A $50-million Land Transport Innovation Fund to promote research and development efforts was launched by Transport Minister Raymond Lim yesterday. While this will bolster collaboration on innovative projects between the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and its partners, commuters and transport users here, too, stand to benefit.
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Take for instance the Ez-Link card, one of the 50 projects initiated thus far by the LTA with industry partners. It gave consumers the ease and convenience of using one card to make e-payments for their everyday needs.
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Under the new scheme, a proposed project must support LTA's vision for a people-centred land transport system, in order to get funding. Applications must also be from a Singapore-based organisation, with disbursements capped at $1 million per project and up to a year's trial period.
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"LTA aims to encourage its partners and suppliers to come forth with innovative ideas and actively participate in shaping Singapore's land transport development for the future," said Mr Lim at the inaugural Land Transport Excellence Awards, at which 14 individuals and organisations were honoured.
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SMRT, which won the most customer friendly transport award, told Today it has not made a decision whether to appeal the $387,176 fine imposed by the LTA for January's seven-hour disruption in train services between Tanah Merah and Pasir Ris MRT stations.
