#Draft 1 Summary_Reader Response: Tapping Tech for Smoother Traffic

In the excerpt from Urban Solutions “Tapping Tech for Smoother Traffic”, Tay (2018) expressed the need for Singapore to come up with more advanced traffic management measures by 21^st century to counter with the increasing number of vehicles on the road. In the article,  stated that the Land Transport Authority (LTA) incorporated technology also known as “Intelligent Transport Systems” to improve traffic efficiency. LTA has implemented the Area Licensing Scheme (ALS) to ease road congestion. Therefore, the Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) system was introduced in replacement of the ALS. Moving forward, LTA will be introducing an upcoming satellite ERP system to remove the gantries and motorists will be charged depending on the distance travelled on high-traffic roads. Tay (2018) concluded that Singapore aims to become a city where everyone is comfortable living by upgrading the transportation systems to enhance traffic safety for its citizens to travel on the road.

Based on the points elaborated in the article, although LTA has proposed alternatives with the use of smart technology, for commuters to travel efficiently, there are other factors that the author fails to discuss how to improve the transportation systems and enhance road safety for its citizens.

Firstly, the use of Autonomous vehicles (AVs) helps to improve traffic flow and maximize space efficiency for road users. In the magazine “How Self-Driving Cars Might Transform City Parking”, Choi (2019) stated that AVs do not require much space as compared to normal vehicles. There is no need to install staircases and lifts in the carparks as AVs are returned through a machine located at the entrance. The available space can be used for future road infrastructure developments and it increases the efficiency of road spaces. Furthermore, according to the news article “How Autonomous Vehicles Improve Traffic Flow”, Lim (2018) stated that AVs work together with other cars via communication by sending a signal to the other cars so that “cars in the outer lane that was in immediate proximity of the stopped car slowed down and cars in the inner lane can quickly pass the stopped car without having to slow down”.  By avoiding the hostile driver, it prevents accidents which enhances the smooth traffic flow.

Secondly, other than autonomous vehicles, improvements are made to the rail network too. According to the news article “Commentary: Driverless vehicles can reshape Singapore, but do consider the human elements”, Cheah (2017) stated that there will be 8 out of 10 households in Punggol, Tengah and the Jurong Innovation District to walk not more than 10 minutes to the nearest Mass Railway Transport (MRT) station by 2030. With the continuous progression of MRT services, the final goal is to increase connectivity and greater convenience for people living in those areas.

Lastly, to reduce the number of vehicles on the road, buses have more priority. In the Land Transport Authority’s (LTA) (2016) webpage, LTA stated that full-day bus lanes will extend its operating hours until 11pm.  The extension of operating hours is a good strategy as it ensures that people working night shifts can take the with full-day lane so that it would help prevent slower traffic on the roads. Furthermore, according to the Ministry of Transport’s (2016) (MOT) (webpage, MOT stated that under the Bus Service Enhancement Programme (BESP), there will be an increase in the bus capacity which can fit more people. This helps to reduce the waiting time and improve connectivity for people. 

With the continuous transportation developments, Singapore has made a huge progression in terms of ensuring that the country is safer for citizens and comes out with several measures to counter the road congestion issues. 

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References:

1. Tay, Q, W (2019). Tapping Tech for Smooth Traffic, from https://www.clc.gov.sg/docs/default-source/urban-solutions/urb-sol-iss-13 pdfs/11_case_study-singapore-intelligent-transport-systems.pdf

2. Charles Q. Choi (2019). How Self-Driving Cars Might Transform City Parking. Retrieved 2 October 2019, from https://spectrum.ieee.org/cars-that-think/transportation/self-driving/autonomous-parking

3. Insurance Journal (2019). How Autonomous Vehicles improve Traffic Flow. Retrieved 2 October 2019, from https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/international/2019/05/29/527673.htm

4.National Climate Change Secretariat (2019). Retrieved 2 October 2019, from https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/commentary-driverless-vehicles-reshape-singapore-smart-nation-9451258

5.Land Transport Authority (2016). Retrieved 2 October 2019, from https://www.lta.gov.sg/apps/news/page.aspx?c=2&id=4017ae7a-75b6-4365-ad07-4d647364bd80

6. Ministry of Transport (2019). Retrieved 2 October 2019, from  https://www.mot.gov.sg/about-mot/land-transport/public-transport/buses

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Summary of "Tapping Tech for Smoother Traffic" Draft #2

In the excerpt from Urban Solutions “Tapping Tech for Smoother Traffic”, Tay (2018) mentioned that although there are existing improvements of technological advancements, Singapore requires more advanced traffic management measures to counter with the increasing number of vehicles on the road and a more complicated road system in the 21st century. The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has implemented the Area Licensing Scheme (ALS) to ease the congested road traffic. Therefore, the Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) system was introduced in replacement of the ALS to improve on the traffic efficiency for road users. Moving forward, LTA will be introducing an upcoming satellite ERP system to remove the gantries and motorists will be charged depending on the distance travelled on high-traffic roads. Tay concluded that Singapore aims to become a city where everyone is comfortable living in by enhancing the transport systems for its citizens to travel safely on the road.
I agree with the article where it states that Singapore needed more sophisticated traffic management measures to maximize traffic efficiency as Tay mentioned. Tay's article allows the reader to gain a new approach towards the major transport developments and how it aids to improve traffic efficiency.

