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  Channel NewsAsia 27 Aug 06
Race held to increase awareness of green transport
By Wong Siew Ying

Today Online 28 Aug 06
An amazing race ... to save the earth
Sheralyn Tay

Today Online 21 Aug 06
Shifting into green gear
From a handful last year, there are now 129 hybrid cars on the roads
Lee U-Wen u-wen@newstoday.com.sg

Today Online 18 Aug 06
Travel green next week and win Friday
Channel NewsAsia, 938LivE

The Straits Times 18 Aug 06
For 7 days, try greener route
By Meng Yew Choong

Channel NewsAsia 17 Aug 06
Green Transport Week starts on Sunday
By Joanne Leow, Channel NewsAsia

It's not that hard to be green - that's the message for Green Transport Week which starts on Sunday.

Into its fourth year, the campaign advocates eco-friendly modes of transport like taking the bus or train, cycling, walking or car pooling. These are ways that can reduce carbon emissions that contribute to global warming and climate change. The Singapore Environment Council would also like to see more Singaporeans buying fuel efficient and hybrid cars.

Howard Shaw, Executive Director of Singapore Environment Council, said: "We are a nation of car lovers. We are not saying, 'leave your car at home, forget about cars'. Cars form a very necessary part of our integrated transport system. But what we are encouraging people to do is to choose more fuel efficient vehicles if you have to drive, maintain your vehicle so that it emits less pollution, have better driving habits and use the car responsibly. If you are going to travel less than two kilometres, you might want to consider walking or using your bike."

This year's Green Transport Week will see a contest to spot fuel efficient cars on the road. Owners of cars with fuel economies of at least nine kilometres per litre and who are under the Fuel Economy Labelling Scheme will receive decals and stand to win fuel vouchers if spotted.

And, SBS Transit will encourage more people to take public transport next week, by handing out free drinks at selected bus interchanges. It is also encouraging motorists to give way to buses to ensure a smooth ride for commuters.

There will also be community activities beginning this Sunday, such as an "Eco Chase" which will see teams racing round the island via public transport. The first event on Sunday at Changi Village will see the launch of the third edition of the Green Transport Guide which contains useful tips to help motorists reduce fuel consumption and save money.

Organisations and schools will also be able to pledge their support and submit their plans online for the Green Transport programme.

Since rebates for hybrid cars were introduced, more Singaporeans have been interested in buying them. But while driving fuel efficient cars and taking public transport might be more environmentally friendly, Singaporeans Channel NewsAsia spoke to say cost and convenience are also major factors in their choice of transportation.

To learn more about Green Transport Week, you can log on to www.sec.org.sg/gtw. - CNA/ir

Today Online 18 Aug 06
Travel green next week and win Friday
Channel NewsAsia, 938LivE

HERE'S the advice you'll be hearing next week: Take the most environmentally-friendly travel option you can.

Into its fourth year, the Green Transport Week campaign, which kicks off on Sunday, advocates eco-friendly modes of transport such as taking the bus or train, cycling, walking, or car pooling. These are ways that can reduce carbon emissions that contribute to global warming and climate change. This year, the Singapore Environment Council (SEC) would also like to see more Singaporeans buying fuel-efficient and hybrid cars.

SEC's executive director Howard Shaw is hoping Green Transport Week will make a bigger impact. "We are really a nation of car-lovers, but we are not saying leave your car at home. Cars form a very integrated part of our transport system. But what we are encouraging people to do is to choose more fuel-efficient vehicles. If you have to drive, maintain your vehicle in a way so that it emits less pollution, practise better driving habits, and use the car responsibly. If you travel less than 2km, consider walking or getting on your bike."

He added: "From to time, make use of public transport. Singapore probably has the most convenient transport system in the world."

This year's Green Transport Week will also include a contest to spot fuel-efficient cars on the road. Owners of cars with fuel economies of at least 9km per litre and under the Fuel Economy Labelling Scheme will receive decals, and stand to win fuel vouchers if spotted.

On its part, SBS Transit will encourage more people to take public transport next week--by handing out free drinks at selected bus interchanges. It is also encouraging motorists to give way to buses to ensure a smooth ride for commuters.

The first event on Sunday at Changi Village will also include the launch of the third edition of the Green Transport Guide, which contains useful tips to help motorists reduce fuel consumption and save money.

Organisations and schools will also be able to pledge their support and submit their suggestions online for the Green

Transport programme. Log on to www.sec.org.sg/gtw to learn more about Green Transport Week.

The Straits Times 18 Aug 06
For 7 days, try greener route
By Meng Yew Choong

SINGAPOREANS are again urged to examine their choice of transport as the annual Green Transport Week gets under way.

Organised by the non-profit Singapore Environment Council (SEC), the event jointly held with the National Environment Agency, the Land Transport Authority, SBS Transit and SMRT Corporation begins this Sunday.

Besides the usual call to use public transport whenever possible, this year's week-long event also recognises the environmental role of hybrid and electric cars.

Said SEC executive director Howard Shaw: 'We understand that it would neither be practical nor possible to ask everyone to give up travelling by car. However, we should experiment with other more environmentally friendly options.'

