ESSENTIALLY SMRT CORPORATION LTD GROUP REVIEW 2020/2021 SMRT CORPORATION LTD GROUP REVIEW 2020/2021 SMRT CORPORATION LTD GROUP REVIEW 2020/2021 1
AboutSMRT CORPORATION CONTENTS SMRT CORPORATION IN BRIEF OUR CULTURE OF CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT SMRT Corporation Ltd 2 Milestones 64 Good Today, Better Tomorrow (SMRT) is a public transport 4 Highlights service provider. Our primary Vision 6 Awards and Accolades 8 At a Glance OUR SUSTAINABILITY JOURNEY business is to manage and Moving People, Enhancing Lives 68 Building a Sustainable Business operate train services on SHAPING THE FUTURE TOGETHER the North-South Line, East- Mission 13 Our Focus and Our Five Business Groups OUR DUTY West Line, the Circle Line, the To deliver a public transport 14 Chairman’s Message 76 Safety and Security new Thomson-East Coast service that is safe, reliable 18 Group CEO’s Message 22 Board of Directors Line and the Bukit Panjang OUR PEOPLE and commuter-centred 24 Senior Management Light Rail Transit. This is 82 Investing in our Human Capital
complemented by our bus, 26 A YEAR OF CHALLENGES & taxi and mobility services. Core Values TRANSFORMATION OUR GOVERNANCE We have set our core Respect Service & Safety 88 Ensuring Sound Governance 28 NAVIGATING THE NEW NORMAL 90 Our Risk Management Framework values to be Respect, Integrity Excellence Integrity, Service & Safety OUR COMMUNITY and Excellence. SMRT is OUR CORE 96 WeCare for Commuters 32 Trains committed to provide safe, 100 Engaging the Community reliable and comfortable 40 Engineering 46 Roads service for our commuters. 52 Experience 58 International 2 SMRT CORPORATION LTD GROUP REVIEW 2020/2021 SMRT CORPORATION LTD GROUP REVIEW 2020/2021 3
SMRT CORPORATION IN BRIEF SMRT Milestones
1980s 2004 TRAINS 2013 BUSES CORPORATE BUSES • MRT Trains signed an MoU • Singapore’s fourth rail • SMRT Buses progressively • SMRT Corp was delisted from • SMRT Buses opened the to Improve Rail Maintenance CORPORATE AND TRAINS TRAINS CORPORATE line, Circle Line (CCL), installed buses with SGX on 31 October Bukit Panjang Integrated Capabilities with SBS Transit • Woodlands MRT station and ST Engineering to • Singapore Mass Rapid • The SMRT Corporate commenced service from telematics solutions to • The JurongHealth Mobility Transport Hub, its first is the first MRT station in foster greater knowledge- Transit (MRT) incorporated Volunteer Programme was Bartley to Marymount encourage safe and eco- Park, sponsored by SMRT, integrated transport hub, Singapore to be awarded the sharing and grow local rail • Singapore’s first MRT system created with the aim to build friendly driving was the first of its kind with a host of innovative, BUSES Building and Construction maintenance and engineering began its inaugural service a more inclusive society • SMRT signed a Memorandum in Singapore where life- commuter-friendly features Authority’s Green Mark (Gold) capabilities between Yio Chu Kang and • Wheelchair Accessible Bus of Understanding (MoU) with size public transportation BUSES services were introduced, TAXIS • EWL is The Most Reliable Toa Payoh on the North- TRAINS e2i and National Transport models helped with patients’ South Line (NSL) • Service 950, the first SMRT expanding transport options Workers’ Union to jointly rehabilitation • SMRT Taxis partnered with Line in 2019 with an MKBF cross-border service for for mobility-challenged • SMRT Trains embarked Grab, enabling all SMRT of 1.48 million train-km, • Fifteen more stations were develop and operate the • The second inclusive commuters travelling to commuters on a multi-year Sleeper Taxis’ drivers to use Grab for awarded by the MOT opened and the MRT system first Bus Career Development playground launched in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, began Replacement Project to taxi bookings and dynamic Challenge Shield was officially launched Centre Ghim Moh improve journey times and fixed fares • EWL is The Most Improved by Singapore’s first Prime 2010 provide commuters with a • SMRT Corp’s inaugural Green • Strides Transportation Line in 2019 after more than Minister, Mr Lee Kuan Yew 2005 smoother ride Forum for the sharing of 2015 established its first overseas tripling its 2018 MKBF of 0.41 BUSES sustainability practices was COMMERCIAL • SMRT Trains embarked joint venture, SMRT Strides million train-km, awarded by • SMRT Buses added the Euro CORPORATE, TRAINS launched 1990s on a holistic network-wide Toyotsu Alliance, in Yangon, the MOT Challenge Shield • Raffles Xchange, the first V Mercedes-Benz Citaro predictive maintenance AND BUSES offering limousine and car MRT station redeveloped for 0530 — buses with greater TRAINS TRAINS regime on the North-South • SMRT celebrated SG50 with rental services BUSES transit retail, was launched fuel efficiency and full low • Boon Lay MRT station on and East-West Lines free travel on SMRT trains • SMRT Trains transitioned • Yishun Integrated Transport floor for smoother passenger the East-West Line (EWL) (NSEWL), introducing and buses to the New Rail Financing Hub (YITH) opened — a fully flow — to its bus fleet opened, marking the 2006 new technologies Framework on 1 October, 2018 barrier-free bus interchange completion of the System COMMERCIAL CORPORATE following shareholders’ vote with commuter-friendly and CORPORATE CORPORATE BUSES • SMRT Corp sponsored the at the Extraordinary General inclusive facilities; in line with • The NSL was extended to • Esplanade Xchange opened Meeting on 29 September Woodlands, completing • SMRT-Citibank VISA credit on the CCL • MAN A22 buses were added Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Inclusive • SMRT collaborated with the Government’s efforts to to the fleet, increasing the Singapore Red Cross’ create a more caring and the loop and debit cards with EZ-link • SMRT Media forayed into Playground, which offers TAXIS functions, a first-of-its-kind digital media to offer greater fleet size to more than 1,200 play features that encourage Community Health on Wheels inclusive public transport • Singapore’s first light rail • SMRT’s private hire travel rewards programme, interactivity and vibrancy to buses inclusive play — a community-based mobile system system, the Bukit Panjang vehicle business, Strides were launched the network health programme that • SMRT Buses signed an MoU Light Rail Transit (LRT), • SMRT-Temasek Cares AED Transportation, was TAXIS reaches out to the elderly in to deepen our commitment to opened for passenger service on Wheels was launched launched, offering limousine • SMRT Taxis introduced 30 the heartlands inclusive service delivery with 2008 — a pilot programme services, chauffeured 2011 new wheelchair-enabled five Social Service Agencies where Automated External services, and car rental TRAINS London cabs and 600 Prius (SSA) to support and 2000 CORPORATE TRAINS Defibrillators (AEDs) are services Hybrid taxis to its fleet installed in 100 SMRT taxis • SMRT and the Land Transport enhance the quality of life CORPORATE • The Gift of Mobility • Train Service from Caldecott Authority (LTA) commenced • SMRT Corp established an ENGINEERING SERVICES for people with disabilities Programme was launched to HarbourFront CCL stations COMMERCIAL works to renew and enhance and dementia and help them • SMRT Corporation Ltd (SMRT to provide taxi services for Environmental Sustainability commenced • Woodlands XChange opened • 2getthere Asia, a joint venture the power supply system on better integrate into society Corp) listed on Singapore individuals with physical Committee to oversee green and tenants were the first between SMRT Services the NSEWL Exchange (SGX) disabilities BUSES sustainability efforts shop owners in Singapore and 2getthere, was set up to • SMRT launched its first ENGINEERING market, install, operate, and • ‘SMRT is Green’ was • SMRT Buses added MAN to be certified with the C151C trains from Bishan • New Singapore Rail TRAINS maintain Automated Vehicle 2001 launched organisation- A22 low-floor, wheelchair- ‘Project: Eco-Shop’ label, Depot Standards launched – an • The SMRT Trains Engineering systems for customers in wide as a commitment to accessible, single-deck buses which was jointly developed initiative by SMRT, LTA, SBS Programme was launched to Singapore and the Asia- • Renewal works for the CORPORATE environmental sustainability, to its fleet by SMRT and the Singapore Transit, Institute of Engineers develop a sustainable pool of Pacific region Bukit Panjang LRT system • SMRT Corp launched its which included initiatives to Environment Council Singapore (IES) and TAXIS engineering professionals commenced Learning Journey Programme ‘green’ our fleet Enterprise Singapore (ESG) in collaboration with the • SMRT’s ‘Book a Taxi’ ENGINEERING SERVICES BUSES BUSES 2017 BUSES Ministry of Education smartphone application • SMRT Engineering won the EXPERIENCE • SMRT Buses put Southeast made it easier to book a cab • Singapore Bus Training • Choa Chu Kang Bus contract to install Automatic TRAINS Interchange opened, offering • Won the LTA TEL Retail BUSES Asia’s first Euro-V compliant on the go Fare Collection faregates for and Evaluation Centre, Singapore’s first team-based • SMRT Trains celebrated 30 the first one-stop service Contract to manage the retail bus on the roads • SMRT Taxis added Chevrolet the Tuas West Extension • SMRT Corp and Trans-Island bus training centre, opened years of MRT operations centre in a bus interchange spaces across the Bus Services (TIBS) Holdings TAXIS Epica to its fleet rail line merged, creating Singapore’s • Sleeper and power rail • SMRT Taxis debuted SMRT COMMERCIAL • Launched the “Communities first multi-modal company 2014 replacement works on the 2019 Eco Taxis, which used 2012 • Kallang Wave Mall, managed NSEWL completed in SMRT” Concept with compressed natural gas CORPORATE by SMRT Alpha, opened a Farmers’ Market at • Trial of the new signaling CORPORATE Bishan MRT station in 2002 TRAINS • SMRT Corp introduced the COMMERCIAL • SMRT Advertising & system on the NSL began • Corporate Office moved from partnership with Central Adopt-A-Station/Adopt-an- • Train service from Bayfront Properties and The X • The Tuas West Extension North Bridge Road to Paya Singapore Community TRAINS • Choa Chu Kang Xchange, Interchange programme to Marina Bay CCL stations Collective incorporated opened, adding four new Lebar Quarter 3 Development Council SMRT’s first transit retail — a community outreach • Changi Airport MRT commenced stations to the EWL development in the programme with local Station opened heartlands, opened TRAINS COMMERCIAL schools 2016 • SMRT Trains was awarded 2020 the Thomson-East Coast Line • NSEWL Operations Control • SMRT Alpha, a joint venture CORPORATE AND TRAINS (TEL) contract to operate and Centre relocated from (As of end March 2020) 2003 2009 between SMRT Investments TRAINS maintain the line in stages Victoria Street to Kim Chuan and Alpha Plus Investments, • SMRT Trains crossed the • Seven SMRT Trains engineers TRAINS TAXIS CORPORATE from 2019 for an initial Depot — the world’s biggest won the bid to operate and landmark of 10 billion accredited as Singapore’s nine-year period. TEL will add underground depot • The new Thomson-East • SMRT Corp attained ISO • SMRT Institute, an accredited manage the retail mall at passenger journeys carried first Chartered Engineers in 43km and 32 new stations to Coast Line (TEL) 9001:2000 certification for educational institution, was Sports Hub Railway and Transportation • Canberra Station on the NSL achieving quality standards in established to develop and Engineering the existing train network opened (First Stage) opened the provision of taxi services deliver transport-related ENGINEERING SERVICES • Achieved 1 Million Mean training and education • SMRT International provided Kilometres Between Failure services technical advisory services (MKBF) • SMRT Corp achieved ISO on an LRT system for the 14001 certification for its Republic of Mauritius Environmental Management System 4 SMRT CORPORATION LTD GROUP REVIEW 2020/2021 SMRT CORPORATION LTD GROUP REVIEW 2020/2021 5
SMRT CORPORATION IN BRIEF Many industries have been impacted by the ROADS 2020/2021 COVID-19 crisis, and we are no exception. • Buses achieved an operated We continue to strive to provide dependable CORPORATE mileage of more than 98% - which is Highlights transport services to our commuters, and above the regulatory target of 96% • Established the SMRT Group support our staff and partners, all through Sustainability Bond Framework to • As part of our Go-To SMRT initiative, all these challenging times and beyond. invest in initiatives and businesses to further our bus interchanges were certified as SMRT’s mandate business sustainability Dementia Go-To Points by AIC TRAINS • Achieved Mean Kilometres Between • 17 stations certified by Agency for Failure (MKBF) stretch target for all Integrated Care (AIC) as its Dementia EXPERIENCE rail lines by sustaining above 1 million MKBF Go-To Points, on top of other features we have Awarded Marketing Agent for for North-South and East-West Lines (NSEWL) and put in these stations to make them more inclusive Circle Line (CCL) Lendlease Malls to manage and market the media assets of Somerset 313 and JEM for • SMRT Trains signed a the next five years contract with Bombardier Transportation for the provision of long-term service support for the 106 BOMBARDIER MOVIA trains for the NSEWL. This ensures the ready supply of spares and parts for the maintenance of the trains and allows proactive monitoring and developing of solutions to address obsolescence
• SMRT Trains and Alstom signed a long-term service support for CCL’s U300 Signalling System, this will ensure spares and technical support for the smooth running of CCL
• All SMRT stations received the SG Clean quality mark and robot cleaners were deployed in CCL to keep our stations clean
• Three railway standards were launched in the inaugural Singapore Railway Standards, a collaboration with the Institute of Engineers Singapore and other industry partners
INTERNATIONAL • RTS Operations Pte Ltd (RTSO), a Joint Venture • The company will also operate and maintain the (JV) Company between SMRT Corporation Ltd rail line between Bukit Chagar station in Johor and Prasarana Malaysia Berhad, was formed to Bahru, Malaysia, and Woodlands North station ENGINEERING design, build, and finance the Johor in Singapore • Signed an MoU with Certis Cisco to co-develop • Established a three-year technology solutions and initiatives such collaboration with AI.SG under the Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System • The RTS Link passenger service is targeted to as warning systems and anti-fatigue monitoring to (RTS) Link operating assets, including commence by end-2026, and will be able to Artificial Intelligence (AI) Engineering assist our station staff and train captains to work more trains, tracks and systems carry up to 10,000 passengers every hour in Hub programme to grow talent and build effectively and safely each direction capabilities in AI to enhance operations and maintenance 6 SMRT CORPORATION LTD GROUP REVIEW 2020/2021 SMRT CORPORATION LTD GROUP REVIEW 2020/2021 7
SMRT CORPORATION IN BRIEF AWARDS AND Accolades
SERVICE EXCELLENCE SAFETY & SECURITY OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE
Medal of Commendation (Gold): Operational Improvement Bronze Award: Artificial Workplace for Crisis Best Public Toilet: Bukit Panjang Mr Neo Kian Hong, Award – Global Winner – Intelligence Driven Bus Management Award: APAC – Integrated Transport Hub and Group Chief Executive Officer – SMRT Trains Ltd Interchange: Gali Batu Zone – SMRT Corporation Ltd Yishun Integrated Transport Hub SMRT Corporation Ltd 14th DuPont Safety & SMRT Buses Ltd Workplace Customer Success 2020 LOO (Let’s Observe May Day Awards 2021, National Sustainability Awards, DuPont Workplace Safety and Health Awards 2020, Workplace Ourselves) Awards, Restroom Trades Union Congress Sustainable Solutions Innovation Awards 2020 for from Facebook Association (Singapore) Logistics & Transport Sector, Partner of Labour Movement – Safe Rail Line of the Year Award Organisation Category: Singapore Logistics Association SMRT Taxis Pte Ltd – Certificate of Merit: East-West Private Sector Recipient – and Workplace Safety and May Day Awards 2021, Line – SMRT Trains Ltd SMRT Trains Ltd Health Council National Trades Union Congress 22nd Annual Safety, Health and 2020 LOO (Let’s Observe Best Service Partner (Team) – Environmental Award Convention, Certificate of Commendation: Ourselves) Awards, Restroom SMRT Trains Ltd Land Transport Authority Ergonomic Design of Tools for In- Association (Singapore) situ Guidewheel Inspection: Bukit Annual LTA Service Safe Bus Operator of the Year – Panjang Light Rail Transit Rolling Award 2019/2020, Certificate of Excellence: PT216 Stock Team – SMRT Trains Ltd CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY Land Transport Authority Woodlands Bus Package – Workplace Safety and Health SMRT Buses Ltd MSF Community Cares Award – Community Lifesaver Award: Outstanding Award Innovation Awards 2020 for 22nd Annual Safety SMRT Corporation Ltd Mdm Hilmiah Binti Ahmad (10 Winners) Logistics & Transport Sector, Award Convention, MSF Volunteer and Partner Awards Singapore Civil Defence Force The National Kindness Award – Singapore Logistics Association Land Transport Authority (LTA) 2020, Ministry of Social and Family Transport Gold 2020, Singapore and Workplace Safety and Community First Responder Development Kindness Movement Safe Taxi Operator of the Year – Health Council Award: Mr Baharudin Bin Johar Certificate of Merit – Charity Award (Charity Silver) – Singapore Civil Defence Force Commendation Award Workplace Safety and Health SMRT Taxis Pte Ltd SMRT Corporation Ltd (179 Winners) Award for Supervisor (Winner): Community First Responder 22nd Annual Safety Community Chest Awards 2020, The National Kindness Award – Mr Gavral Gan Wei Liang, Rolling Award: Mr Muhammad Azhari Award Convention, Transport Gold 2020, Singapore Stock – SMRT Trains Ltd National Council of Social Service Bin Abdullah Land Transport Authority Kindness Movement Workplace Safety and Health Singapore Civil Defence Force Star Award (260 Winners) Silver Award: SMRT Air Con Awards 2020, Workplace Safety Excellent Service Award 2020, Motor Carbon Dust Removal and Health Council (Kawasaki Heavy Industries & COMMUNICATIONS, CULTURE, PUBLIC RELATIONS Singapore Retailers Association Workplace Safety and Siemens Trains): Rolling Stock AND MARKETING Gold Award (235 Winners) Engineering – SMRT Health Award for Supervisor (Commendation): Mr Gerald Tan Excellent Service Award 2020, Corporation Ltd Patron of Heritage Award Most Innovative Use of Mobile Chwee Hock – SMRT Automotive Singapore Retailers Association Workplace Safety and Health (Partner) – SMRT Commercial Technology (Bronze): WINK+ – Services Pte Ltd Innovation Awards for Logistics Pte Ltd SMRT Experience Pte Ltd Silver Award (1,012 Winners) Workplace Safety and Health & Transport Sector 2020, Patron of Heritage Awards 2019, Mob-Ex Awards 2020 Excellent Service Award 2020, Awards 2020, Workplace Safety Singapore Logistics Association National Heritage Board Singapore Retailers Association and Health Council and Workplace Safety and Customer Service Excellence Health Council Workplace Safety and for Transport: Mr Tham Weng Foo Health Award for Supervisor CAPABILITY DEVELOPMENT Bronze Award: Temporary Speed – SMRT Buses Ltd (Commendation): Mr Ho Kar Yeng Restriction Management System: Singapore Tourism Awards 2020, – SMRT Buses Ltd NSEWL Maintenance Operation SkillsFuture Fellow: Mr SkillsFuture Employer Award Singapore Tourism Board Workplace Safety and Health Centre – SMRT Trains Ltd Muhammad Hazri Bin Abdul Halil (SME) – SMRT Automotive Awards 2020, Workplace Safety Workplace Safety and Health – SMRT Tel Pte Ltd Services Pte Ltd and Health Council Innovation Awards for Logistics SkillsFuture Fellowships 2020, SkillsFuture Employer Awards & Transport Sector 2020, Workplace Safety and SkillsFuture Singapore 2020, SkillsFuture Singapore Singapore Logistics Association Health Award for Supervisor and Workplace Safety and (Commendation): Mr Lim Kian Health Council How Gavin – SMRT Buses Ltd Workplace Safety and Health Awards 2020, Workplace Safety and Health Council 8 SMRT CORPORATION LTD GROUP REVIEW 2020/2021 SMRT CORPORATION LTD GROUP REVIEW 2020/2021 9
SMRT CORPORATION IN BRIEF AT A Glance OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE Our renewal and replacement projects as well as our customer service initiatives have led to COMMUTERS’ SATISFACTION WITH TRAINS AND BUS SERVICES smoother and more enjoyable rides for commuters. PUBLIC TRANSPORT CUSTOMER SATISFACTION SURVEY BY THE PUBLIC TRANSPORT COUNCIL Percentage of commuters who indicated a score of 6 and above for satisfaction for train and bus OUR RAIL RENEWAL EFFORTS (WITH THE LAND TRANSPORT AUTHORITY) services in Singapore
POWER SUPPLY SYSTEM RENEWAL POWER RAIL REPLACEMENT 2018 Started in: To complete by: 97.8% NSL EWL 91% 84% MRT 2019 99.5% 2018 2024 completion completion 2020 % REPLACEMENT OF TRAINS POWER SUPPLY SYSTEM RENEWAL (CABLES) 97.9 106 new Bombardier trains for NSEWL NSL EWL Announced in: To complete by: 2018 98.0% 68.2% 61.8% completion completion 2018 2026 BUS 2019 99.3% REPLACEMENT OF TRACK CIRCUIT DIRECT CURRENT SYSTEM 2020 Data correct as of March 2021 (DC) SWITCHGEARS REPLACEMENT WORK 97.3%
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 95.8% 52.2% Results include all public transport operators. In 2020, methodology has changed from face-to-face survey to online survey. completion completion CUSTOMER SATISFACTION INDEX OF SINGAPORE BY SINGAPORE MANAGEMENT UNIVERSITY’S INSTITUTE OF SERVICE EXCELLENCE MEASURING RAIL RELIABILITY Commuters’ satisfaction with SMRT’s train and bus services on a scale of 0 to 100 1 We measure the reliability of our rail services by ,3 tracking their Mean Kilometres Between Failure 9 (MKBF), or how far the trains travelled before 2018 63.4% 4 experiencing a single delay of more than five minutes. , 0 MRT 2019 % 0 65
0 30,978 times up
2020 k 1,394,000 km and down NSL 72.5%
m NSL
25,263 times up 1,440,000 km and down EWL 2018 % EWL 67.3
39,686 times up BUS 2019 68.2% 1,389,000 km and down CCL CCL 2020 72.7%
12-month moving average up to March 2021. Distance rounded up to the nearest thousand. 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 10 SMRT CORPORATION LTD GROUP REVIEW 2020/2021 SMRT CORPORATION LTD GROUP REVIEW 2020/2021 11
