THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SHIHAB RATTANSI, CNN ANCHOR: In Singapore, efforts are under way to cut back pollution. One idea: Offering smart bicycles to ease traffic congestion. Channel News Asia's Fiona Tan explains how it works.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FIONA TAN, CHANNEL NEWS ASIA CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For a $10 refundable deposit, more than 1,300 Bt. Batok residents so far have received a smart card that gives them unlimited free use of the smart bike. Three percent of smart bikers said in a survey they stopped using their cars for running errands within the state.
The scheme largely depends on revenue from ad panels, but currently can only be placed in commercial areas, like town centers.
PETER KEMENY, CAPITAL CITY POSTERS: We would like to have panels on the roads which would direct the riders of the bike to the nearest docking stations, so it would be a combined advertising panel and directional sign. We would like to spread them out a little bit more evenly throughout the state, and that would allow us to attract more advertisers.
We are not looking for anything radical, just a little bit of leniency for a community scheme such as smart bike.
TAN: He says the scheme has to be in at least 10 places before running costs, like electricity and maintenance, can be covered. And in Bt. Gombak, the operator also has to pay a temporary occupation license fee, or TOL fee, of $1,800.
Beyond Bt. Batok and Bt. Gombak, smart bikes are expected to be by year end at Tiong Bahru, Tanjong Pagar, Science Park, Ang Mo Kio and Yishun. And next year at Pasir Ris, Bodok, Jurong, NTU and NUS.
(on camera): Eventually, the operator sees the smart bike scheme expanding further. For instance, into the Molina South (ph) new downtown and even into downtown Orchard Road, where tourists could exchange their passports for temporary smart cards.
(voice-over): The operator is also rolling out a second generation bike, which is 10 centimeters lower to fit the Asian build. It also hopes to integrate docking stations into bus stops -- as of recently, one of 15-year contracts to maintain bus and taxi shelters. But the plans will remain as just plans if the operator doesn't see any viable reason to implement them.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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