Source: Tay, Q W. (2018, July). Tapping Tech for Smooth Traffic. Retrieved from https://www.clc.gov.sg/docs/default-source/urban-solutions/urb-sol-iss-13 pdfs/11_case_study-singapore-intelligent-transport-systems.pdf

Summary of "Tapping Tech for Smoother Traffic" Draft #1

In the excerpt from Urban Solutions “Tapping Tech for Smoother Traffic”, Tay (2018) found that the advancement of technology is necessary to maximize traffic efficiency over the decades. The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has initiated to come up with solutions to resolve the issues and how technologies are incorporated to ensure smooth traffic. The case study mentioned that it is difficult for the undeveloped transportation system to keep up with the dense population and economy. Not only that, disorderly bus services and severely congested roads will result in further traffic delays and air pollution. Despite having existing measures from LTA, Tay states that Singapore requires more advanced traffic management measures to counter with the increasing vehicle population and a more complicated road system. In order to ensure traffic efficiency and safety on the road, Tay concluded that LTA will be working on how to improve further on the development of transport technologies.

Source: Tay,Q W. July 2018. Tapping Tech for Smooth Traffic. Retrieved from https://www.clc.gov.sg/docs/default-source/urban-solutions/urb-sol-iss-13 pdfs/11_case_study-singapore-intelligent-transport-systems.pdf

(152 words)

Assignment 1: Formal Letter

Subject: Self-Introduction

Dear Professor Blackstone,

My name is Alicia Goh, and I am writing to you to introduce myself as a student in your effective communication class. I graduated from Temasek Polytechnic with a diploma in Integrated Facility Management (IFM).  Although my diploma consists of various aspects such as business, design, and engineering, the core of my diploma is still mainly engineering. Thus, I enrolled in Sustainable Infrastructure Engineering (Building Services) in Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT). 

I have a great interest in mathematics at a young age, and the reason why I choose an engineering diploma is that it allows me to extend my knowledge in mathematics by applying the theories I learned within the curriculum to real application problems. Engineering is the application of science and mathematics to develop solutions to technical problems. Therefore, I hope to deepen my technical knowledge of engineering so that I can further enhance my technical competencies for the industry.

My strength is being clear and concise when delivering messages to others.  I like to go straight to the point when communicating my ideas or messages to the audience, as people will be self-assured when they understand what exactly they need to do and why they are doing it. When a person is writing an email or a report, concise writing will help to capture the reader’s attention and have an impact on the reader. 

My weakness is having difficulty to present my ideas confidently to the public or a large crowd as I tend to speak faster when I am nervous. Therefore, it is difficult for the audience to understand the importance of my topic.

My goals in this module are to be more confident in public speaking and improve my articulation of words. By doing so, I think I can speak effectively to the audience with proper English so that they can understand the message that I am trying to convey.  

I hope to further refine on my English and I look forward to improving on my effective communication skills from you in the upcoming classes.

Best regards,

Alicia Goh

SIE2016 Group 5

Edited on 19/9/19

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Task 3: The Importance of communication skills for engineers

"Developing excellent communication skills is absolutely essential to effective leadership. The leader must be able to share knowledge and ideas to transmit a sense of urgency and enthusiasm to others. If a leader can't get a message across clearly and motivate others to act on it, then having a message doesn't even matter." Gilbert Amelio, President and CEO of National Semiconductor Corp

Good communication skills is one of the key essential tools for effective leadership. A great leader has to be able to communicate well in terms of expressing their ideas and share useful knowledge with his/her employees. And as a leader, you must be able to inspire others through your words and actions. The way the leader communicates reflects who he/she is therefore it is important that the leader know what image he/she is trying to portray so that your employees can look up to you. 

Revised version:

Good communication skills are one of the key essential tools for effective leadership. A great leader has to be able to communicate well in terms of expressing their ideas and sharing useful knowledge with his/her employees. A leader must be able to inspire others through his/her words and actions. The way the leader communicates reflects who he/she is. Therefore, it is important that the leader knows what image he/she is trying to portray so that his/her employees can look up to him/her. 

[6 Sept 2019]