WARNING SIGNS ALONG EXPRESSWAYS (Adequacy of)

Dr Koh Lam Son asked the Minister for National Development whether warning signs put up by road contractors along expressways are adequate for the safety of motorists.

Mr Dhanabalan: Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, all contractors carrying out works along expressways and other roads have to provide adequate warning signs and lighting to ensure the safety of motorists and pedestrians at all times. They are required to comply with temporary traffic sign guidelines laid down by the Public Works Department.

Generally, contractors abide by these guidelines but there are some who flout these regulations. Regular checks are carried out by PWD and action taken against contractors found not following the guidelines on safety measures. The penalty imposed on recalcitrant contractors includes suspension and debarment. The PWD will step up enforcement action to ensure that contractors adhere strictly to safety measures.

Dr Koh Lam Son (Telok Blangah): What is the incidence of contractors flouting the rules?

Mr Dhanabalan: Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, there are various degress of flouting of the rules. But I can tell the Member that up to 10 errant contractors are suspended on the average each year.

Dr Koh Lam Son: I would just like to ask the Minister whether he would consider, perhaps in the case of expressways, requiring contractors to place their warning signs at a distance of perhaps 300 to 400 metres from the worksite and that these signs be placed in such a way that traffic is diverted gradually from the affected lane.

Mr Dhanabalan: Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, there are, in fact, existing guidelines for safety signs to be placed at specified distances from the particular work that is being carried out. I am aware, Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, that quite often on expressways there are inadequate signs or signs that are not placed far enough, away from the worksite. I have already asked the PWD to pay greater attention to this.

There is, in fact, a Roads Opening Coordination Committee which is chaired by the PWD and on which we have representatives from all the other statutory bodies that have to work on roads, like the TAS, the PUB and so on. They deal with these matters. I personally have been very dissatisfied with the way in which some of the contractors have flouted the safety guidelines. Safety consciousness does not seem to rank high not only with our contractors but even, I would say, with some of our supervising engineers who are more concerned with the work as such rather than with the road safety aspects. So as I mentioned in my answer, I have asked the PWD to be more stringent in its implementation of the road safety guidelines.

Dr Aline K. Wong (Changkat): Could I ask the Minister also, in conjunction with the review of the road safety being done now, if he would ask the PWD to pay attention to the question of telephone booths along expressways. In this connection, would he not also ask the PWD people to come out with an alternative solution to provide appropriate locations rather than doing away with this kind of convenience to the public altogether?

Mr Dhanabalan: Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, in fact, this aspect of safety also came up for discussion when I discussed with the PWD. I have also noticed that there are telephone booths along expressways and that people use these telephones not for the purpose for which they are intended, which is to call for breakdown vehicles and so on. Many Singaporeans nowadays carry beepers and the moment the beeper goes, they just stop at the nearest telephone along the expressway. It is not at all safe to have telephone booths of this kind along expressways. So I have asked the PWD to consider removing as many of these telephones as possible and installing some other kind of telephone which will only give access to breakdown service. Perhaps we can persuade the Automobile Association or one of the NTUC organizations to join in this system where you pick up the telephone and it will only ring at a place where you can ask for assistance for breakdown, or accidents, or whatever it is, and not make a personal or business call from telephones along the expressways.