John Chen Seow Phun
Singapore
“Sir, Singapore has signed FTAs with a number of countries, including the developed nations, such as the US and Japan. These FTAs give us better access to these developed markets compared to other countries for goods that need the rules of origin.”
“Sir, I thank the Minister for asking the HDB to relook at the case I brought up, but I hope that he would not rule out providing the same loan amount to the family. I understand the need for credit assessment policy, and so on. But I think the policy should not be applied blindly.”
“It can also be stipulated that the grants can only be used to pay part of their mortgage loan monthly. I think this will go a long way in helping these families pay for their flats. I hope the Minister can look into this and see whether these families can be given such help.”
“My point is that the Minister should reconsider this case and exercise flexibility, so that the family will be helped. Otherwise, if the family was asked to sell their flat, it could be negative equity and the problem would come back to HDB. And HDB would be owed money and I do not think that is good for HDB as well.”
“We need to come up with a regular mechanism where older and lower income workers can benefit without the pitfalls of a crutch mentality. I think, in this regard, the Government has not spent enough time or thought to look into what other mechanisms that we can have.”
“On the other hand, at best, we get one Singapore pavilion with a dozen or so companies, and that is about it. If we are really serious with our globalisation effort, our Government agencies must put in more resources to encourage more companies to participate in such events.”
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Every one of 741 lines we hold for John Chen Seow Phun, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 4 of 15.
“The reason why we want to remove vehicles from the expressway is to ensure that motorists on the expressway would not be endangered by stationary vehicles. And how do we carry out this duty? We carry out this duty by appointing towing agents. The towing agents have to meet the requirement by getting to the scene within 10 to 15 minutes. So they cannot tow the vehicles too far away because then they may not be able to fulfil this requirement. Some motorists would want the tow operator to tow to their workshops, or other car parks and this would affect the operation of the towing operator. As such, the proposal stipulates that the tow operator would only need to tow to a place nearby. In fact, in practice, LTA would designate nearby HDB and URA car parks for these vehicles to be towed to. Sometimes, a motorist may make a request and say instead of this car park, why not tow to the next car park which is more convenient for him. In this regard, LTA can be flexible as long as the tow operator feels that it would not compromise on its stringent time requirement. So the word "near" is used for this purpose so that there is some flexibility on where the car park should be. Sir, Prof. Chin made a very good point on what if a motorist is not at the scene when the vehicle is towed away, and what could he do to find out what has happened to his vehicle. Yes, the Bill says that he will be given a notice. But Prof. Chin is right that the notice would only come one or two days later. What he can do is to call the EMAS hotline number at 3334111, as suggested by Prof. Chin. I am sure a lot of motorists could see this number when they drive along the expressway. LTA would publicise this number, and if a motorist finds that his vehicle is not there, this is the number to call.”
“Therefore, anything that he owes must be paid back, because it is due to the State. Currently, after a court case, the court fines him, he still owes LTA money, LTA will then have to go and recover the money by asking him to pay. If he does not pay, we go to the court, take a court order to seize his vehicle and then auction and sell it. So it is a long process. That is why there are some people who actually ignore this and they refuse to pay up the arrears even after the fine. So with this amendment, the court can, at the time when the fine is imposed, also order the motorist to pay up the arrears. Sir, Mr Chay's final point is about the enforcement of pollution or smoke emission. The enforcement is now carried out by ENV officers. So LTA no longer enforces this. I was told that ENV officers will take a different approach from the LTA. In the past, LTA officers actually patrolled and stopped vehicles and brought them for smoke testing. But I was told that ENV now would station their officers at strategic locations, use digital cameras to take pictures of vehicles emitting smoke from the rear, and then take enforcement action. Sir, I now come to Prof. Chin's questions. Firstly, he asked why did we need to have an additional section 123A if we already have section 123. Section 123 is currently administered by the Traffic Police. So LTA has to go through the Deputy Commissioner of Police for all the enforcement actions. Administratively, it is not a very efficient way. By creating section 123A, LTA would be able, on its own accord, to take enforcement action and deal direct with the motorists. He also asked about section 123A(2), ie, taking the vehicle to a parking place that is near to the expressway, why did we impose such a duty and what was the meaning of "near".”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I thank all the Members for their support of the Bill. First, let me answer the queries raised by the GPC Chairman. His first point is on why should we remove the 14-day grace period. He is right that the 14-day grace period was given a long, long time ago, at a time when possibly renewal notice was not sent, or it was sent and it would arrive at the recipient's home very near the date of expiry. But nowadays it is a different story. Because of greater efficiency, motorists would receive the renewal notice at least six weeks before the date of expiry. So there is really no good reason for them not to pay the road tax in time. Of course, there could be some reasons like if you are overseas for more than a month or so. If there are good reasons, LTA can consider waiving the penalty fee. But the more important point is that, if you look at the trend, currently, as I mentioned in my speech, 30% of vehicle owners only renew their road tax during the 14-day grace period. And we do not have record to show how many of them actually do not have insurance coverage because we only check insurance coverage at the point of renewal. Therefore, it would not be unreasonable to expect that many of them actually are driving their vehicles without insurance, and that is a very dangerous matter. Therefore, it is prudent to minimise this possibility by saying that they must renew their road tax before the date of expiry. That would enable LTA to check whether they have insurance coverage before the road tax is renewed. Sir, his second point is about road tax arrears. Road tax is payable for keeping or using a vehicle. If a person keeps a vehicle and refuses to pay the road tax after the road tax has expired, then he owes the Government money.”