IMPROVING COMMUTER EXPERIENCE SERVING OUR COMMUNITY We strive to provide accessible and inclusive train and bus services, to cater to the needs of all our commuters. We are committed to creating a positive impact on the communities we serve. INCLUSIVE TRAVEL SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
Continuous engagement with our community IN TRAINS AND MRT STATIONS IN BUSES AND BUS INTERCHANGES Volunteer support for various community stakeholders through virtual platforms during uplift initiatives COVID-19 to address residents’ concerns and feedback WSQ Demonstrate Service Excellence Go-To SMRT bus interchanges offer Leveraging our assets to support Social Programme – Partner with NTUC special and inclusive features and Strategic partnerships (e.g. People’s Service Agencies with their outreach efforts Learning Hub and Jurong Health services, such as assistance for those Association and Workforce Singapore) to help Community Hospital to train staff on feeling unwell or those with special needs residents seek employment during COVID-19 inclusive service for passengers with special needs Wheelchair-accessible toilets
Collaboration with Social Service Guide dogs allowed Agencies for inclusive service training curriculum Inclusive Service Delivery (ISD) Training – CHAMPIONING SUSTAINABILITY Structured Service Excellence Workplace more than 700 staff trained We aim to build a future-ready organisation by accounting for sustainability-related risks and opportunities with Learning robust environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices, even as we work towards delivering a top-notch Collaboration with Social Service public transport service. Go-To SMRT Stations offer special and Agencies for inclusive service training inclusive features and services, such as curriculum WALKING THE SUSTAINABILITY TALK assistance for those feeling unwell or Dementia GTP at 5 bus interchanges those with special needs Dedicated committee within SMRT Focus on energy optimisation, water conservation, waste management, and Guide dogs allowed AI-enabled CCTV to enhance security and to spearhead our environmental identify commuters in need of assistance sustainability efforts green advocacy at the committee level Wheelchair-accessible toilets Set up the SMRT Group Sustainability Bond Dementia Go-To Points (GTP) WeCare open-concept concierge counter Ensuring ethical and responsible business at 17 stations practices through stringent corporate Framework to support new and existing Bus boarding assistance panel governance projects and businesses that reap ESG Kindness Seats in contrasting colours benefits to increase visibility and encourage Braille and tactile indicators commuters to give up their seats WeCare Room or First Aid facilities readily GREENING OUR OPERATIONS Braille plates in lifts available Tactile ground surface indicators in Solar photovoltaic systems convert sunlight Reduced annual paper print count by stations to electricity in trains depots, thereby 21.3% from 2019 to 2020, translating to Flashing red lights as door closing reducing 1,800 tonnes of carbon footprint savings of 1.6 million sheets of paper indicators annually Efficient waste management resulted in Wheelchair-accessible elevators and train SMRT IN NUMBERS Dual cycle recycling systems at train wash about 1,600 tonnes of scrap metal sent carriages plants save about 670,000 litres of fresh for recycling More than water each month Barrier-free entrances and wider fare gates 200 trains First batch of 300 electric taxi vehicles on WeCare Room or First Aid facilities readily (Progressive decommissioning of the roads from August 2021, with a total available old trains and commissioning of electric changeout of taxi fleet scheduled new trains underway) by 2026 Around 1,390 buses SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES & WORKFORCE WELLBEING DID YOU KNOW? Launching the SMRT Go-To initiative, a Our Twitter account is one of the most Around Safeguarding the safety, health and active in Singapore, with more than one-stop care hub at our MRT stations and wellbeing of our staff and commuters 1,800 taxis bus interchanges to assist commuters with during the COVID-19 pandemic through 470,000 followers. wayfinding requests, first aid needs, and to various measures while ensuring continued *Information accurate as of August 2021 locate missing children and seniors operation of essential public transport services 12 SMRT CORPORATION LTD GROUP REVIEW 2020/2021 SMRT CORPORATION LTD GROUP REVIEW 2020/2021 13
SHAPING THE FUTURE TOGETHER
NURTURING OUR PEOPLE OUR By upskilling our workforce, we build a stronger organisation that is diverse, agile and innovative. Focus WORKFORCE DIVERSITY SMRT’s focus is on delivering our mission outcomes of WORKFORCE DISTRIBUTION BY GENDER STAFF PROFILE BY COMPLETED YEARS OF SERVICE Male: Female: RELIABILITY, SUSTAINABILITY AND 85.2% 14.8% CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT. SMRT is organised into five business groups - Trains, Roads, Engineering, Experience and International - and supported by Corporate Services.
<5 5 to 15 >15 40.7% 35.5% 23.8%
WORKFORCE PROFILE BY AGE
<30 15.3% TRAINS 30-39 25.6%
40-49 22.7% ROADS 50-59 23.6% OUR FIVE >=60 12.8% INTERNATIONAL Business
WORKFORCE DISTRIBUTION BY EMPLOYMENT CONTRACT Groups Permanent Staff 83.4% ENGINEERING Contract Staff 16.6% EXPERIENCE
HUMAN CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT FY2021 1,148,250 255,778 170,656 Total group learning hours Total group training hours Total group digital training places (66.7% of total group training places) 14 SMRT CORPORATION LTD GROUP REVIEW 2020/2021 SMRT CORPORATION LTD GROUP REVIEW 2020/2021 15
SHAPING THE FUTURE TOGETHER SMRT stayed resilient, CHAIRMAN’S reinforced Kaizen and served commuters MESSAGE wholeheartedly. We Staying resilient are committed to
providing training and RELIABLE AND EFFICIENT PUBLIC FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY TRANSPORT SERVICES growth opportunities SMRT is not immune to the adverse economic 2020 has been an unprecedented year, marked effects of COVID-19. Financial sustainability is the for our people, to help by trade wars, geopolitical tensions and a global key to ensuring that public transport operators can pandemic. COVID-19 has disrupted lives and keep fares affordable and deliver quality services them excel and build impacted economies, and affected the way we live, for commuters. We are in constant dialogue with work and play. Working from home has become the our regulator and stakeholders to achieve financial a meaningful career new norm. As people stopped travelling to work, sustainability. In the meantime, the Company has ridership across all modes of public transport has embarked on a group-wide effort to boost efficiency with SMRT. dipped. Our continued operation is a sign that even by improving processes and upgrading skillsets to in a pandemic, we keep Singapore moving. emerge stronger after the pandemic. In addition, in the spirit of solidarity, the SMRT Trains Board reduced To cope with the COVID-19 crisis, we changed our its fees by 10 per cent, while senior management work routines and habits to keep our staff, their staff reduced their salaries by up to 5 per cent, and families, and commuters safe. For staff, we swiftly their bonuses by half a month. implemented a suite of enhanced safety measures, which included encouraging them to be vaccinated The Singapore Government has provided assistance early, and implementing split-team work arrangements to companies through rental reliefs and the Jobs while ensuring there were no cross deployments. To Support Scheme, to help them tide through the protect commuters, we stepped up the cleaning of pandemic. The support helped cushion us against our trains, buses, stations, and interchanges. We also the effects of falling ridership and changes in applied anti-microbial coating to high-touch surfaces. lifestyle norms. At the same time, we did our part Across our network and online platforms, we launched by restructuring, retraining, and transforming a campaign to remind commuters to comply with Safe our businesses. In partnership with SkillsFuture Management Measures including mask-wearing and Singapore (SSG) and the Singapore Institute of refraining from talking in trains for the safety of all. Technology (SIT), we launched a training programme We thank all commuters for doing their part to keep for local small and medium-sized enterprises everyone safe. to adopt the Kaizen approach in their business operations. This methodology will help them address We kept our service standards up even as the performance gaps and realise long-term productivity pandemic raged. All our MRT lines clocked above 1 gains. million train-km in mean kilometres between failure (MKBF). Renewal projects for the North-South and East-West Lines’ (NSEWL) power supply systems, SHAPING CULTURE track circuits and trains continued unabated. When Started in 2018, the Kaizen culture has now completed, the brown field renewal projects will allow permeated the entire organisation and is vital to our the NSEWL – two of Singapore’s oldest rail lines – cost management and productivity efforts. We will to accommodate more trains and reduce waiting continue our relentless drive to improve operations, time for commuters. According to the annual Public processes, services, and corporate functions to Transport Customer Satisfaction Survey, trains and achieve greater savings for the Group. The Board has buses maintained a consistent score of 7.8 out of mandated this as a key performance indicator (KPI) 10 in overall customer satisfaction. The survey also for all business groups and corporate functions to recorded improvements in key service attributes emphasise the importance of Kaizen. such as accessibility, travel time of trains, customer service, and safety and security. 16 SMRT CORPORATION LTD GROUP REVIEW 2020/2021 SMRT CORPORATION LTD GROUP REVIEW 2020/2021 17
Besides contributing to financial sustainability, a We strongly support the national effort to ensure We care for our people as they do their best to take Kaizen culture centred on continuous improvement Singapore remains a highly liveable city for generations care of our commuters. Our frontline staff continued will boost productivity while enhancing ownership to come. The Singapore Green Plan sets a 2030 target to work tirelessly even during periods of COVID-19 Our continued restrictions such as during the circuit breaker and and accountability at the workplace. To engender a to have all vehicles run on cleaner energy. This requires heightened alert phases. As the pandemic persisted, collaborative environment, respect for one another operation is a a massive effort by the Government and industry the health, mental wellbeing and morale of our staff is key. We want to build a conducive workplace that players to drive the adoption of electric vehicles (EV) remained our priority. Measures and initiatives such fosters mutual respect and trust between and among sign that even in and establish a national EV charger network. as health talks, the distribution of masks and hand leaders and employees. Such an environment will sanitisers, and the provision of hotel accommodation enable people to thrive at work, and unite in purpose. a pandemic, we SMRT Roads can contribute to the adoption of EVs for staff who were affected by Malaysia’s border This requires us to remain humble and keep an open and migration to green transport modes in Singapore. controls, were rolled out to engage and support staff. mind to always better ourselves. kept Singapore Our efforts include collaborating with relevant Staff could regularly and easily provide feedback partners including SP Group in the pioneering of through multiple channels, including digitally via We are working hard to strengthen our safety culture. moving. Electrification-as-a-Service. We have also tied up Workplace from Facebook. We also provided our taxi I have said in my last Group Review message that with China’s biggest commercial EV digital platform, partners and commercial tenants with rental rebates. safety is more than just a KPI. It is about lives. As an the long haul. Meaningful collaborations like the Skills DST Electric Vehicle Rental (Shenzhen) to provide EV organisation, we will spare no expense in providing Partnership for the Land Transport Sector with SIT services in Singapore and the region. We aim to make GOOD GOVERNANCE a safe work environment and inculcating safety and SSG allow us to raise our skills development a complete switch to EV taxis in the next five years. As we continue to pursue excellence, we must remain awareness in staff, to enable them to make choices and workplace learning to a new level, as well as to This is only the beginning of our efforts towards focused on responsible practices. This includes that will lead to safer outcomes, for themselves and business ethics and compliance, robust systems continually build up our important talent pool. helping Singapore realise its bold and inspiring vision. their families. such as sustainable procurement and gold standards Together with SBS Transit, the Institute of Engineers SOCIAL of corporate governance. Recognising that diversity CONNECTING COMMUNITIES & Singapore and the Land Transport Authority (LTA), We continue to contribute towards sustainable is a key tenet of good governance, the Company has adopted the Board Diversity Policy to promote diversity PEOPLE SMRT established the Singapore Rail Standards communities in our role as a public transport on its Board for enhanced decision-making. In addition, (SRS), as part of a roadmap to foster a vibrant operator, by transporting commuters efficiently and We look forward to serving more commuters as we are on track to attaining certification under the ISO rail ecosystem. The SRS sets a common baseline making our network more inclusive for commuters. we expand our network. The second stage of the 37001 Anti-Bribery Management System. standard for operations and maintenance, and staff The Woodlands Integrated Transport Hub and SMRT Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) will open in August competency. It also serves as a useful reference As part of the progressive renewal of the Board, Mr Go-To initiative are recent examples. To better assist 2021, adding six stations to our network. The third for the design of systems and solutions. This will Lee Fook Sun has been appointed Deputy Chairman phase can be expected to be operational in 2022. commuters with special needs, frontline staff receive enable Singapore and its rail operators to anchor their of the Board of the Company with effect from 28 May These new stations will provide time savings and training on inclusive service delivery conducted by leadership positions in the international rail sector 2021, while Mr William Tan and Ms Judy Lee have been greater convenience to many households in Singapore. partners such as Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) and create more employment opportunities for appointed members of the Board with effect from and Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of 1 September 2021. We are pleased that the RTS Link project has rail engineers. Singapore (MINDS). achieved a significant milestone. Nine contracts APPRECIATION worth approximately S$320 million (RM 1 billion) ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL have been awarded. When completed, the RTS AND GOVERNANCE (ESG) Our achievements in FY2021 would not have been Link will provide better and faster connectivity for As a responsible possible without the active contributions of an communities living and working on both sides of As SMRT grows, ESG practices remain intrinsic to our involved Board, committed management, and our the Causeway. With an estimated hourly capacity businesses and operations. As a responsible steward steward of the resilient and hardworking employees. of the environment, we continue to strengthen our of up to 10,000 passengers per direction, closer environment, A special and sincere note of thanks to our SMRT people-to-people ties will be fostered, and economic green mobility capabilities to bring value to all our frontliners and the transport ambassadors from and social benefits will be generated by the project stakeholders and support the Government’s vision we continue to Singapore Airlines. Our frontliners worked tirelessly when completed. RTS Link’s connectivity to TEL at of a car-lite nation. to deliver an essential service to keep the nation Woodlands North Station will allow commuters to strengthen our green moving, while the transport ambassadors kept our seamlessly travel to other parts of Singapore via our ENVIRONMENT public transport services safe for commuters. vast MRT network. Such seamless rail connectivity Our environmental sustainability initiatives are led by mobility capabilities Finally, we are grateful to all commuters, Ministry will catalyse the growth of new developments our Energy, Water, Green and Waste Committees. We of Transport, LTA, Temasek Holdings, our unions, along the vicinity of the network and changes in will increase solar energy generation capacities at our to bring value to all and various stakeholders for their continued trust, lifestyle habits. main depots by more than 30 per cent by the end of confidence and unwavering support in our drive 2022. We also aim to reduce water usage across our our stakeholders towards achieving reliable, efficient and commuter- FOSTERING A VIBRANT premises by 10 per cent every year till 2025. Currently, centred services. RAIL ECOSYSTEM recycled water is being used at six train washing and support the For our rail network to continue to grow steadily, it is plants, saving approximately 8,000,000 litres of water Government’s vision crucial for us to build bench strength and deepen our per year. We minimise, reuse, and recycle waste, and SEAH MOON MING engineering capabilities that will sustain us through dispose of toxic waste responsibly. of a car-lite nation. Chairman 18 SMRT CORPORATION LTD GROUP REVIEW 2020/2021 SMRT CORPORATION LTD GROUP REVIEW 2020/2021 19
SHAPING THE FUTURE TOGETHER
GROUP CEO’S What we have MESSAGE accomplished Sustaining excellence with this year would not have been a forward-looking strategy possible without SERVING SINGAPOREANS EVERY DAY As infection numbers surged, we did our part to support national needs. We adapted some buses and the resilience, THROUGH COVID-19 mini-buses with reverse pressure cabins to safely When COVID-19 struck, the national imperative for transfer COVID-19 patients between dormitories and team spirit and public transport services was to keep Singapore quarantine centres. We provided our limousine drivers with the necessary personal protective equipment so moving. Our trains and buses plying through the commitment shown that they could also transfer patients safely. We also city and heartlands were more than just a means of supported public education efforts across our island- transport. To the people of Singapore, who increasingly wide network of media and advertising assets. by our leaders and found themselves working from home, they were a physical assurance that Singapore did not stop, and The continued safety and wellbeing of our staff employees. they could travel safely. and commuters remain our priority during this COVID-19 period. As part of the One Transport family, we ensured a clean and safe environment for commuters by EXCELLENCE IN SAFE AND stepping up our cleaning efforts, stocking hand RELIABLE SERVICE sanitisers in train stations, mandating the wearing of masks and educating the public on safe and gracious We have kept another year of rail reliability with a commuting. Our staff equipped with “Please Refrain mean kilometres between failure (MKBF) of 1 million from Talking” placards promoted safe commuting train-km. This puts us among the best performers by offering courteous reminders to commuters to in the world alongside Seoul, Taipei, and Beijing. maintain safe distancing and avoid talking in trains to Our solid safety record surpasses the standards set by our regulators. Our strong performance for the minimise the spread of droplets. Public Transport Customer Satisfaction Survey and We cared for our staff and partners so that they the Singapore Tourism Board’s Customer Service could continue to provide essential public transport Excellence Awards (Transport) encourages and services. We arranged accommodation for our non- inspires us to continually find new ways to delight Singaporean bus captains when the borders closed. and move commuters. It has been a long journey, and With a comfortable place to rest, they could continue we must ensure that we maintain these standards. to transport commuters safely. Frontline staff who It is vital for SMRT to be financially sustainable, so were more vulnerable were re-assigned and allowed that the necessary resources could be provided to work from home. We also carefully monitored to support our public transport services and our contractors working with our staff to ensure our transformational and growth initiatives. With the New people were protected on all fronts. We developed Rail Financing Framework, SMRT transited into an HealthBot, an automated health declaration chatbot, asset-light model and was relieved of the financial to monitor the health of all our staff. It provided us with burden of asset renewal. A Rail Reliability Incentive real time updates on possible exposures and allowed was introduced to incentivise rail operators to achieve us to respond quickly. higher reliability and operational performance. Through the COVID-19 period, we continued to Getting vaccinated is one of the most important ways maintain our train schedules to avoid crowding, and to keep ourselves and our communities healthy. took additional measures to keep our commuters Working closely with the Land Transport Authority (LTA), safe. We are grateful for the Government’s Jobs a programme to vaccinate our frontline colleagues Support Scheme (JSS), which provided employers was launched ahead of the National Vaccination affected by the pandemic with wage support. Programme. We have been striving for full vaccination Together with cost savings through our continued of all our people. To guard against the mental stress emphasis on Kaizen, these efforts and support have that comes with a prolonged pandemic, we stepped contributed towards our financial sustainability. In up engagements virtually, rolled out mental wellness particular, SMRT Trains received $163 million through initiatives and continually checked in on the wellbeing JSS, enabling its operating profits to improve from of our employees. -$166 million three years ago, to $23 million today. 20 SMRT CORPORATION LTD GROUP REVIEW 2020/2021 SMRT CORPORATION LTD GROUP REVIEW 2020/2021 21
