Little India's Deepavali light-up

Little India marks 25th anniversary of Deepavali light-up



Guest and officials at the Deepavali lighting up ceremony.

The lights are up for the Deepavali festival.

2013 marks the 25th anniversary of the Deepavali light-up at Singapore's "Little India".

Some 22 social welfare organisations took part in the event this year.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong was the guest-of-honour at the lighting-up ceremony.

The light-up will continue till November 7.

~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~

SIA's new-look cabins take to the skies

SIA's new-look cabins take to the skies

It is third airline in last three months to debut overhauled cabin products



SIA's overhauled cabins include a new inflight entertainment touchscreen monitor in economy class; more storage space in the seats in business class; and first-class seats that can be turned into longer beds than before (above). The new cabins debut on the new Boeing 777-300ER aircraft today to London, on flight SQ318. The improvements will also be included on the airline's new Airbus 350 jets, which will start joining the fleet in 2015. 

Singapore Airlines will put its latest cabin products in the air today, becoming the third airline in the last three months to do so as competition in the sector intensifies.

Passengers flying on SQ318 to London this afternoon will enjoy wider, cushier seats, and more personal and storage space in first, business and economy cabins.

The new-look cabins are also decked with the latest inflight entertainment system featuring wider LCD screens and touchscreen handsets across all classes.

Economy-class passengers can browse through more than 1,000 entertainment options by scrolling through touchscreen monitors.

~News courtesy of Straits Times~

Changi Airport launches online shopping portal for travellers

Changi Airport launches online shopping portal for travellers



Changi Airport has launched a new online shopping portal for travellers who do not have time to browse before their flights.

With iShopChangi, they can make and pay for purchases online and pick up the items at designated counters at the three main terminals. About 1,800 duty-free items are available online.

"Online shopping is now a way of life for many people and a key sales channel for retailers worldwide" said Changi Airport Group's senior vice-president for transit shopping, Ms Ivy Wong,

Apart from established international brands such as Estee Lauder, Nikon, Johnnie Walker, Oris and Godiva, the portal also features local signature brands such as Eu Yan Sang and Bee Cheng Hiang, the airport said. 

~News courtesy of Straits Times~

Deepavali light-up to feature works by disabled and elderly

Deepavali light-up to feature works by disabled and elderly

Deepavali Light Up 2012 along Serangoon Road. The shiny surfaces of thousands of CDs adorned with colourful artificial gem stones will add glitter to the annual decorations at this year's Deepavali light-up.

The shiny surfaces of thousands of CDs adorned with colourful artificial gem stones will add glitter to the annual decorations at this year's Deepavali light-up.

Those behind these decorations are not professional artists but 750 intellectually and physically disabled people and the elderly from more than 20 homes. The CDs, decorated with traditional Indian Rangoli designs, were an idea initiated by counsellor and trained art therapist Mrs Vijaya Mohan. "I wanted to bring their skills to the limelight," said Mrs Mohan, who has been working with the disabled for 18 years.

At a press conference held at the National Museum, chairman of the Little India Shopkeepers and Heritage Association (Lisha), Mr Rajakumar Chandra, which organizes the Deepavali celebrations, announced the special feature this year.

The decorations, which cost more than $1 million, include 500,000 light bulbs, two large arches which are 6m-tall, and the life size replicas of Radha and Krishna, the divine lovers of Hindu mythology. The streets of Little India will be lit up from Sept 27 to Nov 17, to celebrate the festival that falls on Nov 2 this year.

~News courtesy of Straits Times~

31 more popular attractions added to Google's Indoor Maps

31 more popular attractions in Singapore added to Google's Indoor Maps

Google has extended its Indoor Google Maps to 31 popular destinations in Singapore. Iconic buildings like the National Library, Marina Bay Sands Hotel, Asian Civilisations Museum (above), National Museum of Singapore and ArtScience Museum, now have their floor plans uploaded. -- PHOTO: GOOGLE MAPS

Google has extended its Indoor Google Maps to 31 popular destinations in Singapore.