“The new section 123A will empower LTA to compulsorily tow stationary vehicles found on expressways, regardless of whether the cause is a breakdown, abandonment or the commission of an offence. This will ensure that any obstruction or hazard on the expressway can be removed quickly. Clause 14 further makes it an offence for any unauthorised person to tow away any stationary vehicle from an expressway tunnel. This is to ensure safety for both the towing operator and the other motorists using the tunnel. Finally, Sir, clause 16 inserts a new section 131A to include additional modalities for serving prescribed documents. This will facilitate the serving of notices and summonses. It replaces sections 131(3) and (4) that are deleted by clause 15. Sir, this Bill contains several amendments, the primary objective being to keep the legislation relevant to support new developments in technology and improve procedures for better administration and more effective enforcement. Sir, I beg to move. Question proposed.”
“Sir, vehicle seizure powers under section 95 of the RTA can only be invoked when there is a person using the offending vehicle, or when there is reasonable belief that the vehicle is being used at the point of seizure. This hampers enforcement action when such vehicles are found parked or unattended on public roads. Some of these vehicles include de-registered or unregistered vehicles, foreign registered vehicles without requisite licences, eg, Vehicle Entry Permit, or with outstanding ERP notices, vehicles with false number plates and engine chassis discrepancy detected at Inspection Centres and authorised scrap yards. Clause 12 therefore amends section 95 to enable powers of seizure to be exercised even though the owner, driver or person in charge of the vehicle is not present. Clause 13 of the Bill repeals and re-enacts section 100 to relocate the classification and description of public service vehicles (PSVs) as the second schedule to the RTA, which is created by clause 19. The schedule may be amended from time to time by LTA by order published in the Gazette. With rapid developments in the motor vehicle industry, such classifications and descriptions are best set out in a schedule, which allows greater flexibility to make timely amendments as required. Clause 14 creates a new section 123A that will enable LTA to remove stationary vehicles from the expressways. Under section 123 of the RTA, powers to remove stationary vehicles and to collect towing charges presently reside only with the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP). Since 1998, as an interim measure, the DCP has authorised LTA to tow such vehicles under the Expressway Monitoring and Advisory System (EMAS).”
“The amendments in clause 6 also require special purpose licence vehicles to possess a valid policy of insurance during the period of licence in compliance with the requirements under the Motor Vehicles (Third-Party Risks and Compensation) Act (Cap. 189). Sir, motorists in arrears of road tax are liable to be charged in Court for keeping or using a vehicle without the requisite road tax vehicle licence. Under current provisions, the Court has powers to impose a fine for these offences, but is not empowered to make an order for the payment of road tax arrears. This results in many motorists delaying the payment of the arrears after settling their court fines. Clause 8 therefore creates a new section 29A to empower the court convicting any person charged with an offence under section 15 or 29 to order such person to pay any outstanding road tax. If the person defaults, the arrears can be recovered in the same manner as the recovery of fines. This new provision is in line with existing provisions in the Road Traffic Act, which allow the Court to order convicted motorists to pay up any arrears of Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) or Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP) charges. Clause 11 repeals section 72 as it deals with an offence already covered by the Environmental Pollution Control Act (Cap. 94A). The Ministry of the Environment (ENV) has taken over enforcement against vehicles emitting excessive smoke since June 1999. The offences for excessive smoke emission are now set out in the Environmental Pollution Control (Vehicular Emissions) Regulations 1999, which is administered by ENV.”
“Sir, on 30th May 2001, the Minister for Communications and Information Technology announced that the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and the Economic Development Board (EDB) were working on a scheme to encourage companies to conduct research and development in vehicle technologies here. Under this scheme, to be called the Transport Technology Innovation and Development Scheme (TIDES), new generation vehicles such as fuel-cell and hybrid vehicles can be brought into Singapore for test-bedding and research and development purposes. Since exemptions to Certificates of Entitlement and Additional Registration Fee will be granted to vehicles under this scheme, LTA and EDB will ensure that only vehicles used for test-bedding and research and development purposes will be granted such exemptions. This scheme is not meant to support commercial operations. It is hoped that Singapore, with its excellent IT and physical infrastructure, will be regarded by many Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) as an ideal location for test-bedding and development of Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS). To facilitate the implementation of this scheme, clause 6 of the Bill amends the Road Traffic Act (RTA) by inserting a new section 28A to permit car equipment manufacturers and R&D institutions to apply for special purpose licences for vehicles to be used for such purposes. Vehicles under this scheme must meet all prevailing vehicle safety and emission standards before they can be licensed. Inspection requirements are imposed before they can be used for testing on public roads. This will ensure that the vehicles meet Singapore's roadworthiness and safety standards.”
