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Straits Times
28-07-2025
- Straits Times
HPB looking for vaping, smoking counselling services for up to 175 secondary school students
Find out what's new on ST website and app. The vaping/smoking cessation programme will run for a year, with an option to renew for up to six months for an additional 25 students. SINGAPORE - The Health Promotion Board (HPB) is looking for vendors to provide counselling services to focus on secondary school students who need help to stop vaping and smoking. HPB put up a tender on the government procurement portal GeBiz on July 23, calling for proposals as part of its vaping/smoking cessation programme for 150 students. It will run for a year, with an option to renew for up to six months for an additional 25 students. All public sector invitations for quotations and tenders are posted on the GeBiz platform. Tender documents indicate that the virtual counselling services will be for the initiative's Phase 2 Pilot, which will focus on secondary school students. It said students referred by the relevant authorities and schools will be immediately enrolled in the programme. These students are expected to undergo four intervention sessions and two follow-up sessions. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Tanjong Katong sinkhole backfilled; road to be repaved after LTA tests Asia Gunman kills 5 security guards near Bangkok's Chatuchak market before taking own life Singapore Jail for former pre-school teacher who tripped toddler repeatedly, causing child to bleed from nose Singapore Police statements by doctor in fake vaccine case involving Iris Koh allowed in court: Judge Singapore Woman allegedly linked to case involving pre-schooler's sexual assault given stern warning Singapore Singapore lion dance troupe retains title at Genting World championship Singapore SMRT reports unauthorised post on its X account, says investigation under way The intervention sessions are to be conducted within a month, with each session lasting at least 20 minutes. The first session includes an online questionnaire to evaluate a student's attitude and behaviour towards cigarette smoking or vaping, and a pre-cessation survey. During the fourth session, the student will be asked to take a cotinine test, to detect nicotine, which is found in cigarettes and vapes. The follow-up sessions are to be conducted within five weeks, and each should last at least five minutes. The final session will include a post-cessation survey. The same counsellor should be paired with the same student throughout the programme unless a change is requested or required. Audio from all sessions and the result of the cotinine tests must be recorded and retained. These must be provided to HPB at its request within five working days. At the end of each counselling session, students and their parents will be provided a summary message. Fortnightly status reports with the students' details, session case notes and records will be distributed to the respective schools. HPB will also be given the breakdown of the students' progress and number of completed sessions. The Straits Times has contacted HPB for comment. The tender closes on Aug 1, with the delivery date of the services expected on Sept 1. In 2024, there were 2,000 cases of students reported for possessing or using e-vaporisers. This is up from 800 cases in 2022, and 900 cases in 2023. The figures included those from institutes of higher learning. Teachers in primary and secondary schools said they were seeing more students sneaking around with vapes , which can be disassembled and easily concealed, on school grounds. The tender is the latest in a series of anti-vaping measures rolled out by the authorities in July. On July 9, the Ministry of Health (MOH) and Health Sciences Authority (HSA) issued a circular to public healthcare institutions telling them to record all suspected and confirmed etomidate-linked vaping cases and to get patients to surrender their vapes. Etomidate is classified as a poison and regulated under the Poisons Act. It has clinical use as an anaesthetic agent, and is permitted only in clinical settings and subject to strict conditions. On July 16, HSA said it took down more than 600 Telegram groups advertising or selling vapes and Kpods to Singaporeans since April 2024. It had previously put up a tender to buy a cyber surveillance tool designed to target illegal vaping activities online. On July 20, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said the authorities were working to list etomidate under the Misuse of Drugs Act after one in three vapes confiscated here contained the substance. A day later on July 21, HSA extended its operating hours for its reporting hotline and also put up an online reporting form for vapes. On July 25, the Bin The Vape initiative was launched, with vape disposal bins installed at 23 community clubs and one residents' network centre around Singapore. Users can throw away the devices without fear of punishment. If you need help to quit vaping, join the Health Promotion Board's I Quit programme by calling the QuitLine on 1800-438-2000. Participants need not worry about being prosecuted, as it does not presume they use or have used vaping products. But those caught using or possessing such items will be prosecuted. To report vaping-related offences, members of the public can call the HSA reporting hotline at 6684-2036 or 6684-2037 from 9am to 9pm daily, including on public holidays. They can also make a report online at
Straits Times
25-07-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Work to build bridge linking Marina Centre and Gardens by the Bay to start in Q1 2026
