Lift Trials and Lift Upgrading Programme in Bedok and Sengkang South
Ministry of National DevelopmentSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns the status of lift pilot trials in Bedok and the timeline for the Lift Upgrading Programme (LUP) in Sengkang South as raised by Mr Gan Thiam Poh. Minister Lawrence Wong stated that while innovations like home lifts were successfully implemented in Bedok, 150 blocks—including 17 in Sengkang South—remain unfeasible due to cost or technical constraints. Although recent trials for new elevator technologies were found to be unfeasible, Minister Lawrence Wong noted that LUP has already reached the vast majority of the 5,300 original blocks. Residents with urgent medical or mobility needs in these remaining blocks may approach HDB for housing and financing assistance, which is provided on a case-by-case basis. HDB continues to evaluate each request to render help to those who require direct lift access for their daily needs.
Transcript
32 Mr Gan Thiam Poh asked the Minister for National Development what is the status of the feasibility study on lift pilot trials to provide lift access to blocks in Bedok.
33 Mr Gan Thiam Poh asked the Minister for National Development when will the Lift Upgrading Programme be carried out for the rest of the HDB flats in Sengkang South.
Mr Lawrence Wong: The Lift Upgrading Programme (LUP) was launched in 2001 to provide direct lift access to flats and enhance convenience for residents, especially the elderly and the less mobile. At the start of the programme, there were more than 5,300 HDB blocks without 100% lift access. Among them, more than 1,000 blocks were initially found to be unfeasible for LUP due to cost or technical constraints.
Over the years, HDB has adopted innovative technical solutions and conducted lift pilot trials to help flats in these affected blocks achieve direct lift access. Some examples of solutions that have been successfully implemented include lifts that do not have a machine room at the top of the shafts, that is, machine room-less lifts, creation of new entry points to residents' homes and the use of smaller "home lifts", such as those used in the Bedok blocks which the Member referred to.
More recently, HDB piloted new solutions like the Pneumatic Vacuum Elevator at Lorong 6 Toa Payoh and the Vertical Platform Lift at Petir Road, but both were found to be unfeasible.
Through the various innovative solutions, the vast majority of the 5,300 blocks have benefited from LUP. There now remains about 150 blocks where it is still not possible to implement LUP due to existing constraints or prohibitive costs. This includes 17 blocks in Sengkang South. Residents who are in urgent need of direct lift access due to medical conditions or disability may approach HDB for housing and financing assistance. HDB assesses each request on a case-by-case basis to see how best to render help.