“Sir, vehicle owners are currently given a 14-day grace period to renew their vehicle's road tax licence from date of expiry. Although no late penalty fee is levied during this period, a vehicle with an expired licence is prohibited from being used or kept on any road. As the compulsory insurance requirement is checked only at the point of road tax renewal, it is difficult to tell whether vehicle owners who renew their road tax licence late actually have the requisite insurance coverage during the grace period. From records, an average of about 30% of the road tax renewals are effected during this grace period. To reduce the number of late renewals and the possibility that such vehicles may be driven without proper insurance coverage during the grace period, it is proposed to abolish the 14-day grace period. Such a move is in the interest of public safety. Clause 4 therefore allows for the imposition of a late penalty fee if the motorist fails to renew his road tax licence upon expiry. Clause 5 amends section 28 to empower the Registrar to issue general licences in respect of all vehicles instead of only motor vehicles, and to suspend and revoke a general licence in certain circumstances. Clause 5 also aligns the general licensing provisions with those under the proposed section 28A pertaining to special purpose licences. For Members' information, such general licences are currently issued only to manufacturers, repairers and dealers of motor vehicles. They are for temporary use on new and unlicensed vehicles when they are driven on the roads to be sent for servicing or repairs before they are registered or re-licensed.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time." Sir, the Bill seeks to amend the Road Traffic Act (RTA) for the following broad purposes: (a) To provide for the issuance of special purpose licences for vehicles used in research and development and the test-bedding of new transport technologies; (b) To revise outdated definitions and classifications, update and improve procedures to facilitate administration; and (c) To step up enforcement measures against errant motorists with arrears in road tax, facilitate enforcement action against unlicensed vehicles and to provide for compulsory towing of stationary vehicles on expressways. Sir, let me now highlight the key provisions in the Bill for the proposed amendments. Clause 2 amends section 11(4A) of the RTA to empower the Minister to impose conditions in the grant of vehicular tax rebates under the Act. The current provision enables the Minister to prescribe a rebate on all or any part of tax payable for vehicles in accordance with their class, category or description. However, there is currently no express power to impose conditions in the grant of such rebates. Clause 3 amends section 11A of the RTA to allow for the issue of supplementary licences for all motor vehicles and not just motorcars. This will enable the Vintage Vehicle Scheme to be administered under this section of the Act. Under this scheme, vintage vehicles, ie, those manufactured before 1940, are exempted from the payment of additional registration fee and COE, but they are restricted in usage to 28 days per calendar year. Owners are required to pay a fee for the supplementary licence when the vehicle is used on the road.”
“Sir, under the current arrangement, the different agencies enforce the regulations separately. First of all, if we are talking about land use, the land use approval must be given by URA. And if we are talking about building plans, then BCA will have to approve, and the normal procedure is to include fire safety and health requirements The Member suggests that we have one single agency to look into the problem of providing accommodation to foreign workers. I think we can look into the feasibility of his suggestion. Maybe we can form a ZIP team to look into this problem. TEACHER INTAKE (Quality and standard) 11. Mr Sin Boon Ann asked the Minister for Education whether efforts by his Ministry to increase the intake of teachers over a relatively short period of time have resulted in his Ministry compromising the quality and standard of teaching staff in schools.”
“Sir, I will take up with the Ministry of Manpower and see whether the suggestion can be adopted. Let me also say that at the moment, the Ministry of Manpower requires employers to provide proper accommodation to the workers. In fact, they have to furnish a $5,000 security bond. And if they fail to provide proper accommodation, the bond can be forfeited. As for his suggestion, I will ask the relevant Ministry to look into it.”
“Sir, it depends on the location of that piece of land. URA has to take land use and also the impact on the surroundings into consideration before planning approval can be given.”
“Sir, on average, we receive about 30 complaints on unauthorised workers' quarters each month. Currently, we have about 200 cases on hand. They have either been served with enforcement notice with grace period granted or they are under surveillance. In the last 15 months, we have charged 15 cases in court. Let me clarify that these are mostly cases that involve shophouses, residential apartments and even landed housing where they house these workers illegally.”
“Sir, the Police and the Fire Safety Bureau are investigating. So it is premature to say anything about this.”
“Mr Speaker Sir, temporary buildings intended for occupation, including workers' quarters, have to be erected in compliance with the various statutory safety and health requirements. Under the Building Control (Temporary Building) Regulations, such temporary buildings have to be designed by a professional engineer and constructed under his supervision to ensure structural safety. The Regulations also stipulate requirements on structural safety, room height, ventilation, staircase width and lightning protection for such buildings. In addition, the Fire Safety Bureau (FSB) under the Ministry of Home Affairs imposes requirements to ensure fire safety. The Ministry of the Environment also has requirements to ensure environmental health.”
