Tampines accident: Parliamentary questions filed on road safety, penalties following public concern

SINGAPORE: Road safety and penalties under the Road Traffic Act will be discussed at the next parliament sitting following public concern in light of several recent multi-vehicle accidents, including the incident in Tampines that killed two.

Chairman of the Government Parliamentary Committee that oversees transport, Saktiandi Supaat has raised several parliamentary questions to the Ministry of Transport (MOT) and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). 

Among them is whether the authorities will consider stricter enforcement measures or legislative changes to “ensure greater accountability” and discourage dangerous driving. 

Parliament will next sit on May 7. 

Mr Saktiandi said in a Facebook post on Wednesday (Apr 24) that he has received feedback from residents expressing concerns about road safety, both generally and specifically in the Toa Payoh area. 

There is also growing concern about the adequacy of existing penalties for reckless driving, said the Member of Parliament of Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC. 

“There have been a number of multi-vehicle accidents lately but the recent cases in Tampines and on the PIE (Pan Island Expressway) on Apr 22 have deeply affected those involved and the wider Singaporean community."

Two people, a 17-year-old student at Temasek Junior College and a 57-year-old woman, were killed following the accident in Tampines on Monday morning. The incident involved four cars, a van and a minibus. Six other people were taken to hospital, including a 42-year-old car driver who was eventually arrested.

Later that same day, six people were taken to hospital after an accident along the PIE involving six cars and a taxi. Among the injured was a seven-year-old.

“My heartfelt condolences go out to the families who have lost loved ones and are injured in these tragic incidents. It is truly saddening to hear of innocent lives being lost and the unnecessary pain and injury caused due to reckless actions by individuals,” wrote Mr Saktiandi. 

“I strongly believe that meaningful changes must be made to minimise such accidents, whether through revisiting and enhancing current mitigating measures or implementing stricter enforcement to deter dangerous behavior and protect law-abiding motorists and pedestrians alike.”

Mr Saktiandi has asked the Minister for Home Affairs about the number of fatal accidents over the past five years and how many were due to reckless driving and speeding. 

He has also asked about whether there is a need to review the existing penalties under the Road Traffic Act and whether the ministry and the Land Transport Authority (LTA) will consider stricter enforcement measures or legislative changes to ensure greater accountability and discourage dangerous driving.

He has also filed a question asking whether there are plans to intensify campaigns or programmes in educating drivers on speeding and reckless driving and increase road safety awareness. 

In his parliamentary questions to the Minister for Transport, in light of the fatal accident in Tampines, Mr Saktiandi asked how can LTA deter the occurrence of similar accidents in high-traffic areas and how can driver awareness and education on road safety be enhanced, particularly on speeding and reckless driving. 

Mr Saktiandi also asked how can LTA minimise accident risks in future through road design and traffic management and whether there are plans to enhance data collection and analysis to better address current and future road safety challenges.