Latest news with #ChenHanwei
Straits Times
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Straits Times
141 vehicles booked for illegal modifications during islandwide crackdown: LTA
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Vehicles were found to have illegal modifications such as overly-tinted windows and decorative lamps. SINGAPORE - In the past two months, 141 vehicles were found to have been illegally modified, said the Land Transport Authority (LTA) on July 2. These vehicles included those that had modified exhaust systems, overly tinted windows, improper licence plates and decorative lamps. They were booked during islandwide enforcement operations, said LTA in an Instagram post. According to the OneMotoring website, motorists are not allowed to remove catalytic converters and mufflers from their vehicle exhausts. Decorative lamps, such as flashing decorative lights, and undercarriage and vehicle-interior neon lights, are not allowed. If a motorist wishes to install tinted films on the windscreen or windows or their vehicles, the films must be non-reflective. At least 70 per cent of light must be able to pass through the front windscreen and side windows, and at least 25 per cent of light must be able to pass through those at the rear. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore 3 out of 4 in Singapore cannot identify deepfake content: Cyber Security Agency survey Singapore GrabCab, Singapore's newest taxi operator, hits the roads with over 40 cabs to be rolled out in July Life Star Awards 2025: Xiang Yun and Chen Hanwei are the most decorated actors in show's 30-year history Business Cathay Cineplexes gets demand for $3.4 million in arrears from Jem landlord Asia Dalai Lama says he will have successor after his death Sport FAS introduces 'enhancements' to SPL, with increase in prize money and foreign player quota Singapore 3,800 private candidates in Singapore to take O- and A-level exams in 2025 Singapore Teen admits assaulting cop, fracturing officer's nose LTA previously said that it issued about 4,000 summonses for common illegal modification offences in 2024, and about 5,000 in 2023. Twenty-three workshops which provided illegal modification services were charged in court from 2021 to 2024, LTA added. Individuals and workshops that illegally modify or use such vehicles may be jailed for up to three months, fined up to $5,000, or both. Penalties are doubled for repeat offenders.
Straits Times
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Straits Times
GrabCab, Singapore's newest taxi operator, hits the roads with over 40 cabs to be rolled out in July
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox GrabCab was launched on July 2 with a flag-off ceremony at Grab's headquarters in one-north. SINGAPORE – Singapore's sixth and newest taxi operator GrabCab has hit the roads, with over 40 cabs to be rolled out in July, and more cabs expected in the next three years. Its flag-down fare is $4.60 for a standard four-seater vehicle, while distance rates are 26 cents for every 400km under 10km, and 26 cents for every 350m after 10km. A fee of 26 cents will be charged for every 45 seconds of waiting. Fares for taxis under ComfortDelGro, Trans-Cab, Strides Premier and Prime Taxi are comparable. GrabCab was launched on July 2 with a flag-off ceremony at Grab's headquarters in one-north. The taxi operator, a subsidiary of Grab's rental arm GrabRentals, announced its entry into the market on June 4, with 40 new fifth-generation electric hybrid Toyota Prius cars. Under the terms of its street-hail operator licence, GrabCab has three years to progressively expand its fleet to meet the minimum fleet size requirement of 800 cabs. The operator aims to achieve the target before the third year, said a Grab spokesperson. Grab had said in June that it will add two more models to its fleet, including the electric hybrid Hyundai Kona from August and a fully electric vehicle 'some time' in 2025. The Hyundai Kona will be up for rental from July 3. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore 3 out of 4 in Singapore cannot identify deepfake content: Cyber Security Agency survey Life Star Awards 2025: Xiang Yun and Chen Hanwei are the most decorated actors in show's 30-year history Business Cathay Cineplexes gets demand for $3.4 million in arrears from Jem landlord Asia Dalai Lama says he will have successor after his death Sport FAS introduces 'enhancements' to SPL, with increase in prize money and foreign player quota Singapore 3,800 private candidates in Singapore to take O- and A-level exams in 2025 Singapore Teen admits assaulting cop, fracturing officer's nose Rental rates for a GrabCab vehicle start at $117 a day – the first 100 drivers who sign up will get a rate of $112 a day. This is comparable to the $117 rental rate for a Toyota Prius under taxi giant ComfortDelGro, $109.80 for one under Prime Taxi, and $100 a day at Strides Premier. Fourteen Toyota Prius cars were involved in the flag-off, and some 30 drivers with the new taxi operator attended the event. Speaking at the flag-off ceremony, Grab's group managing director of operations Yee Wee Tang said: 'Ride-hailing apps work great for many commuters, but there are still groups like the older residents and overseas visitors who continue to need a street-hail service, and taxis fill the gap. 