“Sir, we have forwarded the feedback to the Ministry of Finance and I believe they are currently reviewing it. EXECUTIVES AND PROFESSIONALS (Assistance schemes for loss of jobs) 7. Mr Ahmad Mohd Magad asked the Minister for Manpower whether there are programmes and schemes in place to help executives and professionals who lose their jobs during the current economic downturn.”
“Sir, this is a related question. If I know the exact figure, I would have been able to give the percentage to the hon. Member. However, now that he has jogged my memory, PWD is doing a lot of Government work, eg, schools, even the Terminal 3 design and so on, but the huge projects, eg, MRT excavation, all these are not done by PWD. I will have to check whether I am right, but I believe it is actually more than 10%-20%, probably even close to 50%. We are talking only of PWD, not Government, because Mr Tay asked about Government projects. Government projects include many other things. If my memory serves me right, it is probably about 50%. In that case, PWD would handle about $500-$600 million, and the private sector handles the other 50%. Mr Goh Chong Chia: Mr Speaker, Sir, in view of the prolonged recession in the construction industry, would the Government consider reviewing the moratorium?”
“Sir, may I remind the hon. Member that PWD was formerly part of the Government and all the jobs were given to PWD. This moratorium is basically to ensure a smooth transition. PWD is now in the private sector and, therefore, it has to compete with the private sector for all the jobs, although there is a 5-year moratorium. Once the moratorium is over, they will have to compete on an equal footing. So, because it was only corporatised in 1999, I am sure, over time, the percentage and value will increase.”
“Sir, I do not have the figures with me, but let me just do a mental calculation. For $450 million, if you exclude the big projects, eg, reclamation and so on, I would say maybe in the region of 10%-20%. It is just a guess.”
“Sir, as I said, their livelihood is not threatened because they have an alternative arrangement. For instance, if they go to the Jurong Port, they probably have to pay a few hundred dollars a month in fees to enter. So I do not think it is a case where they would not be able to survive if they are asked to go to the proper place. As for the Indonesian vessels, they are here to land their fish. And let me inform the Member that every vessel that they land, it can fetch up to $14,000 of fish, and this is a lot of money. The incentive is good enough for them to land their fishing vessels in Singapore. AREAS AND WALKWAYS BORDERING ROADS (Cleanliness and maintenance) 10. Assoc. Prof. Chin Tet Yung asked the Minister for the Environment what steps have been taken to ensure that the areas and walkways bordering roads are properly cleaned and maintained, especially in the new towns such as Woodlands.”
“Sir, I guess there is a role for barter trade, but the important thing is that it must be conducted at the proper place. That is the reason. Should we convert the fishing port to do such a thing when we already have such facilities at Jurong Port and Pasir Panjang Multi-purpose Terminal? It does not make sense. It costs money to equip the port with proper CIQ, lifting facilities and so on and so forth. It is wise to make sure that they are channelled to the proper place.”
“Sir, it is not difficult to go to another port and to fill up the forms and to say that you want to load and unload your cargo. I do not think that is a difficult thing to do. Businessmen have been doing this all the time. So it is not true that AVA is coming down hard on the second-hand goods dealers. The fact of the matter is that there is a steep increase in the second-hand goods trading activities in recent years, and this cannot continue. Because if it continues, it will affect the fishing port operations. So they must be asked to go to a place where such activities can be properly carried out. Assoc. Prof. Toh See Kiat: Sir, I would like to ask the Minister of State whether this issue is the result of Indonesian fishermen wanting to fill their boats with second-hand goods after they have delivered fish, and the result of barter trade that they conducted in the past. If so, is it not unhygienic for food to be mixed with second-hand goods and, therefore, yet another reason for stopping this practice?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Member has not listened to my earlier reply. It is not that they will have to terminate their activities and have no place to go to. The Jurong Port and the Pasir Panjang Multi-purpose Terminal are not far away. Yes, they will have to pay higher charges, but it is not exorbitant. But to stay behind would cause difficulty to the fishing port, and therefore it is best that we regularise the activities and ask them to go to the port which is designed for such activities. Mr Low Thia Khiang: Sir, the question is that you suddenly decided to bar these second-hand goods traders from entry. AVA has not made any alternative arrangements either with Jurong Port or whatever port to show them that they have an alternative. Is that fair to the traders?”
“Sir, the decision not to allow this trade was made early this year, and a notice was given in February giving the traders three months' notice. But it is a known fact that the port is not designed to cater for general cargo.”
“Sir, we do not allow the import of these items and we will step up enforcement in this area. EMPLOYMENT OF EX-INMATES 9. Mr Zulkifli Bin Baharudin asked the Prime Minister how many ex-inmates have been employed in the civil service or statutory boards since the Government announced the easing of restrictions on the employment of such inmates.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) affects cloven-hoofed animals, such as cattle, pigs and sheep. It does not affect human beings and is therefore not a public health risk. It is also unrelated to Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD) that affects humans. Singapore is a FMD-free country. To maintain our FMD-free status, the Agri-food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) does not allow cloven-hoofed animals and their meat to be imported from FMD-affected places. Following the outbreak of FMD in some European countries, AVA has suspended imports from these countries. Similar restriction was also imposed on milk and milk products from affected countries. These measures are in line with international practices.”
