SINGAPORE - Lift vandalism cases in Housing Board estates under the 15 People's Action Party (PAP) town councils have dropped by almost four times as more lift surveillance systems are installed in HDB blocks.
The 15 town councils said in a joint statement on Wednesday (Nov 13) that the number of vandalism cases fell from 342 cases in 2017 to 90 cases over the last 12 months, according to statistics by Surbana Jurong, a consultancy firm that provides real-time monitoring of lift operations to town councils.
Since a PAP Lift Taskforce was formed in 2016, due to a spate of lift accidents and breakdowns that year, several initiatives have been implemented to minimise the downtime of lifts and improve lift efficiency.
These measures are the installation of lift surveillance systems for all HDB blocks, collaboration with the HDB to curb the misuse of lifts by errant renovation contractors for new HDB developments, and the Lift Enhancement Programme, which helps town councils modernise existing HDB lifts.
Of the 23,000 HDB lifts under the PAP town councils, 97 per cent are now equipped with lift surveillance systems, and these systems will be installed in the remaining lifts by February next year.
The Workers' Party-run Aljunied-Hougang Town Council (AHTC) told The Straits Times that 97.5 per cent of its 1,800 lifts are now equipped with the surveillance systems.
"The remaining lifts will undergo, or are currently undergoing, various lift replacement exercises first. The town council will arrange the installation of the lift surveillance system in these lifts thereafter," AHTC said.
Causes of lift breakdowns include vandalism, misuse such as jamming lift doors to force them to stay open, damaged lift buttons, and movers and contractors damaging lift doors and ceilings.
The lift surveillance systems have deterred such behaviour and helped town councils to nab culprits, Dr Teo Ho Pin, coordinating chairman of the PAP town councils, said in their joint statement.
"The town councils will also continue to educate residents by putting up educational posters to raise awareness on the proper usage of lifts," he said.
Dr Teo had announced in January that the lift surveillance systems, which give round-the-clock information on lift breakdowns, would be implemented.
That month, the PAP town councils said in a statement that more than 17,000 lifts managed by them will be modernised with better safety features over the next 10 years.
Around 1,500 lifts within the Workers' Party-run Aljunied-Hougang Town Council (AHTC) would also be upgraded over the next 10 years, an AHTC spokesman said in a separate statement that month.
These lifts will be upgraded with modern safety features under the $450 million Lift Enhancement Programme funded by the HDB.
The HDB announced the programme in 2016 to support town councils in equipping lifts with recommended components by the Building and Construction Authority.
Correction note: This article has been edited with the correct name of the consultancy firm, Surbana Jurong, following a clarification from the company.