'At the same time, by bringing taxis and private-hire vehicles together on one platform, we're strengthening the overall network to provide more reliable and accessible rides for commuters across Singapore.' GrabCab also offers industry-first features such as a safe driving bonus, which rewards accident-free driving with up to $3,000 over three years, and a relief-matching system in the driver app that lets main drivers connect with relief drivers. One of the fleet's new drivers, Mr Kevin Huang, said he did not expect to join the taxi industry so soon. The 45-year-old was a delivery rider for four years before joining GrabCab, but was initially undecided between driving a taxi or a private-hire vehicle. Mr Huang eventually chose a taxi after doing his homework by reading forums, due to benefits such as flexibility for street-hail pickups. His father, who was a ComfortDelGro taxi driver for 15 years, also encouraged him to consider the taxi industry. Mr Huang signed with GrabCab for one year to 'try out' and for benefits such as leave and insurance coverage – drivers have accident coverage and up to two weeks of medical leave. Fees for the course to get the taxi driver's vocational licence are also fully funded by GrabCab. 'My friends all discouraged me and said driving a taxi is for old people,' Mr Huang said. 'But I think this misconception must change.'
Straits Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Truth-telling inquiry finds Australia's indigenous people faced genocide
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Ministers lead children in song at a school in Amanbidji, an aboriginal community in Australia's Northern Territory. SYDNEY – European settlers committed genocide against Australia's indigenous people, a truth-telling inquiry in the state of Victoria has found, calling for government redress, including financial compensation. In a final report, Victoria's four-year royal commission said indigenous people suffered massacres, the forced removal of children from their families, and the suppression of their culture. The findings – presented to Parliament on July 1 – said mass killings, disease, sexual violence, child removal and assimilation led to the 'near-complete destruction' of indigenous people in the state. 'This was genocide,' it said. Among 100 recommendations, the Yoorrook Justice Commission sought redress for damage and loss, citing 'genocide, crimes against humanity and denial of freedoms'. It urged monetary compensation and the restitution of traditional lands, waters and natural resources. The arrival of 11 British ships to set up a penal colony in Sydney Cove in 1788 heralded the long oppression of indigenous peoples, whose ancestors have lived on the continent for more than 60,000 years. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore 3 in 4 in Singapore not able to identify deepfake content: Cyber Security Agency survey Singapore GrabCab, Singapore's newest taxi operator, hits the roads with over 40 cabs Business Cathay Cineplexes gets demand for $3.4 million in arrears from Jem landlord Singapore 3,800 private candidates in Singapore to take O- and A-level exams in 2025 Life Star Awards 2025: Xiang Yun and Chen Hanwei are the most decorated actors in show's 30-year history Sport FAS introduces 'enhancements' to SPL, with increase in prize money and foreign player quota Business Binance to keep hundreds of staff in Singapore despite crackdown, sources say Singapore Teen admits assaulting cop, fracturing officer's nose Making up less than 4 per cent of the current population, indigenous peoples still have lives about eight years shorter than other Australians, poorer education and are far more likely to be imprisoned or die in police custody. 'Current economic disparities and barriers to First Peoples' prosperity are direct legacies of colonial practices and state-sanctioned exclusion,' the inquiry said. Victoria's state premier, Ms Jacinta Allan, thanked the commission and said her government would 'carefully consider' its recommendations. The findings 'shine a light on hard truths and lay the foundations for a better future for all Victorians', she said in a statement.
