IRON RAILINGS ON ROAD-DIVIDERS (Measures to discourage use by pedestrians)

Mr Tay Boon Too asked the Minister for Home Affairs if he will consider measures to discourage pedestrians from climbing over the iron railings erected on road-dividers wherever a pedestrian overhead bridge nearby has been provided for crossing a road.

The Acting Minister for Home Affairs (Mr Ong Pang Boon): Mr Speaker, Sir, there are at present 23 pedestrian overhead bridges in the Republic. In order to encourage pedestrians to use the bridges when crossing the roads, iron railings have been erected on road-dividers under ten of these bridges, and the P.W.D, has plans in hand to erect railings under the remaining bridges. Besides erecting these fence-type obstacles to discourage persons from crossing the road at random, police personnel are posted at overhead bridges, especially during the road safety campaigns, to persuade pedestrians to make use of the bridges.

There are no provisions in the law at present to enable the police to take action against persons who cross a road where an overhead bridge has been constructed. We may have to consider a law for the control of jay-walkers.