URA said the bridge should make a visual statement in the Marina Channel and complement the design of the Benjamin Sheares Bridge. SINGAPORE – Work on a new pedestrian and cycling bridge in Marina Bay connecting Marina Centre to the Gardens by the Bay's Bay East Garden will start in the first quarter of 2026, with completion slated by 2029. The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) called a pre-qualification tender for the design and construction on July 17, requiring the structure to look simple, elegant and timeless, as well as have 'outstanding architectural merit'. The details came after an unveiling of these plans in URA's Draft Master Plan 2025 on June 25. According to tender documents published on government procurement portal GeBiz on July 17, the bridge will be built parallel to a section of the Benjamin Sheares Bridge linking Marina Centre to Tanjong Rhu. The bridge will facilitate the movement of pedestrians, cyclists and people with disabilities between Marina Centre and Bay East Garden, where the future Founders' Memorial will be situated, added URA. It said the bridge should also cater for mass events such as marathons, jogathons and walkathons. The bridge must be able to accommodate people mover systems such as buggies, to allow visitors to shuttle conveniently between Bay East Garden and the future Bay Central Garden at Marina Centre. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore SMRT to pay lower fine of $2.4m for EWL disruption; must invest at least $600k to boost reliability Singapore MRT service changes needed to modify 3 East-West Line stations on Changi Airport stretch: LTA Asia Live: Thailand-Cambodia border clashes continue for second day Singapore Etomidate found in blood of 2 people involved in fatal Punggol Road accident in May: HSA Singapore Vape disposal bins at 23 CCs for users to surrender e-vaporisers without facing penalties Singapore Fine for couple whose catering companies owed $432,000 in salaries to 103 employees Singapore Tipsy Collective sues former directors, HR head; alleges $14m lost from misconduct, poor decisions Singapore Kopi, care and conversation: How this 20-year-old helps improve the well-being of the elderly The Straits Times reported in 2022 that there were no immediate plans to develop the Bay Central Garden , which will feature a 3km waterfront promenade stretching from the Singapore Flyer area to Crawford Bridge in Kampong Bugis. Noting that the new bridge connecting the city to the East Coast area will be prominently positioned within the Marina Channel, URA said it will become a distinctive feature of the waterfront as it will be exceptionally visible from multiple vantage points. These points refer to a waterfront promenade at Marina Centre and the upcoming Bay East Garden in Gardens by the Bay, where residents and visitors gather for leisure. The authority added that the bridge will also form a backdrop for high-profile international events, including the Formula One Singapore Grand Prix and water sports competitions in the Marina Channel, so it must exhibit 'exceptional design excellence' to be on a par with the bridges nearby. Some bridges at the waterfront include the Jubilee Bridge, the Helix, the Benjamin Sheares Bridge and an upcoming one connecting Garden by the Bay's Bay South Garden and Bay East Garden. URA said the design of the new bridge should make a meaningful visual statement in the Marina Channel, while complementing the design of the Benjamin Sheares Bridge. It added that the deck – or walkway – of the bridge should have a 'lightweight appearance', as if it is floating above the water. The authority noted that while construction of the bridge is ongoing, the successful tenderer must still allow water-going vessels to travel along clear routes in the affected portion of the Marina Channel. The contractor should also ensure continuous public access – by foot or cycling – along a park connector network by maintaining alternative routes at Bay East Garden and Marina Centre. People now can get from Marina Centre to Bay East Garden via the Marina Barrage Dam. This route could take more than an hour by foot or around 20 minutes by cycling as it involves travelling down the Helix Bridge, along the waterfront of Gardens by the Bay, across the Marina Barrage Dam, and then along the waterfront of Bay East Garden. Alternatively, pedestrians can walk along the Benjamin Sheares Bridge, which is part of the East Coast Parkway expressway. This includes walking up and down several flights of stairs. The tender documents show that all construction work within the Marina Channel would need to be stopped during several upcoming large-scale international sporting events. These include the Asia Pacific Sprint Cup in April or May 2027, the Asian Dragon Boat Championships in October 2028, trial games for the 2029 SEA Games in the second half of 2028, as well as the SEA Games estimated to take place from June 2029, according to Sport Singapore. The tender documents also show that the Singapore Tourism Board requested a halt to structural work along or adjacent to the waterfront promenade eight weeks before and during the annual Formula One race periods. The other authorities involved as stakeholders in this tender include the National Parks Board that gave recommendations for the landscaping at both ends of the bridge, and national water agency PUB, which will oversee pollution control for the work. Another stakeholder is the Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA), which is currently involved in constructing NS Square at the former The Float @ Marina Bay site. This is because the appointed contractor will be sharing the only approved slipway along Republic Avenue with DSTA to carry out work. The scope of work listed in the tender includes the engagement of a lighting specialist to design night lighting for the bridge, a certified arborist and horticulturist to manage the trees, as well as a landscape specialist to design the greenery at both ends of the bridge. The tender for the design and construction of the bridge will close at 4pm on Aug 7.