Iconic buildings like the National Library, Marina Bay Sands Hotel, Asian Civilisations Museum, National Museum of Singapore and ArtScience Museum, now have their floor plans uploaded to Google Maps.

Gone are the days when you have to look for a map directory to find your way inside a multi-storey building. Both android and iOS users can now navigate through museums, convention centres, library and shopping malls with Google Maps.

The maps are automatically turned on when you zoom in on a location. Users can also switch between floor plans for different levels within the building. Google launched its Indoor Google Maps to Singapore earlier this year with maps to 22 shopping malls. Singapore is the second country in Asia to feature Indoor Google Maps, with Japan's Tokyo and Osaka being the first two cities to offer it.

~News courtesy of Straits Times~

More tourists expected for this year's Singapore Grand Prix

More tourists expected for this year's Singapore Grand Prix

Workers set up barriers at Turn 1 of the Singapore GP race route. The upcoming Singapore Grand Prix is attracting a bumper crop of tourists this year, with overall bookings for the F1 period up till Sept 1 up by 12.6 per cent compared to the previous year. -- ST FILE PHOTO: MUGILAN RAJASEGERAN

The upcoming Singapore Grand Prix is attracting a bumper crop of tourists this year. Overall bookings for the F1 period up till Sept 1 show a 12.6 per cent spike over the previous year, with a surge in last minute bookings expected. The first five races attracted nearly 200,000 visitors. This weekend's race is Singapore's sixth.

Data on the travel trends, based on flight reservations, were compiled by technology and travel firm Amadeus, and market research and consulting company Forward Data SL.

Race-goers are also arriving earlier for the Sept 20 to 22 event. While most of them are touching down on Sept 19 or 20, more people are arriving three days before the event. The biggest growth in visitor arrivals takes place on Sept 18, with an increase of 29 per cent over the same period last year.

The data also showed that Australians take the top spot as the event's biggest fans, accounting for 17 per cent of total bookings. With the night race coinciding with public holidays in Hong Kong and Korea, more tourists from these countries are flocking to Singapore for the long weekend. Bookings from Hong Kong rose 37 per cent compared to last year, while those from Seoul jumped by a staggering 241 per cent.

~News courtesy of Straits Times~

Resorts World Sentosa's Dolphin Island to open on Sept 30

Resorts World Sentosa's Dolphin Island to open on Sept 30

Marine mammal trainer Eliza Lee teaching kids from The Little Arts Academy how to interact with dolphins yesterday. -- ST PHOTO: DESMOND FOO

Those much-awaited bottlenose dolphins at the Marine Life Park at Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) finally have a date to make a splash with the public.

The huge marine park will open its new Dolphin Island attraction on Sept 30, but do not expect a mass audience show like those at Sea World on Australia's Gold Coast. Think up close and personal instead.

In groups of five or fewer, up to 80 people a day will be allowed in the water to get acquainted with the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins. Each group will have half an hour to interact with a dolphin while accompanied by a trainer.

The sessions, conducted in the shallow edges of the dolphins' 11 interconnecting lagoons, are open to non-swimmers, but visitors must be above 122cm tall to take part.

~News courtesy of Straits Times~

More hostels sprouting up in Chinatown, Little India

More hostels sprouting up in Chinatown, Little India



New hostels are opening up in areas such as Lavender, Little India and Chinatown (above). As of July, there were 56 licensed hostels, compared with 46 last year, says the STB. They also offer attractive services, such as bike rentals, to meet guests' needs.

Cheap and cheerful hostels that offer a bed for as little as $25 a night are thriving here as tourists look for alternatives to pricey hotel rooms.

The number of hostels around town has shot up over the past year, with Little India and Chinatown the most popular areas.

"As of July 2013, there were a total of 56 licensed hostels in Singapore, compared with 46 in 2012," said Ms Heng Li Lang, director, hotels, at the Singapore Tourism Board (STB).

