LTA to Extend Traffic Marshals to All Other
Expressways
1. Following the introduction
of its Traffic Marshals to better manage incident operation on the
Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway (KPE), Central Expressway (CTE) and
Fort Canning Tunnel (FCT), the Land Transport Authority (LTA) will
extend this operation to all other expressways from 1 July
2008.
2. The LTA Traffic Marshals
were first introduced to the scene on 25 October 2007 with the
opening of the KPE. It is an initiative aimed at keeping
expressways in Singapore smooth-flowing even in the event of
incidents.
3. The LTA Traffic Marshals
will expedite the process to clear incidents that hold up traffic
on expressways by working together with the existing Expressway
Monitoring Advisory System (EMAS) and Vehicle Recovery Service
(VRS) to bring traffic flow back to normal as fast as
possible.
4. While VRS provides towing
services and removes obstructions on roads, the LTA Traffic
Marshals are Auxiliary Police Officers who are empowered to perform
traffic control and on-scene management duties such as evidence
preservation for accidents not involving serious injuries or
fatalities.
5. Under this operation,
cameras, strategically located on all expressways, assist the
operations staff at the Intelligent Transport Systems Centre to
detect incidents and congestion as soon as they occur. Once an
incident is verified, the LTA Traffic Marshals, together with the
VRS, arrive within 8 to 15 minutes of activation to attend to
incidents on the expressways.
6. The operation will be
extended to KPE Phase 2 when it opens to traffic on 20 September
2008 (Saturday).
7. The initiative is part of
LTA's continual efforts to optimise the road network and ensure
smooth traffic flow. LTA will continue to work with the Traffic
Police to manage incidents that affect the traffic.