LTA Launches
Public Education Programme For Lorry Crane Owners And
Drivers
1. LTA has developed a series of public education materials to be
distributed to all lorry crane owners to remind them of the
importance of keeping to the height limits on our roads.
2. Currently, most road structures have a posted height limit of
4.5 metres for vehicles passing through. From 2000 to 2006, there
were 111 cases of vehicles hitting road structures, such as
pedestrian overhead bridges, gantries and covered walkways.
3. When vehicles hit road structures, apart from causing damage to
public road facilities and incurring repair costs, it also
endangers the lives of the drivers and sometimes even pedestrians.
In March this year, when a crane hit the bottom of the Toa Payoh
North Flyover, it resulted in falling debris and the entire
Braddell Road to be closed for close to five hours.
4. Among these reported cases, 68 per cent of them were due to
drivers who forgot to retract the cranes fitted on their lorries
before driving off.
5. From October onwards, all registered lorry crane vehicle owners
will receive an information package from LTA which contains an
information brochure and reminder stickers to reiterate the
importance of retracting their cranes properly. The information
package will also contain useful tips on what drivers should do
before making their journey.
6. Apart from sending out the information package, LTA's
enforcement officers plying the roads will stop drivers who did not
retract their cranes completely and pass them a set of the
information so as to remind them of the importance of retracting
the cranes properly.
7. LTA is also working with Pan Country Driving Centre, the only
centre that conducts training for Class 4 & 5 drivers, to show
all trainees a video on the responsibilities of heavy vehicle
drivers, before they get their licences. The specially produced
video stresses the importance of route planning, checking for
height limits before moving off, and consequences of hitting road
structures.
8. "With this concerted effort to educate drivers, we hope to get
owners and drivers more aware of the consequences of their vehicles
hitting the road structures, hence keeping the number of such
incidents to a minimum," said Mr Chua Chen Kok, Deputy Director,
Road Customers Relations.