this, we have instituted Leadership Development INNOVATION AND GROWTH MINDSET A new Deputy Group Chief Executive Officer position programmes, the Learning Organisation initiative and was created to provide oversight over commercial We must ensure that the capabilities and processes As infection the Kaizen campaign. and international business. This will ensure that required to run the public transport are continuously proper and separate focus of the Group is being Safety remains a key area of focus as we intensified improved upon. Our Engineering Group is growing placed on the public transport operations and the numbers its data analytics and Artificial Intelligence (AI) conversations around workplace safety. We believe commercial business. surged, we that beyond processes and equipment, our people capabilities to support evolving business needs. This are at the heart of safety. We introduced the Safety includes building a common data environment and did our part Protected Time initiative for leaders to engage their actively collaborating with partners such as SIT, AI.SG teams on risks and safety associated with their work and commercial vendors on video analytics, software to support on a weekly basis. We continued to promote our open and digital systems. With each new capability built, Safety remains a reporting channels to empower employees at every the group expands its catalogue of engineering national needs. level, and create a safer working environment for all. solutions and our systems run smoother. key area of focus
We continued to keep our labour management As we strengthen our public transport services, the as we intensified need to grow our commercial business locally and We have worked closely with the various stakeholders relations close and warm. Through the hard work and internationally becomes increasingly important. To towards achieving operational sustainability. For dedication of our Union leaders, National Transport conversations bring the best value to our commuters, we need to be the entire rail system to work well, the Design Build Workers’ Union (NTWU) and the SMRT management globally competitive. Our experience in operating and Operate Maintain eco-system needed to work as one. team, negotiations for the new Collective Agreements around workplace maintaining state-of-the-art public transport systems, Joint coordination meetings between LTA, operators, concluded successfully ahead of schedule. The new and the capabilities we have built to optimise our and Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) were provisions in these Collective Agreements aim to safety. systems and processes, offers us a unique advantage established at all levels to deal with renewal, new further recognise and retain long serving employees, when competing overseas. Our International Group projects, and daily operations. Collectively, we have reward employees for their hard work and improve is currently involved in the Rapid Transit System established the Singapore Rail Standards to anchor their welfare. With the recent successful completion PURPOSE DRIVEN Link between Johor and Singapore and is playing an the Singapore Rail Industry. of union elections, we will commence a round active role in ensuring this important project is being Our Vision – Moving People, Enhancing Lives – gave of training for our union leaders, assisted by the To build up local capabilities, OEMs of rail systems implemented according to plan. us purpose and guided our focus as we navigated the National Trades Union Congress. and assets have been encouraged and incentivised year. We delivered safe and reliable public transport Sustainability is a key aspect of our growth strategy. to establish their regional centres of excellence in Service to commuters is at the heart of all we do. In line with the Singapore Green Plan 2030, our services, promoted a sense of community by Singapore. Their proximity would improve our access We introduced the WeCare Go-To SMRT initiative Roads Group, through its Strides Mobility brand, bringing important services to the stations, invested to both spares and expertise. We have pushed to to help commuters with wayfinding, first aid and is committed to provide best-in-class mobility in our workforce to ensure they remain employable establish long term service support contracts with locating missing children or the elderly. Working solutions with the lowest carbon footprint. Our taxi and adopted environmental, social, and governance OEMs. These agreements are key to managing with the Agency for Integrated Care, our stations fleet became fully hybrid last year, and we have plans principles across our businesses to generate long obsolescence, guarding costs, and assuring and interchanges serve as resource centres to link to convert our entire taxi fleet to electric vehicles in term value for our stakeholders. availability of spares and expertise in the long run. those who need help with relevant dementia-related five years, commencing with the recent purchase What we have accomplished this year would not have To continually improve our highly automated services. We have also made navigating the new of 300 MG 5 electric cars. We saw an opportunity been possible without the resilience, team spirit and communications-based train control (CBTC) Woodlands Integrated Transport Hub more intuitive beyond just electric vehicles and partnered with commitment shown by our leaders and staff. Their signalling systems, LTA has invested in CBTC for the visually impaired. Each member of our staff SP Group to push for an ecosystem of connected efforts, driven by purpose and a heart for service kept simulation centres for each rail line. This would allow is a service champion. We are especially proud of electric services. Through both Mobility-as-a-Service Singapore moving. They have my deepest respect. new software and patches to be rigorously tested our staff members who were nominated for the and Electrification-as-a-Service, we intend to bring prestigious Singapore Tourism Awards for service charging infrastructure and a diverse fleet of electric before use to ensure safe and reliable train services We are grateful for the close collaboration and in the Transport Sector, and of Mr Tham Weng Foo taxis, cars, vans, limousines, motorcycles, and buses for our commuters. support of the Ministry of Transport, LTA, NTWU, from SMRT Buses who won the award. to meet the evolving needs of a diverse local and and our union leaders. The turnaround of rail To build a workforce that is well-trained and properly regional market. accredited, we have worked with the Singapore An important part of service is ownership and performance is a testament to the strength of our Institute of Technology (SIT), LTA, and SBS Transit accountability. We started the Faces of SMRT Keeping Singapore moving is more than just providing One Transport family. We are thankful for our Board to establish workplace learning - a concept under programme to give our stakeholders such as safe and reliable trains and buses. It is about and Temasek for being our constants through these SkillsFuture Singapore. Our staff, engineers and grassroots leaders, advisors, and commuters a developing an ecosystem of connected services from challenging years. technicians can look forward to continual upgrading friendly face to anchor their engagements. With a home to destination. Our Experience Group, through We will remain united and focused on our mission of to meet the evolving demands of high reliability more direct point of contact, we can listen better and its concept of Communities in SMRT, will transform delivering a world class transport service and lifestyle and advanced technologies without needing to find be more responsive with our service at stations and the station experience by converting the spaces under additional time outside of working hours. interchanges. viaducts for community services. The advertising arm experience that is safe, reliable and customer-centred. has also secured a series of contracts, increased the Beyond technical competency, our strategy is to Through these efforts, we have noted the number of digital screens in service, and facilitated the cultivate an SMRT culture anchored by good leaders improvement in trust and confidence of our provision of information to the public. The Experience who lead an organisation that is continually learning commuters, in us. It inspires us to grow and Group will tap on the Stellar Lifestyle brand to profile NEO KIAN HONG and people who are continually improving. To drive continually find new ways to serve commuters. its offerings going forward. Group Chief Executive Officer 22 SMRT CORPORATION LTD GROUP REVIEW 2020/2021 SMRT CORPORATION LTD GROUP REVIEW 2020/2021 23
SHAPING THE FUTURE TOGETHER BOARD OF Directors PETER TAN MOLIAH HASHIM BOON HENG Board Member SEAH MOON MING Board Member SMRT Trains Ltd SMRT Corporation Ltd Chairman SMRT Corporation Ltd SMRT Trains Ltd
ABU BAKAR MOHD NOR Board Member SMRT Corporation Ltd
LEE FOOK SUN Deputy Chairman NEO KIAN HONG SMRT Corporation Ltd Group Chief Executive Officer & SMRT Trains Ltd Executive Director SMRT Corporation Ltd Board Member SMRT Trains Ltd PHILIP NALLIAH PILLAI Board Member QUEK GIM PEW SMRT Corporation Ltd Board Member SMRT Trains Ltd SMRT Trains Ltd
TAN EK KIA Board Member SMRT Corporation Ltd SMRT Trains Ltd
TAN CHIAN KHONG YAP KIM WAH Board Member SMRT Corporation Ltd Board Member SMRT Corporation Ltd WILLIAM TAN SMRT Trains Ltd SENG KOON Board Member SMRT Trains Ltd LEE LING WEE Deputy Group Chief Executive Officer SMRT Corporation Ltd Board Member SMRT Trains Ltd 24 SMRT CORPORATION LTD GROUP REVIEW 2020/2021 SMRT CORPORATION LTD GROUP REVIEW 2020/2021 25
SHAPING THE FUTURE TOGETHER SENIOR Management
CINDY LAU KEE MEI Group Chief Financial Officer NEO KIAN HONG CHEONG KENG SOON Group Chief Executive Officer Chief Corporate Officer and Chief Strategy Officer LEE LING WEE Deputy Group Chief Executive Officer and President, International TAN AI LING Group Chief Human Resources Officer
LAM SHEAU KAI ANSON LIM President, Trains Chief Safety and Security Officer
TAN KIAN HEONG MARGARET TEO Chief Communications Officer President, Roads
GAN BOON JIN Executive Vice President, Engineering and Chief Digital Transformation Officer
DAWN LOW TONY HENG WONG KIEW KWONG KAR MUN YEW TECK Chief Audit Officer GOH ENG KIAT Executive Vice President, Executive Vice Chief Business Development Officer International and President, Experience Chief Marketing Officer
JACQUELIN TAY GEK POH General Counsel and Company Secretary A YEAR OF Challenges & Transformation
THE COVID-19 pandemic is often described as the crisis of a generation. It ground everything to a halt, just like how the red traffic light forces vehicles to stop. We felt, and saw the effects profoundly. During the circuit breaker in 2020 when people stayed home, the roads were near empty – and so were our trains and buses. On the whole, bus and train ridership in the country fell by 34.5 per cent to 5.04 million – an 11-year low. The red light slowly changed to green as lives returned to some normalcy this year. But just as ridership numbers were inching up, the country once again tightened restrictions in May amid a surge of cases. We were facing the amber lights that signaled to go slow as we entered Phase 2 (Heightened Alert) with the emergence of new clusters of infections in May 2021. Being a public transport company, we are familiar with traffic lights that guide the safety on the roads. Through all these changes of start, stop and go slow, our team never let our foot off the pedal. As an essential service, our employees continued to provide reliable train and bus services, while ensuring that our premises are kept clean and safe. Our rail, roads and engineering projects are still ongoing, as we continually seek to improve our services and ensure our infrastructures are sound and safe. While the pandemic has ravaged the world, it has also taught us important lessons about resilience. As the Chinese proverb goes, “化危为机 ”, meaning that there is opportunity in every crisis. As we learn to live with COVID-19 and ensure continuity in our public transport services, we will continue to adapt, innovate and seize opportunities in commercial and international markets. We will also invest in our most important asset – our people. Because when they grow, we thrive too. NAVIGATING THE New Normal
AS a public transport operator, COVID-19 posed major challenges to our operations. How do we operate our services without disruptions while minimising the risks of transmission for commuters and employees, especially those in the frontline? We have prepared a robust and comprehensive response plan to protect the health and wellbeing of our stakeholders and customers across the organisation. We are ready to embark on a journey towards the new normal. 30 SMRT CORPORATION LTD GROUP REVIEW 2020/2021 SMRT CORPORATION LTD GROUP REVIEW 2020/2021 31
TRAINS: COMMUTING We also extended support to our foreign staff, We started the programme by retrofitting our buses, especially those from Malaysia who commuted to which can take more than 30 passengers at a time. SAFELY AND CONFIDENTLY work by crossing the causeway daily. We continued We have now expanded our COMET fleet to include We want commuters to feel safe and confident when to provide accommodation to staff who are unable minibuses and minivans. The minibuses, known as travelling with us, even during a pandemic. Since to make their daily trips home due to the evolving COMET MIDI, can take up to 23 patients at once, while January 2020, we have intensified the cleaning regime COVID-19 situation and Malaysia’s Movement Control the COMET MINI minivans can seat up to nine people. Order. on our trains, especially for high-touch surfaces such These vehicles are used to transport patients to as seats, escalator handrails and General Ticketing and from places such as hospitals, dormitories, and Machines. These surfaces are wiped down and TAXIS: RIDING OUT THE community care facilities. disinfected once every two hours. These efforts are on top of the daily overnight cleaning we conduct STORM TOGETHER routinely, when the trains are back in the depots. There, The taxi industry was dealt a harsh blow again when SAFELY FORWARD the train surfaces are disinfected and coated with an Singapore entered Phase 2 (Heightened Alert) in As Singapore plans for COVID-19 to become endemic, antimicrobial solution. May 2021. We extended a helping hand to our taxi SMRT will continue to keep up with efforts to prevent partners by lowering rental fees. We also sought and reduce transmissions as we continue operating our We are mindful that our additional cleaning efforts out opportunities for them to deliver food and essential transport services. should not disrupt our service frequency. Hence, we goods through partnerships with food and beverage looked for pockets of opportunity to carry out these companies and delivery firms, to help increase their The key to ensuring continuity in our services is to tasks, such as when the Circle Line trains make a loop earnings. care for our people. This includes our employees, our at HarbourFront Station to cross from one platform commuters, and our stakeholders. It is only when our to another. workforce is resilient and our systems are safe that Robot cleaners help keep our Circle Line stations clean. DOING OUR PART FOR we can deal with unexpected circumstances with grit As cleanliness remains a top priority, we have deployed and grace. 13 robot cleaners across 30 Circle Line stations to SINGAPORE enhance the cleaning regime at these premises. We At SMRT, our employees’ safety, health and wellbeing It takes an entire nation to fight against COVID-19. The coronavirus fight is far from over. But with the will progressively roll out these robot cleaners to are also paramount. When four of our bus captains At SMRT, we play our part by not just offering safe control measures we have implemented, as well as stations on the North-South and East-West Lines. tested positive for COVID-19 and a cluster was commutes on buses and trains, but through our private our experience from the past year-and-a-half, we are discovered at the Bukit Panjang Integrated Transport services too. Since March 2020, Strides Transportation, prepared for the road ahead. Apart from our cleaning efforts, we also encouraged Hub (BPITH) in July 2020, our first priority was to stop a wholly-owned subsidiary of SMRT that provides good social and commuting behaviour by reminding the spread. limousine and premium bus services, has partnered commuters to mask up, respect safe distancing with the Ministry of Health to provide non-emergency measures, observe personal hygiene, and refrain from We quickly identified staff members who had been medical transport services. In November 2020, Strides talking on trains. Our friendly Transport Ambassadors, in contact with the bus captains and placed them on Transportation was appointed by the Ministry of many of whom had joined us from Singapore Airlines, leave of absence. We also closed the two canteens Transport as its exclusive partner to transport people were on the ground to manage crowds, ensure and lounge at the transport hub for thorough cleaning serving their stay-home notices. orderliness and safety, and remind commuters to and disinfection. To uncover hidden COVID-19 cases, mask up and refrain from talking while taking public we conducted a mass swabbing drive for the entire All our Strides bus captains and limousine partners transport. workforce in our bus division. are fully vaccinated, and are required to go for regular swab tests. They have also received training Our Strides buses and limousines are wiped Our rail services depend heavily on our frontline staff. To Within the bus interchanges, we identified high-touch in accordance with Singapore Civil Defence Force down and disinfected keep them safe, we distributed masks and implemented surfaces and installed sanitisers at these points standards on the protocols and processes of medical after each trip for the daily temperature checks. We also put in place split- to reduce the risk of COVID-19 contamination and transport. next passenger. team work arrangements for business continuity transmission. We also installed thermal scanners to purposes. Our frontline employees in the Trains screen visitors with minimal hassle and congestion. When passengers board Strides buses and limousines, business group were encouraged to be vaccinated. they are offered hand sanitisers. Our bus and limousine The cluster at BPITH was a reminder that the virus is drivers also ensure that safe distancing is adhered to virulent. When Singapore embarked on its vaccination in the vehicle. After each ride, the vehicles are wiped BUSES: KEEPING OUR programme, we encouraged our bus workforce to get down and disinfected for the next ride. STAFF SAFE the shots. We also expanded our participation in COMET, or the To provide a clean and safe commuting experience, we These precautionary measures were in addition COVID-19 Multi-Passenger Enhanced Transporter stepped up cleaning of all our buses and interchanges. to existing initiatives to protect our staff, such as programme, with the support of Temasek Foundation Our bus fleets are thoroughly disinfected before daily distribution of masks and sanitisers to our bus to retrofit our vehicles into dedicated COVID-19 patient services begin with an antimicrobial solution that kills captains and staff members. In the canteens at our transport vehicles. bacteria and viruses on high-touch surfaces. bus interchanges and depots, table shields were installed for a cleaner and safer environment. OUR CORE: Trains
FOR two consecutive years, SMRT Trains has achieved 1 million mean kilometres “ between failure (MKBF) for the North- South and East-West Lines and Circle Line. This achievement will give commuters confidence in the reliability of our rail systems, and we are proud of our team for this accomplishment. Apart from rail reliability, we are also sparing no effort to
ensure our MRT and LRT systems are safe,
clean and hygienic as we battle COVID-19. We have stepped up on our cleaning schedules. At the same time, we are “ educating commuters on safe commuting habits. Our aim is to give commuters peace of mind when they travel with us.
Mr Lam Sheau Kai President, Trains 34 SMRT CORPORATION LTD GROUP REVIEW 2020/2021 SMRT CORPORATION LTD GROUP REVIEW 2020/2021 35
TRACKING OUR RAIL STORY The story of Singapore’s rail network is one of As the pioneer rail operator in Singapore, SMRT CIRCLE LINE with 24/7 closed-circuit television monitoring, and A simulation facility for CCL was set up in Kim Chuan relentless growth. From its humble beginnings Trains is a key partner in this rail journey – marked programmed to broadcast Safe Management Measure Depot in 2020. The simulation system replicates the in 1987, when the North-South Line opened with by ever expanding rail networks and increasing messages, the robot enhances the safety and security current functioning of CCL, including the two Alstom just five stations, the rail network has rapidly ridership. We remain committed to providing safe, of the depot. train models that are now running on the line. With this developed to become the backbone of the public reliable and convenient services to millions of facility, Operations Control Centre (OCC) and station transport system. commuters every day. BUKIT PANJANG LIGHT RAIL TRANSIT staff can receive collaborative training in a realistic By 2024, we will complete renewal works for BPLRT environment and enhance their competencies in the – Singapore’s first light rail system that opened in driving of trains and the handling of failures. They November 1999. RAIL RELIABILITY can also improve their operational readiness and The 21-year-old rail line is being refreshed now, with Our three MRT lines, the North-South and East-West crisis management abilities by enacting challenging the first two retrofitted vehicles delivered to BPLRT’s lines (NSEWL) and Circle Line (CCL) managed to scenarios in the simulator. depot in April 2021. The remaining 11 vehicles will also sustain their reliability performance of 1 million MKBF, Apart from cleaning, robots also help to keep Kim be retrofitted over time. They will be part of BPLRT’s or mean kilometres between failure. Bukit Panjang Chuan Depot safe. A patrol robot has been keeping future fleet, which will include 19 new vehicles. Light Rail Transit (BPLRT) did well too, with MKBF watch at the depot since February this year. Equipped reaching more than 100,000 car-km.
