The Land Transport Authority (LTA) and the Singapore Institute of Architects (SIA) today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to help architects deepen their capabilities in planning and designing transport infrastructure.
2. Under the MOU, the LTA Academy and SIA Academy will jointly offer courses, seminars, webinars and online modules on topics related to transport planning and design. The training courses will also cover non-architectural aspects such as basic transport engineering principles and guidelines that developments should take into account. With these resources, architects can better incorporate engineering considerations into the earlier stages of their designs, which will help facilitate faster approvals for their development plans.
3. To encourage participation and involvement, LTA and SIA will identify opportunities for organising design competitions or pilot projects for the sector. The SIA will also be invited to be judges for such events. Such exchanges will allow both organisations to provide their perspectives from their respective domains and encourage cross-learning.
4. This MOU is a collaboration between LTA and SIA, through the Transport Infrastructure Collaboration Panel (TICP). The Panel was launched in 2021 as part of LTA’s pro-enterprise regulatory and industry engagement efforts. A key focus area of the Panel is to simplify the application and approval processes for building and construction of transport infrastructure, while ensuring that LTA’s technical and regulatory needs are met, and users’ connectivity and convenience are maximised. Besides LTA and SIA, the Panel comprises representatives from the Association of Consulting Engineers Singapore, Institute of Engineers and the Real Estate Developers’ Association of Singapore.
5. LTA’s Group Director of Infrastructure Design and Engineering, Choo Chai Foong said: “As we build a sustainable transport system to better support spaces to live, work and play, there is also a need to provide the necessary resources to better understand our emphasis in transportation design and planning. With closer collaboration with the stakeholders and industry, we can incorporate new perspectives and ideas to create community spaces that add character and liveliness to our streets.”
6. SIA’s President, Ar. Melvin Tan said: “Singapore Institute of Architects will continue to enhance our members’ capabilities and competencies through education and opportunities for pilot projects, to support the building of better planned and designed transport infrastructure. We look forward to partnering LTA in transforming our city and adding value to the lives of the communities, with the development of a greener and more sustainable transport system.”
New Initiatives from TICP
7. The TICP has been meeting regularly to co-create pro-enterprise solutions and build capabilities in the industry. For example, in June this year, LTA launched a registration scheme for Transport Impact Assessment (TIA) consultancy firms after consulting with the TICP. This voluntary scheme recognises firms with a track record of delivering good TIAs. Qualified Persons (QPs) and developers who appoint registered TIA consultants can be assured of the quality of TIA submissions to LTA. The list of registered TIA consultancy firms is available on the LTA’s website.
8. In June 2022, the LTA Academy also rolled out a 3-day Road Geometric Design course to help QPs, traffic consultants, and government agencies’ officers better understand the requirements of road design and plan submission to LTA. The inaugural run of the course was well-received and attended by 20 external participants from public agencies and the industry. Given the positive response from participants, plans are currently underway to conduct future sessions.
9. In consultation with the TICP, LTA also streamlined the process for agencies and private developers to hand over road infrastructure that they have developed. This now takes around 14 months, down from 20 months previously.