“Sir, if I were a farmer, I will work on the basis of seven years from now. HOUSING AND DEVELOPMENT BOARD SHOP PREMISES (Rentals) 3. Mr Tay Beng Chuan asked the Minister for National Development (1) to what extent have the rentals of Housing and Development Board (HDB) shop premises let out by recent tenders gone down as a result of decreasing demand for or oversupply of these shop premises in both existing and new estates; and (2) whether HDB will consider a general downward rental adjustment of all HDB shop premises in response to the adverse market conditions.”
“Sir, it is still too early to say whether there will be other development needs come 2007. What we are prepared to say is that nearer 2007, if there is no urgent need for other developments and if the smell nuisance is controlled, then we can consider extending the lease on a short-term basis. Assoc. Prof. Low Seow Chay: Sir, investment in the farm is not a small sum of money that people talk about. We are talking about $7-$10 million of investment. If we are asking the farmers to invest now and yet, at the same time, we are not quite sure whether in six years' time their lease can be extended or not, I think it is very unfair for the farmers at this moment of time to comply with the regulations. Could the Minister of State respond?”
“Sir, ENV has got standards that would require the farms to comply with and one of these standards is to treat the smell. There are many technologies that they can use for waste treatment, but the concern is the smell that is generated from this treatment. One method, for instance, is to enclose the building and scrub the air that is discharged. ENV will help the farmers and explain to them what kind of standards ENV would require. The farmers will then have to assess whether the investment that they have to put in is viable economically. If they feel that it is not economically viable, the Government is prepared, on a goodwill basis, to ease their early exit by offering them an ex-gratia payment. But if they feel that they can still be competitive with this investment, they are welcome to do so. ENV and AVA can also help them to apply for assistance under the relevant Government schemes, for example, the PSB schemes for SMEs, to ease their implementation. Assoc. Prof. Low Seow Chay: Sir, if the farmers agree to invest in the facilities, as stated by the Minister of State, will the Government consider extending their lease because the current 20-year lease will expire in six years' time? If such a significant amount of funds is to be invested in the anti-pollution measures, I think it is only fair for the Government to extend the lease if they comply with the regulation. Could the Minister of State respond?”
“Sir, HDB imposes an income ceiling because HDB flats are heavily subsidised. It is a means to allow Singaporeans who cannot afford private housing to also become home owners. The household income ceiling of $8,000 per month for the purchase of new HDB flats is equivalent to the 88th household income percentile of Singaporeans. In other words, nine out of 10 Singaporean households are eligible to buy a subsidised flat from HDB. The top 10% of Singaporeans who can afford private housing and wish to live in public housing can buy resale HDB flats. In any case, if they start young, they probably would qualify for HDB flats because their salaries would be lower and, later on, they can upgrade. So, in practice, almost every Singaporean can buy a HDB flat if they know how. Also, the last review was in 1996, just before the crisis. And we have not even gone back to the pre-crisis level, in terms of property prices. Nevertheless, HDB reviews the income ceiling to purchase subsidised flats from time to time. At the moment, HDB has no plan to raise the income ceiling.”
“Sir, my response will be shorter than his. As my Minister mentioned earlier, he will ask HDB to review the eligibility criteria for studio apartments. The review would take into account the Member's suggestion to allow other categories of the elderly. Sir, on his second point, I would like to point out that the studio apartments are sold on a 30-year lease. HDB will give studio apartment residents who wish to move out before the end of the lease period a pro-rated refund of the purchase price. However, they cannot sell their studio apartments on the open market. This restriction is a necessary condition for the discounted land rate of studio apartment sites. If this restriction is removed, the HDB would have to pay a much higher land rate for the studio apartment sites, which will translate into more expensive studio apartments for the elderly. So, to answer Dr Wan, the elderly can return their flats to HDB and they will get a pro-rated refund and they can move to elsewhere if they like to.”
“Sir, my answer to her is that, in the next three to four years, NParks plans to complete some $40 million worth of park development and redevelopment projects. So those parks, like the Pasir Ris Park and East Coast Park, where there is congestion during peak periods, would be upgraded and special areas would be created for high activity uses.”
“Sir, there is no need to do that. As I said, there are already existing standards and the farmers can use those standards. AVA will look at them and will support those standards. 3.00 pm”
“Sir, AVA allows the use of any farming methods, as long as the produce is safe to eat. For those who are interested in organic farming, there are already available international standards to follow. If they find it economically viable to do so, they are welcome to do so.”
“Sir, the answer is that the farmers are allowed to do so, if they find it economically viable.”
