Smoke-free zone in Orchard Road to be postponed to end 2018: NEA

(A designated smoking area in Cuppage Terrace. PHOTO: Gabriel Choo/Yahoo News Singapore)
(A designated smoking area in Cuppage Terrace. PHOTO: Gabriel Choo/Yahoo News Singapore)

The implementation of the No Smoking Zone in Orchard Road will be delayed by about six months to the end of 2018 to give businesses more time to set up Designated Smoking Areas (DSA), the National Environment Agency (NEA) said on Wednesday.

The No Smoking Zone was originally slated to take effect from 1 July 2018, the NEA announced in June last year. Following the previous announcement, the NEA engaged with the stakeholders in the Orchard Road area about the deadline.

Work is under way to set up the DSAs and about 40 of them are in place including at a number of shopping centres, hotels and behind Somerset MRT station.

“Nonetheless, as some businesses have given feedback that they need more time to make the necessary preparations, NEA has decided to extend the implementation date by about six months to the end of 2018,” the NEA said.

With the change, food and beverage establishments with smoking corners within the No Smoking Zone will be given an extension of about six months to remove them.

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