Debated in Parliament on 14 Oct 2024.
Ms Joan Pereira asked the Minister for National Development (a) how many escalator accidents were there in each of the last three years; (b) of the number of accidents, how many of these were due to technical issues and how many were due to users' behaviour or health condition, respectively; (c) what were their age groups; and (d) whether the Ministry will consider building more lifts, especially at public facilities to improve safety, in view of our ageing population.
From 2021 to 2023, there were about 600 escalator-related incidents reported to the Building and Construction Authority each year. Of these, about 97% were due to user behaviours. For instance, the majority of incidents arose from escalator users losing their balance when walking on the escalators without holding onto the handrails or when carrying bulky items on escalators. More than 40% of the incidents involved users who were older than 60 years.
Since 2010, all new buildings comprising five or more storeys have been required to have one or more lifts. Owners of eligible existing buildings may tap on the Accessibility Fund, which co-pays up to 80% of the construction cost of basic accessibility features, such as lifts. To improve the accessibility for seniors and commuters with mobility challenges, the Land Transport Master Plan 2040 also includes the installation of more lifts at existing pedestrian overhead bridges and older Mass Rapid Transit stations.
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