“Sir, Mr Chiam is right that we want to promote the export of ornamental fish. In our agrotechnology park in Lim Chu Kang, we have set aside farms for such activity. The farms that he mentioned were being relocated from Tampines because the land there will be required for industrial development. The tenants have been informed about this long ago, and they are also compensated. On top of that, to enable them to continue with their business, AVA has made over-30 blocks of farmland in our agrotechnology park available to them for tender. Four of them have successfully tendered for such land and the rest did not participate in the tenders for reasons of their own. AVA will help those relocating to the agrotechnology park to complete the development of their new farms as soon as possible. AVA will also continue to provide them with technical support and training, to enable them to upgrade their farming operations to export higher value-added fish.”
“These flats are available only to low income families who have a greater need for housing than singles. Singles who wish to live in rental housing may sublet from HDB lessees, or pair up with another single to qualify for a HDB rental flat. Sir, I believe I have answered all the questions.”
“Having said that, let me remind the Member that HDB's responsibility is to provide a roof over the head for the elderly. What is important is that these elderly must also do active financial planning during their golden years because, if they do not, then they will have difficulties in later years. That is why the IMC also recommended other financial security programmes, like increasing the Special Account contribution and also introducing the Supplementary Retirement Scheme. Coupled with the housing options provided by the HDB, the ageing in place concept can be fulfilled in future years. Sir, I now turn to Mr Gerard Ee's question about singles. I would like to assure the House that the Government recognises the contribution of singles. However, there are two important considerations when we address the housing policies for singles. First, our pro-family social framework which is critical to our social stability and economic survival and, second, the need for optimal space allocation in land scarce Singapore. Based on these considerations, we have decided to allow singles aged 35 and above to buy 3-room resale flats in non-urban areas. This would give them a sufficiently large pool of flats throughout Singapore to choose from. So it is not clustering them into some areas. All in all, there are 160,000 HDB 3-room or smaller flats that are available for the singles under this scheme. Two singles aged 35 or above may also apply to buy a resale flat of any flat type in any location. To assist singles in their flat purchases, HDB provides each single, who is a first time flat buyer, a $11,000 CPF housing grant. On rental flats, HDB has a limited stock of such flats that are let out at subsidised rents.”
“Again, here, HDB flat owners will have to repair the spalling concrete in their flats on their own. In response to Mr Chiam's question about poor workmanship, as I explained, HDB buildings met prevailing building control standards and very likely, as the flats were built in 1984, I am sure, after so many years, deterioration will take place. He mentioned about the specific cases. I would ask HDB to take another look if it is really due to poor workmanship. 2.30 pm I now come to Dr Jennifer Lee's points. Last year, the Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) on the Ageing Population recommended a policy framework to deal with the challenges posed by a greying society. The IMC recommended that we should allow residents to age in place. So the ageing in place is a very important concept for the future housing needs of our elderly. Also, the IMC recommended other housing options for the elderly and ways to reinforce financial security in their retirement years. So, to prepare for this greying population, HDB will continue to incorporate elderly-friendly features in the design of new HDB flats and estates, and also in the upgrading of older ones. Dr Lee also mentioned about studio apartments that HDB has built. The studio apartment scheme will enable the elderly to sell their existing flats and move into smaller apartments to generate income for their retirement needs. HDB also grants the elderly who are in financial difficulty, priority allocation to its rental flats on a case-by-case basis. And HDB will continue to monitor the demand for these housing options and adjust its supply accordingly. It will also continue to explore other ways to meet the housing needs of our elderly.”
“Sir, I would first reply to Members on the problems of spalling concrete and water leakage. First, ceiling leakage usually is due to wear and tear and natural deterioration of the water proofing membrane on the toilet floor over time. Because the ceiling is a common party structure, under HDB's lease agreement, the two flat owners, who share the structure, are jointly responsible for its maintenance and repairs. I think Members have noted that. I want to first make clear that the responsibility is on the lessees. However, I want to assure Members that the HDB will assist flat owners to resolve their problems. Flat owners who require assistance can approach HDB branch offices and HDB will help to investigate the cause of the leak and suggest remedial action. HDB will also help to bring the two parties together and recommend suitable contractors. HDB cannot take over the responsibility of repairing the leaks because the lessees have to assume responsibility. This is because the problem is due to normal wear and tear. Let me inform Members that HDB build flats according to prevailing standards of building control. Therefore, if there is poor workmanship, the HDB will usually ask the building contractor to make good. But if it is due to wear and tear, then after the liability period of one year, the lessees would have to assume responsibility for repair. For spalling concrete, let me correct Dr Ker that it is not related to the salt content of the construction materials used, but is a result of a natural deterioration process caused by carbonization. When the surface concrete is carbonated, corrosion of the steel bars within the slabs sets in, causing the concrete surrounding the steel bars to crack.”
