SMOOTHER TRAVEL WITHIN SOUTHEAST ASIA
Ministers sign 5 agreements, 6 initiatives on cross-border travel
TRAVELLERS can look forward to smoother travel by air and on land within Southeast Asia following the signing of five new transport agreements between the 10 Asean member states.
Asean transport ministers inked the agreements yesterday at the closing of this year’s Asean Transport Ministers Meeting, here. They also adopted six other initiatives aimed at boosting cooperation in transport, a sector seen as critical to driving economic growth, trade and tourism in Asean.
“(Greater regional cooperation in transportation will) make a real difference to raising the quality of life for our people, creating good paying jobs and contributing to peace and stability in the region,” said Singapore Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan at the meeting.
According to the Singapore Transport Ministry, one of the agreements signed yesterday would pave the way for bus and coach passengers to travel more easily within Asean.
Under the agreement, up to 500 non-scheduled buses — such as long distance coaches and tour buses — from each Asean nation will enjoy expedited entry to, or transit through, other member states.
The agreement, officially called the Asean Framework Agreement on the Facilitation of Crossborder Transport of Passengers by Road Vehicles, will require ratification by the respective governments before kicking in.
“Upon implementation, Asean citizens will find it more convenient to travel by bus within the region, be it for business or leisure.
“This will create more commercial and investment opportunities, especially for our trade and tourism sectors,” said the ministry.
For air travel within the region, one of the new agreements signed aims to give travellers more flight options, smoother baggage transfers and a single booking and check-in for codeshared domestic flights.
Once the agreement is ratified, Asean carriers can codeshare with fellow Asean carriers on their domestic services, as long as it is part of an international journey.
This would allow Asean carriers with smaller networks to expand their international reach, without the need to deploy their own aircraft.
The Asean transport ministers also signed an agreement to reduce restrictions on trade in the region’s air transport ancillary services, such as aircraft catering and ramp handling services.
Separately, Asean transport ministers signed a memorandum of understanding with China’s Civil Aviation Administration for greater cooperation in aircraft accident investigations.
This is aimed at allowing the sharing of investigation facilities and equipment, as well as the expertise needed for investigating aviation accidents.
At the opening ceremony of the two-day Asean transport meeting on Thursday, Singapore Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean urged the region to work together to enhance connectivity to drive growth.
Teo said the transport sector was the “backbone and critical enabler ” of trade and tourism flows in the region, and that member states must work towards their vision of an extensive, efficient and well-integrated region. Today