Fewer motorists were caught speeding on Singapore's roads in the last two years, due to greater enforcement and police presence on the roads.

But there will be no let up, as Traffic Police will continue to rein in on dangerous drivers and speedsters, said Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng.

In his written reply to a question raised by MP for Pasir Panjang, Dr Teo Ho Pin, in Parliament on Monday, Mr Wong gave figures on the traffic summonses for the past five years.

Last year, the number of summonses issued for speeding fell 13 per cent to 45,130, compared to the 51,800 issued in 2005. This is a significant drop against the 48,930 summons issued in 2003 and the 82,140 in 2005.

The increase is attributed to the introduction of the portable Police Speed Laser Cameras (PSLC), which enabled more flexibil and active enforcement by Traffic Police.

Greater police presence on the roads since 2005 contributed to the fall in traffic summonses, said Mr Wong.

The public, he added, was also more aware of the deployment of police speed laser cameras.

Under the Driver Improvement Points System, a driver who accumulates more than 24 demerit points within 24 months is liable to be suspended.

In the last five years, the number of driving licences suspended annually has remained relatively stable, said Mr Wong.

It has been hovering between 400 to 540 a year, with 2005 registering a high of 587 suspensions of three to 12 months.

A licence may be suspended with immediate effect if a driver is charged for very serious traffic offences like causing death by dangerous driving or a rash and negligent act.

It can be revoked if the driver is certified to be medically unfit to drive by a doctor.

A new driver who accumulates 13 or more demerit points or fails to display the probation P plate twice within 12 months after obtaining the driving licence, also stands to have his licence revoked. If the licence is revoked, the person must wait a year before being allowed to take a driving test.

According to Mr Wong, there were 140 and 240 driving licences revoked in 2002 and 2003 respectively.

In 2004, the number grew by 32 per cent to 320 mainly because of new drivers. They were caught for not displaying the P plate twice or for chalking up 13 or more demerit points within the first year of obtaining their licences.

Police have since worked with driving schools to educate new drivers on traffic offences through their training packages, especially during the advance theory lessons. The number of driving licences revoked dropped to 170 in 2005, down by 48 per cent over the previous year.

Last year, it dropped to 90 compared to 170 licences in 2005, due to significantly fewer licences revoked for probationary drivers, said Mr Wong.

Added the minister: "Traffic police takes a strong enforcement stance against those who drive dangerously, including those who speed on our roads.

"They not only put their own lives at risk, but also the lives of other road users. Su spension and revocation of driving licences take such errant drivers off the road and help contribute to the safety of other road users."

The police and its private sector partners have also been organising many public education programmes.

Police launched the road safety outreach 2006 programme in conjunction with the Police Week Carnival in June last year as part of its on-going road safety public education efforts.

The launch of the programme kicked off a year-long series of road safety activities, including exhibitions and workshops, reaching out to all categories of road users to improve their awareness of the importance of road safety, including the dangers of speeding.