logo
Airport-bound public bus to be fitted with luggage rack in 3-month trial: LTA

Airport-bound public bus to be fitted with luggage rack in 3-month trial: LTA

Straits Times2 days ago
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
The three-tiered luggage rack can safely store up to six large pieces of luggage.
SINGAPORE - A public bus that plies the route between Changi Airport and the city will be fitted with a three-tiered luggage rack for three months, in a trial to better serve airport-bound commuters.
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) said in a Facebook post on Aug 16 that the rack will be installed on one of the buses that serve the Service 36 route, starting Aug 17 .
The rack can safely store up to six large pieces of luggage, and is equipped with secure storage features that include anti-slip flooring and anti-roll hump, the authority added.
The middle and upper tiers will have sloping platforms, while the bottom tier will have a movable horizontal bar at the bottom tier to keep luggage bags in place.
In a picture that accompanied LTA's post, the rack is positioned two seats directly behind the driver.
LTA said the bus service was chosen because it is the only direct bus service between the airport and the city.
Operated by Go-Ahead Singapore , bus service 36 starts from Changi Airport and travels to Orchard Road and back, passing by places such as Parkway Parade, Suntec City, the Singapore Management University and the Four Seasons Hotel.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

A South Korean city wanted ‘Big Tree' landmark. It got a S$31.8m letdown
A South Korean city wanted ‘Big Tree' landmark. It got a S$31.8m letdown

Straits Times

time10 hours ago

  • Straits Times

A South Korean city wanted ‘Big Tree' landmark. It got a S$31.8m letdown

Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox The original rendering of Changwon city's 'Big Tree' observation tower (left) and a photo of the landmark attraction taken in July. A South Korean port city's attempt to build a landmark attraction to draw visitors has run into public backlash, with critics calling its new 34.4 billion won ( S$31.8 million ) 'Big Tree' observation tower a costly disappointment. The Big Tree, which rises 46.5 metres in Changwon, south - eastern South Korea, was inspired by the towering Supertrees at Singapore's Gardens by the Bay. It was designed to anchor Daesang Park, a public-private partnership development worth about 1 trillion won, and to serve as a draw for both domestic and international visitors. The tower offers 360-degree views of Masan Port, Dotseom Island and Muhaksan mountain, but as recent local media reports and public commentary have noted, its squat proportions, sparse artificial foliage and incongruous decorative animal statues have left many residents underwhelmed. Changwon, home to just over one million people, is an industrial and shipping hub near the south - eastern tip of the Korean Peninsula. It became a 'special city' in 2022 under South Korean law, granting it some additional autonomy over development projects. City officials promoted the Big Tree as a signature tourist attraction that could help alleviate South Korea's long-standing problem of tourism being concentrated in Seoul. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Jobs, infrastructure and homes at the core of Singapore's resilience: Economists Singapore LTA, public transport operators join anti-vaping effort with stepped-up enforcement Opinion It's time vaping offences had tougher consequences Singapore Malaysia's Inspector-General receives prestigious Singapore award Asia 2 firefighters die in building fire at Osaka's Dotonbori tourist district Singapore Woman hurt after car turns turtle in Upper Thomson accident Singapore Jail for driver of 11-tonne garbage truck that ran over cyclist in Woodlands Life 'Unexpected challenge': Actor Jet Li in hospital for operation According to the Korea Culture and Tourism Institute, 78 per cent of foreign visitors in 2024 spent time in the capital, compared to just 16.5 per cent in Busan, 11.2 per cent in Gyeonggi Province and 10.9 per cent on Jeju Island. The tower was built under a public-private partnership, a model widely used by Korean municipalities to avoid losing undeveloped urban parkland to private use under the country's 'urban park sunset law' that took effect in 2020. In Changwon's case, the private developer agreed to build most of the park facilities, including the Big Tree, and transfer them to the city, while retaining about 12.7 per cent of the site for a 1,779-unit apartment complex and other revenue-generating properties. City officials have now confirmed that the Big Tree's upper structure will be redesigned, but they expect this process to take at least a year. The redesign will be selected through a nationwide competition and citizen consultations. Even if work proceeds smoothly, the city estimates that construction could only start in the second half of 2026. In response to negative feedback, Changwon has decided not to charge an entry fee when the tower begins official operations on Oct 1. Local media inspections in recent weeks described artificial leaves arranged so sparsely they seemed unfinished, and interior plant sculptures that were clearly fake. Some small details, such as a few realistic-looking faux plants, drew brief curiosity, but most of the decorative elements were identified as looking 'too artificial '. Another key feature of Daesang Park is the 'Mom's Free Zone,' a literal translation from Korean that may sound awkward in English. The name reflects its original idea: a safe indoor space where mothers could take a break – 'free' from childcare – while children played in a clean, pollution-free environment. Proposed in 2020 amid public concern over fine dust, it was envisioned as a mix of play areas, lounges, and cultural spaces. The 5,000 sq m building, costing about 25 billion won, sits next to a new 1,779-unit apartment complex being built under the same public-private project. It was designed with these future residents, especially young families, in mind. But nearly five years on, the facility is still an empty shell, with no set plan for its contents or operator, and no dedicated parking. A consulting study due in September may propose uses such as a kids' cafe , library, or coffee shop, but the city has already extended the completion deadline to February 2026, long after the apartments open this October. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK

