Barrier-free Access on Public Footpaths for Mobility Scooters and Motorised Wheelchairs

Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Acting Minister for Transport what measures are being taken to ensure all public footpaths, including roadside footpaths in private estates, provide barrier-free access for mobility scooters and motorised wheelchairs so that users are not forced onto roads, risking both safety and prosecution under the Active Mobility Act 2017.

The Minister of State for Transport (Mr Baey Yam Keng) (for the Acting Minister for Transport): Public paths are designed to be free from encumbrances to ensure a barrier-free passage. Since 2018, all new standalone footpaths are also required to have a minimum clear width of 1.8 metres, while those adjacent to cycling paths must be at least 1.5 metres. When rejuvenating old footpaths, we will widen them to these standards, unless there are site constraints, such as the lack of roadside space.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) also takes in residents' feedback when planning for footpath widening within private estates, which is often undertaken in conjunction with other programmes, such as drainage or estate improvements.

If riders need to use the road briefly to bypass obstructions or access adjoining paths, enforcement authorities will exercise discretion. We would also like to remind device users and motorists to slow down at residential estates and exercise greater caution during such instances.

Mr Speaker: We are almost out of time, but Mr Tan, I will allow you to ask your clarification in a very concise manner.

Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong (Hougang): Thank you, Mr Speaker. I just have one supplementary question.

I would like to ask whether the Minister of State can advise on the timeline for which the private estate, which has not been upgraded, for example, when will the current footpaths, which are currently blocked or not accessible for Personal Mobility Aids (PMAs), when does the Government expect that these footpaths can be modified for use without the PMAs is using the road?

Mr Baey Yam Keng: As mentioned earlier, such path widening work is usually taken in conjunction with other estate improvement works, for example, drainage or estate improvements and these are not entirely within LTA's jurisdiction.

We really have to bear in mind the constraints in private estates, because you have trees, utilities and it is not so straightforward as in other places. We do take a calibrated approach, because looking at the volume of users – whether motorists on the roads or pedestrians and riders on the footpaths – so therefore we seek Member's and public's understanding that we will do it in a way that is realistic and practical.

10.31 am

Mr Speaker: Order. End of question time. The Clerk will now proceed to read the Order of the Day.

[ Pursuant to Standing Order No 22(3), provided that Members had not asked for questions standing in their names to be postponed to a later Sitting day or withdrawn, written answers to questions not reached by the end of Question Time are reproduced in the Appendix. ]