SINGAPORE — A nationwide move to replace Singapore’s familiar yellow tactile tiles is drawing fresh attention to a safety concern that residents say extends beyond pedestrian crossings and into HDB estates.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has begun a four-year programme to progressively replace tactile pavement tiles at signalised pedestrian crossings across Singapore. The new tiles are designed to be more durable and more resistant to skidding and slipping, with the programme expected to be completed by 2030. High-footfall locations such as town centres and transport nodes are being prioritised.

But the upgrade has triggered a bigger question: what happens to similar tactile tiles inside HDB estates?

Residents interviewed by CNA said they have experienced slips, falls and difficulties navigating tactile paving in their neighbourhoods, particularly after rain. Unlike tactile tiles at crossings under LTA’s responsibility, common areas within HDB estates are maintained by the respective town councils.

A safety feature that residents say can become a hazard

Tactile tiles are not decorative flooring. The raised bumps and bars are intended to help blind and visually impaired pedestrians navigate public spaces, identify changes in direction and approach potentially hazardous areas more safely.

HDB said tactile tiles are required under the Building and Construction Authority’s accessibility code and are commonly installed at HDB drop-off points, pedestrian crossings across driveways, and near staircases.

BCA’s accessibility requirements also call for tactile tiles to be slip-resistant, including in wet conditions.

That creates a difficult balancing act: infrastructure designed to improve accessibility must also remain safe for pedestrians who may have mobility difficulties.

One resident fell twice

CNA reported the experience of a 54-year-old Sengkang resident, identified only as Madam Sim, who said she fell on tactile tiles near her HDB block on two separate occasions.

Her first fall happened in June 2022 on a sloping pavement after rain. She was badly bruised after grabbing a railing and landing on her thigh.

About two years later, she fell again at a sheltered drop-off point after rainfall. Despite wearing rubber-soled shoes, she slipped, landed on her hip and tailbone and hit the back of her head. She subsequently experienced numbness and was taken to Tan Tock Seng Hospital. X-rays did not show fractures, and she recovered after about two weeks.

After the second incident, she raised the matter through her Sengkang GRC MP Louis Chua and was subsequently informed that an anti-slip treatment had been applied to the tiles.

But she questioned how long such treatment would remain effective.

The concern is not simply about one resident’s experience. Other residents interviewed by CNA described similar difficulties with tactile paving, especially when the ground is wet.

Wheelchairs and shopping trolleys face another problem

In Chinatown, 69-year-old resident Loh Siew Zhu told CNA that the raised bumps sometimes catch the wheels of her shopping trolley.

Another resident said she had seen elderly wheelchair users struggle to move across the tiles.

Residents in Bedok also said they sometimes avoid tactile tiles because of their uneven surface.

These concerns highlight an often-overlooked part of the debate: a surface designed to assist one group of pedestrians can create a different challenge for people using wheelchairs, walking aids or wheeled trolleys if its design or condition is not properly managed.

The LTA’s replacement plan was already in the works

The decision to replace tactile tiles at pedestrian crossings did not come out of nowhere.

LTA said tactile paving has been used at pedestrian crossings since 2010 to guide visually impaired pedestrians. In August 2024, the authority said it had begun implementing an improved layout from April that year, developed in collaboration with social service agencies including the Singapore Association of the Visually Handicapped and the Guide Dogs Association.

That layout introduced a 300mm gap between tactile tiles, intended to reduce the risk of slips during wet weather while preserving sufficient guidance for visually impaired pedestrians.

The latest programme goes further, with LTA progressively installing new tactile tiles offering improved durability and skid resistance across the island. The Straits Times reported that replacement works will take place in stages and are targeted for completion by 2030.

The Thomson Road fall that reignited the debate

The latest scrutiny intensified after 40-year-old Venecia Ng slipped on wet tactile paving at a Thomson Road pedestrian crossing on June 22, 2026.

Ng fractured her ankle in the fall and underwent surgery. She later died after suffering complications. Reports from multiple outlets said her death was linked to pulmonary thromboembolism and multi-organ failure following the incident, rather than simply stating that the fall itself was the direct cause of death.

LTA subsequently said the tactile tiles at the location were installed in June 2025 and were inspected after the incident. The authority said they were unimpaired and complied with international skid-resistance standards, including for wet conditions.

That distinction matters.

Singapore’s authorities are not saying the existing tiles are universally unsafe. Rather, LTA is replacing them with newer materials that offer improved durability and resistance to slipping, while maintaining the accessibility function of tactile paving.

The HDB question remains open

This is where the issue becomes more complicated.

LTA’s replacement programme covers pedestrian crossings under its jurisdiction. HDB estate common areas fall under the maintenance responsibility of town councils.

HDB told CNA that it continues to study and adopt applicable best practices and improvements in line with prevailing regulations and industry standards.

The agency also said it had not received adverse feedback about tactile tiles at commercial complexes under its management. Meanwhile, CNA contacted town councils to ask whether they planned to review or replace tactile tiles, whether they had received reports of slips and falls, and what measures they had in place to balance accessibility and pedestrian safety.

That means the islandwide LTA replacement should not be interpreted as an announcement that every yellow tactile tile in every HDB estate will automatically be replaced.

For residents, however, the distinction may matter less when the pavement outside their block becomes slippery after rain.

The bigger issue: accessibility versus safety

Singapore’s tactile paving debate is ultimately about two objectives that should not have to compete: accessibility and pedestrian safety.

Blind and visually impaired pedestrians rely on tactile cues to navigate their surroundings. At the same time, older residents, wheelchair users, people using walking aids and pedestrians pushing trolleys need surfaces that are stable, predictable and safe to cross.

The LTA’s new tiles represent one attempt to address that balance at signalised crossings.

But residents’ concerns suggest the conversation may now have to move beyond roads and junctions.

If similar problems exist within HDB estates, the next question is whether town councils should conduct their own systematic reviews of tactile paving—particularly at sloped walkways, sheltered drop-off points and other locations where rainwater can make surfaces more challenging.

For residents like Madam Sim, the issue is already personal. After falling twice, she said she now avoids the tiles whenever possible and is especially cautious when it rains.

And that leaves Singapore with a question that may prove harder to ignore:

If tactile paving is supposed to make public spaces safer and more accessible, should residents ever have to choose between following the path designed for accessibility and avoiding a potential fall?