A global measure of rail reliability, MKBF registers the distance trains travel before a delay of at least five minutes. The longer the distance, the better the result. We conduct regular maintenance to ensure that our rail transit system delivers safer and smoother rides for commuters.
RAIL RENEWAL
A reliable rail network requires regular maintenance To improve performance, we have been replacing the to improve safety and reliability of the rail transit track circuit system. The new track circuit system is system. Together with the Land Transport Authority equipped with condition monitoring capabilities which (LTA), renewal works are also underway for better and will enhance the prognostics and prevention of track smoother rides for commuters. circuits failures.
More than half of the track circuits have shifted to the Work to renew the BPLRT is underway now. NORTH-SOUTH AND EAST-WEST LINES new system. We are on track to complete replacement Old is gold. With a rigorous maintenance regime, by end-2022. the NSEWL – Singapore’s oldest, longest, and most heavily used rail systems – is still able to achieve the We are also making enhancements to power supply same level of reliability performance as newer lines. reliability. In June 2019, we completed installation of the Voltage Limiting Device on the NSEWL, which will NSEWL help in the regulation of return voltage and prevent JUNE 2019 tripping of DC power, and identification of the location Installation of Voltage of power faults. Limiting Devices We have replaced more than half of the Direct Current switchgears, which can control, protect and isolate Q2 2021 Replacement of Direct electrical equipment in a power network. Current switchgears As part of the long-term fleet renewal programme by END-2022 LTA, we will be replacing ageing trains on the NSEWL Replacement of track with 106 new Bombardier trains. The new trains will circuit system enter service from 2022 to 2026. We have also signed a contract with Bombardier Transportation to provide 2022-2026 106 new Bombardier long-term maintenance and spares support for the trains to enter service 106 new trains. Beginning in 2022, the contract ensures that Bombardier will provide technical We are replacing the Direct support and spare parts for train repairs and system Current switchgears on the NSEWL to improve upgrades or replacements, with an option for future The CCL simulation facility in Kim Chuan Depot allows train captains and staff in the OCC and stations to receive training in a its reliability. contract extensions. realistic environment. 36 SMRT CORPORATION LTD GROUP REVIEW 2020/2021 SMRT CORPORATION LTD GROUP REVIEW 2020/2021 37
RAIL EXPANSION SCALING NEW HEIGHTS
We embarked on a training transformation journey immersive technologies. We also offer work-study in 2019 for our Trains business group, to equip our programmes for our staff to upskill themselves through people with the necessary technical, technological, our partnerships with Institutes of Higher Learning. adaptive and leadership competencies to deal with the challenges of the future. Known as Project Everest, our Learning is also infused into our daily work routines, aim was to nurture a future-ready workforce through through regular toolbox briefs, and protected time a workplace learning model. where our staff can discuss important topics.
For a start, we reviewed all job roles and identified the Anchoring on our Kaizen ethos, we will take ownership skills required to achieve the desired performance and of our learnings and collectively strive towards service standards. We are in the process of developing excellence as we fulfil our vision of Moving People, a curriculum tailored to our employees’ profiles and Enhancing Lives. skills needs. The curriculum will be delivered through on-the-job training, bite-sized digital learnings and
TOWARDS A FUTURE-READY SMRT TRAINS Six TEL stations will open on 28 August 2021.
Equip our people with future-ready skills THOMSON-EAST COAST LINE The second phase of Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) Fully operational by Facilitate learning at the workplace will open from 28 August 2021, which will add another six stations to the rail line. Caldecott Station, which will 2025 Up-profile our workforce through work-study programmes open as part of Phase 2, will intersect with the Circle Line. This will enhance connectivity for commuters, Underground driverless system Transform learning with more digital bite-sized learning reducing their commuting time and offering them more options. 43 km We aim to upskill all employees in our Trains business group.
32 PHASE 1 PHASE 2 MRT stations INCLUSIVE RAIL TRANSPORT • Woodlands North • Springleaf Serving up to • Woodlands • Lentor As we aim to make our rail system an inclusive one, 1 million • Woodlands South • Mayflower commuters daily we have rolled out several initiatives to ensure our services cater to a diverse group of commuters. As • Bright Hill part of our Go-To SMRT initiative, as of April 2021 • Upper Thomson there are 17 MRT stations and five bus interchanges
250,000 that are certified by the Agency for Integrated Care as • Caldecott households within a 10-minute walk to the rail network Dementia Go-To Points. At these Go-To Points, our employees are trained to help people with dementia reunite with their loved ones and find their way home. We will roll out the Go-To SMRT initiative throughout SETTING STANDARDS our entire network over the next two years.
With Enterprise Singapore (ESG), The Institution of The first three standards were launched on 23 March Engineers Singapore (IES), LTA and other railway 2021, by former Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung. This partners, SMRT has been coming together to Singapore Rail Standards encapsulates our methods develop Singapore’s first railway standards. The four that has helped us achieved the 1 million MKBF main areas that the standards will cover are asset outcomes for our Lines, and strengthens Singapore’s management, maintenance, safety and security, leadership in the global rail transport sector. and service. The standards are being worked on by 17 working groups under a technical committee on railway systems set up last year. Our employees are trained to assist commuters who require help, including those with dementia. 38 SMRT CORPORATION LTD GROUP REVIEW 2020/2021 SMRT CORPORATION LTD GROUP REVIEW 2020/2021 39
SMRT TRAINS’ KEY FINANCIAL DATA KEY OPERATING DATA
REVENUE ($M) 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2019 736.6 TOTAL ROUTE LENGTH (NSEWL & CCL) 129 130 130 130 137 137 137 137 2020 754.7 (TO NEAREST KM)
2021 599.8 TOTAL CAR-KILOMETRES OPERATED 124 127 131 135 142 143 143 140 (TO NEAREST MILLION)
TOTAL RIDERSHIP EARNING BEFORE INTEREST & TAX ($M) PROFIT AFTER TAX ($M) (TO NEAREST MILLION) 711 731 756 768 753 756 747 441
2019 2019 AVERAGE WEEKDAY RIDERSHIP (TO NEAREST 2,091 2,148 2,197 2,353 2,258 2254 2230 1310 (165.5) (155.3) THOUSAND)
2020 2020 (19.1) (19.8) TOTAL PASSENGER- KILOMETRES 8,016 8,129 8,322 8,271 7,886 7819 7797 4581 2021 2021 (TO NEAREST MILLION) 23.4 23.9
0 0 AVERAGE CAR OCCUPANCY 65 64 63 61 55 55 54 33 (PASSENGER PER CAR) The drop in revenue was primarily due to the impact of COVID-19 pandemic which resulted in lower train ridership, and to the provision of rental relief to retail tenants in our MRT network. Throughout the COVID-19 period, we continued to maintain our train schedules and took additional measures to keep our commuters safe. Government support including SMRT Trains receiving $163 million in wage support payout through the Jobs Support Scheme, and cost savings through the continued emphasis on Kaizen helped cushion the financial impact due to COVID-19 pandemic.
DID YOU KNOW? The power supply cable renewal for our trains involve about
1,300km 250km of power cables and of fibre optic cables located along the NSEWL’s tracks. OUR CORE: Engineering
SMRT will continue the momentum in
building up our engineering capabilities
“ and advanced technologies through digital and training transformation. These are important pillars that will “ enable SMRT to be an effective and efficient public transport operator.
Mr Gan Boon Jin Executive Vice President, Engineering and Chief Digital Transformation Officer 42 SMRT CORPORATION LTD GROUP REVIEW 2020/2021 SMRT CORPORATION LTD GROUP REVIEW 2020/2021 43
ENGINEERING FOR PROGRESS
Our Engineering business group constantly explores to meet commuters’ needs, while gearing up our AUTOMATIC TRAIN SUPERVISION ALARM innovative technologies and digital solutions to drive systems for tomorrow’s demands through digital MONITORING SYSTEM the safety, reliability, and comfort of our systems transformation as well as improving our logistics We also developed the Automatic Train Supervision and services, with a focus on Trains. This means and training capabilities. Alarm Monitoring system on the CCL to help our enhancing operations and maintenance engineering maintenance team understand trends in the signalling system. The system is able to identify potential issues, and provide analysis on the type, location, ON THE RIGHT TRACK and occurrence frequency of the problems. The data guides the maintenance team on its mitigation efforts. The tool has allowed our engineers to track The Track Access Management System enhances the reliability of the performance of our rolling stock and signalling our rail lines and reduces human error. assets more efficiently. LAUNCH OF TRACK ACCESS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM CONDITION MONITORING OF SIGNALLING SYSTEM The first phase of the Track Access Management As part of our efforts to boost reliability, we launched System (TAMS) on the NSEWL will be launched in iSight in March 2021. This integrated platform draws July 2021, and will be progressively rolled out to the performance insights from signaling data from other lines. TAMS is a single integrated digital the North-South and East-West Lines (NSEWL). platform that replaces manual track access It indexes data from the Communication-Based processes and standalone systems. Using artificial Train Control system for diagnostics based on the intelligence, TAMS is built with interlocking safety profile of the rail assets, and the defects detected. features and optimises track access allocation Apart from retrieving and aggregating data more planning. It enhances the reliability of our rail lines efficiently, iSight also analyses and visualizes the and prevents human errors. Works to extend TAMS data to characterise the defect indicators. These are capability to the CCL, Thomson-East Coast Line, key elements of condition-based assessment as we Bukit Panjang Light Rail Transit and train depots are move towards predictive maintenance. underway.
CONTINUITY PLANNING WITH INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY
The pandemic posed serious TRANSITIONING TO REMOTE WORK challenges to the continuity of our The IMDC enhances our real-time situational awareness of rail incidents across all train lines. operations. Even at the height of COVID-19, our buses and trains continued to run, ensuring that essential workers, including those SETUP OF THE INTEGRATED MAINTENANCE DIAGNOSTICS CENTRE at the frontline, were able to travel Our Maintenance Operations Centre moved from to work and home safely. Even as Bishan Depot to Kim Chuan Depot in September we offered our services, we also VIRTUAL MEETING CLOUD APPLICATIONS TO TOOLS SHARE FILES SECURELY 2020 to form the Integrated Maintenance Diagnostics paid close attention to the safety of Centre (IMDC), enhancing our real-time situational our workforce. awareness for faster decisions and actions. With the As we embarked on our digital ENABLING TIMELY AND EFFECTIVE HEALTH REPORTING SYSTEMS IMDC located alongside the Rail Operations Centre transformation journey before the (ROC), we are able to integrate the command and pandemic, we were able to quickly control of our various train lines, and achieve higher With Project Overwatch, staff can monitor train services on the adjust our operations to new service performance. CCL in real time. ways of working. For instance, we implemented remote work IMPLEMENTATION OF PROJECT OVERWATCH triggers an alert when trains stop for longer than arrangements for staff who could Project Overwatch, launched in October 2020, is an planned for on their routes. Based on the evolving do so, while putting in place measures in-house developed system to monitor train services situation, the system will alert the OCC staff on to protect our essential transport HEALTHBOT E-DECLARATION FOR TAXI HIRERS on the Circle Line (CCL) in real time. Its web-based potential train delays so that resources can be workers. Customised declaration system Customised declaration system that tracks design gives trains operation and control staff the allocated to reduce any potential disruptions to that tracks the health and the health and travel statuses of our taxi situation awareness and mobile access outside commuters. The system will be expanded to other vaccination statuses of staff hirers when Safe Management Measures the Operations Control Centre (OCC). The software rail lines in SMRT. were implemented across Singapore 44 SMRT CORPORATION LTD GROUP REVIEW 2020/2021 SMRT CORPORATION LTD GROUP REVIEW 2020/2021 45
TRANSPORT OF THE FUTURE TRANSFORMING HOW WE LEARN
At SMRT, we believe in investing in our people. Our Engineering We were part of a working group by the Emerging Business Group supports training transformation through the SMRT Stronger Taskforce to trial innovative transport Institute (SMRTi), which drives capability development efforts for our solutions for commuters at Science Park II. With HOW MUCH WE LEARNT rail workforce. IN FY2021 support from the Economic Development Board and the Land Transport Authority, we deployed an We have been strengthening our learning ecosystem through a autonomous bus service through the Zipster mobile review of job roles, work functions and the corresponding skills and 1,148,250 app, while also enabling our bus captains to experience competencies. Taking reference from the skills frameworks developed hours spent on learning operating the autonomous buses of the future. by SkillsFuture Singapore, we are adopting a comprehensive approach to developing our workforce, and equipping them with technical, digital, With Zipster, commuters could book and pay for adaptive and leadership skills through on-the-job training, online 255,778 the bus shuttles via the app. The trial, which will workshops and immersive learning technology, such as using virtual training places offered conclude in May 2021, allowed us to understand how reality tools for training. Staff are also able to learn anywhere and Mobility-as-a-Service, through a revenue-generating anytime through the Learning Management System. These education autonomous transport service, could move ahead in technology tools have transformed how we learn. 170,656 We participated in the trial of an autonomous bus service to Singapore. digital training places offered explore the commercial viability of such services. We encourage staff to lead by example. Our senior leaders drive our training transformation efforts by infusing training and development THE INTERNET OF TRAINS into work routines and dedicating protected time for learning opportunities. When the COVID-19 pandemic put a pause on in-person We have mapped out a Digital Trains masterplan, training opportunities, we tapped on education technology to run setting a goal to be a digital transformer and a data- iSTATION: Make station operations more effective and digital classrooms and redesigned the curriculum so they could be efficient by harnessing video analytics and artificial driven organisation by 2025. This will be driven by a intelligence for processes such as crowd sensing and delivered online. new Digital Transformation Office, which will operate virtual patrol and maintain our rail systems in a sustainable manner using Digital Twin technology. As a virtual replica of iCONTROL: Use digital twin technologies to achieve comprehensive situational awareness and enhance our physical system, the technology will use data to safety and security at the stations and depots run simulations, make predictions on our system’s behaviours and analyse what-if scenarios. iDEPOT: Optimise life cycle costs of railway assets and improve efficiency and effectiveness of Together with the building of a common data platform operations and maintenance through intelligent automation, and the Rail Enterprise Asset for analytics and enhancing asset management, it Management System (REAMS) allows greater potential to deploy digital solutions and technologies at the stations, depots and control Enhance our COMPUTERISED MAINTENANCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (CMMS) into a full-fledged asset centres. information management system, enabling SMRT to adhere to regulatory requirements, improve data integrity and governance, and align with the best OBJECTIVES OF DIGITAL TRAINS practices in asset management processes
Innovate how we work through Sustain reliability, availability, Business Process Reengineering maintainability, safety and security
Achieve productivity savings with Embark on capability-leap projects Kaizen
RESHAPING THE WORKPLACE WITH RPA
Through the use of Robotic Process Automation RPA has also enabled us to automate human (RPA), we are able to automate sampling processes resources functions such as the submission of to monitor risk areas in SMRT that enables us to government-paid leaves, and the processing of such detect instances of fraud early. The technology also claims to government portals. This has resulted allows us to run specific scripts automatically for in savings of up to $14,000 a year in labour cost critical yet repetitive business processes, increasing avoidance. Additionally, automation has helped SMRT our productivity. avoid late submissions, which were valued at $24,000, Trains Locomotive staff work together through virtual reality technology developed by SMRTi. before the implementation of RPA. OUR CORE: Roads
GOING green is an integral part of
how we operate our business, even as we ensure our services remain “ “ relevant to our customers’ needs. We promise to continue providing innovative yet sustainable solutions, while remaining inclusive to all.