Straits Times
18-07-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
HSA looking to get anti-vape cyber surveillance tool with AI capabilities
Find out what's new on ST website and app. HSA said on July 16 it had removed over 600 Telegram groups advertising the sale of vapes here since April 2024. SINGAPORE - The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) are planning to buy a cyber surveillance tool specifically targeting illegal vaping activities online. Such activities include the sale and promotion of e-vaporisers on social networks. Its search functions are expected to be extensive and include phone numbers, email and IP addresses. HSA put up the tender on the GeBiz platform on March 28 and closed it on April 15. GeBIZ, or Government Electronic Business, is the Singapore Government's one-stop e-procurement portal. All public sector invitations for quotations and tenders are posted on the platform. Tender documents indicate that the tool will be for both HSA and the Ministry of Health. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore 30% of aviation jobs could be redesigned due to AI, automation; $200m fund to support workers: CAAS Singapore Alleged Kpod peddler filmed trying to flee raid in Bishan charged with 6 offences Singapore Residents in South West District get help to improve employability, find career opportunities Singapore Jail for contraband cigarette syndicate member over conspiracy to give bribes to security officer Life Kinokuniya opens third bookstore in Raffles City, weeks ahead of schedule Business DBS shares rally to a new record as STI clocks yet another high Singapore 5 foreigners charged over scheme to deliberately get arrested in S'pore to sell sex drugs Two suppliers have responded to the posting. Cobwebs Asia, the Singapore office of US web surveillance company Penlink, made a bid of $959,053. Penlink merged with Israeli surveillance contractor Cobwebs Technologies in 2023. The second supplier is Singaporean digital forensics company, Talon Laboratories, which made a bid of $422,000. The company was founded by digital forensic professionals who were previously from local law enforcement agencies. Both bidders boast platforms powered by artificial intelligence (AI) that can profile users and track their online activity in real-time. Telegram channels in Singapore selling and promoting vapes and Kpods. PHOTO: SCREENGRAB FROM TELEGRAM The requirements set out in the tender include search functions across social media, forums and blogs. It should also be able to analyse profiles and score them based on the level of risk, with AI-based analysis methods for deep target profiling. Optional modules requested are for enhanced web investigations with location-based insights. The tender has not been awarded yet. The Straits Times has contacted HSA for comment. A large number of vape transactions here are arranged over the Telegram messaging platform, which HSA monitors alongside social media sites and e-commerce platforms. HSA said on July 16 it had removed over 600 Telegram groups advertising the sale of vapes here since April 2024. More than 6,800 online listings of vapes and its related components were previously removed from e-commerce and social media platforms from January 2024 to March 2025. HSA said its Tobacco Regulation Branch has been actively monitoring and enforcing the ban on advertisements and sales of vapes online using automated tools. When ST launched its anti-vaping campaign, Vaping: The Invisible Crisis, on July 13, several Telegram channels selling vapes became significantly less active. The campaign aims to raise awareness on the vape scourge. Of particular concern is the rise of etomidate-laced vapes, also known as 'Kpods'. Etomidate is a medicinal ingredient used in clinical practice as an anaesthetic agent and is classified as a poison under the Poisons Act. It was designed to be injected directly into the veins under clinical supervision, and was never meant to be inhaled directly into the lungs. When vaped, it can trigger spams, breathing difficulties, seizures and even psychosis. Kpods have reportedly been pushed in Singapore by organised crime groups , with the local authorities now intensifying crackdowns . Public healthcare institutions have also been told to record all Kpod cases . Possessing, using or buying vapes carries a maximum fine of $2,000. Anyone who distributes, imports or sells vapes and their components can be jailed for up to six months and fined up to $10,000. Those found in possession of or using pods containing etomidate can be jailed for up to two years and fined up to $10,000.
