Opening of the Smart and Sustainable Transport Round Table

Toespraak | 08-09-2010

Ladies and gentlemen,

I have been in Singapore for less than 24 hours and I already feel at home. A true case of love at first sight. I am certainly not the first Dutchman to experience this. My distinguished countryman Albert Winsemius – an important economic adviser to the government of Singapore in the second half of the last century – always loved it here.  

He once admitted to the much-honoured Mr Lee Kuan Yew, then Prime Minister, that he actually felt more comfortable in Singapore than in our neighbouring Germany or in Switzerland. Mr Winsemius was unable to explain precisely why this was.  But he had the feeling that there was ‘a congruence of the Calvinistic and Confucian philosophy of life’.

Speaking for myself, there is yet another reason why I am experiencing this visit as an inspiration. Many years ago, I graduated in the Netherlands from the University of Technology in Eindhoven, also the home of the Philips company that is well-known to you. In my years at the university, I began to believe more and more in technological innovation as a driver of economic and social development. Here, everywhere I have been – the airport, on the streets,  in traffic – I see how Singapore has put this into practice in a most impressive fashion.

It is for a good reason that our countries get along so well with one another. It is only natural that your port – the gateway to Southeast Asia and the East and that of Rotterdam – the gateway to Europe – are such good partners. It is no coincidence that the Netherlands remains one of the largest foreign investors in Singapore.
With some four million inhabitants, Singapore leads the world rankings in many fields. You have a huge reputation worldwide for your impressive merchant fleet and your port, your internationally praised National University and you have an excellent reputation as one of the most convenient locations for international conferences.

The Netherlands is making its way in the world with a mere 16 million inhabitants. We are 16th on the world economy rankings, the fifth largest exporter and the sixth largest foreign investor. The Netherlands has an excellent business climate. My country is your ticket to Europe.  

Small countries like ours need to make our name not with quantity but with quality. We are used to compensating for our lack of space with intelligence, with smart solutions.

I have already seen wonderful examples of the more than interesting technological systems that are leading life in Singapore along the right track. Today, I hope to hear more about your experiences with innovative systems like Real Time Traffic Information and your Parking Guidance System, to name just two.

I am accompanied here by representatives from experienced Dutch traffic and technology-related companies. We too have a lot to offer.
This is an ideal occasion to renew the ties of friendship between Singapore and the Netherlands and to explore what we can learn from one another and how we can support one another.  

Dutch infrastructure, like that of Singapore, is among the best in the logistics world. Our aim is to optimise our network – on water, the roads and rail – but the physical possibilities for expansion are limited. It is therefore imperative that we use our infrastructure as efficiently as possible. We are seeking smart solutions like intelligent traffic systems that are a step along the path to a safe and sustainable future.  

The Dutch Ministry of Transport has formulated an ambitious policy framework that focuses strongly on safe and sustainable transport.
I would like to give you a foretaste of what we have to offer. I will use a few examples of new developments which combine technological innovation with smart organisation.

I would like to tell you briefly about:

• influencing behaviour;
• smart in-vehicle systems to prevent traffic accidents;
• and improving traffic information.

Influencing behaviour

Over the past years, we have discovered that we can influence the behaviour of motorists using positive incentives.
For example, in the final months of last year, my Ministry was working on the bridge over one of our main rivers (the river Waal). A great deal of traffic crosses that bridge on weekdays. We recruited 6,700 volunteers by offering a small financial reward. They changed their habit and crossed the bridge twice a week during peak hours, instead of three times as they used to. It was enough to prevent the region becoming gridlocked.

Smart in-vehicle systems to prevent road accidents

My next example involves intelligent solutions we can use to further improve road safety. The Netherlands is already one of the safest countries in the world with 720 road deaths over the past year against a population of over 16 million. Nonetheless, we want to reduce this number even further, because every road casualty is one too many.  

To this end, we carried out a practical trial with 2500 lorries, the largest trial to date in Europe. We tested a variety of systems in practice including a black box and technology that assists drivers in keeping a proper distance and remaining on course. The 120 transport companies that participated indicated that they would continue using the accident-prevention after the trial.
We are currently doing practical research into how smart systems can help to identify vulnerable road users earlier and what the best subsequent action would be: a signal to the driver, a signal to the outside or an emergency stop.

Improving traffic information

The last initiative I would like to mention is the steps we are taking to improve traffic information. The Netherlands has traditionally performed well in the field of navigation. Centuries ago, this enabled us to sail the oceans of the world; today, the Dutch company TomTom is a major player on the navigation market.  

The government is encouraging the development of the navigation market with conviction. The more information we can provide to motorists about traffic situations, the better we can manage road congestion. We ensure that private parties can make use of data from road authorities. We have a common goal: to ensure that travellers return home quickly and safely.

And this not only applies to cars, but also to public transport. Our aim is to be able to provide travellers with multimodal advice at any given moment of the day, so that they can travel optimally from A to B with as few problems and in as much comfort as possible.  

Ladies and gentlemen,

I have given you a first impression of the way in which my country is working on smart and sustainable solutions for heavy traffic.  
Singapore, like the Netherlands, needs a high level of knowledge, first-class services and smart solutions for ordinary and extraordinary problems.  
Singapore and the Netherlands have been proving for many decades that we can work well together, that we understand one another and can strengthen one another.  
Together we will achieve a greater benefit for society: safer and more sustainable traffic.
I am certain that today the seeds of all kinds of new initiatives will be sown.
I am confident that this conference will be interesting and constructive for you all.