Contingency Plans and Dispersal Measures for Proper Crowd Control for Large-scale Events at Sports Hub

Mr Lim Biow Chuan asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) what are the contingency plans and dispersal measures by Sports Hub Pte Ltd for proper crowd control whenever there are major concerts or sports activities to ensure the safety of all participants; and (b) what measures have been taken by Sports Hub Pte Ltd to ensure that participants do not park indiscriminately around the Sports Hub area.

Kallang Alive Sport Management (KASM) is committed to delivering world-class events smoothly and safely.

KASM has stepped up transport management measures for large-scale events. These include encouraging event attendees to arrive early and to utilise public transport, such as the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) lines. These measures are communicated through event guides, mainstream and social media channels, as well as directly to event attendees via email and short message service (SMS).

KASM partners closely with agencies and entities, such as the Land Transport Authority (LTA), SMRT, Housing and Development Board and Singapore Police Force (SPF) by having close coordination via the Traffic Management and Crowd Control Committee, a platform where monthly meetings are conducted to update and coordinate with stakeholders on major events within the Sports Hub, crowd planning and traffic management plans.

On the day of the event, Government agencies step up their presence at public residential areas around the Sports Hub to stop/deter illegal parking, if necessary. KASM also employs additional marshals to manage traffic within its precinct on the day of events when large crowds are expected. KASM is able to disperse crowds within 15 minutes for most events.

KASM continues to partner Management Corporation Strata Titles (MCSTs) of nearby condominiums at Tanjong Rhu through the Residents’ Committees. This ensures that residents can share their feedback if illegal parking is observed.

KASM works with relevant agencies like SPF and LTA on contingency plans and provides access to the Sports Hub’s Integrated Command and Control Centre for coordination of responding efforts to incidents. Under the Public Order Act 2009, KASM will notify and work with SPF on the appropriate measures to be deployed for public safety when major events at Sports Hub are expected to attract crowds of 5,000 persons or more. As part of the measures, KASM also has dedicated teams on site to respond to incidents immediately during major events.

This has been successful by and large. One positive example where KASM partnering closely with other agencies had led to successful outcomes were the Taylor Swift concerts. Officers were stationed at nearby residential car parks to deter illegal parking and ensure sufficient parking lots for residents.

KASM also piloted having an emcee who entertained guests as they waited outside Stadium MRT while managing the crowd flow to ensure that the station would not be overcrowded. This received praise from media outlets and are measures that KASM will continue to explore to facilitate crowd dispersal post-event.

KASM will continue to partner other agencies to further improve our crowd, traffic and parking management, even as Sports Hub continues to host more major events for Singaporeans to enjoy.