APEC transport management team gears up for upcoming summit
By Lip Kwok Wai & Cheryl Lim, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 04 November 2009 2157 hrs

	Photos  of

SINGAPORE : The APEC transport management team is gearing up to welcome summit delegates, and this includes conducting training and rehearsals.

Come next week, the sleek black BMWs will be a common sight on the roads. 600 of them will whisk APEC delegates from one destination to the next.

One challenge is minimising the waiting time for officials and making sure they arrive on time.

"To achieve this, we have worked very closely with the other committees and to integrate our transport plan with their schedules and plans. We have also conducted rehearsals to validate our plans to ensure we meet the requirement," said LTC James Liew, head of VIP Limousine Service, APEC Transport Sub-Committee.

The transport team is also prepared for any eventuality, with several contingency cars and recovery vehicles positioned at various locations.

Drivers also had to go for training to update their knowledge of the APEC meetings.

"We are given training on how to drive the new BMWs, so we can manage it better and give our VIPs a smooth ride," said driver Mohd Nazli Johar, APEC Limousine Service.

"The most important thing is we need to be punctual, well-groomed and neat," said Patrick Tseng, driver for the APEC Limousine Service.

A maintenance team will also carry out daily checks to ensure the cars are in the best condition throughout the event. - CNA /ls