Mr. Speaker, while I support the broader objectives of this Bill, particularly the administrative amendments that seek to streamline our land and sea transport regulations for greater efficiency, I have a number of questions regarding the proposed amendments to the Bus Services Industry Act (BSIA) concerning security screening and searches.
We have already travelled this road with the rail network. The legal provisions for mandatory screening, including X-ray scans and frisk searches, were variously introduced under the Rapid Transit Systems Act and implemented in phases in 2018 and 2021.
I have no issue with the principle of transport security, but I have some questions regarding the proposed expansion to the bus network.
1. Justification for Expansion: What Did We Learn from the RTSA Rollout?
The existing security paradigm has already seen the implementation of enhanced security at MRT stations, many of which are physically integrated with bus interchanges.
I would like to ask the minster, what are the key operational or threat-based lessons drawn from the implementation of mandatory screening and frisk searches on the MRT/LRT network that necessitate this extension to the bus network?
How often were the searches carried out and what was the level of non-compliance on the MRT?
Can the Minister clarify the specific, heightened threat assessment, if any, that necessitates extending powers of frisk searches and mandatory screening to our bus interchanges and onboard public buses at this time?
Can the Minister also provide a detailed explanation of the specific and unique threat profile of the bus network?
Finally, given that buses and bus interchanges are inherently more porous than enclosed rail systems, how effective will mandatory screening be and how we can avoid creating unnecessary tension given the passenger loads especially at peak times?
2. Operational Challenges and effect on seamlessness and Commuter Flow
The LTA has previously stated that the time taken for random screening on the MRT is kept to a minimum, often under 30 seconds. However, the operational environment of a bus interchange and a public bus is vastly different from a fare-controlled MRT station.
Touching on issues of operational impact and public convenience, how will the LTA and the bus operators ensure these checks, whether on a moving bus or at a busy bus interchange, do not cause disproportionate delays to commuter journeys, which rely on rapid boarding and alighting?
Specifically for bus interchanges that are co-located with MRT stations (like Jurong East, Woodlands, or Ang Mo Kio), where commuters may already have been screened upon entering the MRT, what steps will be taken to prevent the duplication of checks and thus minimise commuter inconvenience?
What is the projected manpower requirement to staff these new screening points at bus interchanges, and will this draw resources away from other crucial public transport operations?
3. Safeguards and Training: Applying the 'Approved Person' Experience
Like under the RTSA, extending the powers to approved persons under the BSIA similarly necessitates a high level of public confidence and scrutiny.
On accountability and safeguards, the implementation of frisk searches on the rail network was backed by the 2021 legislative amendments. Could the Minister elaborate on the specific post-2021 training enhancements and refresher courses introduced for "approved persons" under the RTSA? How will these proven standards be directly adopted, or even enhanced, for the new cohort of bus-related "approved persons"?
Can the minister explain for the benefit of the public, what are the specific protocols that will govern a frisk search onboard a public bus or at a bus interchange? Are there any protocols to ensure both commuter privacy and officer safety?
Mr. Speaker, Singaporeans understand the need for security, just as we also value clarity and efficiency. There is the opportunity to apply the lessons learned from the RTSA introduction to make the BSIA amendments as seamless and publicly acceptable as possible. This expansion must be a justified necessity, beyond mere legislative symmetry.
I look forward to the Minister's clarifications on these matters of necessity, operational efficiency, and critical safeguards. Mr Speaker, notwithstanding the concerns I have raised, I support the Bill.
