Written Reply to Parliamentary Question on Proposal to Mandate the Deployment of Traffic Wardens for Heavy Vehicles Operating in Estates with Narrow Lanes and Few Access Roads to Prevent Massive Jams

Mr Leon Perera asked the Minister for Transport whether the Ministry will consider mandating companies operating heavy vehicles in estates with narrow lanes and few access roads, such as Serangoon Gardens, to deploy traffic wardens or banksmen and to follow strict protocols in traversing the roads so as to prevent the occurrence of massive jams within the estate.

Reply by Minister for Transport S Iswaran:

1.     Heavy vehicles typically ply roads that are specifically planned to serve industrial areas to keep industrial traffic away from residential estates.

2.     Where we cannot avoid heavy vehicles accessing residential roads, for instance to access construction sites within residential estates, LTA requires contractors to deploy traffic marshals for road works under appropriate conditions. This includes situations where road works affect traffic junctions or result in a shared right of way, for example when a bi-directional road is made to share a single lane; this is usually where roads are narrow with one lane in each direction. To further mitigate congestion caused by heavy vehicles for road works, lane closures are only allowed during off-peak hours.