Mr Tan Kian Heong President, Roads 48 SMRT CORPORATION LTD GROUP REVIEW 2020/2021 SMRT CORPORATION LTD GROUP REVIEW 2020/2021 49
A CUSTOMER-ORIENTED SERVICE REIMAGINING OUR ROADS As of January 2021, all five of Our Roads business group operates BUSES our bus interchanges have been and maintains buses, taxis and a appointed Dementia Go-To-Points fleet of private vehicles. In line with As one of Singapore’s major public bus operators, our commuters are with spacious hosting rooms and the Singapore Green Plan 2030, at the heart of our operations. We strive to provide top-rated services to dementia brochures to enhance we are also exploring innovative passengers by embracing innovation in our operations, maintenance, and awareness and clear signages to assist such commuters. mobility solutions to meet the service. We collaborated with evolving transportation needs. the Movement for the Intellectually Disabled GREENER BUSES AND INTERCHANGES of Singapore and SPD, We are making strides in our sustainability vision and moving to make our a local charity that CUSTOMER-CENTRIC commutes greener. As Land Transport Authority (LTA) encourages people helps people with to take public transport to reduce traffic congestion as well as pollution, disabilities, to enhance We prioritise our customers’ we are doing our part by not only enhancing commuting experiences but our awareness of We continued to interests by maintaining high serving commuters with reach out to schools also exploring electric buses to reduce carbon footprint. levels of safety, reliability and invisible disabilities via our virtual Learning convenience such as intellectual and Journey Programme GREEN FEATURES developmental needs. to educate students GREEN AND SUSTAINABLE on social graciousness and safety when We are electrifying our fleet to travelling on public lower our carbon footprint transport. Over Together with LTA, we deployed three- Going paperless in our With rear door systems, our bus captains can look out for 100 students have DIGITAL AND CONNECTED door buses to allow passengers to classrooms and bus workshops commuters to prevent accidents from happening. been engaged. enter and exit buses quicker, reducing by using tablets for training and We use technology to the vehicle’s dwell time and carbon maintenance checklists seamlessly match jobs to emission levels at bus stops drivers, and drivers to vehicles OUR VALUE PROPOSITION VALUE OUR A FOCUS ON SAFETY INVESTING IN OUR WORKFORCE INCLUSIVITY IS KEY We have maintained high reliability standards, with As we move to electrify our fleet and digitalise our our buses travelling an average of more than 1 million systems, we ensure that our staff are equipped with We aim to provide better service passenger-km before experiencing delays. While our the skills to drive the division forward. By investing in to our customers by making Collaborated with LTA to Implemented a recycling program buses ply the roads daily, the number of breakdowns the development of our workforce, we are retaining service delivery more inclusive install solar panels at Choa to recycle grey water through a Chu Kang Bus Interchange pumped filter system when cleaning experienced have been capped to under 200 instances and nurturing talent, including future leaders, who will to power our electronic our buses, thereby reducing our per month – due mainly to rigorous maintenance. thrive in a digital-first workplace. information display systems water consumption by 80% We conduct regular safety engagement with our bus A FUTURE-READY WORKFORCE captains and disseminate safety messages to our • Conducted training programmes in electric workforce regularly. In support of LTA’s Passenger and autonomous vehicles Safety Campaign, we share safe travelling tips to • More than 350 of our staff have been trained commuters on board buses to prevent passenger in operating and maintaining diesel hybrid and mishaps. electric buses • A group of eight staff have been trained in REAR DOOR SENSORS managing Autonomous Vehicles (AV), and participated in a four-month AV deployment • Installed rear door sensors, which can trial at Science Park II, under the Emerging detect young commuters, to mitigate risk Stronger Taskforce, where they gained of accidental closures of rear doors on operational experience as AV safety operators passengers
POINT AND CALL IN LINE WITH INDUSTRY STANDARDS • Implemented point-and-call safety drills, • Developed a training curriculum in line with modelled after the Japanese’ shisa kanko the transport sector’s Industry Transformation safety method, where staff point at important Map and SkillsFuture Singapore’s framework indicators and verbally call out their status, to for executives, supervisors and officers avoid mistakes across six operational vocations, such as bus captains and technical officers • Aim is to raise the workforce’s awareness of their surroundings by associating one’s tasks A CULTURE OF LEARNING with physical movements and vocalisations • Embracing the concept of a learning • Marked out dedicated areas in our depots to organisation and encouraging staff to develop allow bus captains to practice the safety drill and improve themselves Our buses are cleaned with recycled grey water to reduce our water usage. 50 SMRT CORPORATION LTD GROUP REVIEW 2020/2021 SMRT CORPORATION LTD GROUP REVIEW 2020/2021 51
TAXIS STRIDES LIMO We provide affordable yet luxurious limousines that INCLUSIVE AND SUSTAINABLE GROWTH With a sizeable fleet of eco-friendly taxis, we work to appeal to a wide group of customers. Our corporate ensure our new technology and initiatives cater to Our taxi fleet became fully hybrid last year, but our goal clients are regularly updated via videos, emails and the changing needs of both our passengers and taxi is to go greener. The target is to change our entire taxi chat groups on safety procedures to ensure our partners. fleet to electric vehicles in the next five years. In 2021, chauffeur services are safe and comfortable. we will receive our first batch of 300 electric taxis. At the same time, we acknowledge that the pandemic While the business of our limousine partners has has impacted their income. To help our taxi partners been affected by the pandemic, we have helped to tide through the challenges, we offered rental rebates, supplement their income by partnering hotels and tour and sought out opportunities for them to deliver food 2021 2026 300 electric taxis Taxi fleet made agencies to provide transport options to Singaporeans and packages to supplement their takings. Our limousine transport services provide passengers with safety, up only of electric who are using their SingapoRediscover vouchers. comfort and luxury. vehicles REINVENTING OUR SERVICE DELIVERY AUTOMOTIVE SERVICES We are committed to making every taxi ride a comfortable one for our passengers. As the engineering arm of our Roads business group, Safety is crucial. In FY2021, we achieved a Photo caption to come we provide clients with solutions such as retrofitting significant milestone of having zero workplace IN-CAR TABLETS of vehicles, repair, maintenance and refurbishment accidents. For our efforts, we received a Certification Passengers can give feedback on their ride via services, technical training and consultancy as well of Commendation at the Workplace Safety and the devices, which also display safety reminders as other engineering services. As we ready ourselves Health Awards 2020 in the Supervisor category. CHILD SAFETY for the future of transport, we are developing We will continue improving the system as well as Since March 2020, all our taxis are equipped our capabilities to meet the technical needs of safety mindset and culture for every staff through with child booster seats to ensure the young tomorrow’s vehicles. education, engagement, and enforcement activities. ones ride safely and comfortably Our London taxis are specially fitted to serve passengers who are OUR TRAINING EFFORTS We are also a key provider of electric vehicle SEAMLESS RIDE-HAILING EXPERIENCE wheelchair users. maintenance. In July 2020, we began offering Enhanced workplace learning with videos and Book an SMRT taxi through the Grab mobile maintenance services for electric buggies and trams app, made possible with a partnership with We also extended the life span of our London taxis so on-the-job training Grab where we integrated our booking service that we can continue to serve passengers with special in Sentosa. We now maintain around 100 electric with its ride-hailing platform travel needs, such as those on motorised wheelchairs. vehicles across Singapore. Developed online training programme on safety tips Our services extend to Singapore’s fight against STRIDES TRANSPORTATION COVID-19. We modified 10 Sprinter minibuses for the Ministry of Defence, enabling the vehicles to As a leading provider of vehicle leasing and chauffeur During the COVID-19 pandemic, safety remains Provided training for staff on the maintenance of electric and hybrid vehicles transport large quantities of masks. We also retrofitted a priority. We replaced in-person meetings with services, we operate a wide range of luxury vehicles, ambulances for the National Centre for Infectious fortnightly online discussions, where we discussed sedans and private buses. We deliver a quality Diseases. Since then, we have secured contracts from and shared reflections on workplace health and 40% of maintenance staff have completed training experience to our corporate customers by leveraging the Ministry of Home Affairs to retrofit prison vehicles, on the latest technology to improve service delivery. safety measures. At these sessions, we also stressed in maintenance of electric and hybrid vehicles the importance of safe driving practices. We have mini-buses and vans. STRIDES BUS observed a reduction in the number of accidents We operate a fleet of 37 Strides buses with various reported since the start of these group reflections. EVOLVING AND GROWING seating capacities to suit the needs of our corporate ENHANCING SERVICE QUALITY With our expertise in the maintenance and servicing customers. To ensure top-notch service to our system to manage all our records and processes. We of transportation solutions, we are keen to share our clients, we conduct regular internal mystery audits will also set up an information and feedback system, Regular internal mystery audits knowledge with foreign partners. From August 2021, to assess the service provided by our bus captains. to allow customers to obtain and give the necessary our commercial business arm will be rebranded to information and feedback via a digital platform. Our services are comprehensive and inclusive, Open reporting and safety accountability Strides Mobility. This will allow us to position Roads business group as the leading mobility service On the electric vehicles front, we will continue with the bus captains trained by the Handicapped provider, pioneering sustainable solutions and services to support the Singapore Green Plan 2030 by Wheelchair Association on how they can assist Training to better assist passengers on wheelchairs here and abroad. providing electric vehicles to our customers, thereby passengers on wheelchairs, powerchairs and reducing carbon emission. As the appointed agent scooters. Regular sharing sessions on safety As we aim to scale new heights for Roads business for Higer electric vans, we are able to provide a full group, safety will continue to be a top priority. We are suite of automotive solutions for electric vehicles, Safety is paramount. We have inculcated a culture of dedicated to improving our safety culture through We deployed our first electric Strides bus in November including sales, repair, maintenance, retrofitting and open reporting and safety accountability, encouraging education, engagement, and enforcement activities 2020, in line with Singapore’s vision to have vehicles modification, to our corporate customers. our bus captains to report safety incidents via a QR for all staff. code pasted in all our vehicles, or via our hotline. run on cleaner energy by 2040. The move was met with positive feedback from our passengers, who We will also embark on digitalisation to streamline appreciated the smoother and quieter rides. our operations. We are in the process of digitalising our manual workshop processes, to create a digital OUR CORE: Experience
IN the face of challenges posed by an
unprecedented year of COVID-19, we have
“ strengthened our resolve to emerge stronger as an organisation, to better serve our communities and stakeholders. Through “ continuous innovation, we will continue to pursue non-fare opportunities in our properties and media & digital businesses.
Mr Tony Heng Yew Teck Executive Vice President, Experience
Photo courtesy of The Walt Disney Company Southeast Asia Pte Ltd and @jinolee_photography 54 SMRT CORPORATION LTD GROUP REVIEW 2020/2021 SMRT CORPORATION LTD GROUP REVIEW 2020/2021 55
EXPERIENCING A GREAT COMMUTE
SMRT Experience enhances our commuters’ journey conveniences on the go at our MRT stations and bus with vibrant lifestyle experiences in Singapore’s interchanges islandwide. most connected media & retail network, and with
PROPERTIES: GROWING WITH OUR TENANTS
We manage more than 800 retail Despite the challenging retail environment, we managed spaces across our rail networks, to attract new brands to revitalise our spaces and expand creating exciting shopping spaces FRESH our food and services offerings, including WELCIA, MOS CONCEPTS and amazing experiences for our Burger, Xing Fu Tang, The Alley, Mr Coconut, Tien Tien commuters and communities. We Yogurt, iTea, Underdog Petshop and Yang Guo Fu Mala. believe that good retail offerings form an integral part of a world- We ensured our tenants received timely class public transport transit disbursements of rental rebates and REBATES AND RELIEFS experience. COVID-19 has created property tax reliefs. challenges for the retail industry. We are constantly revitalising our To uplift our tenants, we gave properties and tenant mix to offer sustained support to tide them To draw the crowds back, we provided our tenants new experiences to our customers. AD with marketing packages to advertise their shops and through the pandemic. SUPPORT services via our media spaces. ENHANCING THE RETAIL EXPERIENCE SMRT Alpha, the retail operator of key commercial areas in the Going beyond retail spaces, we offer commuters Card differentiates itself from other credit cards Singapore Sports Hub precinct, We activated pushcarts during the a unique shopping experience through the Citi SMRT in the market with a wide range of merchants, for Mid-Autumn season for the sale of mooncakes, INNOVATING worked with its Head Lessor, WITH Card that offers savings each time users shop Singaporeans looking to generate maximum savings in compliance with the Ministry of Industry and PUSHCARTS SportsHub Pte Ltd, to provide Trade (MTI) guidelines. and spend. per card spend. Best of all, one can earn cash rewards rental rebates and marketing each time the EZ-Reload function is used. support for our tenants during Rated one of 2021’s best cash-back without minimum this challenging COVID-19 period. ASSISTING When restrictions began easing gradually, we ensured spend credit card by MoneySmart.sg, the Citi SMRT To attract shoppers and draw WITH SAFE our tenants complied with safe distancing measures and MANAGEMENT assisted them to install social distancing floor markers. in mall traffic, Kallang Wave MEASURES MEDIA: ASSET ACQUISITION & ENHANCING DIGITAL CAPABILITIES Mall embarked on marketing campaigns and promotions SMRT Media is Singapore’s largest and most extensive We also continued to grow our media assets with the We collaborated with tenants on Instagram during festive seasons such as SOCIAL out-of-home media network. Our capabilities range aim of building more touchpoints with consumers. In Christmas and National Day. and Facebook to host giveaways and offer MEDIA attractive deals to commuters. GIVEAWAYS from out-of-home advertising to digital marketing 2020, we were named the marketing agent for media with operations spanning across Singapore. spaces in Somerset 313 and JEM – two malls under Lendlease – for the next five years. This is a significant The COVID-19 pandemic was a test of our resilience. win that positions us as the media owner of choice for The following approximate It impacted our media, as more people stayed home. lifestyle and shopping consumer audience. statistics cover all retail space at We made full use of the downtime to refurbish our Kallang Wave Mall, selected bus infrastructure by digitalising our media assets at interchanges, and the stations Orchard Media Hub and Raffles Place. across North-South and East-West Lines, Circle Line and Thomson- We partnered an advertising technology firm to East Coast Line: establish a data-driven platform that offers sharper consumer data analytics and custom reports to clients. With the new platform, advertisers can sqm space 78,000 communicate their key messages seamlessly between our offline assets such as digital billboards, 1,000 retail units and online assets such as banner ads. This successfully enhanced campaign performances for clients such as McDonald’s, Moomoo by FutuSG, 150 event spaces Livinguard and Samsung. We bring exciting retail offerings to our commuters and communities across our With our out-of-home advertising assets, advertisers can reach out rail networks. 450 machine points to their target audience via multiple touchpoints. 56 SMRT CORPORATION LTD GROUP REVIEW 2020/2021 SMRT CORPORATION LTD GROUP REVIEW 2020/2021 57
WE GIVE BACK WINK WINK! As part of our Communities in SMRT (CIS) initiative, up shop. Leveraging on the convenience of the SMRT Experience avidly supports community-centric SMRT public transport network, the SRC outlet operators and social enterprises. allowed commuters to easily drop off donations — including electronics, fashion accessories, footwear In collaboration with Singapore’s Fashion Runway’s and toys — and contribute to a worthy cause “Fashion for a Social Cause” movement aimed while shopping. at empowering people with special needs and disadvantaged groups, creative workshops were Our deep appreciation for the arts also paved the held at the Marina South Pier MRT Station. At way for SMRT Media’s year-long partnership with these workshops, we sell handmade crafts by the the Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM). We helped beneficiaries to showcase their artistic talents, help ACM effectively reach out to wider audiences on their them build their confidence and better integrate with permanent galleries and special exhibitions through mainstream society. a variety of creative outdoor media platforms. Our efforts garnered us the Patron of Heritage Award We have similarly supported Singapore Red (Partner Tier) from the National Heritage Board. Cross (SRC) at Dhoby Xchange for their first pop- Our WINK+ from Home Campaign interacts with users through in-app content.
EVOLVE AND GROW Our cheery pink loyalty mobile app WINK+ works by leaving comments on WINK+’s Facebook page. by allowing commuters to earn points when they Within the first month of the campaign, WINK+ As the needs of our consumers evolve, we will ecosystem to meet the needs of commuters and travel with SMRT or when they scan QR codes saw a marked 35 per cent increase in new users continue to innovate as we embark on new projects customers as they travel from home to work. This found on SMRT’s ad spaces. and consumer engagement. Our efforts won us and placemaking initiatives to create transit includes the co-branded Citi SMRT Card, ramping the Bronze Award for the Most Innovative Use of up our food and beverage offerings, enhancing our When Singapore entered a circuit breaker period destination spaces and lifestyle services, both Mobile Technology at the Marketing Magazine transport services and revitalising our shops. in April 2020, things were looking more grey online and offline through strong partnership and Mobex Awards 2020. stakeholders engagement to enhance the travelling than pink for WINK+. We quickly brightened the In line with our vision of Moving People, Enhancing experience for our commuters. outlook with a new campaign. We subsequently launched WINK+ Gates as a new Lives, our focus remains on providing commuters feature to drive our gamification strategy. Users Our new Stellar Lifestyle brand is being introduced with top-tier services as we transform our spaces To continue engaging users and increase can now earn points island-wide beyond the SMRT in August 2021. Borne out of a desire to create and media & digital offerings. customer retention, we launched the WINK+ from network. With more than 180,000 subscribers, we vibrant transit destinations and improve our Home campaign. Users could continue collecting generated a 40 per cent clickthrough rate for our everyday touchpoints, Stellar Lifestyle will tap SMRT’s points by interacting with the in-app content or advertisers’ banner ads. experience in property management to create an
WINK+ FROM HOME CAMPAIGN WINK+ GATES We provided sustained support to our tenants to attract shoppers and draw Increase of new users and in-mall traffic during this challenging consumer engagement by 40% COVID-19 period. clickthrough rate for 35% advertiser’s banner ads OUR CORE: International
WE aspire to be the world’s leading mobility and transit solutions & “ services provider. Backed by our strong engineering capabilities, and innovative mobility and transit solutions, I am confident we can be the trusted partner for the operations and management of
transport systems for the region
and beyond. Through these international engagements, SMRT is better positioned to bring the “ best of the world’s know-how to enhance rail and bus operations in Singapore.
Mr Lee Ling Wee Deputy Group Chief Executive Officer and President, SMRT International
Artist impression of Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link Station in Bukit Chagar, Johor Bahru, Malaysia (Photo: MRT Corp) 60 SMRT CORPORATION LTD GROUP REVIEW 2020/2021 SMRT CORPORATION LTD GROUP REVIEW 2020/2021 61
SHARING EXPERTISE WITH GLOBAL PARTNERS SMRT International was formed to spearhead the transport operators and maintenance agencies in the KNOWLEDGE-SHARING IN MAURITIUS internationalisation initiatives of SMRT Corporation. region. We believe such cross-learning will greatly We see value in sharing SMRT’s expertise in benefit Singapore’s rail and bus operations. Since 2012, at the request of the transportation operations and maintenance with other Government of Mauritius, SMRT has provided consultancy services for the Mauritius Metro Express, CONNECTING SINGAPORE TO MALAYSIA regularly advising them on the preparation and launch of revenue On 28 July 2020, a joint venture was formed in connecting Woodlands North Station in Singapore services. between SMRT and Prasarana Malaysia Berhad for and Bukit Chagar Station in Johor Bahru, Malaysia. the Singapore-Johor Bahru Rapid Transit System In January 2020, we completed SMRT is committed to offering our operations, (RTS) Link. The joint venture, called RTS Operations the first phase of our consultancy maintenance and service experience to RTSO to Pte Ltd (RTSO), will design, build, and finance the services with the successful ensure that the RTS is safe, reliable and efficient for Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System opening of the Mauritius Metro all commuters. (RTS) Link operating assets, including trains, tracks Express Phase 1. We continued and systems. The company will also operate and The RTS project has seen commendable progress to assist the Government maintain the rail line between Bukit Chagar station in the implementation of the cross-border line. of Mauritius in operations in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, and Woodlands North Following the commemoration ceremony on 30 July improvement, knowledge transfer station in Singapore. The project will play a vital role 2020, three main developments took place: and staff training. This project has been invaluable in promoting better professional 9 NOVEMBER 2020 25 DECEMBER 2020 22 JANUARY 2021 exchanges, and we look forward SMRT provided the Government of Mauritius with expert advice on the launch of its metro A systems consultancy contract was RTSO issued Request for Proposals The official roll-out of the construction to future collaborations. service, the Mauritius Metro Express. awarded to CH2M Services Sdn Bhd, to the four core proponents in the of the RTS Link Woodlands North an engineering firm that would deliver construction of the RTS. Station took place, cementing the start consultancy services for all systems for of improved connectivity between the the RTS line. These include areas like two countries. STRENGTHENING INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS IN TRANSPORT & MOBILITY design, manufacturing, delivery, testing and commissioning. SMRT continues to contribute to the global railway industry by actively participating in discussions regarding international railway relations.
Virtual exhibition at UITP (Union Internationale des Transports Publics) Asia Pacific Conference 2020.