New Paper
03-07-2025
- Automotive
- New Paper
Ground sensors on roadside parking spaces could make payments automatic under new URA pilot project
Paying for roadside parking might become automatic in the future, if a planned trial to install sensors on the ground goes well. These sensors embedded in the ground would be able to detect when a car drives into or leaves a roadside parking space, and communicate with the vehicle's on-board unit (OBU) via Bluetooth technology. The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) called a tender on May 6 for proposals to study the effectiveness of such a system. The agency told The Straits Times on May 29 that the study aims to test the viability of using Bluetooth communications to facilitate automated payment for roadside parking to make it more convenient for motorists. These sensors would be flat and easily driven over by vehicles. Currently, motorists pay for roadside parking either with paper parking coupons, or through the app. This URA study is separate from other plans by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) to also use the OBU for payments for roadside parking. This feature, which the LTA intends to roll out when most vehicles have OBUs fitted, will require motorists to use the OBU's touchscreen display to start the parking session. The parking session ends automatically when the vehicle is driven out of the parking space. LTA said that it will "work with URA to review the outcome of this study in assessing any future deployment plans". Across the island, URA manages approximately 13,000 roadside parking spaces. For this trial, URA intends to select a contractor and conduct a reliability test at Changi Beach Car Park 5 from October 2025 to July 2026. It also intends to carry out an operational pilot at carparks in Chinatown, Keong Saik and Bukit Timah from August 2026 to July 2027. According to tender documents published on government procurement portal GeBiz, the 10-month reliability test will need to be conducted on four vehicle types: passenger sedans, light goods vehicles such as lorries, heavy vehicles such as prime movers, as well as buses with 23 or more seats. URA did not comment on why it excluded motorcycles from the trial. For the 12-month operational pilot, the authority noted that the three carpark locations were chosen because it is possible to put in the sensors at these places for the trial while having them remain accessible to motorists. "We do not expect any disruptions to parking operations," said the URA spokesperson. ST understands that there will be no automated payments triggered in the study. The tender closes at 4pm on Aug 21, and the contract will be awarded by October 2025. Asked about when it hopes to roll out these parking sensors on a wider scale, URA said it will review the outcome of the study and other parallel initiatives in assessing future deployment plans. Motorists and operators whom ST spoke to mostly welcomed this new initiative, although some raised concerns. Mr Davidson Chua, 25, said that such a system could "remove the hassle" of manually starting a carpark session when he is in a rush. The business co-founder also hopes that the system would be able to inform motorists of the availability of parking spaces in the area. But Mr Chua noted that some motorists may be unhappy with this new initiative, as they can no longer "game the system" by avoiding payments whenever they can. Mr Lim Kian Chin, the managing director of Allied Container Group, a firm with a fleet of more than 80 lorries and prime movers, said that data collected from these sensors may improve land resource planning as the agency will know how well used parking spaces are and decide how best to use the available space. But Mr Lim, who is also chairman of the Singapore Transport Association, said that it may be troublesome for truck and lorry drivers who often temporarily park their vehicles at roadside parking spaces to run quick errands, such as delivering goods to the service counter of a building. As at June, over 500,000 vehicles have been fitted with new OBU, which is part of the new satellite-based Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) system known as ERP 2.0. These OBUs are capable of determining a vehicle's location and processing ERP charges. They can provide motorists with more information like real-time traffic alerts of road closures and accidents. The installation of the new OBUs in Singapore-registered vehicles is targeted to be completed by 2026.
