Singapore to replace tactile crossing tiles islandwide after fatal fall sparks renewed public safety concerns
The Land Transport Authority will replace tactile paving at pedestrian crossings across Singapore by 2030 with more slip-resistant and durable tiles after the death of a healthcare worker who fell on wet tactile paving. The authority said the existing tiles remain compliant with international safety standards.
- LTA will replace tactile paving islandwide with improved slip-resistant tiles by 2030.
- The authority said the tiles at the fatal accident site were undamaged and met international safety standards.
- The incident has intensified public calls for earlier preventive action and safer pedestrian infrastructure.
SINGAPORE: The Land Transport Authority (LTA) will progressively replace tactile paving at pedestrian crossings across Singapore with new tiles offering greater durability and improved resistance to skidding and slipping, following renewed public scrutiny after a woman died weeks after falling on wet tactile paving.
The authority said on 16 July 2026 that the nationwide upgrading programme would be carried out in phases over the next four years and is expected to be completed by 2030.
The announcement comes after the death of Venecia Ng, 40, a manager at Thomson Medical Centre and former Singapore Airlines cabin crew member, whose accident sparked widespread discussion about the safety of tactile paving during wet weather.
Islandwide replacement programme
Responding to media queries, LTA said tactile paving has been installed at pedestrian crossings since 2010 to guide visually impaired pedestrians.
The authority added that the tactile tiles at the Thomson Road crossing where Ng fell had been installed in June 2025.
According to Lianhe Zaobao, LTA inspected the tiles following the incident and found that they were undamaged.
"LTA has inspected the tiles at the location, and they are unimpaired," the authority said.
It also stressed that the tactile paving complies with international skid-resistance standards, including requirements for use in wet conditions.
LTA said the replacement programme had already begun, with upgraded tactile tiles installed at locations including Woodlands Road, Hougang Avenue 2, Serangoon Road, New Bridge Road, Victoria Street and Bukit Batok East Avenue 6.
Fatal accident reignites safety concerns
Ng slipped on the yellow tactile paving on 22 June while crossing Thomson Road after lunch with colleagues.
The ground was wet following rainfall.
She fractured her left ankle and was assisted back to Thomson Medical Centre by colleagues before being diagnosed with the injury.
She was discharged after spending a night in hospital to allow swelling to subside before being readmitted on 29 June.
She underwent surgery in the early hours of 30 June.
According to family members, she initially recovered well and was due to be discharged on 1 July.
However, she chose to remain in hospital for an additional day because she continued experiencing pain.
At about 1am on 2 July, she suffered cardiac arrest after complaining of breathlessness.
Medical staff performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation for about two hours and brought in an Extra-Corporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) machine from another hospital.
She remained in a coma and was later transferred to Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital.
Doctors found that one lung was almost completely blocked by blood clots, while approximately one-third of the other lung was also affected.
Despite treatment, her condition deteriorated after complications including internal bleeding.
According to Zaobao, her family decided to withdraw life support on 9 July after doctors advised that her brain was no longer responsive and her chances of recovery were extremely low.
The cause of death indentified in her death certificate was multi-organ failure following pulmonary thromboembolism.
Career change remembered
Ng had served as a Singapore Airlines cabin crew member for more than a decade before leaving aviation during the Covid-19 pandemic to pursue a career in healthcare.
According to her LinkedIn profile, she joined Thomson Medical Centre in September 2024 as a manager in its Business Office.
Friends and former colleagues remembered her as warm, cheerful and generous.
In an Instagram tribute posted on 9 July, former cabin crew colleague Magdalene Tay wrote that she missed her friend "so much".
She described the accident as "a fall that could happen to anyone of us".
Tay said Ng had appeared to be recovering well after surgery and had even joked that while others got tattoos, she had received "new body parts".
She added that Ng later complained of breathlessness before collapsing, and that a CT scan revealed blood clots in her lungs.
During Ng's wake, Tay described the farewell as "heart-wrenching", saying many people attended to honour someone whose kindness had touched countless lives.
Earlier improvements and new design
LTA said it had already introduced a revised tactile paving layout in April 2024 after consulting organisations including the Singapore Association of the Visually Handicapped and Guide Dogs Singapore.
The revised design introduced a 300mm gap between tactile tiles to reduce the likelihood of slipping in wet weather while continuing to provide sufficient guidance for visually impaired pedestrians.
The authority also disclosed in 2024 that it had begun studying alternative tactile tile materials with better durability and improved skid resistance.
The newly announced replacement programme will expand those efforts across the island.
Public reaction focuses on prevention
LTA's announcement generated extensive online discussion, with many members of the public welcoming the replacement programme while questioning why improvements were not introduced sooner.
Several netizens commenting in The Straits Times' Facebook page said they had personally slipped or nearly fallen on tactile paving during rainy weather, describing the issue as longstanding rather than isolated.
Others argued that authorities should have acted proactively through earlier reviews, audits and preventive maintenance instead of responding after a fatal incident.
Some also called for broader reviews of slippery pedestrian infrastructure, including polished pavement tiles, road markings and stair edging, while others questioned whether alternative guidance systems could better serve visually impaired pedestrians without creating additional hazards.
Some online commenters questioned whether Ng's fatal complications could have been prevented following ankle surgery.