Pricing is clearly driving growth with a stay in a hotel costing on average $261 a night, said property consultant Knight Frank.

~News courtesy of Straits Times~

Lanterns, fireworks light up Mid-Autumn Festival

Lanterns, fireworks light up Mid-Autumn Festival



A giant lantern on display at the Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations at Gardens by the Bay. Performances and activities for families will be held throughout the 10-day festival. --

Giant lanterns, food and flowers greeted visitors to this year's Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations, held at Gardens by the Bay for the first time.

The event opened last night with a round of fireworks - to the delight of Madam Jolynn Lim, 40, and her three children Maecia, eight, Marcus, seven, and Jordan, four, who took along homemade lanterns.

"We've never come at night before so it's a good chance to experience the Gardens with the festive mood," said the part-time office worker. "I'm hoping the children will learn what this festival is about beyond just carrying the lanterns."

Performances and activities for families will be held throughout the 10-day festival, which is organised by Singapore Press Holdings' Chinese Newspapers Division (CND), People's Association Passion Arts and Gardens by the Bay.

~News courtesy of Straits Times~

More tourists seek flights for S'pore GP

More tourists seek flights for S'pore GP



Overseas visitors are searching for flights to Singapore to catch the upcoming Singapore F1 Grand Prix. (FILE PHOTO)

As Singaporeans gear up for the Formula One (F1) Grand Prix next weekend, overseas visitors are searching for flights to make it here in time to catch the action.

A report by global travel-search site Skyscanner said searches for flights to Singapore for the period of Sept 19 to 23, which coincides with the F1 weekend, have soared compared to searches for the week before.

Hong Kong took the top position with a 128 per cent growth in flight searches between the two periods, with Taiwan following closely with 80 per cent and the United Arab Emirates in third place with 48 per cent.

Countries in the South-east Asian region, such as Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines, also saw flight searches to Singapore increase.

National Association of Travel Agents Singapore's chief operating officer, Ms Anita Tan, said: "Some agents have indicated that neighbouring countries, such as Indonesia, have shown an increased interest in travelling to Singapore during this F1 period as compared to last year."

The report also said the number of flight searches has increased by 10 per cent this year in comparison with the five-day period of Sept 20 to 24 during the F1 last year.

Skyscanner Singapore's marketing manager, Ms Ira Noviani, said: "With the exception of four countries in the top 10, the growth in demand for travel to Singapore for the weekend of the race has been driven by Asia, which goes to show how popular F1 now is in this part of the world."

This year's F1 SingTel Singapore Grand Prix will be its sixth edition. It will take place from Sept 20 to 22 in the Marina Bay area.

Past reports said the F1 night race draws a global television audience of around 360 million, and about 40,000 international visitors each year.

Ms Tan said that while F1 enthusiasts and regulars are returning to Singapore, other tourists are choosing to travel here over other periods of the year due to increased costs of travel and accommodation during the F1 period.

~News courtesy of Omy~

Marina Bay revamps to draw shoppers

Marina Bay revamps to draw shoppers



HIGH-TECH: The first phase of Suntec City's revamp has been completed, and it sees features like a three-storey-tall high-definition digital wall as the external facade of the Convention and Exhibition Centre. (PHOTO: ONG WEE JIN/MY PAPER)

The Marina Bay shopping precinct is set to get a boost as Suntec City marked the completion of the first phase of its $410-million revamp yesterday.

Retail experts and shoppers told My Paper that the upgrade - along with the $95-million redevelopment of the adjacent Marina Square - could revitalise the area.

The shopping precinct has seen waning shopper traffic in recent years, due to the proliferation of new malls in the Orchard Road area, as well as the draw of Marina Bay Sands, they said.

Ms Sarah Lim, a senior retail lecturer at Singapore Polytechnic's Business School, said: "Suntec has potential because of the way it is laid out. (There is) more space to play with decor and tenant mix... I think it'll definitely draw some of Marina Bay Sands' visitors.

"The revamp will definitely create interest and buzz. It gives shoppers a good alternative to Orchard Road."