VIRTUAL UITP ASIA PACIFIC LTA-UITP SITCE WEBINAR IN 2021 CONFERENCE (OCTOBER 2020) (NOVEMBER 2020) We look forward to more opportunities We shared with transport leaders We shared our experience in for cross-border engagements to our experiences in driving digital collaborating with other stakeholders strengthen our knowledge on public transformation and creating innovative in instilling public confidence and transport operations, maintenance solutions to enhance operational building resilience during the COVID-19 and service. oversight on reliability and safety. pandemic with key railway and system leaders from Belgium, France, India, SMRT and Prasarana at the signing of the joint venture agreement for the Johor Bahru-Singapore RTS Link. Indonesia, Japan and the Middle East. OUR CULTURE OF Continuous Improvement
EVERY small change counts in improving work processes for greater efficiency and financial prudence – the purpose is to cut down wastages and to do more with less. Our journey started in February 2018 when SMRT embarked on an internal project to give our staff a greater sense of ownership by adopting the renowned Japanese business philosophy – Kaizen. Kaizen aims to generate better ideas and improve productivity continuously by involving all employees in the process. While we initially adopted Kaizen with the objective to “Be Better than Yesterday”, we have fine-tuned our motto to be “Good Today, Better Tomorrow”, believing that improvements can be achieved only by cultivating an efficient work environment. 64 SMRT CORPORATION LTD GROUP REVIEW 2020/2021 SMRT CORPORATION LTD GROUP REVIEW 2020/2021 65 GOOD TODAY, Better Tomorrow NURTURING A KAIZEN MINDSET SAVINGS FROM WORKPLACE IMPROVEMENTS
Change does not happen overnight, but over time. This team (centre) bagged the The Kaizen approach has led to impressive results To encourage our staff to continually improve Our staff has gradually imbibed the Kaizen mindset Kaizen Platinum award with a and cost savings, while enhancing operational their workplace, we launched the Kaizen Individual and are constantly looking at ways to improve tyre management initiative that safety and efficiency. Our savings from Kaizen Suggestion Scheme (KISS) in 2021. Under this the workplace. is projected to save SMRT more projects has quadrupled from $20.6 million in FY2019 scheme, employees can raise their suggestions for than $1 million per year. to $88.8 million in FY2021. Kaizen projects. Since its launch in February 2021 Among the notable projects in FY2021 include the to the end of March 2021, we have received 990 UPS & EPS Battery Renewal Schedule from the KISS submissions. Engineering business group and the Total Tyre FY2019 $20.6M Management Programme from the Roads business 1461 This project team received the Kaizen group. In recognition of their exceptional efforts, Gold award for their initiative to FY2020 $84.2M tighten recovery procedures when both projects walked away with the Kaizen Platinum 1587 train faults occur. award at the SMRT Awards Ceremony 2020. FY2021 $88.8M 1754
0 500 1000 1500 2000 POWER UP: UPS & EPS BATTERY RENEWAL SCHEDULE Kaizen Savings Kaizen Projects Submissions
The joint team from Procurement and the Power division worked together to analyse and address the issue of unsustainable battery replacement patterns. PROJECT QUEEN BEE: LEADING THE KAIZEN MOVEMENT By proposing to aggregate the demand on an annual rather than ad-hoc basis, they Our success with Kaizen inspired us to spread its philosophy were able to leverage on economies of and take the lead as the “Queen Bee” in the local land transport scale to reduce extra processing waste and industry. manage the price volatility, with savings in excess of $1 million for the project. In January 2020, SMRT signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Singapore SkillsFuture (SSG) and the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT). Under this partnership, SSG provided the grant to renovate three learning centres within the Bishan, Mandai and Kim Chuan depots. TIRELESS CHANGE: TOTAL TYRE MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME SIT and SMRT will train small and medium-sized enterprises supporting the transport industry in these centres to adopt Kaizen SMRT Roads evaluated the inefficiency of paying in their businesses and generate sustainable solutions for long- our vendor a fixed monthly rate per bus for tyre term productivity gains. The programme started in January 2021 replacement. As tyres on different bus models after months of rigorous discussion and preparation. exhibit different rates of wear and tear, the team proposed a cost-by-utilisation model as Over the next three years, we aim to train up to 300 a solution. participants from 100 SMEs.
Working with Procurement, the team incorporated We are refining our methodology to encompass experiential their proposed cost model into the new tender training, allowing participants to have hands-on experience with specifications, projected to save SMRT Roads train components. Our new and improved training is set to launch more than $1 million annually. in the second quarter of FY2022. OUR Sustainability Journey
AS a leading public transport operator in Singapore, our activities have a profound impact on society and the environment. We are committed to reducing the environmental impact of our services and activities, as we strive to deliver a top-notch public transport system. We are now building our multi-year sustainability roadmap, which will include robust social and governance practices in addition to environmental conservation initiatives. In the coming year, we are dedicated to enhancing our sustainability capability, and encouraging staff engagements in this endeavour. 68 SMRT CORPORATION LTD GROUP REVIEW 2020/2021 SMRT CORPORATION LTD GROUP REVIEW 2020/2021 69 BUILDING A Sustainable Business The story of SMRT’s growth is closely tied to the Our aim is to create value over the long term for our AN EYE ON THE ENVIRONMENT development of Singapore and the evolution of its stakeholders, by keeping a keen eye on environmental public transport landscape. Since 1987, we have sustainability, community engagement and At SMRT, we champion environmental stewardship anchored on our core been pivotal in shaping how people live, work and development, and ensuring ethical and responsible values. play by providing safe, reliable, and customer-centred business practices through stringent corporate connectivity through our public transport services. governance. RESPECT
As corporate citizens, we know well that our For instance, we have been incorporating energy Respect for the environment is essential to ensure the sustained growth of our businesses businesses and actions have an impact on all our saving features in our train systems together with the stakeholders. These include not just our employees Land Transport Authority (LTA) to reduce our energy and customers, but also the larger public. Our actions consumption and carbon footprint. INTEGRITY today will impact the future generations to come. As we seek to deepen our sustainability efforts, Integrity in our actions to fulfil compliance of our environmental sustainability obligations This is why sustainability is intrinsic to SMRT. We nurturing a green company culture is key. We are are committed to embedding sustainability into our actively engaging our employees to guide them on our SERVICE business at both the strategic and operational levels. green initiatives and goals, to encourage ownership and participation. At the same time, we are dedicated Commitment to deliver best-in-class service with eco-friendly policies OUR CORE VALUES CORE OUR Our Sustainability Strategy is based on three pillars. to cultivating a diverse and inclusive workforce, which and practices Staff maintaining solar films at Mandai Depot. will enrich our internal collaborations and discussions about sustainability. EXCELLENCE OUR GOALS Being a sustainable organisation goes beyond focusing Excellence in our environmental conservation efforts by seeking GREEN BUSINESSES & OPERATIONS on environmental protection. It is also about ensuring to constantly innovate to achieve continual improvement in our Focus on building operations resilience and sustainable growth for the future so that we can continue sustainability practices 5% resource efficiency to guard against climate to provide quality jobs for our workforce and deliver top- reduction in energy and carbon change risks notch services for our customers. THE ABC OF SUSTAINABILITY, FOR YOU AND I footprint consumption Our Board of Directors and Senior Management SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES We are committed to environmentally sustainable developments in energy are also committed to upholding high standards of reduction, water conservation, waste management and green advocacy, 10% Focus on enhancing workplace wellness, corporate governance. We have put in place systems, guided by our ABC&I framework. year-on-year reduction in workforce development and building processes and structure to ensure our businesses and water consumption sustainable communities affairs are conducted in a transparent, accountable, Adopt eco-friendly resources, alternative energy and environmental solutions and sustainable manner. that marry ecological and economic agendas RESPONSIBLE PRACTICES 20% As we move the organisation forward, we will Benchmark and measure environmental performance reduction in SMRT SUSTAINBILITY STRATEGY SUSTAINBILITY SMRT Focus on generating shareholder value through continue to weave sustainability into our business ethical and transparent business practices paper consumption decisions until it becomes part of our DNA across the Cultivate values, create environmental awareness and drive positive actions organisation. amongst staff and stakeholders 1 Scope 1: Direct GHG emissions occur We have significantly reduced our carbon & from sources that are owned or footprint by harnessing solar energy at controlled by the reporting organisation. our depots. mprove processes with the implementation of the Environmental I 2 Scope 2: Indirect GHG emissions from Management System the generation of purchased electricity consumed by the reporting organisation. SETTING OUR SUSTAINABILITY TARGETS 3 The GHG Protocol Corporate Standard classifies an organisation’s GHG Our green initiatives are aimed at reducing energy and water consumption emissions into three scopes. Scope 1 is and improving waste management. To track the effectiveness of our direct emissions, while scope 2 and 3 are indirect emissions. efforts, our in-house energy managers track our energy consumption and 4 1 2 Scope 3: All other indirect GHG Scopes 1 and 2 Greenhouse Gases (GHG) emission levels based on the emissions that are a consequence of the 3 GHG Protocol Corporate Standard . These metrics are then reported to activities of the reporting organisation, the relevant authorities and our stakeholders. but occur from sources not owned or controlled by the organisation. The data helps us formulate our action plan to further reduce our carbon footprint. In the coming years, we will continue to track our greenhouse gas emissions and extend the study to include Scope 34 emissions. 70 SMRT CORPORATION LTD GROUP REVIEW 2020/2021 SMRT CORPORATION LTD GROUP REVIEW 2020/2021 71
ENERGY CONSERVATION DUAL-CYCLE RECYCLING FOR TRAINS At five of our train depots on the North-South and East-West Lines Singapore has set a goal of halving its 2030 peak well as other greenhouse gases in its systems and and Thomson-East Coast Line, our train wash plants feature dual- greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, and work processes. For instance, our move to electrify our cycle recycling. Water from the second rinse of a train is collected and filtered for pre-washing of the next train. This effort saves us about towards achieving net zero emissions in the second bus and taxi fleets, and switch to machines that 670,000 litres of fresh water per month. half of the century. In line with the national effort to are more energy efficient, will significantly lower our combat climate change, SMRT has been looking at energy use. RECYCLING GREY WATER FOR BUSES ways to reduce the build-up of carbon dioxide as We recycle grey water through a pumped filter system and reuse them to clean our buses. This has enabled us to reduce our water CLEANER DIESEL consumption by 80 per cent. ALTERNATIVE FOR BUSES SWITCHING TO ECO- FULLY ELECTRIC By switching to a low-carbon TAXI FLEET BY 2026 FRIENDLY HAND DRYERS SMART WATER METERS diesel alternative for our AT STATION TOILETS As part of Singapore’s effort to digitalise its water system, we Our first batch of 300 electric buses, we improved our fuel By March 2022, eco-friendly are working with national water agency PUB to replace the older taxis will arrive in August efficiency and reduced our hand dryers will be installed conventional water meters at our stations and depots with new smart 2021. SMRT is the first point- carbon emissions by in toilets located at 47 water meters from early 2022. With these new meters, we can monitor to-point public transport 2,400 tonnes. operator committed to selected stations across the water usage and any leaks in real time, and roll out targeted water deploying electric taxis on North-South and East-West saving efforts with the data. By detecting leaks early, we expect to a large scale. Lines and Circle Line. Not reduce our water consumption by 5 per cent. only are these hand dryers We operate and maintain the water hygienic and convenient for recycling systems to reduce water usage FULLY ELECTRIC commuters, they are expected during train washes. BUS FLEET BY 2040 to reduce paper wastage and We now have 6 electric SMRT carbon emissions by 2,838 buses in our fleet, in line with tonnes. WASTE MANAGEMENT LTA’s initiative to have public buses run on cleaner energy DEVELOP AND In line with Singapore’s aim of USING LESS PAPER by 2040. DISTRIBUTE LOCALLY- MADE ELECTRIC becoming a Zero Waste Nation, In 2020, we used 21.3 per cent less paper than the year before. This MOTORCYCLES we take pains to ensure waste translates to 1.6 million copies of paper saved, and a reduction in We signed a Memorandum of materials are properly collected, carbon footprint by 64 tonnes. Understanding with electric transported, processed, recycled SOLAR POWER FOR MANAGING METAL AND E-WASTE BISHAN, TUAS WEST motorcycle manufacturer and disposed of. We have EuroSports Technologies to AND MANDAI DEPOTS launched several initiatives to cut We partnered recycling facilities to ensure that the 1,600 tonnes of develop, market and supply scrapped metal collected from our organisation were salvaged for We have been using solar smart electric motorcycles down on waste produced by our recycling. We also ensured that our electronic waste was properly photovoltaic systems at here and in the region. operations. disposed of to enable downstream recycling, where some parts could these three depots since be reused or resold. 2016, leading to a reduction in our carbon footprint by at RENEWING OUR least 1800 tonnes annually, TICKETING MACHINES HARNESSING equivalent to the carbon By end-2022, 290 of our old NURTURING A GREEN CULTURE CLOUD SOLUTIONS footprint produced by 210 General Ticketing Machines As we pursue our sustainability goals, we want to we can all do our part to protect the environment. We people in a year. We moved 50 per cent of and Top-up Machines will encourage our employees and stakeholders to journey will be holding contests, pledges, lunchtime talks and our server and application be replaced with new energy By ramping up the use of with us too. Our aim is to create a common green events such as eco-friendly workshops and fairs to workload to cloud solutions, efficient Top-up Kiosks, solar energy, we expect to which allowed us to use just under the Ticketing Machine culture in the workplace and the larger community. further our efforts in green advocacy. further reduce our carbon eight server and network racks, Rejuvenating Exercise. The new emissions by 2,500 tonnes down from 22. This move has machines consume 17 per cent We connect with our staff via Workplace from Externally, we spread the green message to by 2022. allowed us to reduce our power less power than the old models, Facebook and a newly-launched quarterly online stakeholders, partners, and the wider public by requirements, and lower our which will reduce carbon newsletter titled Quarterly Green Updates, to raise leveraging on our media, digital and network carbon footprint by 175 footprint by 123 tonnes. awareness of sustainability issues, share SMRT’s assets. We also aim to expand our efforts as an per cent. efforts and progress in energy, water, and waste environmental steward, seeking collaborations management, as well as tips on going green at the with notable campaigns such as Earth Day, World WATER CONSERVATION individual level. Environment Day, and Singapore International Water Week. As part of our efforts to reduce our impact Water conservation is a crucial part of our consumption, as we innovate and incorporate water Internally, we give our employees ample opportunities on the environment, we also work with Singapore environmental sustainability journey. In all of our saving initiatives in our operations by partnering to share their ideas for sustainability projects and Environment Council to improve our green practices water projects, we are guided by the 3’Rs’ of reducing, national water agency PUB as well as various showcase their achievements to drive the point that and targets. reusing and recycling. Our target is to achieve a social enterprises. year-on-year reduction of 10 per cent in our water 72 SMRT CORPORATION LTD GROUP REVIEW 2020/2021 SMRT CORPORATION LTD GROUP REVIEW 2020/2021 73
TAKING CARE OF SUSTAINING THROUGH THE PANDEMIC AN INCLUSIVE OUR PEOPLE When the pandemic started, our key concern was PUBLIC TRANSPORT SYSTEM Building a sustainable world is also about doing our to ensure the safety of our employees, partners and We strive to build a public transport system that is inclusive and part to uplift people. customers. We put in place measures to ensure their responsive to the needs of all our commuters. We believe listening and health and wellbeing were taken care of, even as we responding to our stakeholders is the way forward to building a resilient Sustainability goes hand-in-hand with the wellbeing continued operating essential public transport services. and socially sustainable organisation. of people. A 2019 report by the Singapore Business Federation had urged companies here to adopt This is why we will be launching the Go-To SMRT initiative in April 2021. KEEPING SAFE IN THE PANDEMIC We want to encourage the public to look to our MRT stations and bus sustainable employment practices to create a more interchanges as a one-stop care hub that can assist them with wayfinding equitable workforce, which in turn will create a Continued to encourage good commuting behaviour i.e. mask-wearing, observing good personal hygiene requests, first aid needs, and to locate missing children and seniors. supportive environment that enables businesses to among commuters thrive. At SMRT, we advocate sustainable employment The Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) has also certified 17 MRT stations practices by caring for our mature workers, and and five bus interchanges as Dementia Go-To Points – safe return supporting the mental health of our workforce. Compliance to Safe Management Measures points that members of the public can direct people with suspected dementia to, where they will receive help from our staff. SMRT is also DEVELOPING CAPABILITIES working with partner organisations such as AIC, Singapore Association Adopted technology and automation in our fight of the Visually Handicapped, the Alzheimer’s Disease Association, Talent development is vital to the growth and success against COVID-19, such as our daily temperature Guide Dog Singapore and the Handicaps Welfare Association to provide declarations for staff via WorkChat of SMRT. As we focus on the future, we want to more inclusive, commuter-centric services to these with special needs. nurture a workforce that is adaptable, competent and We are also refreshing our first aid and WeCare rooms to better flexible. This is achieved by providing employees with Stepped up testing of our frontline employees support commuters. WeCare rooms are equipped with baby-changing opportunities to upskill and develop their capabilities stations for parents. They are also safe, quiet spaces where commuters through work-study programmes. in distress can retreat to, to calm down. Organised vaccination drive for our frontline staff to At the same time, we partner with institutes of higher protect them and commuters A first-in-Singapore trial of the NaviLens app was also launched to learning and LTA to run programmes and scholarships Our bus captains are trained to help help visually handicapped commuters navigate the new Woodlands commuters in wheelchairs board and Integrated Transport Hub (WITH) with greater ease. The app provides for engineering students, to develop a steady stream Provided our taxi partners with face masks alight buses. of talent. audio assistance when the mobile phone camera is pointed in the general direction of coloured tags, placed strategically at locations around WITH. Organised workshops to educate our taxi partners on safety precautions when interacting with passengers ACCELERATING TOWARDS SUSTAINABILITY RAISING RETIREMENT, INITIATING CONVERSATIONS In the coming years, we will be focusing on incorporating more RE-EMPLOYMENT AGES ON MENTAL HEALTH Our employees celebrating sustainability elements in our infrastructure plans and rejuvenation Public Transport Workers’ programmes, to further lower our carbon footprint. We seek to Retirement age from Re-employment age from Joined City Mental Health Alliance in 2020 to Appreciation Day. align ourselves with the Singapore Green Plan 2030 in the areas of up to up to develop mental health and wellness initiatives Green Commute, Green Energy, Green Infrastructure/Vehicle, and 62 to 63 67 to 68 for employees Green Environment. One sustainability project we are working on is the replacement of MRT station lightings to energy-efficient LED lights. This move is expected to lower our energy consumption at the stations by 50 per cent. We will also be upgrading our chillers at these stations, potentially saving up to 25 per cent of water.
To support our mandate to environmental sustainability, our SMRT Group Sustainability Bond Framework, set up from our existing S$1.3 billion Multicurrency Medium-Term-Note Programme, allows us to support new and existing projects and businesses that reap environmental, social, and governance (ESG) benefits in line with the Green Bond Principles 2018, Social Bond Principles 2020 and Sustainability Bonds Guidelines 2018.
We are dedicated to building a future-ready organisation by accounting for sustainability related risks and opportunities with robust ESG practices. Our multi-year sustainability roadmap is being developed. We will develop our internal capability and roll out a series of recommended sustainability strategies benchmarked against international standards. OUR Duty
EVERYONE has the right to work in a safe working environment. We are relentless in ensuring a safe and healthy workplace for all, so that every employee returns home to their families and loved ones safely after discharging their duties. As we continuously improve our safety practices and uphold a strong safety culture across our employees and contractors, safety and security are core values that we continue to embrace at every working level. We owe our staff and partners a work environment free from hazards. We also owe our commuters a transport system that is safe and reliable. There is no room for complacency when it comes to safety and security. 76 SMRT CORPORATION LTD GROUP REVIEW 2020/2021 SMRT CORPORATION LTD GROUP REVIEW 2020/2021 77 SAFETY AND Security A SAFETY-FIRST MINDSET SAFER SPACES AND SYSTEMS The safety of our employees and customers is foster a strong culture of safety across all levels of our utmost priority as we strive for zero accidents the organisation, to create a pleasant and secure and security breaches. We actively promote and environment for our staff and commuters.
BUILDING A STRONG SAFETY CULTURE
At SMRT, everyone plays a part in building a positive and conducted cross-learning discussions with safety culture. Our senior leaders formulate safety stakeholders including Meiden, ABB, Siemens plans and lead by example. Our managers supervise Mobility, SBS Transit and the Land Transport the day-to-day activities to ensure employees follow Authority (LTA). We also engage our contractors, through with the safety programmes. Our employees whom we value as partners and view as a crucial perform their tasks safely and responsibly and part of our workforce, in our safety efforts. are accountable for their actions. By empowering everyone as a safety leader, we encourage a culture OPEN REPORTING of personal ownership and accountability that helps We believe that all accidents are preventable. Hence, make our spaces and systems safer. we empower all staff to speak up and intervene when faced with a potentially unsafe situation. As part DEPLOYMENT OF DIVISIONAL SAFETY OFFICERS of the organisation’s effort to build and sustain a In FY2021, we enhanced our safety and security reporting culture to prevent accidents from occurring, operations by deploying more Divisional Safety our staff are encouraged to report any deviation or Officers to our various business units. They oversee non-compliance of procedures and work instructions. processes on the ground and ensure our operations We took part in learning exchanges with LTA and SBS Transit. comply with safety standards. Assisted by Safety and In FY2021, we received 710 open reports, up from 249 Security Associates, the Divisional Safety Officers reports recorded in the previous financial year. We In our pursuit of continuous improvement, or Kaizen, manage and address safety and security issues view this as an encouraging trend and will continue to SMRT has been embarking on initiatives to make the unique to their business units to improve SMRT’s urge all staff to continue to step forward. After all, “no organisation safer – from its workspaces and systems safety culture. man is an island” when it comes to safety and security. to ensuring that staff have opportunities to deepen learning in risk management. SAFETY PROTECTED TIME INSTILLING SAFETY AWARENESS The ongoing Project Magnify aims to instil safety and We also introduced Protected Time for Safety for TRANSFORMING OUR WORKSPACE security awareness by reminding all staff to always employees. Under this initiative, we set aside time The workshop in Bishan Depot underwent a massive put safety first at both Train and Roads premises. This for staff across all levels to participate in safety transformation in FY2021, turning into a Rolling is done through the installation of large safety and conversations and sharing sessions with our Stock Component Service Centre that will support security collaterals at workplaces. leadership team. For instance, our Power Centre of component servicing for the North-South and East- Excellence held mock drills via table-top exercises, West Lines.
