Enhanced "circuit breaker" measures will kick in from Apr. 7 to May 4, including the closure of all schools and most workplaces. Many Singaporeans will be required to work from home.

Essential services will still be available in this period. Food and beverage outlets will remain open for takeaway and delivery orders.

However, "this is not the time to use our public transport to get to the other sides of Singapore, for your favourite hawker dish", said Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan in Parliament today (Apr. 6).

Instead, Khaw said that the public transport industry would accept the fall in demand for buses and trains if it meant that "Singaporeans are staying at home more and doing what they need to do around their immediate neighbourhood."

In a speech covering various transport-related industries such as public transport, aviation, and taxi or private hire services, Khaw explained the impact of Covid-19 and action taken to address issues, as well as to prepare for post-pandemic recovery.

Taxi and private hire sector

Khaw acknowledged that the incomes of taxi and private-hire drivers would have plunged in the current situation, and that while the taxi sector had been affected by SARS, a similarly speedy recovery is unlikely.

Nevertheless, Khaw thanked ComfortDelGro and SMRT, two of the taxi operators in Singapore, for their contributions to the Point-To-Point Support Package which involved over $216 million in support, and for supporting the Transport Ambassador scheme, which helps taxi drivers earn extra allowance by helping commuters keep safe distances on public transport.

Aviation sector

Terminal 2 closed, companies reviewing operations

Khaw said that companies in the Changi community are reviewing their operations to reduce their cash losses, citing the closure of Changi Airport Terminal 2 as an example.

He said that just one of Changi Airport's terminals would be sufficient to handle the current demand, and that the closure of Terminal 2, which would last for 18 months, saves on running costs for the airport operator, retail tenants, airlines, as well as ground handlers.

It would also help to hasten the ongoing upgrading works there by up to a year, Khaw said.

Support for Changi Airport air hub

On the topic of post-pandemic recovery, Khaw explained that the government had taken "swift action" to support the Changi Airport air hub "to prevent the loss of strategic capabilities and our hard earned position as a reliable air hub."

He noted that many Singaporeans' livelihoods depend on Changi Airport, and that global connectivity is of "fundamental importance to Singapore".

Singapore Airlines (SIA)

Khaw said that SIA serves as "the anchor" in the aviation ecosystem at the Changi Airport air hub, which in turn, is "crucial to Singapore's role as a business, manufacturing, and R&D hub".

He cited a positive response and outlook by industry analysts, who concluded that SIA "looks well positioned to emerge from the coronavirus crisis as an industry leader".

He explained that action by Temasek Holdings to back SIA's fundraising efforts, and the Resilience Budget, had contributed to this.

According to Khaw, airlines such as SIA, SilkAir, and Scoot, continue to operate around 40 return passenger flights to ASEAN capitals and international economic hubs, albeit with measures to protect the crew members.

SIA is also deploying passenger aircraft to carry only cargo, in addition to passenger flights and freighter services. This is to bring essential goods such as medical supplies and food amidst global supply disruptions.

Crew and ground staff helping at SSOs and hospitals

Meanwhile, crew and ground staff from aviation companies are helping to process applications for social support at social services offices, while others have taken on roles as care ambassadors at hospitals.

Land link to Malaysia

Singapore's land link to Malaysia remains open for essential goods, despite the movement control order (MCO) in effect there, said Khaw, recognising the importance of bilateral cooperation, and expressing his thanks to "the many countries that have worked with us, to ensure that trade flows continue during this difficult time".

He also recognised the efforts of transport workers, such as transport operators, the National Transport Workers' Union, and the Land Transport Authority, who came together to ensure that bus services were unaffected even when the MCO was imposed suddenly.

According to Khaw, bus operators had worked through the night to ensure that drivers from Malaysia were checked into accommodations, and to update duty rosters to replace drivers who remained in Johor.

Maritime sector

Khaw said that the ports continue to serve the world while safeguarding Singapore's essential supplies. He pointed out that Pasir Panjang terminal, for example, is busy with cargo activities, with precautionary measures in place to ensure the safety of staff and crew members.

Preparations for recovery

The Transport Minister said that the transport sector is unlikely to see a full recovery this year. However, he said that a partial recovery next year is probable, and that Singapore "must be ready to lead, and to ride the recovery when it happens".

This according to Khaw, would require Singapore to keep air and sea ports operational amid the Covid-19 pandemic, in order to "continue to play a pivotal role in the global supply chain", as well as to "work to enhance our reputation as among the most reliable hubs in the world".

Global trade flows will shift

Khaw said that recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic would not simply be a "return to status quo ante".

Instead, supply chain resilience, for example, would have increased importance as states seek to improve their resilience by ramping up local production.

This would cause global trade flows to shift, impacting Singapore's transshipment hub.

Thus, Singapore has to "still secure and strengthen our role as a major global supply chain", Khaw said, adding that the efficiency and connectivity of Singapore's seaport and airport would become "even more critical".

In the same vein, Khaw said that SARS had "changed aviation security forever", and that Covid-19's impact on air travel and airport operations would be similarly long-lasting.

However, he said that the upcoming Terminal 5's modular design means that construction can be scaled up and down as required.

Singapore to support international organisations in developing new rules

Lastly, Khaw said that Singapore will support international organisations such as the International Civil Aviation Organisation and the International Maritime Organisation in developing new global rules and guidelines which take into account the lessons learned from the pandemic.

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Image via Gov.sg on Youtube and Joshua Lee.