Written Reply to Parliamentary Question on Prevalence of Pot-Holes on Public Roads

Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye asked the Minister for Transport 

a.     whether there is a sharp rise in the number of potholes on our public roads in 2023;

b.     whether LTA tracks the areas that are most prone to potholes re-occurring on our roads; and

c.     what are the preventive measures undertaken by LTA to minimise the number of potholes on our public roads.

Reply by Minister for Transport S Iswaran:

1.     More potholes were observed in 2021 and the first two months of 2023 when there was heavy rainfall. Conversely, when rainfall was lower, such as in the first two months of 2022, we typically observe fewer potholes.

2.     The Land Transport Authority (LTA) monitors and maintains over 9,000 lane-kilometres of roads and checks for road defects, including potholes. LTA analyses data to prioritise roads where potholes are more common for resurfacing. LTA will also be utilising Artificial Intelligence and Video Analytics technology to aid this maintenance effort.

3.     During periods of prolonged heavy rainfall, LTA dedicates more resources to conduct additional inspections and to expedite pothole repairs.

4.     Furthermore, LTA undertakes a range of preventive measures from sealing over minor cracks identified to regularly resurfacing stretches of road. LTA is also studying the feasibility of using high performance asphalt mixes.

5.     Motorists can report road defects through the LTA website, the "Snap & Send" function on the MyTransport.SG mobile application, or the OneService mobile application.