There are currently five public designated smoking areas in Orchard Road.

Also known as government-owned smoking areas, they are situated at Orchard Towers, Far East Plaza, Somerset MRT station, Cuppage Terrace and The Heeren.

However, it was only in late June this year that tempered glass screens have been put up at the designated smoking area outside Orchard Towers (pictured above).

Similar panels will go up at the designated smoking area at Far East Plaza at a later date.

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These two sites are part of a study to examine the effectiveness of different designated smoking area designs in reducing smoking activity in the vicinity.

The two sites in Orchard were chosen as they are deemed to have a higher concentration of smokers among the five public designated smoking areas.

There are no plans yet to install the screens at the other three designated smoking areas.

Orchard Road bans smoking

Orchard Road's highly visible designated smoking areas and eventual ban on smoking follows a wider mandate to curb the habit all over Singapore.

The National Environment Agency (NEA) said in June that smoking will be banned in all public spaces in the Orchard Road area from July 1, 2018.

However, smoking will still be minimally allowed at certain designated smoking areas within the Orchard Road smoke-free precinct.

The NEA had also announced that applications for smoking corners in all food retail establishments islandwide will no longer be accepted. Existing smoking corners will be allowed to remain, unless the current licence is terminated or cancelled.

Those initially caught smoking in Orchard Road public areas between July 1 and Sept. 30, 2018, will receive only verbal warnings as the smoking ban kicks in.

Enforcement action will be taken against errant smokers from Oct. 1 next year. Culprits can be fined up to S$1,000.

H/T Today