TRAFFIC REGULATIONS FOR EXPRESSWAYS

Mr Rohan bin Kamis asked the Minister for Home Affairs whether he will review the traffic regulations for expressways, in particular the speed limit.

Mr Chua Sian Chin: Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, the Highway Committee, comprising members from the Traffic Police, Registry of Vehicles and the Roads Branch of the Public Works Department, has drafted the Expressway Traffic Rules, 1981, which will be promulgated after it has been vetted by the Attorney-General's Chambers.

The roads which make up our expressway systems have been designed for vehicle speeds of up to 80 km per hour. While parts of the expressways are still under construction, interim speed limits of 70 km per hour and 50 km per hour in some stretches have been imposed for safety reasons.

When the construction of the major interchanges is completed, and the East Coast Parkway and the Pan-island Expressway systems are fully operational, the Highway Committee will consider raising the allowable speed limit on suitable stretches of the expressways to 80 km per hour. The policy of the Highway Committee is to allow the maximum speed which is safe for travel on our expressways.