Consistent Markings for Segregating Paths along Park Connector Network

Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Minister for National Development in respect of NParks’ revised typology that segregates selected stretches of the Park Connector Network (PCN) into pedestrian-only paths and shared paths, whether NParks can consider the segregation of paths in a consistent manner and minimise frequent changes in the segregation of paths along similar stretches of PCN, including where the width of such paths have remained the same, so as to provide certainty and reduce confusion among users.

Sir, to enhance the user experience along our Park Connector Network (PCN), the National Parks Board (NParks) started piloting a revised PCN typology that segregates selected stretches of the PCN into pedestrian-only paths and shared paths in 2022. NParks has consistently implemented this revised typology on continuous stretches of the PCN, taking into consideration factors such as the width of the path and the human traffic in the area.

As part of the revised typology, NParks has also implemented revised lane markings to enhance the user experience and encourage safe and considerate use of the PCN. These include signs to remind users to keep left when using the park connectors as well as markings that clearly indicate the different types of users allowed on each lane within the path, including pedestrians, cyclists and users of personal mobility devices.

NParks works closely with the Land Transport Authority (LTA), the Friends of the PCN and the community to promote safe and gracious use of our PCN, especially for park connectors with high usage and more frequent feedback on user conflicts. NParks has also collaborated with the Singapore Kindness Movement to raise public awareness on PCN etiquette through its Kindness Ambassadors.

In the next phase, NParks will roll out the revised PCN typology for more park connectors, incorporating the feedback received so far. Thereafter, NParks will engage stakeholders again and assess the feasibility to implement the revised typology for more park connectors.

Mr Speaker, I declare that I am a regular user of the PCN, but my Question Nos 4 and 5 actually arose from recent feedback from a Hougang resident, quite consistent with what I have raised.

Just a bit of background for me asking this question, because I have spoken on this since 2018 and I have raised specifically in 2019 to 2021 regarding the new typology where, for the benefit of people listening to this, the new red lane markings for where one-third is exclusively for people on foot and about two-thirds for all users, including pedestrians, cyclists, mobility scooters, strollers, e-scooters and pets on leash. I previously said that there are people walking on both lanes and not keeping left, and cyclists have to wait through the traffic, even going onto the exclusive walking lane, so to speak, because of congestion. I have previously asked for an increase in public education and enforcement efforts for safe and considerate use of the PCN. Almost four years on, with actually some of the red lanes having faded and turned to yellow again, awaiting a new coat of paint, the situation has, in my view and my resident's view, remained the same, especially during the peak hours of usage.

So, in the interest of safety and greater amenity of all PCN users – and I am grateful to the Minister of State for telling us about an update, that he is reviewing this – may I appeal to NParks or the Ministry of National Development (MND) to really review how we can improve on the use of the division of the lane, so that there is greater safety and greater amenity for all users? And moving forward, may I also ask NParks to increase its public education efforts on the use of this PCN for all users?

On Question No 5, currently, some parts of the PCN have no red lane markings, while others have such red lane markings, and often it is all within a few hundred metres along same stretches. Personally, I have observed that in some of these stretches, the width may not have varied. So, I would like to appeal to NParks to consider minimising different lane markings, different segregation of paths along similar stretches of PCN, to avoid confusion, perhaps adopting what LTA is doing with path segregation along its cycling network.

And may I ask, where does NParks or MND provide advisories to PCN users on the revised typology and their intended users, and can these be made more prominent on the ground? Because on the ground, I sense that people do not really understand how the division is meant to be used, even after all these years.

Sir, I thank the Member for the supplementary questions. I can understand the issues raised by the Member. I have been very fortunate to be involved in this area of work since I was in the Ministry of Transport and I can see how things have improved significantly over the years. Members will realise that for behaviour to change, while we provide the infrastructure and we improve the markings, I think, as humans, we also will navigate this over time. I can see that the behaviour has changed over time significantly.

Sir, you and I, we were in Parliament, we started together. We could see how the incidents and the behaviour of the people, with regard to how they use the PCN and even the cycling paths, have significantly changed and, that to me, is a positive move. And NParks continues to make improvements.

If Members realise, we have this pilot, we do it in two phases. We just completed Phase 1 and when we completed Phase 1 in the third quarter of 2023, we did surveys with the Friends of the PCN and the different stakeholders in the spirit of understanding that it takes time to improve human behaviour, but also to see how our infrastructure meets the needs of the people. So, I assure the Member that we will continue to do this.

And I am not sure whether I heard the Member correctly. He shared about some of the pedestrian paths being used by those on personal mobility devices and cyclists. So, essentially, during our pilot Phase 1, we have segregated them and what we have seen is that people are adjusting to this whole process. When we embark on the Phase 2, we will take the feedback and comments we have heard from Phase 1 and then we will see how we can navigate this further.

We will introduce more markings, especially at the start of the PCN and at the end, and we will make these at smaller intervals. And for some, it may seem that the width may be the same, but there are intersections where you would be required to understand the behaviour of people when they come together. So, it may not be as straightforward as the width. We look at various factors when we design it.

So, I hope that the Member will join us in this journey to make sure that, while we are small, we maximise our land use. And what is key is this, a feedback that I heard from one of my counterparts recently is: "You are small, but you are able to use your land efficiently and the people are able to enjoy it even though they are all different types of users." So, we will continue to do this to make sure it brings goodness to Singaporeans.

Thank you, Speaker. If I may just quickly build on the Parliamentary Question by my hon friend, Mr Dennis Tan, where he expressed some sense in which users are sometimes confused over the demarcations.

Like him, I use the Sengkang Riverside Park along the path that follows the Punggol River, and there, the confusion is not so much that users do not keep left, but they do not know whether to keep left on the path for pedestrians or to keep left in general along the broad path.

So, along those lines, I am wondering if NParks will commit for the PCN to have markings with colour demarcations for both pedestrians versus non-pedestrians. In that way, they will know for sure that they should be keeping left along the designated path for their use.

Sir, I use the same PCN, as what was shared by the Member, and I use it regularly. I find that, even over time, I have seen people getting used to the markings. So, like what I shared with the Member earlier, it takes time for people to look at the changes and then adjust their behaviour.

In the past, I remember when NParks first built it and started it, you realise that there were lots of people who did not know how to use it. But today, I walk or even cycle there at least three times a week, I realised that people are able to navigate better, there is less conflict along the path and, at the same time, when it comes to where users come in via the different paths into the PCN, you realise that they are able to look out for one another.

So, we will take the feedback raised by the Members, but I want to urge Members to join us in this journey to make sure that we really develop something good for our people, so that wherever they live, they are able to enjoy the PCNs and even the shared and cycling paths that we have.