Universal Design for Bus Stops to Ensure Barrier-free Access

Miss Penny Low asked the Minister for Transport in view of our ageing demography and the national Code on Accessibility in the Built Environment (a) whether the Ministry has plans to ensure that all bus stops have universal design and, if so, what will universal design comprise; and (b) whether these plans can be brought forward urgently.

Mr Lui Tuck Yew: Universal design seeks to create an environment where people with different levels of physical or cognitive capabilities can move independently and integrate as fully as possible into the mainstream of daily life. In this regard, our intent is for all bus stops to incorporate universal design principles and to be completely barrier-free accessible wherever feasible.

Since 2009, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) has mandated that all new bus stops be designed for barrier-free access. Today, 4,500 of the 4,700 bus stops island-wide, or 95%, comply with the Code on Accessibility in the Built Environment, as they have been designed for barrier-free access. For the remaining 200-odd bus stops that are more complex due to site constraints, LTA will start implementing site specific solutions from next year to upgrade them. LTA has also started introducing other enhancements such as seats with grab bars to assist the elderly to get up with ease, and lighted bus information panels that are easier to read at night, and will implement these on a larger scale if they are found to be feasible.