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While the tax hike on diesel has affected businesses and cabbies, the move will help discourage usage of the fuel and create a better and healthier living environment, said Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Transport Baey Yam Keng. He noted that the land transport sector is the second-largest source of emissions in Singapore, and this has to be addressed as the land transport system expands. To do so, the Government is also promoting commuting modes such as car-sharing, trains and personal mobility devices, managing vehicle growth and usage, and encouraging the adoption of cleaner and more carbon-efficient vehicles, he said. MPs Lee Bee Wah (Nee Soon GRC) and Gan Thiam Poh (Ang Mo Kio GRC) yesterday raised concerns about the hike, as they called for more support to mitigate the impact on cabbies and businesses. Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat had announced a doubling in excise duty on diesel fuel from 10 cents a litre to 20 cents last week. This took effect from Feb 18. Yesterday, Ms Lee pointed out that no lead time or grace period was given, and many service providers which use diesel vehicles have lost money overnight. She called for ComfortDelGro, the largest taxi operator here, to at least absorb part of the diesel tax hike. Meanwhile, Mr Gan said certain heavy machinery and special purpose vehicles have no diesel alternatives in the market, and appealed for firms and operators using them to be exempted from the hike. In his speech, Mr Baey listed several ways in which the Government is helping to cushion the impact of the diesel tax increase. Related Story What's behind diesel tax increase? Related Story Singapore Budget 2019: Diesel duty at pumps doubles to 20 cents per litre Related Story Diesel duty hike will filter down to some consumers: Industry The annual special tax for taxis has been reduced by $850, and Mr Baey said he was glad that all taxi operators have pledged to pass on the entire savings to cabbies in the form of rental reductions and, for some, Medisave top-ups. ComfortDelGro cabbies driving a diesel taxi that is five years or older can get a $100 voucher if they convert to a hybrid taxi by the end of next month, he added, urging other taxi operators to offer similar incentives and more non-diesel options. On concerns from parents about school bus fares, Mr Baey said the Government is helping operators through a new road tax rebate scheme for all diesel buses, for a three-year period from August. All diesel school buses, diesel private-hire buses and excursion buses ferrying schoolchildren will also get an additional cash rebate for three years from August. Mr Ang Hin Kee (Ang Mo Kio GRC) said after the sitting that he hoped more taxi firms would take up Mr Baey's call to support cabbies. But the National Taxi Association's executive adviser added that rebates like the $100 voucher from ComfortDelGro offer only slight reprieve to taxi drivers, as the daily rental rate for a hybrid taxi is $120, compared with $100 for a diesel taxi. "Taxi firms should look into lowering the rental rates. If not, cabbies may not switch to hybrid taxis, and instead clock longer hours and distances on their diesel cabs to cover the higher diesel rates. "This runs contrary to the intention of the tax hike," Mr Ang said. https://www.straitstimes.com/politics/baey-diesel-tax-hike-for-better-living-environment

There could finally be some relief for residents and shopkeepers near the Block 17 Upper Boon Keng Road Market and Food Centre who have been plagued by the traffic congestion in the area. In response to TODAY's queries, a spokesperson from the Housing and Development Board (HDB), which manages the two car parks surrounding the market and food centre, said it would be exploring with the relevant agencies the possibility of creating another access point to ease the congestion. It is also considering installing a display panel to show the number of vacant lots available at the various areas within the surface car park and the multi-storey car park, to help motorists better utilise parking lots and reduce unnecessary vehicular movement. The display panel is not a standard feature and is currently installed at only four other HDB car parks. "Meanwhile, as an interim measure, we are working with the (Electronic Parking System) service provider to deploy their staff to regulate the traffic condition during lunchtime," the HDB spokesperson said. The estate, which is surrounded by offices and factories, experiences strong demand for parking and heavy traffic, particularly during lunchtime on weekdays. It has only one lane each for motorists entering and exiting and a single access EPS gantry between Block 11 and Block 18. Lorries and vans delivering goods during that period also contribute to the bottleneck. Residents and patrons of the food centre TODAY spoke to said it can take up to 15 minutes to get out of the car park. A resident of 16 years in the estate, who wished to be known as Richard, was also concerned about emergency services gaining access into the estate. He said: "What happens if someone is sick or if there is a fire? There are a lot of elderly people living here and an ambulance can't be stuck for more than 10 minutes just trying to get out of a car park." The HDB spokesperson said it was aware of the situation and that it has also received various suggestions from residents to help ease traffic congestion. "However, these suggestions need careful consideration and may not all be feasible for implementation. For instance, some residents have suggested widening the road leading to the EPS gantry to ease the traffic bottleneck. However, based on our assessment, there are technical and site constraints which prevent us from doing so." Another suggestion was to implement a flat rate for parking or to raise the barrier and offer free parking during peak periods but such a move could cause "further congestion" as it encourages motorists to park their cars for longer periods, the spokesperson said. "The EPS system, which charges motorists by per minute parking, is more effective in increasing the turnover of vehicles to minimise the congestion within the car parks." In 2009, the EPS was implemented at the two car parks to "better regulate" short-term parking demand from visitors

Why our late President was shut out but a state funeral given to Goh Keng Swee? I have the upmost respect for the late Goh Keng Swee but who decides our late president is underserving of this honour? Sometimes I really feel very very sad ..........

which of them offer the better chicken rice? is BTK more expensive?

