Effectiveness of Silver Zones Implementation

Mr Desmond Choo asked the Minister for Transport (a) how effective has the Silver Zones been in preventing accidents since their implementation; (b) what are the enhancements put in place to balance the needs of pedestrians, vehicles and emergency vehicles; and (c) how can Silver Zones be adapted to factor in the increased usage of personal mobility devices and bicycles which affect the elderly in using the pedestrian walkways.

Silver Zones improve road safety for seniors by slowing down traffic and alerting motorists to keep a look-out for pedestrians. Features include a reduced speed limit of 40 kilometres per hour, speed bumps, ramps and barrier-free crossings, enhanced street lighting and longer green-man timing. Silver Zones also use centre dividers to narrow lanes and reduce traffic speeds. These dividers are designed to be mountable to allow emergency vehicles to overtake.

In the 11 locations where Silver Zones have been implemented, only three accidents involving seniors have occurred, compared to more than 50 such accidents in the five-year period preceding Silver Zones.

The Land Transport Authority will widen footpaths where practicable at locations with large numbers of pedestrians and cyclists. Of the 11 completed Silver Zones, seven already have widened footpaths or dedicated cycling paths to complement existing footpaths, and two more will have dedicated cycling paths by 2020. We will also implement speed regulating strips and prominent signs to remind cyclists and personal mobility device users to slow down ahead of crowded areas, such as bus stops.