Thailand to allow foreign tourists to convert crypto to baht
Thailand to allow foreign tourists to convert crypto to baht

Straits Times

time12 hours ago

  • Straits Times

Thailand to allow foreign tourists to convert crypto to baht

Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox The Thai government wants to promote innovation and support the use of digital assets to stimulate Thailand's tourism industry. Tourism-reliant Thailand will relax restrictions on foreign visitors converting digital-asset holdings into the baht to fund their travel expenses and spending while in the country. The government wants to promote innovation and support the use of digital assets to stimulate Thailand's tourism industry while offering convenient payment options for foreigners, Finance Minister Pichai Chunhavajira told a press briefing on Aug 18. The so-called TouristDigipay programme will start its 18-month trial period through a regulatory sandbox in the fourth quarter, he added. Digital assets cannot be used directly as a means of payment for goods and services – only for conversions into the baht – and merchants will receive payments only in baht, according to officials. 'We want to take every action to facilitate foreign tourists for their stays in Thailand,' said Mr Pichai. 'This new programme adds a new innovation to replace overseas visitors' cash and credit card use here.' South-east Asia's third-biggest economy is trying to lure international tourists from a wider range of countries, with visitors from China slumping amid safety concerns. The government hopes to boost the flow of tourists from the Middle East and South-east Asia to help offset a 33 per cent drop in Chinese travellers in the first half of 2025, following news of Chinese actor Wang Xing's kidnapping near Thailand's border with Myanmar. On Aug 18, Thailand's main planning agency lowered its foreign tourist arrival forecast to 33 million in 2025 from 37 million earlier, citing a slump in the number of Chinese visitors. The tourism industry makes up about 12 per cent of Thailand's gross domestic product. Year-to-date tourist arrivals have topped 20.2 million as of Aug 10, down 6.9 per cent from the same period a year ago. Foreign tourists who wish to convert digital assets into the baht to pay for goods and services must transact through licensed digital-asset business operators and e-money service providers, according to a finance ministry statement. Spending through the programme is limited to 500,000 baht (S$19,750) per month. Those limits, alongside strict requirements around opening new accounts and activating e-wallets, are designed to prevent money laundering, according to Mr Pichai. BLOOMBERG

Pilgrimage route cut as Spanish wildfires spread to Picos de Europa mountains
Pilgrimage route cut as Spanish wildfires spread to Picos de Europa mountains

Straits Times

time13 hours ago

  • Straits Times

Pilgrimage route cut as Spanish wildfires spread to Picos de Europa mountains

Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox PALACIOS DE JAMUZ, Spain - Raging wildfires in Spain spread to the southern slopes of the Picos de Europa mountain range on Monday and authorities closed part of the popular Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route. About 20 wildfires, fuelled by a severe 16-day heatwave, have devastated more than 115,000 hectares (285,000 acres) in the regions of Galicia and Castile and Leon over the past week. "This is a fire situation we haven't experienced in 20 years," Defence Minister Margarita Robles told radio station Cadena SER. "The fires have special characteristics as a result of climate change and this huge heatwave." She said thick smoke was affecting the work of water-carrying helicopters and aircraft. The Spanish army has deployed 1,900 troops to help firefighters. Highways and rail services have been cut in the area, as well as the "Camino de Santiago" hiking route, an ancient pilgrimage path trodden by thousands in the summer. It links France and the city of Santiago de Compostela on the Western tip of Spain, where the remains of the apostle St James are said to be buried. Authorities in the Castile and Leon region have closed the path in the area between the towns of Astorga and Ponferrada, which are about 50 km (30 miles) apart, and told hikers "not to put (their) lives in danger". A firefighter died when his truck crashed on a forest path near the village of Espinoso de Compludo. Four firefighters have died so far. The Interior ministry says 27 people have been arrested and 92 are under investigation for suspected arson since June. Southern Europe is experiencing one of its worst wildfire seasons in two decades, with Spain among the hardest-hit countries. In Portugal, wildfires have burnt 155,000 hectares so far this year, according to the ICNF forestry protection institute - three times the average for this period between 2006 to 2024. About half of that area burned in the past three days. Robles said things are not likely to improve until the heatwave that has seen temperatures hit 45 Celsius degrees (113 Fahrenheit) starts easing on Monday evening or Tuesday. The heatwave is the third hottest since 1975, when the national weather agency started tracking them. Most of the country is subject to wildfire warnings. REUTERS

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store