Singapore Land Transport Authority (LTA) has decided to set up 10 more Silver Zones around the country by the end of next year. The decision was made amidst discussions by authorities to make roads in the city-state safer for the elderly.
The Silver Zone scheme, introduced in 2014, aims at enhancing road safety for the elderly people by incorporating various safety measures, like reducing the speed limit to 40kmh, introducing two-stage crossings, which enables pedestrians to take "refuge" at the centre divider and making roads narrower at crossings so that they slow down. The scheme was implemented in 15 locations when it was first introduced.
Currently, LTA has decided on 10 locations to make them Silver Zones and they include Whampoa Drive, Upper Boon Keng Road, Chai Chee Road and Teck Whye Lane.
In 2017, LTA took a bold step by converting a 200m stretch of Commonwealth Drive from a two-way road into a one-way one. Moreover, this was the first time something like this was executed under the Silver Zone initiative. The lane heading towards Queensway was cordoned off while Commonwealth Avenue lane was kept open after the conversion.
LTA said that such arrangement regulates traffic and reduce traffic conflict points between vehicles and pedestrians.
According to reports, the unused roads are expected to be revamped into additional space for pedestrians.
This new arrangement has received a positive response from residents. While some say that it is more convenient to cross the road now, others say the arrangement is very beneficial for elderly people as it keeps the roads more or less empty.