“Sir, as I have explained to Prof. Chin just now why we could not allow taxis to use the bus lane not just for driving but even for picking up or dropping off passengers, because the number of buses using the bus lanes is voluminous. For instance, if we have 130 buses per hour, that is every half a minute there will be a bus travelling. And if you have 18,000 taxis, even for just picking up or dropping off passengers, it will affect the smooth flow of bus operation. So the answer is that we are not prepared at this point in time to allow taxis to pick up or drop off passengers in bus lane. As for his concern about passengers wrongly accusing the taxi drivers just because the taxi drivers did not allow them to drop off in the bus lane, I can assure the Member that LTA investigates every complaint very carefully and will not press charges against the drivers for offences that are not committed by them.”
“The tenders for all major contracts for the KPE will be called by the end of this year, and the whole expressway will open in 2006. The KPE, when completed, will help relieve congestion on the CTE. In the meantime, the LTA is expanding the CTE and Braddell Road interchange. This involves the construction of an underpass along Braddell Road, and the realignment and widening of the four slip roads leading to and from the CTE. When completed in December 2002, this project will facilitate the flow of the traffic leaving the CTE and thus, help to improve the traffic flow along the CTE. The opening of the North-East line in 2002 next year will give people in the North East sector another transport alternative, and remove some traffic demand from the CTE. He asked whether we can have a double deck expressway along CTE. To have this kind of double deck expressway is very costly. At the same time, when you introduce more traffic on to the roads, you will also have problem when the traffic converges to make sure that there is no congestion. I think we have to be very careful when we consider such double deck highway. Sir, I believe I have answered all the questions.”
“That is something which has to be looked into very carefully because it is not just the capital cost, it is also the operation of the wheelchair, what they call kneeling buses, that has to be looked at because they may affect the efficient operation of our existing bus operation. So these are things which have to be further looked into. Dr Lee also asked about taxis that can take in wheelchair and whether we can facilitate those taxis. Yes, we intend to make it easier for taxi companies to buy such taxis because she is right that these taxis at the moment cost more compared to the normal taxis. So I think we should incentivise them to bring in such taxis which can take in wheelchair. The third recommendation of IMC was to examine how existing transport resources can be pooled and arrangements modified to provide affordable elderly-friendly transport services to elder care services and facilities. Individual VWOs currently provide transport services to their clients by means of contract buses or retrofitted vehicles capable of transporting the wheelchair bound. MCDS and NCSS are currently studying the need to pool together and centralise the resources of the various VWOs for more optimal management and utilisation. In fact, the Ministry thinks that this is a good way of providing transport services to the elderly and to the handicapped. Because at the moment, each one provides its own and that can be inefficient. But if we can centralise them, the resources can be better utilised. Sir, Mr Yeo Guat Kwang asked about the progress of KPE and what we are doing to alleviate the congestion in CTE. The LTA will be constructing the Kallang and Paya Lebar Expressway (KPE) to provide an alternative route for people in the North East sector.”
“It is our objective to make our public transport system accessible to all, and that includes the elderly as well as mothers with young children in strollers. Towards this objective, all on-going rapid transit system projects and new LRT lines will comply with the code of barrier-free accessibility. So this includes the North East line, Expo Station that we have just opened and the LRT that we are going to operate. So, in fact, the Bukit Panjang LRT, which was opened in November 1999, also has complied with this code. For the existing 48 MRT stations, LTA is currently embarking on an exercise to retrofit them with lifts, ramps, and disabled toilets. In fact, currently, there are four pilot stations that are being retrofitted and the remaining 44 stations will also be progressively upgraded in batches and stages between next year and late 2004. So by end 2004, we should be able to retrofit all stations. 2.00 pm As for commuter facilities, such as taxi stands and bus shelters, pavements, etc, accessible facilities would be progressively provided and evolved alongside planned development or major upgrading works. She also asked about buses. The IMC encouraged bus operators to make the bus system more elderly-friendly in the long term by introducing elderly-friendly buses, as older buses are being phased out. We cannot do it overnight because the existing buses are still in use. As they are being phased out, and when bus operators buy new buses, they will make sure that these buses are elderly-friendly. SBS and TIBS have to-date brought in a total of 192 elderly-friendly low floor buses with either single or zero step. And this year, I am told that the operators intend to bring in another 120 elderly-friendly buses. She asked about buses for wheelchair.”
“But, again, you would have to weigh the cost versus the benefits. On taxis, Prof. Chin wants us to allow taxis to use the bus lanes. I am sure he knows what bus lanes are for. When we determine the drawing of the bus lanes, there is a standard, and this standard is that at least 50 buses per hour must use this route in order to have a bus lane. In CBD, at the moment, there are about 120 buses per hour using these bus lanes. There are in Singapore about 18,000 taxis. If you allow taxis to drop off and pick up passengers along the bus lane, it is definitely going to affect the flow of operation of buses. We know that public transport is very important and public transport by buses is a very efficient way of transporting people, and commuters value such smooth flow of buses. So the reliability of bus services is therefore very important to Singaporeans. Therefore, we would not like to risk disrupting such good bus services. But we do note that there are areas where perhaps the bus lanes are not fully utilised. In fact, I asked the same question as Prof. Chin when I drove along some of these roads and I saw the bus lane without many buses. Hence, since last year, we have started to allow bus lanes outside the CBD areas for private buses - school bus and private hire bus. This is the first step, so as to utilise the bus lanes more fully. We will review after some time and see what is the impact of these additional buses on the operation of scheduled public buses. If we can, we will consider his suggestion of allowing other types of vehicles to use the bus lanes. Sir, Dr Jennifer Lee wanted an update on the programme to implement the IMC's recommendations.”