Mr Samuel Tan, course manager of the diploma in retail management at Temasek Polytechnic, said that improved transportation, such as the addition of the Circle Line, has made the area more accessible to shoppers.

Suntec should also use its Convention and Exhibition Centre to attract shoppers by continuing to organise "mega events" such as the IT Show, he suggested.

Suntec City's makeover was announced in 2011 and is being carried out in three phases. Once complete, it will boast 980,000 sq ft of retail space, compared to 820,000 sq ft previously.

Under the first phase, there are new food-and-beverage tenants at Suntec City, including NamNam Noodle Bar by the Les Amis Group and Akashi Group's Oushin Japanese Steakhouse.

The mall's Fountain of Wealth has been tweaked with new water and lighting effects.

The external facade of the Convention and Exhibition Centre features a three-storey-tall high-definition digital wall. Free Wi-Fi and digital signs have been implemented there as well.

The second phase, to be completed in the first quarter of next year, covers the new Golden Village cinema. It will occupy 60,000 sq ft, up from the 20,000 sq ft previously occupied by WE Cinemas.

Suntec's final revamp phase is expected to be done by the last quarter of next year. Marina Square's revamp is expected to be completed by the end of next year.

~News courtesy of Omy~

Bamboo cake and toy for Kai Kai and Jia Jia's birthdays

Bamboo cake and toy for Kai Kai and Jia Jia's birthdays



PANDA TREAT: Kai Kai enjoying a cake made out of ice, bamboo and other treats at the River Safari on Friday, the first anniversary of the arrival of the male panda and its female counterpart, Jia Jia, in Singapore. They are on a 10-year loan from China. (PHOTO: WILDLIFE RESERVES SINGAPORE)

It was a cake, not with cream or candles, but made from ingredients like bamboo, ice and carrots. That may not sound like much of a birthday treat - unless you're a giant panda.

On Friday, the River Safari's male giant panda, Kai Kai, was presented with the specially prepared three-tiered cake, while its female counterpart, Jia Jia, received a toy chime made from bamboo stems. The treats were presented to them during a special party held to commemorate the first anniversary of the bears' arrival in Singapore.

The party also marked the pandas' birthdays this month - Jia Jia turned five on Tuesday, while Kai Kai will turn six on Saturday. The pandas are on a 10-year loan from China.

As part of the celebrations, Wildlife Reserves Singapore also gave 10 members of the public, including five lucky My Paper readers, a chance to become Panda Party Planners.

Besides being immersed in a half-day behind-the-scenes programme on Aug 31 with River Safari keepers, the 10 party planners helped to prepare and present the cake and toy to the pandas.

~News courtesy of Omy~

River Safari invites visitors to learn more about pandas

River Safari invites visitors to learn more about pandas



Jia Jia (Francine Lim, channelnewsasia.com)

To celebrate the pandas' one-year anniversary in Singapore, the River Safari has lined up various activities for visitors to learn more about the gentle giants.

At the educational booths, visitors can feel the teeth of a Giant Panda and even have a sniff of panda poop.

Apparently, it smells like green tea because only 70 per cent of the bamboo eaten is digested.

Free 15-minute guided tours will also be held for visitors.

These activities will last for a week from September 7 to 15.

~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~

ACM offers guided tours in Malay this weekend

Asian Civilisations Museum offers guided tours in Malay this weekend



Asian Civilisations Museum. (Photo: Asian Civilisations Museum)

Volunteers will be offering guided tours at the Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM) this weekend.

It is the first of its kind collaboration between ACM, Madrasah Aljunied and the National Institute of Education (NIE).

The group comprises 16 Malay teachers in training at NIE and seven students from the madrasah.

Supported by the Malay Language Council, these tours will take place on September 7 and 8 to mark the launch of Malay Language month, which will be held at the museum.

The museum says the tour trail has been specially designed by the museum and will showcase objects that highlight the fascinating links between the Malay language and culture with the wider Asian region.

