SINGAPORE: Road safety and penalties for reckless driving will be in focus at the next parliament sitting on Tuesday (May 7), with more than 10 questions filed on the matter.
The move to require all employers to have a process for workers to request for flexible work arrangements will also be discussed, ahead of tripartite guidelines coming into effect this December.
The parliamentary questions on road safety follow public concern in light of several recent multi-vehicle accidents, including the one in Tampines that killed two people.
A 17-year-old Temasek Junior College student and a 57-year-old pest control company employee died in the accident at the junction of Tampines Avenue 1 and Avenue 4 on Apr 22.
A 42-year-old Saab driver was charged with four offences related to the incident. Muhammad Syafie Ismail faces one count each of dangerous driving causing death, dangerous driving causing hurt, dangerous driving, and failing to stop after an accident. All fall under the Road Traffic Act.
Mr Saktiandi Supaat (PAP-Bishan-Toa-Payoh) asked how the Land Transport Authority (LTA) can deter the occurrence of similar accidents in high-traffic areas and how accident risks can be minimised in future through road design and traffic management.
He also asked how many fatal accidents have occurred due to reckless driving and speeding over the past five years and whether there is a need to review existing penalties under the Road Traffic Act.
Mr Saktiandi, who is also chairman of the Government Parliamentary Committee that oversees transport, also wanted to know if the Ministry of Home Affairs and LTA will consider stricter enforcement measures or legislative changes to ensure greater accountability and discourage dangerous driving.
Mr Desmond Choo (PAP-Tampines) asked if there is a need to raise the relevant penalties under the Road Traffic Act in view of the recent spate of fatal road traffic accidents.
On road safety education, Ms Joan Pereira (PAP-Tanjong Pagar) asked if the government will consider requiring all drivers to attend periodic refresher courses while Mr Patrick Tay (PAP-Pioneer) wanted to know what measures are being taken to improve road safety education for both new and experienced drivers.
In a question for written answer, Ms He Ting Ru (WP-Sengkang) asked about the number of times that enforcement action was taken in the last five years against drivers who do not slow down sufficiently when approaching a pedestrian crossing.
FLEXIBLE WORK ARRANGEMENTS
Members of Parliament also wanted to know if companies and workers would be receiving support following the launch of guidelines requiring all employers to have a process in place for workers to formally request for flexible work arrangements.
The new tripartite guidelines, which take effect from December, state that employers should communicate their decision within two months of a request for flexible work arrangements.
While employers have the right to reject such requests, the decision should be backed up by reasonable business grounds such as cost or productivity considerations. The guidelines also set out what are deemed unreasonable grounds for rejecting requests.
Mr Edward Chia (PAP-Holland-Bukit Timah) asked if initiatives are being planned to support small- and medium-sized enterprises in offering this arrangement to their employees.
He also asked the Minister for Manpower what additional measures are being considered to support Singaporean workers from potential job displacement, if their employers offer both flexible work arrangements and remote work. This question was asked in view of the increasing trend of companies hiring workers located overseas.
Ms Cheryl Chan (PAP-East Coast) asked about the likely impact this move would have on senior professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs) aged 45 and above.
She also wanted to know which sectors may be more affected by the implementation of the guidelines, as well as the positive impact the adoption of the guidelines will have on the Singapore economy.
Other questions raised include queries on embattled cord blood bank Cordlife, youth vaping, the data security breach of Mobile Guardian as well as whether there are any plans to implement additional measures for schools in light of the recent high temperatures and UV index.
Two Bills are also scheduled for second reading. The Cybersecurity (Amendment) Bill and the Transport Sector (Critical Firms) Bill.