Straits Times
15-06-2025
- Automotive
- Straits Times
Ground sensors on roadside parking spaces could make payments automatic under new URA pilot project
Currently, motorists pay for roadside parking either with paper parking coupons, or through the app. ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG Ground sensors on roadside parking spaces could make payments automatic under new URA pilot project SINGAPORE – Paying for roadside parking might become automatic in the future, if a planned trial to install sensors on the ground goes well. These sensors embedded in the ground would be able to detect when a car drives into or leaves a roadside parking space, and communicate with the vehicle's on-board unit (OBU) via Bluetooth technology. The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) called a tender on May 6 for proposals to study the effectiveness of such a system. The agency told The Straits Times on May 29 that the study aims to test the viability of using Bluetooth communications to facilitate automated payment for roadside parking to make it more convenient for motorists. These sensors would be flat and easily driven over by vehicles. Currently, motorists pay for roadside parking either with paper parking coupons, or through the app. This URA study is separate from other plans by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) to also use the OBU for payments for roadside parking. This feature, which the LTA intends to roll out when most vehicles have OBUs fitted, will require motorists to use the OBU's touchscreen display to start the parking session. The parking session ends automatically when the vehicle is driven out of the parking space. LTA said that it will 'work with URA to review the outcome of this study in assessing any future deployment plans'. Across the island, URA manages approximately 13,000 roadside parking spaces. For this trial, URA intends to select a contractor and conduct a reliability test at Changi Beach Car Park 5 from October 2025 to July 2026. It also intends to carry out an operational pilot at carparks in Chinatown, Keong Saik and Bukit Timah from August 2026 to July 2027 . According to tender documents published on government procurement portal GeBiz, the 10-month reliability test will need to be conducted on four vehicle types: passenger sedans, light goods vehicles such as lorries, heavy vehicles such as prime movers, as well as buses with 23 or more seats. URA did not comment on why it excluded motorcycles from the trial. For the 12-month operational pilot, the authority noted that the three carpark locations were chosen because it is possible to put in the sensors at these places for the trial while having them remain accessible to motorists. 'We do not expect any disruptions to parking operations,' said the URA spokesperson. ST understands that there will be no automated payments triggered in the study. The tender closes at 4pm on Aug 21 , and the contract will be awarded by October 2025 . Asked about when it hopes to roll out these parking sensors on a wider scale, URA said it will review the outcome of the study and other parallel initiatives in assessing future deployment plans. Motorists and operators whom ST spoke to mostly welcomed this new initiative, although some raised concerns. Mr Davidson Chua , 25 , said that such a system could 'remove the hassle' of manually starting a carpark session when he is in a rush. The business co-founde r also hopes that the system would be able to inform motorists of the availability of parking spaces in the area. But Mr Chua noted that some motorists may be unhappy with this new initiative, as they can no longer 'game the system' by avoiding payments whenever they can. Mr Lim Kian Chin , the managing director of Allied Container Group, a firm with a fleet of more than 80 lorries and prime movers, said that data collected from these sensors may improve land resource planning as the agency will know how well used parking spaces are and decide how best to use the available space. But Mr Lim, who is also chairman of the Singapore Transport Association , said that it may be troublesome for truck and lorry drivers who often temporarily park their vehicles at roadside parking spaces to run quick errands, such as delivering goods to the service counter of a building. As at June , over 500,000 vehicles have been fitted with new OBU, which is part of the new satellite-based Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) system known as ERP 2.0. These OBUs are capable of determining a vehicle's location and processing ERP charges. They can provide motorists with more information like real-time traffic alerts of road closures and accidents. The installation of the new OBUs in Singapore-registered vehicles is targeted to be completed by 2026. Esther Loi is a journalist at The Straits Times, where she covers transport issues. Lee Nian Tjoe is senior transport correspondent at The Straits Times, where he also oversees the Motoring section. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
