Proposal for Lifts that Can Accommodate Baby Prams, Wheelchairs and Personal Mobility Aids in Some Public Buildings

15 Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked the Minister for National Development whether the Government will consider mandating shopping malls and other public buildings to plan for and set aside lift cars that are purpose-built to accommodate more users of baby prams, wheelchairs and personal mobility aids to make these places more friendly for families.

The Second Minister for National Development (Ms Indranee Rajah): Mr Speaker, Sir, the Building and Construction Authority's (BCA's) Code on Accessibility in the Built Environment specifies that, where lifts are provided in a building, at least one lift must be made accessible for wheelchair users. These lifts are required to have sufficient manoeuvring space for wheelchairs and accessible features, such as conveniently placed lift buttons, mirrors and grab bars that would benefit other lift users including those using personal mobility aids and prams.

BCA encourages building owners and developers to tailor their accessible facilities to the profile of their users and go beyond baseline code standards, where needed, especially for places with high public footfall. This could involve providing more accessible lifts or implementing priority access arrangements that improve the lift user experience.

Creating an inclusive society extends beyond the provision of accessible facilities and features. BCA partners with the Singapore Kindness Movement to promote gracious use of accessible facilities including initiatives to encourage the public to prioritise lift access for those with greater needs.

Mr Speaker: Mr Saktiandi Supaat.

Mr Saktiandi Supaat (Bishan-Toa Payoh): Mr Speaker, I would like to thank the Minister for her answer. I just have one supplementary question. In regard to the Code of standards for the lifts that have been indicated in the BCA standards, does it include safety standards for personal mobility aid (PMA) and personal mobility devices (PMDs)? And also, have the size changes that possibly evolved over time?

Ms Indranee Rajah: Sir, I thank the Member for his supplementary question. The current Code which is in effect would be the latest 2019 version.

It provides that where lifts are provided in a building, at least one accessible lift must be provided and it must serve all levels intended for access by persons with disabilities, has a minimum size of lift of 1,200 millimetres by 1,400 millimetres in depth, minimum lift opening of 900 millimetres and a control panel at a suitable height. The lift car of a wheelchair-accessible passenger lift must also have a side control panel to facilitate ease of access and use by wheelchair users. So, as I mentioned earlier, the current Code requirements would be large enough to benefit those using personal mobility aids (PMAs) and prams.

That said, I have one qualification. There are PMAs and there are PMAs, and we have seen some very large PMAs that are actually more like small cars rather than what you would expect of a personal mobility device. So, it may not be possible to accommodate very large PMAs in lifts, depending on the building size and configuration.

As the Code is currently under review, what we will do is to take this feedback on board and, if others have suggestions or thoughts on lifts, lift access, convenience of use of lifts, please do provide this feedback to BCA. As I said, the review of the Code is underway and a draft of the revised Code is targeted to be released for public consultation by the end of this year. So, best to get the suggestions in early.