LTA will introduce safety zones in estates with large elderly population

Safety zones will be introduced by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) in five housing estates by the end of the year, in an effort to increase road safety for elderly pedestrians. The 'silver zones' will be fitted with safety measures such as speed humps to slow down vehicles, centre dividers with railings to deter jaywalking and signs to alert motorists.

Parliamentary Secretary for Transport, Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim, announced yesterday the new zones will be tested in five towns - Yishun, Jurong West, Bukit Merah, Marine Parade and Bedok - deemed as estates with a high elderly population and relatively high accident rates involving the aged.

Dr Faishal reported in Parliament yesterday that elderly pedestrians make up 40 percent of all pedestrian fatalities. He also added that the elderly population expands on average by 32,000 each year. 

If the safety measures are proven to be useful, the Transport Ministry will look at adding these zones in other estates.

On road safety, Dr. Faishal cited the LTA will tighten the criteria for a nine-year programme to identify accident-prone areas. From this year, an area with 12 accidents over three years will be marked as a 'black spot', a reduction from 15 accidents.

The LTA treats these accident-prone spots with measures such as controlled right-turn arrows, reported The Straits Times. The firmer criteria will increase the locations under the programme by 11 percent, from 90 today to about 100.

Six MPs also raised the issue of cycling and the safety of cyclists in yesterday's budget debate for the Ministry of Transport. Ms. Irene Ng (Tampines GRC) called for urgent action to make the roads safer for cyclists, and for a unified and timely strategy for cycling as a mode of transport. The local paper also reported, Non-Constituency MP, Yee Jenn Jong, urged cycling to be made safer and more comfortable, while Dr. Janil Puthucheary (Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC) cited if a target could be set for cycling to be a primary mode of travelling.

In response, Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew cited he does not see the rationale in setting a target, and questioned if "people really want it that way". He also added that cyclists are safest when kept apart from motorists and pedestrians. Still, Dr. Faishal revealed cycling paths will be built in Bishan, Bukit Panjang and Woodlands, to bring the number of cycling towns to 15.