PEDESTRIAN OVERHEAD BRIDGES (Introduction of legislation for compulsory use)

The following Question stood in the name of Inche Abdul Aziz Karim -

Inche Abdul Aziz Karim: To ask the Minister for Communications if he will consider introducing legislation to make it compulsory for pedestrians, who are within a reasonable distance on either side of a pedestrian overhead bridge, to use the overhead bridge to cross the road.

Mr Speaker: Inche Abdul Aziz Karim.

Mr Lim Soo Peng (Havelock): Question No. 13.

Mr Yong Nyuk Lin: Mr Speaker, Sir, I do not consider it desirable to introduce legislation to compel pedestrians to use overhead bridges where these are available.

It is unfortunately true that, although Government has spent quite a large sum of money - almost $½ million as explained by my colleague, the Minister for Law and National Development, yesterday in erecting a number of such overhead bridges for the safety of pedestrians to cross busy roads, many through sheer laziness still choose to tempt the gods and risk life and limb by running across busy roads instead of using overhead bridges. To discourage such ill-advised actions, our Public Works Department have, wherever possible, erected railings along road dividers, so that pedestrians are thus forced to use overhead bridges. I think this is as far as we can go in the matter, as to legislate in a matter like this would be somewhat repressive.