Conducted in the Malay language, these tours aim to bring out the essence of the stories behind the chosen objects.

~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~

Largest theme park to tie up with local F&B outlets

Singapore's largest theme park to tie up with local food and beverage outlets



An artist’s impression of KidZania in Sentosa. The theme park is set to open in 2015 and will be the anchor tenant at Sentosa’s new Family Entertainment Centre. Singapore's largest theme park, which is slated to open in 2015, will feature local food and beverage outlets as part of the activities for children. -- FILE PHOTO: KIDZANIA

Singapore's largest theme park plans to tie up with local food and beverage outlets and allow kids to role play as chefs when the theme park opens in early 2015. So far, they have got homegrown chain The Soup Spoon on board.

The company is just the first of a number of local brands that KidZania Singapore is likely to get on board, said the owners at a press conference on Thursday. About 30 companies are expected to help children to role play in different occupations such as journalists, bankers and fashion designers. Electronics company Canon, financial institution Maybank and dairy product company Yakult will also set-up shop there.

KidZania Singapore, which will be on Sentosa's Palawan Beach, will feature a city scaled down to a child's size where children can role-play life as an adult. It is a children's theme park for those aged between aged four to 14.

Housed in a three-storey building, the theme park will cover an area of 11,500 sq m and will also house rides and arcade games.

~News courtesy of Straits Times~

Chinatown Mid-Autumn Festival

7 Sept - 4 Oct

Lau Pa Sat closes for facelift, reopens in Nov

Lau Pa Sat closes for $4m facelift, reopens in November



The iconic Lau Pa Sat closes from Sunday for a $4 million facelift.

When it reopens in November, it will feature more alfresco dining options, a Japanese bakery and better ventilation.

The facelift is meant to help the ageing food centre keep up with its increasingly modern neighbours, said Mr Alden Tan, managing director of Kopitiam, which owns the building.

A popular lunch spot for office workers, Lau Pa Sat - which means old market in Hokkien - was completed in 1894 at its present Raffles Quay site and is a gazetted national monument. This is its first major renovation in the 17 years since Kopitiam took over.

~News courtesy of Straits Times~

High-speed rail expected to pass through Nusajaya

Malaysia expects high-speed rail to pass through Nusajaya

The proposed high-speed rail linking Kuala Lumpur to Singapore will not be built along the existing North-South highway in peninsula Malaysia, said the head of the country's Land Public Transport Commission, Syed Hamid Albar.

Mr Syed Hamid said the high-speed rail is expected to pass through Nusajaya in Johor state before crossing the straits into Singapore.

Speaking to Channel NewsAsia, he disclosed that technical teams from both sides are now ironing out details, including the modality and cost structure.

He said: "There are two parts. One part is the cost of building up to Singapore, how much is the the Singapore portion, the other part is on operating. Our Prime Minister has talked about whether Singapore is interested in an operating company for the high-speed rail, as even though coming into Singapore, the distance is very short it's very costly."

The pricing of tickets, said Mr Syed Hamid, will be market-driven and affordable, and probably benchmarked against the average economy airline ticket.

So far, several consortiums have shown interest in bidding for the multi-billion dollar project. They include MMC Gamuda, UEM and YTL Corporation.

~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~

6 days road closures for F1 race

Road closures for this year’s F1 race will occur over 6 days



Road closures in preparation for this year's Formula 1 SingTel Singapore Grand Prix will take place over six days - a time frame similar to previous years, according to the race organiser and authorities.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA), Singapore GP and the Singapore Tourism Board said in a joint statement on August 29 that affected roads will be closed from 12 midnight on September 18 to facilitate the set up of the night race.

The authorities have urged the public to use public transport during the period of road closures. For those driving, they can access the Marina Centre area through a single-lane road from Nicoll Highway and Temasek Boulevard at selected times.

During the race weekend, between September 20 and 22, train services will be increased to cope with higher demand, with operating hours extended until 1am. Operating hours for selected feeder bus services will also be extended to match the last train services.

