Road Closure for Singapore Night Festival

Ms Janice Koh asked the Minister for Transport (a) other than Armenian Street, why no other road closures were permitted for the recent Singapore Night Festival; and (b) whether LTA will, in future, consider temporary road closures and extending public transport operating hours to improve the public's enjoyment of this event.

LTA and the Traffic Police worked closely with the National Heritage Board (NHB) to facilitate the closure of Armenian Street and a lane closure on Loke Yew Street during the Singapore Night Festival 2013. While Stamford Road was closed for previous editions of the Festival, the ongoing construction of a Downtown Line station at Bencoolen Street has changed the overall traffic flow in the area. It was not possible to close Stamford Road since last year as it would have resulted in significant traffic congestion and affected bus services.

The benefits of a road closure to support an event must be carefully balanced against its downsides, such as the inconvenience to bus commuters, motorists and other stakeholders in the area. There may also be safety implications as road closures can prevent or delay emergency vehicles from reaching their destination.

LTA has worked with the public transport operators to extend their operating hours on occasions, such as Christmas and New Year's Eve. These extensions are kept to a minimum as they would reduce the night hours

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available for maintenance works to be carried out.