TRAFFIC LIGHTS AT NEIGHBOURING HOUSING ESTATES

TRAFFIC LIGHTS AT NEIGHBOURING HOUSING ESTATES:

(Regulation of timings): 10.

Ms Ellen Lee asked the Minister for Transport whether Land Transport Authority regulates the timings of all traffic lights, in particular those situated at neighbourhood housing estates to allow the elderly, disabled, wheelchair-bound and those less mobile to have sufficient time to safely cross or negotiate the pedestrian crossings.

The Minister for Transport (Mr Raymond Lim Siang Keat): Mr Speaker, Sir, the LTA does consider the needs of the elderly and the less mobile in planning

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for transport requirements. In estates where there is a higher concentration of elderly persons, the traffic lights are adjusted to give the elderly more time to cross safely.

Besides adjusting traffic light timings, where appropriate, LTA is also making all pedestrian crossings barrier-free. The slight drop from the footpath to the road will be removed and, instead, tactiles are provided to identify the edge of the road. These measures will make it easier and more convenient for the elderly, the wheelchair-bound and parents with prams to use the pedestrian crossings.

LTA will continue to enhance our road infrastructure to meet the various needs of our population as we move towards a more socially inclusive society.

Ms Ellen Lee: Sir, two supplementary questions. Will LTA consider building countdown type of pedestrian crossings where you have got countdown for the lights at the traffic junctions, so that the pedestrians will feel that they have enough time to cross the road and the motorists do not feel that the pedestrians are taking too long to cross the road? The other question is this. At busy road junctions within the housing estate where there are large carriageways, would LTA consider building underground tunnels for pedestrian crossing? Then there would not be any competition for road usage in that sense.

Mr Raymond Lim Siang Keat: On countdown timers, the answer is yes. We are already doing that for the mature estates, but we will expand that. So, that is something that is being done. On the Member's suggestion about building underground tunnels, this is something that we have to look at - the site, the traffic volume, the pedestrian usage and, of course, the cost involved.

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Mdm Cynthia Phua: Mr Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister to consider using cameras, because I know cameras are now being used at intersections for some traffic offences. I would like to ask the Minister to consider using cameras at some of the traffic light junctions where there are illegal U-turns. We have asked for some of the junctions in the neighbourhood, but the LTA officers rejected our appeal for the use of cameras.

Mr Raymond Lim Siang Keat: This is really case-specific. I think it is not one of those policy decisions where we say, definitely, no. I suggest the Member give us the details of the particular junction that she is talking about, and we will look into it.