Beyond a fresh new coat of paint, floor colourings and
As part of Project Magnify, wall-sized markings are now standardised to enhance safety. posters were put up to raise safety Work areas have been decluttered following the awareness among employees. Kaizen housekeeping methodology of 5S – sorting, setting, shining, standardising and sustaining – for a smoother workflow.
TAPPING ON EXPERTS Our regular engagements with international operators via the CoMET-Nova and Technical Advisory Panel The workshop in Bishan Depot was converted into a Rolling Stock (TAP) promote organisational learning and results Component Service Centre. in new improvements to safety and security across various units including engineering, operations, and technological solutions for risk management. 78 SMRT CORPORATION LTD GROUP REVIEW 2020/2021 SMRT CORPORATION LTD GROUP REVIEW 2020/2021 79
We continue to collaborate with local universities In FY2021, we reviewed the job roles of our rail including the Nanyang Technological University, operations and maintenance staff to ensure that Singapore Institute of Technology and National their safety and security technical skills competencies University of Singapore in exploring new technological are aligned with the national framework. We will solutions on condition monitoring and enhancement continue our efforts to enhance safety and security of asset integrity and reliability. Learning exchanges – competencies for our staff. where best practices are shared among local agencies such as the Army Safety Inspectorate, LTA and SBS HARNESSING TECHNOLOGY Transit – have also moved the industry forward. As we pursue greater innovation, we continue to adopt new technologies to improve work processes. This SMRT remains committed to delivering safe and reliable year, we embarked on projects to minimise human services and will continue to engage international errors by eliminating unsafe conditions through operators, academic institutions, and other relevant technological solutions. industries in the adoption of applicable technological solutions across workplace safety, security, and One example is the Signal Warning System (SWS), reliability risk management. where camera analytics are used to identify and warn train captains of abnormal track conditions REVIEWING OUR FRAMEWORKS through visual and auditory alerts. Another example There are always new safety and skills peaks is the In-Cab Monitoring (iCAMS) system which to scale. At SMRT, we never stop climbing with detects and alerts train captains and supervisors a new Project Everest in FY2021 that reviews whenever signs of fatigue are detected through training framework, job roles and responsibilities. body and iris movements. This system is currently Project Everest aims to review and formalise our undergoing trials. training systems, deepen competencies, build a quality workforce, optimise training resources, and Enhancements were also made to the online Hazardous Work Coordination System to streamline Unveiling the Singapore Rail Standards Rail Systems Handbook with stakeholders. nurture a learning culture. Managers, supervisors Photo courtesy of The Institution of Engineers, Singapore and workers will be equipped with the required hazardous work so that it is segregated by location safety and technical proficiency, with training and and hourly time slots. This enhancement has not only improved workflow, but also resulted in greater continuous learning carefully aligned with the Skills Looking ahead, SMRT has embraced digital Singapore Rail Standards (SRS). We crafted the Safety efficiency as it allows each location to be better Framework for Public Transport, an initiative by transformation to be future-ready. SMRT Trains Benchmarking Standard and contributed to the review optimised for hazardous work planning in any SkillsFuture Singapore. continued to adopt cutting-edge Intelligent Depot and adaptation of two other safety standards. We are given day. Operations & Predictive Maintenance (iDepot), also a contributing member of the Railway Safety Intelligent Rail Operations (iControl), and Stations and Management System. Interchanges (iStation) projects. These systems use digital twinning, intelligent automation, control and ENHANCING CYBER SECURITY PROTECTION smart operations to improve decision making and With increasing cyber threats, SMRT has taken a safety sensing. multi-pronged approach to enhance cyber security protection and raise awareness among staff. SMRT Buses has also strengthened its capabilities in enhancing safe operations through the adoption of We constantly update our systems and deploy technologies like anti-fatigue systems, and collision threat protection features across our IT systems warning and avoidance systems such as DriveSafe and equipment. We also conduct workshops and and Mobileye. e-learning modules for our staff on cybersecurity best practices and hold regular table-top exercises DEVELOPING BENCHMARKS with key stakeholders such as LTA, Cyber SMRT has been actively involved in leading the Security Agency of Singapore, SBS Transit and ST development of national standards for Singapore’s Engineering, to evaluate our defence strategies and railway systems, as part of recently launched readiness in handling cyber incidents.
Seeing Machines Guardian’s Driver Alert Camera (T-DA) Smart Advanced Warning Unit sensors provide bus drivers with system provides fatigue detection and alerts with incident advanced pedestrian and vehicle collision alerts. reporting capability. OUR People
BUSINESSES nationwide have been thrown into disarray amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. At SMRT, we have not been spared too. We saw our ridership fall to a staggering 11-year low. But we kept going on. As Singapore’s leading transportation provider, we needed to stay open to keep the nation moving. Our employees hold the key to our success. Despite the challenges brought on by COVID-19, we took pains to ensure our people are taken care of, so they are supported and empowered to carry out their tasks well. We also bolstered our commitment to training and development, retaining talent and attracting new blood. From accelerating the adoption of technology to upskilling our employees, we continue to build a sustainable and resilient workforce. 82 SMRT CORPORATION LTD GROUP REVIEW 2020/2021 SMRT CORPORATION LTD GROUP REVIEW 2020/2021 83 INVESTING IN OUR Human Capital
People are at the heart of all that we do. At SMRT, our SEAMLESS SUCCESSION PLANNING NURTURING OUR LEADERS employees have been instrumental to our success. This is even more apparent in the midst of the In every organisation, leaders are crucial to help the SMRT will be expanding our leadership development COVID-19 pandemic. business and people grow. To prepare for leadership programmes to equip senior and middle managers renewal and succession planning, we have made two with the tools to facilitate generative conversations. SMRT employees remain steadfast and resilient on restructuring moves for our senior management. This helps employees better voice their concerns and the frontlines. Whether it is continually delivering suggest ways to improve. high standards of safety or service excellence, our In September 2020, SMRT Trains Chief Executive staff are committed to making every commute safe, Officer (CEO), Mr Lee Ling Wee, was appointed as SMRT launched our Learning Organisation programme comfortable and convenient. Deputy Group CEO and President SMRT International to equip our leaders to tap on the collective knowledge to lead our overseas growth. As his first project, he and wisdom of employees for new ideas and solutions. We believe there is always room for improvement. will be overseeing the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid This promotes the sharing of ideas and innovation We continue to invest in our workforce to develop Transit System (RTS) Link project. across SMRT. The inaugural training programme, skilled, competent, and adaptable employees who which commenced in February 2021, included leaders are prepared to surmount disruptions and challenges. In his place, Thomson-East Coast Line Deputy from our business units and maintenance centres, and Managing Director, Mr Lam Sheau Kai, took over the our union colleagues. leadership of SMRT Trains. Employees can also look forward to a series of internal engagement initiatives. The introduction of Bite- As part of the 24-month SMRT Engineering and Management sized Learning Moments, for example, will allocate Associate Programme, fresh graduates learn to build up their essential leadership and functional skills. protected time for employees and supervisors to engage in team learning and collaboration. RENEWING THE WORKFORCE
Our employees attend training DEVELOPING OUR ENGINEERING CORE We continued to grow our engineering bench programmes to expand their skillsets. strength through expanded recruitment and Upskilling our people is also crucial to building a onboarding capabilities. competent workforce. In January 2021, SMRT awarded Chartered Engineering Technologist SMRT has worked with LTA to tap on the Rail (CET) certificates to employees who have Manpower Development Package (RMDP) to offer displayed high levels of competencies in their scholarships and sponsorships. We hope to attract areas of engineering expertise. top engineering students to join our SMRT family to form a strong, sustainable engineering core. This is part of on-going efforts to recognise our engineering employees regardless of educational We also launched the Recruitment & Onboarding background. It is a partnership with the Institution System, which collates multiple sources of of Engineers Singapore (IES), the Land Transport information onto a single digital platform – Authority (LTA), and other public transport making it easier for candidates to apply for jobs. operators (PTOs). This platform also empowers staff to chart their careers by making internal job opportunities more In the coming months, SMRT will be partnering with accessible to existing employees. the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) and Singapore Polytechnic (SP) to provide engineers While we seek to further develop and renew our with the opportunities to attain their engineering workforce, we also value our senior talents who degrees or diplomas respectively, through workplace have contributed tirelessly towards our success. learning. These have led to the establishment of two In January 2021, we increased the retirement and work-study programmes (WSP): the SIT-SMRT WSP re-employment ages to 63 and up to 68 years and the SP WSP. respectively, more than a year ahead of the nation- wide implementation from July 2022. Such a move allows our loyal and long-serving employees to continue contributing their wealth of knowledge and experience to the organisation. 84 SMRT CORPORATION LTD GROUP REVIEW 2020/2021 SMRT CORPORATION LTD GROUP REVIEW 2020/2021 85
BOOSTING EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE
Everyone is a leader. At SMRT, we refined the Leadership Competencies Framework that is anchored on this belief. This framework not only drives safety and continuous improvement, but also helps employees understand their strengths and potential.
We also introduced the Individual Development Plan (IDP) in October 2020 to empower professional development decisions. Centred around a 3E framework – Experience, Exposure and Education, the IDP offers staff a platform to guide our employees’ development and training needs with their supervisors. This allows us to nurture a workforce that continuously reskills and upskills for continued growth.
SMRT has included an additional step for employees to acknowledge the outcome of their performance conversation. It also aims to advocate transparency and serves as a reminder to both supervisors and employees to have their performance conversations, which builds mutual trust.
We arranged for our frontline staff to be vaccinated early. We concluded a successful run of the SMRT Virtual Steps challenge, which saw the participation of many of our employees.
CARING THROUGH CRISIS Apart from physical health, we also take our STRENGTHENING LABOUR employees’ mental health very seriously. Since MANAGEMENT Just as SMRT strives for operational excellence, October 2020, we have developed various mental we take no chances when it comes to the safety of Our success over the past one-year stems from the health management strategies. For one, we made our staff. strong labour management relations we have built sure to keep our engagement channels open for up over the years. The openness and trust between Our COVID-19 safety measures, for example, give counselling, by joining the City Mental Health Alliance our management and the National Transport elderly and clinically vulnerable workers the option of (CMHA) to tap on their expertise to develop new Workers’ Union (NTWU) allowed us to push forth working from home. For those who continued to work initiatives on caring for the mental wellbeing of with initiatives to better meet our employees’ needs. on the ground, face masks and hand sanitisers were our employees. For instance, SMRT signed a tripartite agreement distributed to ensure they were adequately protected. We also organised numerous cohesion events such with LTA, NTWU and other public transport operators Frontline staff were also given early vaccinations in as online workshops, virtual exercises, and the well- to protect public transport workers against public February 2021 to better protect them against the virus. received SMRT Virtual Steps Challenge. We are happy abuse, and jointly formed the Tripartite Workforce to say that our staff found these activities very useful Safety and Health (WSH) Rail Work Group to align and enjoyed them tremendously. safety and health best practices for the industry.
SMRT leaders attended the Learning Organisation programme, aimed to encourage the sharing of ideas across the organisation. OUR Governance 88 SMRT CORPORATION LTD GROUP REVIEW 2020/2021 SMRT CORPORATION LTD GROUP REVIEW 2020/2021 89
Our board meetings are scheduled one year in advance to approve SMRT’s ENSURING financial results, review the annual budget for the next financial year, and discuss strategic issues relating to specific business areas. In addition to scheduled meetings, the Board meets on an ad hoc basis whenever its Sound Governance guidance or approval is required. At SMRT, we believe stringent corporate governance serves as the backbone of our The Financial Policy Manual sets out authority limits for all financial and business. Our Board of Directors (Board) and our management are committed to material transactions. In addition to the manual, the Board Policy sets out good corporate governance to enhance value of our shareholders, while taking into guidelines on matters requiring Board approval. To improve operational account the interests of our stakeholders. efficiency, the Board allows management staff and Board Committees to approve transactions below certain threshold limits.
Benchmarked against the Code of Corporate and approaches. It also oversees our governance Directors facing conflicts of interest have to voluntarily recuse themselves Governance 2018, our corporate governance framework system and framework, as well as our businesses from deliberations and discussions involving the issues of conflict. is regularly reviewed for currency and relevance. We and operations which have material, financial and reputational impact. Directors have separate and independent access to the management, have built into our framework systems, processes, and the company secretary, and, where necessary, external advisors at the structure to ensure accountability, transparency and To assist the Board in the discharge of its company’s expense. The appointment and removal of the company sustainability of SMRT’s business and affairs. responsibilities, the following Board Committees have secretary is a collective decision of the Board. been established: The Board plays a key role in providing stewardship Management provides Directors with adequate and timely information to SMRT. It sets our strategic business direction as well as SMRT Group financial highlights and a monthly management report, to enable them to make informed decisions and discharge their duties and responsibilities. Reviews key financial reporting matters to ensure integrity of SMRT’s financial statements, as well as adequacy and effectiveness of its internal controls and risk management systems Newly appointed directors would attend an orientation programme, which WHISTLE-BLOW includes briefings on the SMRT Group’s businesses, strategic plans and Meets with external and internal auditors without the presence of the management team at SMRT has in place a Whistle- AUDIT least once annually to review SMRT’s financial reporting process, system of internal controls, objectives, financial performance, meetings with the senior management, Blowing Programme to AND RISK significant comments and recommendations, and to investigate matters raised under SMRT’s as well as site visits to train and bus depots. SMRT would also arrange allow good faith reporting COMMITTEE Whistle-Blowing Programme training sessions and seminars for directors when necessary. of concerns about possible improprieties in financial Majority of committee members have accounting and finance qualifications, or relevant Of the nine members on the company’s Board, seven of them are reporting or other matters, by work experience independent directors. They have core competencies in accounting, employees and third parties. Whistle-blowers are protected finance, audit, law, management, engineering, customer service excellence, from reprisals within the limits Oversees safety and security matters for trains and buses to ensure adequacy and risk management, strategic planning, and business development. The of the law. This Programme effectiveness of SMRT’s management of safety and security, including cybersecurity risks Board and the Board Committees are also tenure-, gender- and age- is reviewed by the Audit and BOARD SAFETY Ensures adequate safeguards for SMRT’s assets, employees’ wellness, and public safety diverse, to foster robust and constructive debates and avoid groupthink. Risk Committee annually. All AND SECURITY cases reported are objectively COMMITTEE May open investigations to independent third parties in the event of significant The Chairman and Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of SMRT are investigated and where safety and security incidents involving trains and buses, for accountability and transparency unrelated and separate persons. This increases accountability and warranted, appropriate remedial ensures effective oversight and appropriate checks and balances on the measures will be taken. Oversees human resource and talent development matters including staff benefits, organisation. It also gives the Board greater capacity for independent remuneration, nomination, appointment, promotion and succession of senior management staff decision making.
