LTA set to conduct one-year trial to lower speed limits to 30km/h at senior friendly Silver Zones

The Land Transport Authority, a statutory board under the Ministry of Transport, is set to conduct a one-year trial to lower speed limits to 30km/h at senior friendly Silver Zones. The trial will begin in April 2020 at the Silver Zones in Bukit Merah View and Jurong West Street 52, where the current speed limit is 40km/h.

The Silver Zone scheme was first announced at the Committee of Supply debate in 2014. As part of the scheme, the LTA identifies various areas around the island as Silver Zones and implements road safety measures that are aimed to help senior citizens travel more safely.

Silver Zones typically feature narrower roads and increased speed humps, as well as two-stage traffic crossings so elderly pedestrians can rest at the halfway point in the crossing. In March this year, the LTA said that statistics showed that accident rates involving elderly pedestrians at the 15 Silver Zones that were implemented at the time had gone down by almost 75 per cent.

The LTA, which plans to implement a total of 50 Silver Zones in residential estates by 2023, is now testing more traffic-calming measures in these areas.

Aside from unveiling plans to lower the speed limit in certain Silver Zones, the authority revealed last Thursday (21 Nov) that it will also be introducing features like raised junctions and road markings in Silver Zones from next month onwards:

“We’ll be conducting a one-year trial to lower speed limits from 40km/h to 30km/h in the Bukit Merah View and Jurong West Street 52 Silver Zones, starting in April 2020.

“Such traffic calming measures are aimed at slowing down motorists’ speeds to make our roads safer for pedestrians, especially for our seniors when they navigate in the Silver Zones.

“There will also be additional traffic calming features such as a raised junction and road markings at these locations from December. We’ll continue working with the community during the trial period to refine it along the way.”