When the race is completed, affected roads will reopen progressively, and all roads will be fully accessible by 5.30am on September 24. More information is available at the LTA and MyTransport.SG websites.

~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~

Premier Taxis to raise peak-hour booking surcharge

Premier Taxis to raise peak-hour booking surcharge



Premier Taxis, the third smallest of seven taxi operators here, will raise its peak-hour booking surcharges by a dollar to S$4.50 beginning September 1. The move is a departure from previous taxi fare hikes which were mostly led by the dominant operator, ComfortDelGro.

Premier currently charges a booking fee of S$3.50 for its normal silver cabs during peak periods, higher than the S$3.30 larger operators like ComfortDelGro, TransCab and SMRT Taxis levy on commuters. Peak periods are stipulated as between 6am and 9.30am on weekdays, excluding public holidays, and between 6pm and 12am every day.

In recent fare revisions - the last overall adjustment was in December 2011 - market leader ComfortDelGro would usually be the first to take the lead, before smaller operators follow suit. In May, ComfortDelGro had increased fares for its limousines, a move which was soon followed by TransCab and Premier for their Mercedes cabs.

Responding to TODAY's queries, Premier's Assistant Vice-President for Fleet Operations Melvin Ng said the move to increase peak-hour booking fees was to encourage taxi drivers to take up call-booking jobs.

He said: "As per any other industry, product prices are adjusted for supply to meet demand. Indeed, there is a shortage of taxis during peak period mainly due to passengers’ travelling pattern and taxi availability. The price increase is to encourage the supply of taxi services."

As of last month, there were 2,132 Premier cabs - out of a total of 27,707 taxis - plying the streets, according to the Land Transport Authority (LTA). The other taxi operators - ComfortDelGro, TransCab, SMRT and Prime - declined to comment or failed to reply by press time when asked if they would follow Premier’s move in raising surcharges.

In March last year, Premier Taxis Managing Director Lim Chong Boo had voiced concern about the higher costs his firm would incur, as it sought to meet the higher standards and new requirements set by the LTA. Operators must meet three new requirements in order for it to secure or renew its licence, and these include equipping their taxi fleet with technology to identify which taxis are near a caller. And, among the new standards imposed last year, the percentage of despatched calls that are successfully matched with taxis must also go up.

Asked if Premier was raising surcharges to meet rising operational costs, the company reiterated that it was "in line with demand by commuters and supply of taxis services".

Premier cab drivers TODAY spoke to expressed concern that a smaller taxi operator like Premier may be further disadvantaged by the price hike. One driver, who wanted to be known only as Mr Loke, pointed out that pricier booking fees may lead to more customers boarding available taxis they spot on the roads, instead of waiting for their booked taxis to arrive.

Dr Park Byung Joon, who heads the Urban Transport Management Programme at SIM University’s School of Business, felt that, unless other taxi companies follow suit and raise their surcharges, the S$1 increase in booking fee may actually decrease demand for taxi booking for Premier Taxis.

"However and, ironically, if the number of phone calls for taxi booking is decreased during the peak hour, it may help Premier Taxis maintain its performance in meeting the Quality of Standard for call answer rate and cater rate imposed by LTA," he said, noting that one of the reasons for the non-renewal of Smart’s taxi licences was its failure to meet the cater rate standard — the percentage of calls that are successfully matched with taxis.

Dr Park felt it is perhaps time to look into setting up a common call centre for small cab companies. "Smaller taxi companies may find it harder to meet cater rate standard. It is perhaps time to look into an industry-wide solution to help smaller companies to meet the cater rate standard, such as establishing a common call centre," he said.

~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~

Changi's T5 to cater to 50m passengers per year

Changi's T5 to cater to 50m passengers per year


The departures board at Singapore's Changi Airport (Photo: Hester Tan, channelnewsasia.com)

The new Terminal 5 at Singapore's Changi Airport is set to be one of the largest terminals in the world, with an initial passenger handling capacity of 50 million per year.

