Penalties for those caught driving against traffic being reviewed by Govt

Harsher punishments coming?

Henedick Chng | February 07, 2017, 11:51 AM

With the issue of motorists driving against the flow of traffic in the news lately, Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs Desmond Lee told Parliament on Feb. 6 that the government was reviewing the adequacy of the existing penalties for the offence.

He said that the review would form part of a larger ongoing one for penalties under the Road Traffic Act.

In response to queries on the issue, Second Minister for Transport Ng Chee Meng also assured Members of Parliament (MPs) that the Land Transport Authority (LTA) regularly reviews and audits the safety of existing roads.

Ng said that up to 24 roads were studied annually, based on public feedback and the roads' accident trends for the year. He added that the LTA engages independent, specialist road safety engineers to review the clarity and effectiveness of road signs and markings for new roads.

The LTA also takes reference from international standards in the design and installation of road signs and markings, according to Ng.

In response to MPs' queries on the total number of accidents involving motorists going against traffic, Ng said that there had been three fatal accidents in the last three years, but the total number of accidents was not tracked.

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