No perfect answer to Marine Parade roundabout issues
Installing railings will make pavement too narrow; LTA has already implemented other safety measures
A fatal accident at a roundabout in Marine Parade has renewed calls by residents to make the junction safer.
But road safety experts and Mountbatten SMC MP Lim Biow Chuan told The New Paper yesterday that there was no perfect solution.
They emphasised the need for motorists to slow down and follow traffic rules to prevent such accidents from occurring.
An 82-year-old woman died in hospital from injuries sustained in Monday's accident after she was struck by a car while walking on the pavement along the roundabout.
Mr Lim told TNP that he will speak to the Land Transport Authority (LTA) to see what improvements are feasible.
He said: "I feel very sorry that someone passed away as a result of a road accident. I can understand why the residents feel sensitive.
"But I am not sure that you can have a full solution because if a driver is reckless, if he drives at a fast speed, makes sharp turns, then he will mount any kind of kerb. Even if you have a railing, he will crash into it."
Noting that such railings may not be effective safety barriers, Mr Lim added: "I really don't know what else we can do. Because really the solution to me seems to be putting up bollards everywhere to prevent a similar incident, but, realistically, is that doable?"
The roundabout leads to Marine Parade Road, Amber Road and the entrance of Silversea condominium. Other condominiums surround it, including The Cape and The Seaview.
Mr Lim said residents had requested for railings and a widening of the footpath during a 2017 dialogue on making the roads there safer.
LTA acted on the feedback and widened a 70m stretch of pavement from 1.5m to 1.8m wide, but told Mr Lim that railings, which need to be anchored, would eat into the path, making it even narrower.
In response to media queries, LTA said last night it had implemented other safety measures, such as painting the kerb black and white to make it more visible and reminding motorists to give way and watch out for oncoming traffic with signs before and upon entering the roundabout.
Lane-merging on Marine Parade Road, which has three lanes, before the two-lane roundabout also helps reduce vehicle speeds, LTA said.
LTA's spokesman added that the area is not under its Black Spot programme, which tracks accident-prone locations that see more than 12 accidents in three years. As of last October, there were 37 "black spots".
Singapore Safety Driving Centre training manager Gerard Pereira agreed that installing railings or barriers would make the pavement too narrow.
Mr Pereira said: "The only thing is to put up signage informing drivers to slow down, or the authorities can put a slower speed limit there."
Singapore Road Safety Council chairman Bernard Tay said as there are few roundabouts here, drivers may not be getting enough practice.
"They have to know how to drive and be very careful. It is not like the normal roads that you drive on every day," he said.
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