When it begins operations in mid-2020s, it will boost the airport's total handling capacity to 135 million passengers per year.

Changi Airport will also begin operating on a three-runway system from around 2020, instead of the current two.

Minister of State for Transport Josephine Teo, who is chairing the Changi 2036 steering committee, gave these details on the expansion plans for the airport on Friday.

Currently, Changi Airport can handle up to 66 million passenger movements every year, using the two existing runways and three terminals.

The handling capacity will go up to 85 million in 2017, when Terminal 4 is expected to be ready.

However, passenger traffic in Asia Pacific is still expected to grow.

Mrs Teo said: "In Singapore, we are expecting passenger air traffic growth at Changi to be around five per cent per year till the end of this decade, and it will moderate to three to four per cent in the next decade.

"We have to bear in mind that as other airports grow in terms of passenger volumes, we must expect their connectivity to grow also -- even if we do nothing.

"Thus, Changi will need to capture a share of the growing traffic in order to upkeep our current connectivity, and we also need capacity to allow Changi to build on the current leadership position, to establish new city links with more airlines."

To this effect, a 1,080 hectare reclaimed site at Changi East will be redeveloped to become Terminal 5.

The terminal will be linked to the other terminals at Changi Airport to make it easier for transfers and for airfield operational efficiency. The terminal will also be connected to the MRT network and sited near to hotels and offices.

To the north of the terminal, land has also been set aside for facilities for airfreight and air express operators as well as maintenance, repair and overhaul activities.

The committee is looking at two options to build the terminal -- a Y-shaped design or a T-shaped design.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) will be seeking views from stakeholders over the next two months to refine the layout of the terminal. A concept plan is expected to be finalised in the first half of 2014, before works begin in the second half of 2014.

To make way for an integrated airfield, the existing Changi Coast Road will be diverted and replaced with a new road and park connector further east, along the eastern coastline. The new Changi Coast Road will be ready before Runway 3 is operational around 2020.

The existing Runway 3, currently used by the military, will be extended from 2.75km to 4km to handle larger passenger aircraft.

Almost 40km of new taxiways will also be built to connect the runway with the current airport and to allow for efficient aircraft movement.

New facilities such as navigation aids, airfield lighting systems and a fire station will need to be built.

Access to the area will also be improved.

Chua Chong Kheng, deputy chief executive of the Land Transport Authority, said: "As we plan for the extension or expansion of the airport, we will also need to expand our rail and road network to meet the transport needs of everyone travelling to the Changi Airport area.

"As part of our rail expansion plans, we are studying how we can link our rail network to the new Terminal 5, and we will also look at the adequacy of bus services and see how this can be beefed up."

Planning and preparatory works for the project have already started.

Mrs Teo said the developments at Changi East require careful coordination and will stretch over several terms of government.

She said: "For passengers, Changi must mean superior connectivity, convenience and comfort. So these plans are significant because they strengthen our air hub.

"But there is also special meaning for Singaporeans. Changi connects us to the world and the plans open the path to new business and job opportunities. That is really the bigger story to be told."

~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~

Rail Corridor walking trail launched

Rail Corridor walking trail launched



Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Lawrence Wong on Friday launched a new walking trail along the Rail Corridor for Singaporeans to enjoy.

The trail is the fifth and the last in a series of walking trails known as the Resilience Trails.

360 students from 22 schools were the first to go on the 30-kilometre trail on foot and by bus.

They began the journey at Woodlands Waterfront and made their way across the black iron cast railway tracks at Bukit Timah before ending the walk at Tanjong Pagar railway station.

The five-hour long event emphasised the importance of friendly relations with neighbouring countries.

Singapore History Consultants’ director Jeya Ayadurai said: "(The walk shows) how important relationships are -- not only at the personal level, but also at the international level. So we even discuss Malaysia-Singapore relations within that context."

Jordan Teoh Jia Ern, a Fuhua Secondary School student, said: "This trail actually gives me a more in-depth view of what Singapore's history actually is and I would like to see how it… develops in future."

~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~