EXPRESSWAY TRAFFIC RULES, TOOTING OFFENCES AND IMPATIENT DRIVERS

Mr Eugene Yap Giau Cheng asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) what steps his Ministry plans to take on "L" drivers and illegal parking along expressways to improve safety and traffic flow along those roadways: (b) what kind of scenario the Ministry expects to see along expressways when heavy and light goods vehicles are fitted with anti-speed devices from 1st August, 1981; (c) how many people have been warned or fined for indiscriminate use of vehicle horns and who are they mainly; and (d) whether the Traffic Police will ensure that impatient drivers at "give way" junctions are duly punished as they can be the cause of drivers in front of them not giving way at such junctions.

The Minister for Home Affairs (Mr Chua Sian Chin): Mr Speaker, Sir, the Traffic Police has been taking enforcement action against illegal parking along expressways, and it will continue to do so. In the meantime, the PWD and the Traffic Police are in the process of drafting the Expressway Traffic Rules, 1981, to regulate traffic on the expressways.

Besides prohibiting parking, the proposed Rules will prohibit vehicles from stopping or remaining at rest on the carriageway, except in the case of a breakdown. "L" drivers and riders will also be prohibited from driving along expressways.

The promulgation of the Rules will enhance road safety and facilitate the smooth flow of traffic along the expressways.

Heavy and light goods vehicles have speed limits up to the maximum of 50 km per hour, depending on the type of vehicle they belong to. When they travel on expressways, they must keep to their speed limits instead of the speed limit of 70 km per hour for the expressways. These vehicles will also have to keep to the left lane to prevent hindrance to other fast-moving vehicles on the expressways. Traffic Police will take enforcement action against those vehicles hindering the traffic flow or speeding in excess of their vehicle speed limits. Anti-speed devices will, therefore, facilitate enforcement action.

The Traffic Police and the ROV Enforcement Unit have been taking enforcement action against drivers who indiscriminately use vehicle horns. Since 1976, an average of 79 drivers have been booked every year for committing this offence. The breakdown is: Year No. of Cases 1976 84 1977 70 1978 97 1979 71 1980 72

Besides enforcing the Rules against indiscriminate tooting, ROV has also advised school bus operators to be more considerate and not to cause a nuisance by tooting unnecessarily, especially in housing estates in the early hours of the day.

The Traffic Police's computerised records do not include the offence of indiscriminate use of vehicle horns. Therefore, I am unable to indicate what categories of offenders have been warned or fined for this offence.

Action against impatient drivers can be taken only when they are found to have sounded their vehicle horns unnecessarily at give way junctions to force the drivers in front of them to move off without giving way to other vehicles. Otherwise, no action can be taken against them for displaying their impatience. All motorists are advised for their own safety as well as the safety of other road users to exercise patience when driving on the road. The Traffic Police is now concentrating their enforcement on those who do not give way when they should be at street junctions.

Mr Eugene Yap Giau Cheng: Mr Speaker, Sir, will the Traffic Police intensify their action against illegal parking along expressways?

Mr Chua Sian Chin: The answer is "Yes".