Repair of Lifts that Break Down Repeatedly

Ms Tin Pei Ling asked the Minister for National Development (a) what is the Ministry's plan to fix new lifts that continue to break down despite a recommissioning exercise; and (b) whether the expected increase in maintenance and repair cost over a "lemon" lift's shelf life due to the frequent breakdowns is less than the replacement cost.

The Ministry of National Development takes a serious view on the safety of lifts in Singapore. We have previously explained the Housing and Development Board's (HDB's) comprehensive approach spanning lift procurement, installation and maintenance to ensure that lifts in HDB estates are safe and fit for operation. There is a lift commissioning process in place, which includes an independent audit of key safety features and a stress test of 1,000 start-stop operations. These are over and above existing regulatory requirements.

The lifts in Ms Tin Pei Ling's ward which have been experiencing higher than usual breakdown and fault rates are part of a batch of 469 lifts recently installed by Sigma. HDB's investigations revealed that while the design and installation of the affected lifts complied with the prevailing codes and standards, the doors and sensors are more susceptible to misalignment.

HDB has been working closely with Sigma to address this issue. Apart from the recommissioning exercises which Ms Tin mentioned, Sigma has also been undertaking improvement works to make the doors less susceptible to misalignment. The works include modification, replacement and addition of some auxiliary components of the lift door to enhance door operations. As a result, we have seen an improvement in the performance of the Sigma lifts. To ensure that all issues are addressed and the improvements in lift performance are sustained, a separate team of quality inspectors has been brought in by Sigma to conduct 100% checks on every one of the 469 lifts.

HDB is closely monitoring the work done by the company and will continue to hold Sigma responsible for the corrective action necessary to ensure that the lifts meet the required performance standards on a sustained basis.