Some activities planned include the screening in schools of the environmental documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, which stars former United States vice-president Al Gore.

Owners of cars that can get at least 9km from each litre of petrol also stand a chance to win prizes through the Spot The Fuel-efficient Car contest. There will also be a treasure hunt modelled after the reality TV show, The Amazing Race, except that participants have to use only buses and trains.

For the full list of Green Transport Week activities, visit sec.org.sg

Today Online 21 Aug 06
Shifting into green gear
From a handful last year, there are now 129 hybrid cars on the roads
Lee U-Wen u-wen@newstoday.com.sg

IT'S perhaps the clearest sign yet that the sluggish green car market here is on the upswing. As of June this year, 129 petrol electric hybrid vehicles have been registered in Singapore, compared to fewer than 10 in June last year.

The significant increase can be attributed to various reasons, such as the increasing awareness of the importance of being environmentally friendly, said Dr Amy Khor.

The Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the Environment and Water Resources noted that while the number of such energy-efficient cars was a "modest" one, she remained hopeful that more car buyers, especially first-time owners, would choose hybrids over conventional models in the coming years.

One other key factor, she said, was the increased green vehicle rebates for the consumer. The tax rebate for green cars, which was doubled in January, is now equivalent to 40 per cent of a car's open market value. The rebate was supposed to have expired at the end of last year, but has since been extended until December next year.

Speaking to reporters after launching the annual Green Transport Week yesterday morning, Dr Khor, who is also mayor of the South West district, test drove two popular hybrid cars--the Toyota Prius and the new Honda Civic Hybrid.

"It's not that different, in fact I found the cars very quiet. Eventually I'll get one for myself; it just makes sense given the impact on our environment," said Dr Khor, who currently drives a Toyota Camry.

Describing her first three months in her new job as "fast-paced", she said she was currently busy overseeing the first large-scale study on the vulnerability of the impact of climate change on Singapore.

As chairman of the National Climate Change Committee, Dr Khor said the study, which involves both local and foreign experts, would begin later this year and is expected to be completed by 2008.

"Previous studies have always been on a global level, but we've never had one for Singapore. It's very timely given that climate change is a major concern for many countries, and especially so now that Singapore has just signed the Kyoto Protocol," she said.

Meanwhile, the latest Green Transport Guide was also launched. It contains tips on how to cut down on vehicle emissions, advice on buying a car and a list of fuel-efficient driving habits. Visit www.sec.org.sg/gtw to download a copy.

Channel NewsAsia 27 Aug 06
Race held to increase awareness of green transport
By Wong Siew Ying

SINGAPORE : Have wheels will travel - but some modes of transport are greener than others, as 300 participants found out in "The Incredible Eco-Chase" race.

Whether it was by bus, MRT trains or on foot, the teams had to complete "green" tasks and gather clues at each checkpoint in order to move on to the next stage.

This round-the-island event was part of the Green Transport Week, to promote environmentally-friendly travel options. Flagging off the race, Transport Minister Raymond Lim encouraged the use of public transport to reduce road congestion and energy usage.

He said Singaporeans could look forward to reliable MRT rides with the upcoming Boon Lay Extension, Circle Line and Downtown Extension. The network of bus services will also be improved, and new buses rolled out from October will emit fewer pollutants compared to those currently on the roads. - CNA /ct

Today Online 28 Aug 06
An amazing race ... to save the earth
Sheralyn Tay sheralyn@newstoday.com.sg

INSTEAD of petrol-guzzling sports utility vehicles, the 400 contestants in this Amazing Race-style eco-challenge scooted around Singapore on foot, by bus or by train.

The inaugural Incredible Eco-Chase event--the grand finale to Green Transport Week--drew twice the expected number of teams.

Organised by the Singapore Environment Council (SEC), the challenge had each four-member team racing to get to checkpoints where they performed a "green" task to collect the next clue, such as calculating the fuel efficiency of a regular car and a hybrid car, or folding a foldable bicycle.

Said the SEC's executive director Howard Shaw: "This idea was mooted by one of my former directors, Associate Professor Simon Tay. He said to try and have more fun with Green Transport Week--I hope we fulfilled that idea."

The winners of the open category, Mr Alvin Eun and his colleagues, definitely had their fun. "We got to travel around the island and learn how to save the environment. We also visited eco-friendly places," he said, citing his visit to the Bike Boutique at Tras Street, one of the largest bike lodging facilities here.

Mr Eun, 26, and his friends took a combination of buses and trains, but "ran for the majority of the race". Running was also the winning strategy of the student category champions. Heng Yirui and his teammates, all aged 16, beat the second-placed team from Hwa Chong Junior College by just two minutes.

Said Yirui: "We ran from Ang Mo Kio bus interchange to Ang Mo Kio MRT station, and through Fort Canning Park and Punggol Park." Mr Eun's and Yirui's teams each won $2,000.

Guest-of-honour Raymond Lim, the Transport Minister and Second Minister for Foreign Affairs, said that encouraging the use of public transport was an "important strategy in promoting environmental sustainability in Singapore".
links
Green Transport Week on the Singapore Environmental Council website
Related articles on Singapore: green energy
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