On Channel NewsAsia now... Live - http://www.channelnewsasia.com/live/

SINGAPORE: Former Deputy Prime Minister Goh Keng Swee died early Friday morning after battling a long illness. Dr Goh, who was also a former Finance Minister, was 91. He is survived by his wife, son, daughter-in-law, two grandsons and three great grandchildren. Dr Goh came to Singapore at the age of two, and was later educated at Anglo Chinese School before going on to study economics at Raffles College. He worked as a civil servant till the Japanese Occupation of Singapore during the Second World War. After the war a scholarship took him to the London School of Economics. It was in the UK that he met Lee Kuan Yew and Toh Chin Chye who went on to found the People

went down yesterday to boon keng hawker ctr to fill my tummy wif my favourite goat soup. but alas...whole pl under renovation.any one noes if there is a temporary stalls seted up nearby or any recommendation for a tasty kambing soup.

Hehe, is property market (HDB inclusive) cooling down? 文庆路私人组屋只卖出了65%　剩余单位将让公众直接选购 http://www.zaobao.com/sp/sp080324_503.shtml 组屋市场趋稳 走势不再旺热 http://www.zaobao.com/sp/sp080324_512.shtml

Guess our counterparts in South Korea also practise it.. but nbz..they dislocate shoulder can get PES F..our side still serve as PES C..excuse upper limb..

any of the people here joined in the queue? Actually, i would like know the reason for such a phenomenom. $350k to $750k (3 to 5rm flat) With a cap of combine income $8k per month, is it really enough to pay for a HDB flat that cost that much? I can easily get a condo at that kind of price. Anyone know what's the reason for this phenomenom?

So how many of u have invested in the balloting?

Second batch of condo-style HDB flats to be launched this weekend By Wong Siew Ying, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 03 January 2008 2117 hrs SINGAPORE: The second batch of condo-style public apartments will be launched on 5 January. The apartments at City View@Boon Keng, which will be completed in 2011, promise the trappings of private residential homes. But they will not come cheap. The project is part of HDB's Design, Built and Sell Scheme (DBSS), where private developers build and market the flats. City View@Boon Keng is the second DBSS project; the first is at Tampines. At 40 storeys high, the City View@Boon Keng apartments will tower over many HDB flats in the area. The mixed development will comprise 714 units, two-thirds of which will be 5-room flats and the remainder 3- and 4-room units. The average cost of the apartments is S$520 per square foot, a record for new HDB flats. Hoi Hup Realty Pte Ltd's director, Wong Chee Herng, said: "It goes all the way from just slightly below S$350,000 to, I think, the most expensive unit is very close to S$740,000. We don't see an issue of pricing here, because when the buyers come to see the layout, the design, I think they will appreciate what they will pay for." Buyers will pay for the view of the city and features commonly found in private condominiums. JGP Architecture (s) Pte Ltd's director, Chan Sze Chin, said: "A buyer who comes in here does not have to spend any more money or time to hack the walls to install things like air-con pipes or water heater pipes and even kitchen cabinets. In addition, we've also provided quite a fair bit of plants to the balconies to add to the greening of the development." Industry players believe City View@Boon Keng will draw good response due to its location. Knight Frank's property consultant, Nicholas Mak, said: "The price is about half of that of some of the 99-year (leasehold) condominiums in that area, such as City Lights and South Bank. But, at the same time, they (prices of City View@Boon Keng apartments) are also a bit higher than those for the EC, executive condo. "From the launch of the first DBSS flats in Tampines till now, I think, it would be reasonable to assume that prices of DBSS would have gone up by about the same quantum as HDB resale flats, which is between 20 and 30 per cent." Analysts say the price of a 5-room HDB flat in the resale market in the Boon Keng area will cost about S$450,000. The City View@Boon Keng project is expected to attract the interest of young, middle-income families. Its marketing agents are confident the apartments will be a hit with home buyers. They say the project is likely to be oversubscribed by more than 10 times, attracting 8,000 to 10,000 buyers. Sales will be conducted by way of a ballot. Application starts on 5 January and will end at midnight on 16 January. All applicants must meet public housing guidelines, among them an average monthly household income cap of S$8,000. - CNA/ir Asumming a couple (with gross income 8k) decides to buy the most expensive unit at $740k. [/color] Loan amount assuming couple has 60k in ordinary account plus max. 40k HDB grant = 640k Monthly instatment base on 30 years HDB loan = $2563 Amount of money deposited monthly in ordinary account for couple base on 8k income = around 1.8k Cash required monthly after deducting cpf = $763 Not forgeting if the couple is near 30, then both will have to finance the flat till around 60 years old. If the wife or husband is out of job, then sure die. Wonder if the demand will be high at such high price.

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/867983/the_bus_cycle/

http://singaporeseen.stomp.com.sg/viewPost5983.aspx The driver who was stopped by Traffic Police over the weekend has written to STOMP, saying he was not drunk at the time and did not see the Traffic Police behind him. "I wasn't drunk at the point of time. I am not trying to run away from the Traffic Police and would have stopped if I saw them," Lyon said in an email today (10 Oct). He said he was rushing his wife to the nearest toilet as she was experiencing sharp pains in her stomach. Lyon said this after STOMPer Gerry reported seeing him speeding, with the TP in pursuit. Police said a man in his mid-20s was arrested for dangerous driving after he failed to stop his car along Penang Road despite the police signalling him to do so. When the driver failed to stop his yellow Suzuki Swift, a chase followed before the driver mounted a road kerb along South Canal Road at about 2.45am. In his email, Lyon said: "I am the driver of the car and this is what really happened. On 6/10/07 Saturday at 1.30pm I already knew I lost my baby from the doctor after a routine check every month. "My baby

http://singaporeseen.stomp.com.sg/viewPost5894.aspx This keng jio SSS must be out of his mind. Trying to escape from TP.