Written Reply by Minister for Transport Khaw Boon Wan to Parliamentary Question on Traffic Recovery Procedures and Response Time

Mr Muhamad Faisal Bin Abdul Manap asked the Minister for Transport

a.     what are the current procedures in traffic recovery following traffic and road failures caused by accidents, road cracks and fallen trees;

b.     how much time do current responses take to recover traffic to normal conditions;

c.     whether there are plans to improve current responses to such sudden traffic failures; and

d.     whether there are sufficient channels to notify motorists to avoid the affected area to prevent further congestion.

Reply by Minister for Transport Khaw Boon Wan:

1.     Traffic disruptions can be caused by accidents, road defects, or fallen trees. For accidents, the Traffic Police will respond as quickly as possible to the accident scene. The Singapore Civil Defence Force may also be activated if there are injuries. For road defects that affect traffic safety, LTA will carry out rectification works on an urgent basis. For fallen trees, NParks will deploy its Rapid Response Team as soon as possible. Traffic recovery procedures and response times differ depending on the nature of the incidents.

2.     Where there is significant traffic impact, officers will be deployed on the ground to manage the situation. LTA also notifies the public on the incident location and traffic situation via radio and online channels so that they avoid the affected areas.