10 new Silver Zones by early 2017: LTA

SINGAPORE — More senior-friendly roads – also known as Silver Zones – will be in place by early 2017.

By the first quarter of 2017, there will be 10 more Silver Zones with senior-friendly road safety features, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said in a news release today (Aug 12).

Currently, there are two Silver Zones, which were launched in Bukit Merah and Jurong West in October 2014 and February 2015 respectively.

The roll-out of Silver Zones will take place progressively and by 2020, there will be a total of 35 Silver Zones island-wide.

Locations in Bedok, Lengkok Bahru, Tampines, Woodlands and Yishun will see these senior-friendly zones by year end.

The Silver Zone programme, which was announced last year, involves the installation of senior-friendly road safety features in locations with high senior populations, relatively higher accident rates involving seniors and proximity to senior amenities.

During a visit to a Silver Zone site at Yishun Ring Road, Parliamentary Secretary for Transport Associate Professor Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim said more than 90 per cent of residents surveyed felt that the senior-friendly measures have provided them with more convenience and also improved road safety.

These measures include lowered speed limits to 40kmh where possible and two-stage crossings, which allow pedestrians to look out for traffic from one direction at a time, and to rest for a while instead of crossing the entire road at a go.

Other features include speed humps to slow down vehicles, centre dividers with railings to deter jaywalking, painted special markings on footpaths to guide the elderly to the nearest pedestrian crossings and transport amenities and installations of lifts at pedestrian overhead bridges where feasible.