airport in January

5.3m passengers passed through Changi Airport in January

Changi Airport handled 5.3 million passengers in January this year, a 0.9 per cent increase from the same period in 2017, the Changi Airport Group (CAG) announced on Monday (Feb 26).

Aircraft movements saw a 2.8 per cent year-on-year increase, with 32,490 landings and takeoffs, while cargo shipments rose 10.7 per cent year-on-year to reach 175,590 tonnes.

CAG said that January's passenger traffic was "stable" compared to a year ago, when travel was boosted by the Lunar New Year holidays, which fell on Jan 28 to 29 in 2017.

January's passengers movements were also boosted by growth in traffic from Japan (11 per cent), India (9 per cent) and Thailand (9 per cent), according to CAG.

"Major city routes that recorded strong traffic growth of at least 8 per cent included Bangkok, Chennai and London," the CAG said.

The airport operator also noted that a new airline, JC (Cambodia) International Airlines, joined the Changi's family of airlines. It operates daily services between Singapore and Phnom Penh.

Indonesia AirAsia also began operating daily to Padang - the first new city link for Changi this year, as well as daily services connecting Singapore and Medan.

Changi Airport served a record 60 million passengers for the whole of last year, up from 58.7 million passengers in 2016.

Source: CNA/ng

'unlikely' to be affected by haze in next 2 weeks: NEA

Singapore 'unlikely' to be affected by haze in next 2 weeks: NEA

Transboundary haze is "unlikely" to affect Singapore in the next two weeks, said the National Environment Agency (NEA) on Wednesday (Feb 21), after four Indonesian provinces declared disaster alerts for forest fires.

"The dry weather conditions are expected to gradually ease, and an increase of shower activities will help to subdue the hotspots in Sumatra and Kalimantan," said NEA on its website.

The agency added that based on satellite images, a total of five hotspots were detected in Sumatra and 73 hotspots in Kalimantan between Feb 16 and Feb 20.

However, for this week and the next, prevailing winds over the region are expected to blow from the northwest or northeast. "The likelihood of transboundary haze affecting Singapore is currently assessed to be low," said NEA.

Source: CNA/am

Mixed feelings in S'pore over surcharge for Touch n Go

Mixed feelings in Singapore over surcharge for Touch n Go

Singaporean motorists have mixed feelings on the proposed move to impose a surcharge of S$10 (RM30) for Touch n Go cards with insufficient balance when entering Johor from Singapore.

The plan, currently in the pipeline and mooted by the Johor Government, is meant to ease traffic congestion at the Johor Causeway here and the Second Link Crossing in Tanjung Kupang, Gelang Patah.

There are also plans to remove reload booths checkpoint entrances as motorists who stopped to reload their cards would slow traffic down.

Sales assistant Felicia Ngoi, 29, who travels to Johor Baru on the weekends, welcomed the plan if it could help improve traffic flow at the checkpoints

Ngoi said it usually takes her about 90 minutes during peak hours to reach Taman Sentosa, even though it is about 5km from the Johor Causeway.

Another road user, Melissa, 33, said that while removing the booths could be a good idea, first-time Singaporean drivers could run into problems as they may not know where to buy the cards.

“The Johor authorities could distribute flyers on the plan to motorists coming from Singapore to avoid inconveniencing them,” she said.

Pharmacist Lee Foo Yun, 35, said it was the responsibility of motorists to check if they have enough credit in their Touch n Go cards before entering Johor Baru.

It was reported in The Star that the Johor government considered several methods to further ease traffic congestion at the Causeway and Second Link.

Johor Public Works, Regional and Rural Development Committee chairman Datuk Hasni Mohamed said these included increasing the number of toll booths at the Second Link and building a covered walkway for pedestrians.

Better traffic management methods at both checkpoints could include separating bigger and larger trailers from smaller lorries for faster clearance and increasing the number of security personnel during peak hours.

~News courtesy of The Star~

Singapore to match Malaysia's lower toll rates at Tuas 2nd Link

Singapore to match Malaysia's lower toll rates at Tuas Second Link

From next Tuesday (Feb 13), the levy and toll charges at Tuas Second Link will be reduced to encourage motorists to use the route rather than the Causeway which is more congested.

Singapore will also lower its rates to match Malaysia's new tolls, Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan said on Facebook on Friday night.

"Malaysia has just announced that tolls at Second Link will be reduced during off-peak periods. Welcome this decision and will match Malaysia’s revised toll rates. This will take effect from 1 April 2018," he wrote. "Hopefully, this will encourage some road users to shift out of the peak hour period."

Commercial vehicles entering and leaving Malaysia will pay only RM50 (S$17) in levy, down from the current rate of RM100 to RM200, announced the Malaysian Prime Minister's Office in a statement on Friday.

It added that for all other vehicles, except motorcycles, toll charges will be reduced during off-peak hours, by between 47 per cent and 82 per cent, depending on the vehicle class.

