Heavy Vehicles in Residential Areas

Mdm Speaker, heavy vehicles typically ply roads that are specifically planned to serve industrial areas to keep industrial traffic away from residential areas. Where we cannot avoid heavy vehicles accessing residential roads, for instance to access construction sites within residential estates, LTA works with agencies and contractors to determine appropriate access routes to minimise access to areas with high pedestrian activity. Warning signs are also put up around construction or industrial sites.

LTA and the Traffic Police regularly review and improve traffic safety measures in collaboration with schools. Some of the measures introduced include the school zone scheme, providing more warnings to motorists at pedestrian crossing facilities, and speed humps and traffic calming markings to slow vehicle speed. The schools also play their part in educating the students and parents on road safety. We have plans for a review of the traffic safety measures around schools and will release further details in due course.

Mdm Speaker, I thank the Parliamentary Secretary for his reply. The question was raised in relation to the recent tragedy in Tampines. There are few Members here who take care of residential areas quite close to major industrial estates. In particular, I would like to ask the Parliamentary Secretary, in relation to my first question on limiting the access because towns like Yew Tee have only one major access road to Sungei Kadut, which is in Choa Chu Kang Way. Over the past two years, we have seen monthly accidents in that area. Many people use Choa Chu Kang way to access into the camps. I have personally witnessed one accident myself. He was evacuated to

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Khoo Teck Phuat Hospital. He has recovered; unfortunately, he will live in the shadow of that accident.

So, for towns like Yew Tee and other towns of similar nature, where there is only one direct route to major industrial areas and they have to pass by residential estates, would there be consideration by the Ministry for opening up additional peripheral routes for these vehicles. Again, another problem is speeding. These vehicles are definitely travelling far in excess of their speed limits. So, whether the Ministry will consider other plans and policies to help to regulate this.

Mdm Speaker, I would like to thank the Member for the supplementary question and also the feedback. We share the Member's concern about safety. In fact, I would be pleased to inform the Member that we would be pleased to work with the Member to see how we can further improve the safety of the area and, wherever possible, will find ways to work with the Member to see how we can inject or improve other elements to enhance the safety of the area identified by the Member.

Madam, we understand that in mature estates where there are construction works, it would be difficult not to have a lot of heavy vehicles in certain areas, including schools. But I would like the Ministry to review the current ban on cement mixers on expressways. Because in my discussion with the authorities, we knew that there is actually an alternative route for the cement mixers to by-pass the area where the accident happened but they must ply a certain stretch of the Tampines Expressway (TPE). I would also like to suggest that the Ministry encourage the contractors or the route planners to work closely with the Advisers on the ground, especially where there are heavily-populated residential areas, to work out a safer route for the heavy vehicles in the estates.

Madam, indeed, certainly we will take on the Member's suggestion. Wherever possible, safety is our priority.

I would like to ask the Parliamentary Secretary a supplementary question. Perhaps to take a more whole-of-Government approach, for example, in my constituency there is a primary school which is going through upgrading programme and there is going to be a Build-To-Order (BTO) project next to it, many of the enquiries have been to give access roads to heavy vehicles that may be flowing through, to protect the

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safety of the students and the staff working in the school. The discussion so far has been quite convoluted because they will talk to MND, refer to MOT and then to MOE because multiple agencies are involved in the specific access of the road. So, I was wondering if, from a perspective of safety, MOT would take on a more coordinating role and work with the other agencies in order to ensure the safety of the students and teachers working in the Primary school.

Madam, I would like to reassure the Member that we indeed take on a whole-of-Government approach. Nevertheless, we have to understand that each department or agencies have their own specific area. However, we find that it is very, very, critical for us to work together, and this is exactly what is shared by the Member, and we will continue to improve on this aspect.