About 20,000 lifts in public housing estates will be eligible for the new Lift Enhancement Programme (LEP).
In a blog post, Minister for National Development Mr Lawrence Wong announced that the programme will to help fund the costs of modernising older lifts in public housing estates.
The move comes after the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) recommended that lift owners update the older lifts with several features that are found in newer lift models. The enhancements such as, lift door sensors to detect any movements before the lift door closes and protective devices to prevent the over-speeding of lift cars, aims to improve the reliability and performance of the lifts.
The LEP, which cost around $450 million, will be rolled out over 10 years. And given the high costs of the enhancements, the Housing and Development Board (HDB) will fund about 90 per cent of Town Councils’ (TCs) costs to install the recommended features.
Mr Wong also stated that the National Development ministry will be asking Town Councils to prepare and submit their financial projections for their Sinking Funds over the next 10 to 30 years. These projections will help the ministry to assess the appropriate contribution to the TC Sinking Funds and Lift Replacement Funds.
“All TCs must take a long-term view and start planning now for asset and lift replacements in their estates. This is the basis of Singapore’s success. We do not leave things to chance. But we look over the horizon, plan, and prepare for the future. This is the way to ensure a good and safe HDB living environment for all Singaporeans,” said Mr Wong.
Read the full post by Minister Lawrence Wong here.
Photo Credit: MP Alex Yam Facebook
