Ensuring barrier-free access on public paths

Oral Reply by Minister of State Baey Yam Keng

Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Acting Minister for Transport what measures are being taken to ensure all public footpaths, including roadside footpaths in private estates, provide barrier-free access for mobility scooters and motorised wheelchairs so that users are not forced onto roads, risking both safety and prosecution under the Active Mobility Act 2017.

Reply by Minister of State Baey Yam Keng: 

1.           Public paths are designed to be free from encumbrances to ensure a barrier-free passage. Since 2018, all new standalone footpaths are also required to have a minimum clear width of 1.8m, while those adjacent to cycling paths must be at least 1.5m. When rejuvenating old footpaths, we will widen them to these standards, unless there are site constraints, such as the lack of roadside space. LTA also takes in residents’ feedback when planning for footpath widening within private estates, which is often undertaken in conjunction with other programmes such as drainage or estate improvements.

2.            If riders need to use the road briefly to bypass obstructions or access adjoining paths, enforcement authorities will exercise discretion. We would also like to remind device users and motorists to slow down at residential estates, and exercise greater caution during such instances.