Off-peak hours are between 10am and 3pm, and 11pm and 5am.

According to the statement, toll charges will be reduced from RM7.50 to RM4 for private vehicles; from RM5.70 to RM3 for taxis; and from RM9.10 to RM4.50 for buses.

Meanwhile, the rate for commercial vehicles (class two and three) will be reduced from RM17.10 and RM34.30 respectively, to RM4.50 and RM6.10, the same rate as that at the Causeway.

Singapore’s toll charges for all vehicles, except motorcycles, leaving and entering the Republic through Tuas Checkpoint will be reduced by more than 85 per cent during the off-peak hours, Singapore's Land Transport Authority (LTA) said.

LTA will also revise the peak period tolls "to adjust for changes in exchange rates since the tolls were last set in 2010", it said. Peak hours are from 5am to 10am and 3pm to 11pm.

There are no changes to the toll charges at Woodlands Checkpoint, LTA added.

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak had said after the Malaysia-Singapore Leaders' Retreat last month that authorities would consider reviewing the toll charges at the Second Link in order to ease traffic congestion at the Woodlands Causeway.

On Friday, Mr Najib said the move would be vital in helping Malaysians working in Singapore to avoid the traffic congestion at the Causeway.

"Some Malaysians are forced to wake up between 2.30am and 3am to avoid the congestion at the Johor Causeway, and this move will benefit them,” he said.

Mr Najib also noted that about 50 per cent of the foreign tourists who visited Malaysia came through Singapore and, as such, the move would help increase the tourist arrivals.

"With a reduction in the congestion, the tourists can come to Johor more easily, maybe go to Desaru and then return to Singapore. An increase in the tourist arrivals will bring economic spillovers to the people of Johor,” he said.

Mr Khaw added that Singapore is working with Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) to increase the frequency of the Tebrau Shuttle from 26 trips to 31 daily from next Tuesday.

"With these measures, we can confidently wish for smoother flow of traffic," he said.

Source: Bernama/CNA/mz/hm

Transtar Cross Border (Malaysia JB - Singapore)

SIA flip-flops again, this time on auto insurance feature for online booking

SIA flip-flops again, this time on auto insurance feature for online booking



SIA has amended the booking flow to offer travel insurance as an 'opt-in', rather than 'opt out', feature.PHOTO: REUTERS

Singapore Airlines (SIA) has removed an online booking feature that automatically includes travel insurance unless travellers opt out.

This is the second time in about a month that the airline has been forced to do a U-turn: the first one had to do with credit card fees.

Unhappiness about the travel insurance feature surfaced about two weeks ago after The Straits Times reported on complaints from SIA customers.

The airline said on Thursday (Feb 1): "SIA encourages customers to take up travel insurance to safeguard their travel plans.

"We have taken customer feedback into account, however, and have amended the booking flow on our website to offer travel insurance as an 'opt-in', rather than 'opt out', feature."

Before the change, once payment was made, asking for a refund was tedious, said those who realised they were charged for insurance only after their flight bookings were confirmed.

The Consumers Association of Singapore (Case) had said then that it frowns upon such practices.

Its executive director Loy York Jiun told The Straits Times then that it is common for consumers to overlook that such options have been ticked for them as they complete the transaction.

This can lead to additional charges for extra services or items that the consumers may not be aware that they are purchasing.

"Such options should be left unticked so that consumers have to consciously tick them if they wish to include them," Mr Loy had said.

On the credit card issue, the airline had earlier said it would impose a credit card fee on bookings made by some travellers departing Singapore. The charge - 1.3 per cent of the total fare amount, capped at $50 - was to apply to those who bought its cheapest Economy Lite tickets, the airline said.

A day later, SIA, without giving any reasons, said it had decided not to go ahead with the credit card fee.

~News courtesy of Straits Times~

Weatherman says February to be drier and warmer than January

Weatherman says February to be drier and warmer than January

Weather in January was cooler and wetter than normal, with the island receiving "well above normal rainfall" for the first month of the year, said the Meteorological Service Singapore (MSS).

However, this will change in the first two weeks of February as drier and warmer weather can be expected, added MSS.

In January, the highest rainfall was recorded in Paya Lebar at 502.4mm - more than double the average, said MSS on Thursday (Feb 1).

Even the lowest rainfall observed, which was in Changi, was 16 per cent above average at 272.6mm.

The mean monthly temperature of 26.2 deg C was also below the long-term mean for January by 0.3 deg C.

Daily maximum temperatures for the month ranged between 24.3 deg C and 34.9 deg C, while minimum temperatures ranged between 21.2 deg C and 24.1 deg C.

This was due to localised thunderstorms, Sumatra squalls and monsoon surges that occurred throughout the "eventful month", the Met said.

