SMS S Iswaran's reply to Parliament Questions on the Singapore F1 race circuit

Question No 134 of Notice Paper No 180 of 2009

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament
Mr. Calvin Cheng, Nominated Member of Parliament.

Question
To

ask the Minister for Trade and Industry in view of the Monaco Formula One (F1) race where roads are only closed a few hours before and after the race and practice sessions, whether road closures for the Singapore F1 can be further shortened to reduce the impact on businesses along the F1 race circuit.

Answer
Government agencies such as the Singapore Tourism Board and the Land Transport Authority, as well as the Singapore F1 race promoter, are keenly aware of the need to manage the safety and logistical requirements of the F1 race, while minimizing the impact and inconvenience of road closures to stakeholders and the general public. The challenge is in striking the right balance and ensuring that the circuit satisfies the safety and other specifications set by the Federation International de automobile (FIA).

There are major differences between the Singapore F1 race and that in Monaco. As the only F1 night race in the world, the Singapore event has unique logistical requirements. Moreover, our circuit (5.067 km) is one and a half times longer than Monaco’s (3.34 km) and it is a significantly wider and faster track. The narrowest and slowest parts of the Singapore circuit track (on Anderson Bridge and around the Marina Bay Floating Platform) are 10m wide, comparable to the widest parts of the Monaco circuit. These elements allow Singapore to stage a unique and exciting event.

But, this also means that substantially more infrastructure has to be installed and removed. To meet the higher safety and technical standards, close to 1,500 pieces of concrete and high tech (techpro) barriers need to be precision-fitted to separate the race track from the spectators watching the race. In addition to the lighting and grandstand infrastructure, sections of the circuit also have to be sterilized to construct run-offs at corners involving high-speed turns. These cannot be reinstated for regular traffic till after the race. Consequently, a longer lead time is required to prepare and inspect the circuit prior to the race.

With the experience gained from the inaugural race last year, STB, LTA and the race promoter have made a significant effort to improve the road access plan for this year. This year’s road closure period has been shortened to 7 days from 12 last year. Specifically, the road closures will begin on Wednesday, 23 September (2 days before the practice sessions on Friday), and the vast majority of affected roads will re-open in time for the morning peak hour traffic on Tuesday, 29 September.

Besides reducing the road closure period, provisions have also been made to re-open the main road arteries for the morning peak periods between 5am and 9am, so that inconvenience is minimized for road users to get to work. The organizers have also been working closely with stakeholders in the area to ensure business continuity, and the infrastructure installation schedule has been adjusted to accommodate stakeholders’ requests, where possible. The organizers will continue to learn from each year's experience and review the plans in order to further reduce the period of road closure where feasible.