Ensures selection and appointment of directors to the Board complies with policies and The Board provides its shareholders with quarterly and full year financial procedures NOMINATING results, including a detailed explanation and analysis of the company’s BOARD COMMITTEES BOARD AND Determines annually, and as and when circumstances require, if a director is independent performance, position, and prospects. REMUNERATION COMPREHENSIVE AUDIT COMMITTEE Seeks advice from independent advisors such as remuneration consultants to benchmark The directors are regularly updated with relevant changes to laws SMRT’s Comprehensive the remuneration framework for senior management staff to ensure relativity and and regulations, so that the Board can monitor the company and competitiveness of pay packages Audit function is serviced ensure adequate compliance with the requirements of regulatory and in-house. Comprehensive No one is involved in deciding his own remuneration governmental authorities. Audit is an independent function that reports directly The Board undertakes a formal evaluation of its effectiveness annually. The to the chairman of the Audit Formulates investment strategies and approves transactions within its authorisation Nominating and Remuneration Committee would make recommendations and Risk Committee, and limit, such as investments, divestments, and other relevant corporate matters on the evaluation process and objective performance criteria to the Board. administratively to the GCEO. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE May review financial impact and implication of major events or unforeseen circumstances on SMRT when called to do so by the Board of Directors 90 SMRT CORPORATION LTD GROUP REVIEW 2020/2021 SMRT CORPORATION LTD GROUP REVIEW 2020/2021 91
OUR RISK MANAGEMENT PHYSICAL SECURITY AND CYBER SECURITY SMRT regularly conducts security vulnerability studies of Inquiry (COI). We have implemented several cyber Framework to assess risks in our infrastructure and network. Gaps security initiatives, including system monitoring and identified are managed through structure and system incident response through the Security Operations SMRT’s Risk Management Process, based on the principles and guidelines identified enhancements to protect the safety of commuters Centre, and cyber response exercises to enable and employees. Frequent supervisory checks, security the company to better respond to the fast-evolving in ISO 31000:2018 Risk Management, enables SMRT to deal with business and inspections and Red Teaming exercises are also cyber threat landscape. Information security policies operational uncertainties by identifying key risks and implementing appropriate conducted to validate the effectiveness of our security and procedures, including cyber security awareness systems, ensure compliance with security procedures education for all employees, are regularly reviewed control plans. The key steps are outlined below. under the Code of Practice (CP 1 and 6), and check the and enhanced. operational functionalities of our security equipment. SMRT maintains organisational vigilance and The Management Audit and Risk Committee across the company. The M-ARC reports to the To ensure alignment and standardisation of security readiness through exercises that help to enhance (M-ARC) chaired by Group Chief Executive Officer Audit and Risk Committee and the Board Safety and services and facilities, SMRT works closely with our capability in handling potential threats including (GCEO), is the Management Committee responsible Security Committee. external stakeholders in a network of inter-agency and terrorism, as well as through validation of our business for managing all risk, audit, and compliance issues international collaborations, such as with the Public continuity plans. Active collaborations with key Transport Security Committee, Protective Security ministries and agencies including the Singapore Police Workgroup, Crisis Consequence Management Force, Singapore Armed Forces, and Singapore Civil SMRT RISK MANAGEMENT PROCESS Workgroup, Public Vigilance and Education Training Defence Force, are central in such exercises. Workgroup, and the UITP Security Commission. COMMUNICATION AND CONSULTATION SMRT is certified ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and OHSAS
RECORDING & REPORTING Beyond physical security, SMRT remains committed 18001. This underscores our commitment to achieve to safeguarding our environment against cyber international standards and best practices in quality, ESTABLISHING RISK RISK RISK RISK threats. We ensure compliance with cyber security health, safety, and environmental management. We THE CONTEXT IDENTIFICATION* ANALYSIS* EVALUATION* TREATMENT procedures under the Code of Practice (CP 8) and the are also ISO 22301 certified in Business Continuity Define external Find, recognise Understand the Evaluate the Develop control Cyber Security Act. We have also adopted relevant Management Systems. and internal and describe risk against plans to mitigate causes and source recommendations from the SingHealth Committee parameters to be a risk of risk, potential predetermined risk considered when impact and criteria managing risk likelihood of risk occurrence MANPOWER AND TALENT RISKS
SMRT aims to reinforce a healthy workplace culture as the Chartership in Railway and Transportation TEST, MONITOR AND REVIEW rooted in our core values - Respect, Integrity, Service Engineering, Postgraduate Certificate in Urban and Safety and Excellence. We drive this culture Railway Engineering, and by working closely with *Risk Assessment by ensuring sustained engagement and training of the Singapore Rail Academy to support the national SAFETY, PHYSICAL SECURITY AND our employees. effort in raising rail competency levels in Singapore. CYBER SECURITY RISKS We engage our workforce at every level through our As our workforce is ageing, we partnered with National regular touchpoints such as townhalls, dialogue Transport Workers’ Union (NTWU) to address the sessions, internal feedback platforms and a weekly effects of our ageing workforce, and with Alliance SAFETY protected time programme, whilst maintaining Medinet to implement initiatives such as free flu Safety is a core value of SMRT. We are committed Safety Officers (DSOs) are appointed to directly open, two-way communication channels. We place vaccinations, on-site physiotherapy, and a chronic to protecting our commuters and employees as assist the divisions in planning, organising, directing, a strong emphasis on the continual training and disease management programme to keep our we deliver a public transport service that is safe, coordinating, and evaluating all safety efforts. upskilling of our employees through programmes workforce healthy. To enhance the work environment reliable and commuter-centred. We review our such as the SMRT Train Engineer Professionalisation for our mature employees, we have made various safety systems regularly to mitigate risks from a In the area of maintenance, SMRT adopts a risk-based Programme, the Engineering Maintenance Manager design enhancements and leveraged automation changing environment. approach supported by tools such as automated Career Scheme and the Certification for Technical and ergonomics to transform existing jobs, work condition monitoring and tracking systems. We adopt Specialist (Bus) programme. processes, and equipment to improve posture, Our employees are trained to ensure high levels of preventive and corrective maintenance regimes illumination, visibility, and safety. competency and to understand the importance of designed to identify and address potential technical We enhance our training capabilities with new adhering to authorised instructions while they work. issues before they become system-level risks. courses and training systems to be future ready We have also enhanced our bench strength by Through regular engagement, our employees are kept such as working with industry partners to train nurturing our talent within SMRT, and optimised the keenly aware of the importance of keeping safe. They Our vision is to build a Zero Safety Incident operating bus captains on Autonomous Vehicle operations. structure and processes of work teams for greater are also empowered to voice their concerns through environment, through strong leadership, individual SMRT continues to partner the authorities, efficiency (e.g. delayering to streamline reporting multiple feedback and open reporting channels. To commitment, and system discipline. industry partners, and academic institutions, lines to enable better line-of-sight between managers promote tighter safety-operation integration, Division both locally and globally through initiatives such and their teams). 92 SMRT CORPORATION LTD GROUP REVIEW 2020/2021 SMRT CORPORATION LTD GROUP REVIEW 2020/2021 93
REGULATORY AND OPERATIONAL RISKS FINANCIAL RISKS
Our rail, bus and taxi operations are subject to competitiveness for these packages, SMRT Buses SMRT’s activities are exposed to a variety of financial SMRT’s rail revenue growth depends on future fare extensive regulation. The regulatory risks we face has established controls to continually improve risks including credit, foreign currency, market, increases. We work closely with the authorities and relate primarily to operating licences, transport productivity and cost management, strengthen our interest rate, and liquidity risks. A system of controls the Public Transport Council to keep abreast of policies and legislation, transport fares and operating identity, and develop our workforce. is in place under the risk management strategy to developments and policies that may affect fares for performance standards. create an acceptable balance between cost of risks SMRT Trains and manage the risks accordingly. For Taxi Operations, SMRT Taxis is aligned to the new occurring and cost of managing the risks. For rail operations, SMRT Trains is required to comply Point-to-Point (P2P) regulatory framework introduced with various Codes of Practice and regulatory by LTA in October 2020. Our existing Taxi Service requirements issued by the Land Transport Authority Operator Licence was automatically transitioned to PROPERTY AND LIABILITY RISKS (LTA) and other government agencies such as, Asset a Street-Hail Service Operator Licence. In addition, Management Requirements, Key Performance we have a Ride-Hail Service Operator Licence- SMRT engages reputable insurance companies to periodically to ensure insurance coverage continues Indicators, Operating Performance Standards, and Class 2 (for operating a call booking centre) under insure its exposure to property damage, terrorism to be appropriate and adequate, considering the cost Maintenance Performance Standards, governing train the new regulatory framework. Additionally, we and sabotage, business interruption and general of premiums and the relevant risk profiles of the service delivery, train punctuality, safety, and equipment comply with the Quality of Service Standards, Taxi liability risks. Professional indemnity insurance is businesses. SMRT will continue to adopt a proactive reliability. Financial penalties may be levied if these Availability standards, codes, audit requirements and also undertaken for professional advice and services approach to consult and seek recommendations from requirements and standards are not met. policies that impact new vehicle purchases such as rendered by the company. Risk exposure is reviewed appointed insurance brokers to mitigate these risks. the Certificate of Entitlement, Vehicular Emission For Bus operations, LTA has bundled Singapore’s Scheme and European Emission Standards. We BLACK SWAN RISKS bus services into 14 bus packages under the Bus work closely with the regulatory authorities to keep Contracting Model; three packages (20%) were abreast of developments and policies that may affect In the case of Black Swan Risks such as the the evolving situation and to mitigate any negative tendered out with each contract lasting five to seven us, especially from the Private Hire Vehicle trade. We COVID-19 pandemic, SMRT monitors and manages operational and financial impact. years and the remaining 11 packages (80%) were adopt competitive marketing strategies to attract and our level of preparedness to respond quickly to negotiated with incumbent operators and will run retain taxi partners while cultivating new partnerships for a period of two to 10 years. When the negotiated to strengthen the business. contracts expire, bus services in the 11 packages will be gradually tendered out. To enhance our
ENERGY COST RISKS
SMRT mitigates the effects of electricity price is approved by the Board of Directors. In addition, fluctuations by entering fixed price electricity SMRT has embarked on electrification efforts for its contracts over fixed tenures where appropriate. road-based fleets and engages in fuel-conservation To partially mitigate any diesel price fluctuations, and fuel-efficiency efforts. This includes conducting SMRT may, where appropriate, engage in short- feasibility studies on alternate energy resources term diesel hedging contracts. Where required, and emerging technologies to efficiently manage foreign exchange contracts are created to mitigate electricity utilisation throughout the organisation. any currency risk from the purchase of diesel in a foreign currency. These hedging practices are aligned with the company’s Dealing Mandate which
INVESTMENT RISKS
Capital investments made for the maintenance of where necessary, by external professionals for operating assets, and acquisitions or investments specialised services. SMRT adopts a disciplined in business entities account for a large segment of approach in investment evaluation and decision- SMRT’s investment risk. Capital investment projects, making, aligned with the company’s strategy and including the selection of suppliers and contractors, are investment objectives. Business proposals for subject to financial procedures and internal selection such activities, guided by operational and financial criteria for the purpose of expenditure control. procedures are presented to Management and, where relevant, escalated to Board for approval. Post- Acquisitions or investments in business entities acquisition integration is a key part of acquisitions in are supported by experienced employees and, business entities. OUR Community
IN Service, SMRT aims to be the pride of our people and country. We want to serve our commuters beyond our MRT stations and bus interchanges and extend our reach to the wider community. Every individual matters, and we are committed to the pursuit of service excellence to deliver best-in-class service that is safe, reliable and commuter-centred. 96 SMRT CORPORATION LTD GROUP REVIEW 2020/2021 SMRT CORPORATION LTD GROUP REVIEW 2020/2021 97
BUILDING AFFINITY IN OUR NETWORK
Our staff will provide: With this certification, our employees are trained WeCare and qualified to help anyone with dementia find their FOR COMMUTERS Assistance to anyone with special needs way home and reunite with their loved ones. Our MRT stations and bus interchanges are also equipped with Scan & Go-To QR codes. These QR codes provide useful travel information such as IN SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY Way-finding help locality maps that show amenities in and around SMRT strives to serve and delight everyone we meet. the stations and bus interchanges, lift locations in To do this, we are constantly looking at ways and the stations, bus and train timings, and information opportunities to improve the commuting experience First aid treatment on alternative modes of transport. in our MRT stations and bus interchanges. We want We provide our staff with scenario-based training our stations and interchanges to be places that the that are co-developed with more than five social public can turn to when they need help. Help to locate missing persons or lost service agencies. We have also refreshed our items Our Go-To SMRT initiative that will be launched in WeCare and First-Aid rooms to make them more April 2021 is the result of our efforts to transform welcoming and comfortable. our services, and build greater bonds with the As of April 2021, we have 17 MRT stations and five The Go-To SMRT initiative will be rolled out to the communities around our MRT stations and bus bus interchanges that are certified by the Agency rest of our MRT stations and bus interchanges by interchanges. To serve the diverse and evolving for Integrated Care (AIC) as Dementia Go-To Points. December 2022. needs of commuters, we engage local communities and obtain valuable feedback. We then turn feedback into meaningful action plans that aim to serve our commuters and communities better. We are constantly improving the commuting experience in our MRT CARING FOR OUR COMMUTERS DURING COVID-19 stations for commuters. The safety and wellbeing of our commuters are our We also made changes to our school engagement WeCare, our service framework, rallies leaders and top priority. Taking alignment from the Government’s initiative by shifting our Adopt-a-Station and Adopt- employees to deliver a safe, reliable and commuter- safe management measures for different phases of an-Interchange programmes to online platforms. centred service. Under this framework, we believe the pandemic, we have been revamping our service Our employees are ready to assist and engagement programmes to better care for our commuters who need help. in serving with humility, empathy, responsibility, commuters and communities. respect, and sincerity. To promote gracious and socially responsible SMRT’s WeCare service framework is anchored on commuting, we have put up reminder posters and four key thrusts: broadcasted announcements on the need to wear masks and refrain from talking on public transport. Our staff also help to reinforce these messages through the use of ‘Please Refrain From Talking’ placards at waiting platforms and within the trains.
ACCESSIBILITY CARE AND To keep our facilities clean and safe, we have stepped- AND INCLUSIVITY DELIGHT up the cleaning regime for our MRT stations, bus interchanges, trains and buses. Our frontline staff have also switched from meeting and greeting commuters to giving friendly waves to brighten up their day, all while maintaining safe distancing.
Last year, SMRT also welcomed over 250 cabin WECARE crew from the Singapore Airlines who joined us as FRAMEWORK Transport Ambassadors. After undergoing training and orientation, they joined our frontline staff at MRT stations and bus interchanges to serve commuters. This process of working hand-in-hand with our friends from the Singapore Airlines allowed our staff to gain valuable lessons on excellent Our staff use placards to promote socially responsible behaviour customer service. among commuters. TRAVEL SAFE LISTEN, ENGAGE AND HEALTHY AND BOND Photo caption to come 98 SMRT CORPORATION LTD GROUP REVIEW 2020/2021 SMRT CORPORATION LTD GROUP REVIEW 2020/2021 99
COLLABORATING FOR CHANGE OUR EXEMPLARY EMPLOYEES SMRT believes in fostering collaborative partnerships to continuously improve our service. Besides working closely with the SMRT would not have achieved top-tier service performance Land Transport Authority (LTA) and other without the hard work of our dedicated employees, who have won public transport operators, we also partner numerous awards and accolades in the past years. government-linked agencies like the Public Last year, we had a bumper crop of winners at The National Rail Operations Transport Council (PTC) and the Caring Kindness Award – Transport Gold 2020. They include 10 winners Service Excellence Award Commuters Steering Committee to enhance for the Outstanding Award and 179 for the Commendation Award. Safety, Security and commuters’ travelling experiences in our Cybersecurity Award network. The number of award winners for the Singapore Retailers Association’s Excellent Service Award 2020 also rose by an Quarterly Service and Kaizen Award for Buses, Auto We worked with LTA and PTC to launch Heart impressive 49 per cent as compared to the previous year. Services, Taxis and Strides Zones, designated areas in selected MRT We also recognise the work of our employees through internal SMRT Buses WeCare stations and bus interchanges near hospitals Service Star where patients or elderly commuters can receive awards. Our Service Excellence Awards are presented to assistance to get to the nearest hospital. employees with exceptional service performance, and our Special Commendation Awards give recognition to those who have gone Our other partner organisations include beyond the call of duty during the COVID-19 pandemic. Other AIC, Singapore Association of the Visually categories of our internal awards are as shown on the figure on Handicapped, the Alzheimer’s Disease the right. Association, Guide Dog Singapore and the Handicaps Welfare Association. With their specialised knowledge in caring for those with special needs, we aspire to provide more inclusive, commuter-centred services. REDEFINING SERVICE EXCELLENCE: BUS CAPTAIN THAM WENG FOO
CONTINUED COMMITMENT TO TRAINING
In our strive towards continuous improvement and service excellence, we have refined the training curriculum for our frontline employees to include scenario-based experiential learning. We co-developed the training programme with our various partner organisations, which are rich in experience and knowledge. Through this, our frontline employees can be more confident in handling a wide variety of situations commonly encountered at our MRT What does it mean to go the extra mile in our line of His thoughtful announcements are just one stations and bus interchanges. service? Our Bus Captain Tham Weng Foo shows of many laudable efforts to develop a closer how personal touch makes all the difference. relationship with his passengers. Others include Our service excellence training has also personally waiting for and helping his regular been meticulously fine-tuned to include the For over 20 years, Bus Captain Tham, who operates elderly passengers up the bus, or even wishing relevant skillsets and competencies required Bus 187, has never missed a single beat in providing students good luck in their studies as they are by our staff, even for those not stationed at “bus turning!” warnings to his passengers. To boarding. He has garnered the admiration and the frontline. The skillsets we have identified ensure that none of his passengers, especially gratitude of countless passengers, with many were mapped from 11 Technical Skills and the elderlies, lose their balance because of bus commending him for his positive efforts online. Competencies under the Workforce Skills turnings, he makes sure that he loudly warns them Qualifications framework. To further facilitate about 25 metres in advance of any turns. In recognition of his service, Bus Captain Tham training at the workplace, we rolled out bite- was awarded the prestigious Customer Service “I imagine that my commuters are my aunties and sized learning modules. Excellence for Transport award at the Singapore uncles, my siblings, and we are all going on an outing Tourism Awards 2020. together,” he cheerfully explained. To him, every individual passenger is deserving of care and respect. More than 600 of our staff have received training in inclusive service delivery. 100 SMRT CORPORATION LTD GROUP REVIEW 2020/2021 SMRT CORPORATION LTD GROUP REVIEW 2020/2021 101
Station staff engaging with BUILDING CLOSE-KNIT COMMUNITIES a commuter at the new ENGAGING THE Woodlands South station. GRASSROOTS ENGAGEMENTS Community Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, we strengthened and maintained our relationship with the community through the SMRT Faces programme. Under this programme, our staff The pandemic put to test our community spirit and resilience. Yet as we enter a new work closely with community leaders to review feedback from normal, we are encouraged to see Singapore emerging stronger than ever. SMRT residents on how our services can be improved. Adapting to the safe management measures, virtual engagements with continues to stay committed to our community through socially and environmentally advisers and constituency directors were organised to replace responsible efforts with the interests of our stakeholders at heart. face-to-face engagements and interactions.
THOMSON-EAST COAST LINE MEET-THE-MANAGER AND FOCUS GROUP SESSIONS CARING FOR A HELPING HAND THROUGH THE PANDEMIC To better engage commuters and residents, we launched the Meet-the-Manager programme at the Thomson-East Coast OUR COMMUNITY COMMUNITY CHEST FU DAI 2021 Line (TEL) in July last year. The monthly engagement strives Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, During the Lunar New Year this year, over 60 staff volunteers and taxi to familiarise commuters with the Service Operation and partners came together to pack and deliver festive goodies for the we continued to contribute Station Managers of SMRT, while also deepening ties with elderly who live alone. This marks our fourth year contributing to the to the community. Over the community partners. We also took the opportunity to gather meaningful cause. past year, we stepped up our feedback from commuters to improve our services. efforts to champion social and COMMUNITY CHEST HEARTSTRINGS WALK 2021 We began holding focus group sessions in November 2020 environmental issues that are In support of the national initiative to build a caring and sharing nation, in line with our corporate social close to 100 staff members laced up for a walk around the Marina with TEL commuters to have in-depth discussions on SMRT’s responsibility (CSR) pillars: Bay area. services and facilities. Through the biannual sessions, we aim to build relations with and better understand the needs of different AWWA HOUSE PAINTING communities we serve, be it residents, students or working Dedicated to helping the beneficiaries of the AWWA, we resumed our adults. We look forward to connecting with more commuters ENABLING house painting and refurbishment projects immediately after COVID-19 as TEL continues to expand. MOBILITY restrictions eased. Working in small groups, our staff and volunteers prioritised the wellbeing of senior clients who live in one-room flats. PARTNERSHIPS TO ASSIST RESIDENTS’ JOB SEARCH DURING SMRT Faces engagement with Pioneer SMC. ENCOURAGING COVID-19 ENVIRONMENTAL MONTHLY RATION DISTRIBUTION IN SUPPORT OF AWWA BENEFICIARIES SUSTAINABILITY Working together with the People’s Association and Workforce Staff volunteers resumed the provision of food rations to AWWA Singapore (WSG), we brought Careers Connect On-the-Go to beneficiaries as early as August last year, so as to quickly respond to any EMPOWERING the Woodlands and Boon Lay stations in September 2020 RESPONSIBILITY THROUGH ARTS disruptions caused by the pandemic. This was all done while complying and February 2021 respectively. A mobile extension of WSG’s CORPORATE SOCIAL SOCIAL CORPORATE AND EDUCATION with prevailing safe management measures. Careers Connect Centre, the initiative offered individual career coaching, walk-in interviews, job search tips, and referrals from DONATION AND SPONSORSHIPS Supporting causes in line with our CSR pillars, we contributed over $1 million a list of curated community jobs. in cash and in-kind sponsorship. Staff volunteers packing MAKING A DIFFERENCE WITH TEMASEK FOUNDATION festive goodies (Fu Dai) In April 2021, we supported Temasek Foundation’s #BYOBclean for the elderly. STAYING TOGETHER APART While Singaporeans were forced to stay physically apart during COVID-19, initiative to keep our community safe and healthy during the Careers Connect On-the-Go at Woodlands MRT station. we remained united through the collaborative celebration of key national pandemic. Passionate staff members volunteered at various events. To commemorate National Day, we took part in the National Day community centres to help distribute the alcohol-free sanitisers Observance Ceremony online, and organised Anthem Moments at various to Singapore households. MRT stations, which saw Singaporeans unite in singing the National Anthem as one across the country. We also filmed a video for the National LEARNING JOURNEYS Day Parade at our depot, setting the story of Singapore’s rail systems As the COVID-19 situation continues to improve, we hope to against the backdrop of the country’s history. resume some of our signature programmes such as learning We also took part in the Purple Parade, which celebrates people with journeys for students from both local secondary schools and disabilities and special needs. We promoted the livestream concert on institutes of higher learning. This initiative aims to educate the our platforms, and encouraged our staff to pledge their support for the youth on the 24/7 behind-the-scenes work that contributes to community with uplifting notes and messages. safe and reliable journeys. Revamping the homes of elderlies living alone.
Photo taken in Jan 2021 during COVID-19 Phase 3. SMRT CORPORATION LTD UEN: 200001855H 2 Tanjong Katong Road #08-01, Tower 3, Paya Lebar Quarter Singapore 437161 Telephone: 65 6331 1000 www.smrt.com.sg
SMRT takes corporate citizenship seriously and we endeavour to do our part to protect the environment.