While most days of the month saw thundery showers over Singapore in the afternoon and evening, a Sumatra squall on Jan 8 brought "widespread" thundery showers to the island.

Eastern Singapore received the heaviest rainfall due to the squall, resulting in flash floods and the highest daily rainfall recorded in Paya Lebar at 131.8mm.

Singapore also experienced two monsoon surges in the first half of January, said MSS.

The first was on Jan 1, the tail-end of a three-day monsoon surge that started on Dec 30, while the second occurred from Jan 10 to 14.

The second monsoon surge brought five consecutive days of cool weather, with daily minimum temperatures dipping to as low as 21.2 deg C - the longest cool spell in Singapore in 10 years.

The surge led to the lowest temperature recorded for the month, at 21.2 deg C in Admiralty and Jurong West on Jan 14.

On Tuesday, intense thunderstorms led to hailstones in parts of northern Singapore, including Seletar and Yishun.

Another intense thunderstorm on Wednesday also brought strong winds and heavy rainfall to eastern Singapore, and a waterspout was observed off the east coast.

However, Singaporeans can expect drier and warmer weather in the coming weeks, as the dry phase of the North-east Moon is set to kick in for the first half of February.

For the next two weeks, temperatures are forecast to range between 24 deg C and 33 deg C, and could reach a high of around 34 deg C on some days.

During this period, low-level winds are forecast to blow mostly from the north-east or north-west, said MSS.

While rainfall for the first two weeks of February is expected to be below normal, there will still be wet weather on some days, including short thundery showers in the afternoon on three to five days.

Passing showers and cooler temperatures can also be expected for a few days, due to a weak monsoon surge that could affect the South China Sea and the surrounding region.

During such rainy or windy weather, temperatures will cool, with daily minimum temperatures ranging between 23 deg C and 24 deg C.

~News courtesy of Straits Times~

Tourism Board responds with witty video after Time Out survey calls the city boring

Singapore Tourism Board responds with witty video after Time Out survey calls the city boring



Visuals of nightlife in Singapore, the Gardens by the Bay, satay cooking on a grill and S$2 Michelin meals are flashed as a visual rebuttal to Time Out's anonymous survey results crowning Singapore the second-most boring city.PHOTO: FACEBOOK/VISITSINGAPORE

Singapore is boring – and the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) released a video on Thursday (Feb 1) to apparently agree with this verdict, in a light-hearted response to a recent Time Out survey.

The survey, which came out on Tuesday, got the reactions of 15,000 people in 32 cities and ranked Singapore 31 out of 32 in the list of “most exciting cities”.

Singapore scored a high rating for safety and public transport and its "much buzzier restaurant scene" compared with other cities towards the bottom of the ranking.

In response, STB posted a 55-second video featuring some of Singapore’s best sights and activities to show how it clearly is the opposite of boring.

The video, posted on the official VisitSingapore Facebook page, begins with a view of the Marina Bay skyline and the caption: "Yeah, Singapore is boring."

Photos of Universal Studios Singapore and the Formula One Marina Bay street circuit stand in contrast with a line that says "there is nothing exciting to do".

Local attractions such as Clarke Quay, Pulau Ubin and Gardens by the Bay show how "underwhelming" Singapore's nightlife can be, and how "everything is concrete", while scenes of Chinatown supposedly depict a lack of art and culture.

Subtitles call out the survey result: Singapore is expensive? Look at our hawker centre food. Nightlife is underwhelming? Tell that to ZoukOut. No culture? Yes, that perfectly describes the ArtScience Museum.

STB also hit back with shots of Hawker Chan's soy sauce chicken rice, which is among the cheapest Michelin-starred meals around at just $2 a plate.

The video ends with the question: "Can we be any more boring?"

STB’s digital and content director Terrence Voon said the video was created with its agency partner TBWA.

“A key thrust of STB’s marketing strategy is to connect fans to Singapore through engaging storytelling," he said. "We created this light-hearted response to Time Out to let the audience have a glimpse of what Singapore can offer.”

Time Out London was even tagged in the Facebook post, which has since received more than 47,000 views, 1,300 likes and about 700 shares.

And Time Out's response?

"The word 'boring' might have been thrown around but we beg to differ," it said on Time Out Singapore.

"We're only 2 days into February and we can already point out seven times Singapore proved it was exciting in 2018. We don't know about you, but memories of large-scale light projections at the Light to Night Festival and dancing all night to cool acts like Anderson .Paak & The Free Nationals at Laneway Festival are still pretty fresh in our mind."

Many netizens were quick to come to Singapore's defence, including Facebook user Martin Pearce from Britain, who said he was in Singapore last October for 10 days.

"We couldn't fit in everything we wanted to do," he said. "It's an amazing city."

Others, such as user Majorie Wheatley, urged visitors to "get off the tourist trail" by eating and drinking at local joints.

~News courtesy of Straits Times~