3,000 more lifts to be enhanced with better safety features

About 3,000 more lifts across Singapore will be enhanced this year with better safety features such as high-tech sensors to monitor the lift speed and an emergency communication system.

A first batch of 1,200 lifts within the 15 People's Action Party (PAP) town councils have been enhanced since January last year, the PAP town councils said in a joint statement issued yesterday.

The second batch of 3,231 lifts have been identified, as part of a 10-year plan which started in January last year to upgrade more than 18,500 lifts in Housing Board estates.

Of these, around 17,000 are lifts managed by PAP town councils while the rest are in the Workers' Party-run Aljunied-Hougang Town Council (AHTC).

An AHTC spokesman said in January last year that the 1,500 lifts that fall under AHTC would also be upgraded over the next 10 years.

The Straits Times was unable to reach the town council for comment.

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To date, a total of 5,198 lifts within PAP town councils have been identified for lift enhancement at a cost of $107 million.

These lifts will be upgraded under the $450-million Lift Enhancement Programme (LEP), which is substantially funded by the HDB.

Coordinating MP for PAP town councils Teo Ho Pin, who leads the PAP Lift Taskforce to spearhead the programme, said the LEP is being implemented on schedule.

Work is in progress for around 700 lifts, added Dr Teo.

He said the enhanced lifts will have eight safety features to further enhance their safety and reliability.

The eight features to be installed are:

• ascending car over speed protection, which monitors and reduces lift speed;
• unintended car movement protection, which guards against failure of lift components;
• slacken governor rope electrical safety device, which initiates a stop when necessary;
• car apron, which reduces the risk of people at the lift landing falling into the lift shaft;
• light curtains, which function as a door protective device;
• electrical safety interlocking for multiple-panel doors, which ensures lifts will remain in place when doors are open;
• automatic rescue device, which brings a lift to the nearest landing and opens the doors if there is a power failure, and;
• emergency communications system.

Started in 2018, the LEP is for lifts that are less than 18 years old and will ensure compliance with the Building and Construction Authority's standards.

Older lifts that do not qualify for the scheme may be replaced under a different scheme.