by Team Bukit Timah
Multi-agency Effort to Improve School Traffic Safety in the Hillcrest Rd/Dunearn Rd area
(near RGPS and NJC)
Advisory Video on Traffic Safety
Latest Updates
New Zebra Crossing along Hillcrest Road
Background
School-related traffic in the Hillcrest Rd/Dunearn Rd area has always been heavy, as many parents drive their children to and from school.
Over the years, the Bukit Timah Citizens' Consultative Committee, Land Transport Authority and RGPS have worked together to manage the school traffic and promote safety and convenience for students, parents and residents. This includes changes to traffic schemes, the most recent development being the Part-Time One Way Traffic Scheme along Watten Rise on 30 March, 2020.
For a summary of the story so far and the measures taken, please click here
POST-CIRCUIT BREAKER
After the resumption of daily school attendance post-circuit breaker in end Jun 2020, school traffic volume has increased significantly, especially during school dismissal in the early afternoon.
This has been accompanied by longer queues of cars waiting to drop off/pick up students and increased congestion. Parents and residents alike have also reported more instances of dangerous practices such as disorderly parking/stopping, “airport-style pick-ups” along Hillcrest Road, and driving against the flow of traffic to overtake, or failing to conform to the time-based one-way restrictions along Hillcrest Rd and Watten Rise.
Examples of cars obstructing traffic while waiting along Hillcrest Road.
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Example of a student walking dangerously along the road in search of his parent's/guardian's vehicle.
Example of a collision as a result of the 1st car (in white) while overtaking the 2nd car (in black) in the opposite lane. The 2nd car was obstructing the traffic while waiting to pick up a RGPS student.
These practices were documented in an advisory video produced by the community on 24 Jul 2020.
Circulars were sent by the school to driving parents through their children. Volunteers were also recruited with help from RGPS PVG for a parent-community traffic taskforce.
HEIGHTENED ENFORCEMENT AND OTHER MEASURES
Despite the above measures, a near-accident occurred on Hillcrest Rd on 5 Aug 2020 where two students narrowly escaped being hit by a car. This is deeply worrying to both the community and the school.
The Bukit Timah CCC and RGPS have sought help from LTA and Traffic Police for heightened enforcement against traffic violations during school arrival and dismissal. As multiple attempts have already been made to reach out to drivers, there is a need to reinforce the message by strengthening enforcement.
1
Please exercise patience while waiting for cars ahead of you to clear out
2
Please adhere to the traffic signs placed along the area
3
Please abide by the instructions of the traffic/safety marshals in the area
4
Exercise caution and be alert at all times for pedestrians in the vicinity
HOW YOU CAN HELP
Effective as heightened enforcement might be, it would be difficult to sustain over the long term.
Bukit Timah CCC, RGPS and LTA are committed to work with stakeholders to consider and implement feasible solutions for safe and manageable school traffic.
Have a comment or suggestion? We would very much like to hear from you.