Monday January 22, 8:17
PM
SCDF will enhance
capability to combat "terror" vehicles
The Singapore Civil Defence Force will be enhancing its system to
prevent vehicles transporting hazardous materials (hazmat) to be
used as terrorist weapons.
Speaking in Parliament on Monday, Senior Minister of State for Home
Affairs Ho Peng Kee says the movement and location of such vehicles
can currently be tracked effectively by the SCDF.
Strict measures have also been put in place to regulate the
transportation of hazmat vehicles in Singapore.
However, the current system cannot immobilise these vehicles and
prevent potential terrorists from driving them into a target.
Mr Ho says: "Currently, whilst the tracking system can detect an
errant hazmat vehicle, it cannot immobilise the vehicle to prevent
a determined terrorist from driving it into a target.
"Hence we now have plans to roll out the progressive installation
of immobilisers on these hazmat vehicles to enable SCDF to remotely
activate them to stop the vehicles by shutting down the engine
safely. We will implement this plan over a one-year period,
starting from April this year." - CNA/ch