Our Guest-of-Honour, Minister for Communications and Information Technology,

Mr Yeo Cheow Tong;

Mr Lee Yock Suan, Minister for Information and The Arts;

Mr Noel Hon, Chairman, Singapore Courtesy Council;

Distinguished guests;

Ladies and gentlemen:

Welcome to the launch of the 21st National Courtesy Campaign. We are happy to have with us tonight, the Minister for Communications and Information Technology, Mr Yeo Cheow Tong. It is indeed appropriate that Mr Yeo should be the guest-of-honour tonight as this year’s Campaign is focused on the land transport sector. The aim is to improve courtesy on the move, with motorists, public transport workers, commuters and pedestrians showing care and consideration for each other.

For this year’s campaign, transport service providers came together to form a Steering Committee to spearhead the drive for better courtesy on the road. This committee comprises the Land Transport Authority, Transit Link, Singapore Bus Service, Trans-Island Bus Service, the Comfort Taxi Group, Automobile Association of Singapore, Singapore Lorry Owners Association, National Transport Workers’ Union, Traffic Police, and Singapore MRT. The Committee believes that the focus on the transport sector will remind people of the need to be courteous even as they travel from one place to another.

A two-part television commercial and a radio jingle will help to spread the courtesy message this year. Our television commercials address common problems of public travel such as commuters’ reluctance to move to the rear of the bus or overcrowding near the exits of MRT trains. We want to remind everyone that such habits cause inconvenience to fellow commuters. Meanwhile, our radio jingle will spread the courtesy message in a catchy tune.

In addition to the media blitz, various events and activities have been mapped out for the staff and customers of each member organisation. SMRT will provide four courtesy trains while the bus companies will launch eight fully-painted courtesy buses. Taxi companies will also do their part with 20 fully-painted cabs taking to the roads in September. All these vehicles will serve as moving billboards, and a constant reminder of the need for courtesy amongst road users and commuters.

Transit Link will also reinforce the message with its 500,000 Courtesy farecards to be issued in quarterly batches, while the Traffic Police will work with the Automobile Association of Singapore and the Singapore Lorry Owners’ Association to produce courtesy banners and stickers respectively. The banners will be placed at strategic spots of the island, while the bright, cheery stickers with the courtesy message will be on display on the back of lorries.

Each member organisation will also get their commuters to be involved in the campaign. SMRT and TIBS will be looking out for courteous passengers just as SBS will have its Most Courteous Passenger awards. And while the Traffic Police will hold a "Spot the Courteous Motorcyclist" contest, the Automobile Association of Singapore will be organising a Heritage Drive-cum-Treasure Hunt for motorists based on the courtesy theme. There are also plans by TIBS to visit schools to share the courtesy message with students.

Transport workers have not been forgotten. SMRT, SBS, TIBS, and Transit Link plan to recognise and reward courteous staff. SBS will hold a dialogue with frontline staff to encourage them to behave courteously. SMRT and Transit Link will be handing out awards to deserving staff.

At this point, I would like to thank the transport organisations for their contributions to this year’s campaign. As part of good customer service, they have been constantly exhorting their staff to be courteous, but their job is certainly not an easy one. We need to convince both staff and commuters that "courtesy begets courtesy". If this campaign can get more people to recognise and accept this simple fact of life, our objectives will be realised. We would be on our way to achieving a world-class transport system that not only boasts of excellent infrastructure, but also smooth and pleasant rides.

To mark this 21st anniversary of the Courtesy Campaign, a commemorative book, "Courtesy - More than a Smile" will also be launched today. This book traces the Campaign’s changing approaches and themes over the past 20 years - from saying "thank you" to good neighbourliness, to handphone and pager etiquette, and finally to "Netiquette". You will get a glimpse of the hard work that went into every campaign, and the people behind them. To those who have toiled tirelessly behind the scene, this book is a tribute.

CONCLUSION

While we have achieved much over the last 20 years, there must be no let up. Much remains to be done. We are still some way from making courtesy an integral part of Singaporean behaviour. We must continue in our efforts to make courtesy our way of life.

Ladies and gentlemen, thank you very much once again for your presence. I hope you find tonight’s program enjoyable and memorable. Let’s Move With Courtesy.

Thank you.