“Sir, Prof. Chin expressed the woes of the heavy vehicle drivers. In fact, as an MP, I have also received a lot of appeals and feedback from them. I shall restrict myself to the public transport part and not to comment on the National Development part about the provision of parking. Prof. Chin feels that we should provide public transport to these workers in odd hours of the day. I would like to respond that there is a cost to doing so. Because while you can provide a 24-hour service, but then the cost would be quite tremendous. For this reason, we also do not service shift workers, for instance. Shift workers will have to find their own transport or their employers will have to provide transport for them to get home. So there is a limit to what we can do. For now, in terms of demand for transport, it is still not a huge demand. Therefore, to provide a cost-effective service to them would be very difficult. You can, but then the cost would be very high. For this reason, shift workers get their transport services from their employers or they use their own motorbikes, or whatever. In a way, these heavy vehicle drivers are like shift workers. They are small in numbers. Some of course are working for bigger employers, and these bigger employers should be able to try to provide transport for them. For the smaller ones or the self-employed, it is really difficult to provide a bus service just to service a handful of people. If they tell you that even if they use bicycles and they are stolen, I think they have gone a bit too far. So they would have to try to find their own transport arrangement to get to work in these odd hours of the night. In terms of trying to, say, start the service early, as proposed by Prof. Chin, I can ask PTC to take a look.”
“The reason I ask this is that very often, I notice that the bus lanes are not well utilised even at peak hours while everyone else seems to be cluttering in the other lanes, adding to the congestion. I hope that the Ministry will ensure that improvements be made to bus services and other means of public transport. Singapore has a good reputation internationally for its clockwork-like efficiency in many sectors, and a good public transport system catering to the needs of all types of residents should be within achievable targets.”
“But unfortunately that is where the planning stops. There is no follow-up from the land transport policy side. Should we not require bus operators, for example, to operate early hour buses to get these people who work very, very early, about four in the morning, to their heavy vehicle car parks? Initially I asked them why they did not take public transport. The common response - no buses that early. Why not taxis - too expensive. Why not use the motorbike - no licence. Why not use bicycles - always stolen. Frustrated, I was tempted to ask: why not join brisk walking clubs. But that would have added insult to injury. Sir, this is a small matter in the context of a national policy on land transport, even smaller in the context of the aspiration to achieve a world class transportation system. But I must really ask: is there no transport supremo, no oversight inter-departmental committee that could finally resolve this small dot of the problem? Is it too difficult to get the bus companies, the LTA, URA, HDB, to talk together about how to help this unfortunate group of persons? Can we not, as the MOS mentioned just now, ask the PTC to have a USO (universal service obligation) to deal with this heavy vehicle car park problem. I would like to urge the Ministry to give some priority to this issue and these persons with some chance of avoiding future bookings. Finally, Sir, speaking of another form of public transport, namely, taxis, totally unrelated to the first issue I raised, I should like to ask why taxis are not allowed to use bus lanes during the restricted period, as common in many other countries.”
“Sir, as I said, we are actually acting in the interest of both the bus operators and the commuters, because we want to have efficient public transport and, at the same time, we want to make sure that this public transport operation is viable. We also need to provide transport to virtually every household in Singapore. And some of these services will not be profitable. The best way to ensure all of these is to have dual monopolies where each monopoly is given both profitable and unprofitable routes. This is the existing structure. When we introduce new operators, we have to look at the needs of areas that are not properly served. If they are properly served, and if we were to allow another operator to come and cream off the profit of those profitable routes, then it would make the existing operators less viable. Then perhaps fares will have to be adjusted because if they are not viable, in the end, the service level will be affected. This is the rationale for having this existing duopoly system. In fact, in many parts of the world, we do not see bus operations having free competition. 1.45 pm Assoc. Prof. Chin Tet Yung (Sembawang): Sir, one of the most familiar types of visitors to the meet-the-people sessions is the heavy vehicle driver. Usually, he has been booked for illegal parking. He wants the MP to help him get the fine waived or reduced. Often, he comes with several summonses. I believe many Members have similar experiences. At first I was somewhat perplexed by this group. Either they are very bad statisticians who cannot calculate properly the probability of being booked or there is a genuine problem. Sir, there is a genuine problem. Heavy vehicle car parks are sited kilometres away from residential blocks. That is sound town planning policy.”
“LTA will also build another flyover across TPE connecting Punggol Town and Sengkang Town. I believe work will start in March this year and it should be ready in 2003. So this will serve to improve the road network in the two new towns, as well as connecting them to the existing expressways. Let me conclude by assuring Dr Lim and Mr Yeo that LTA will continue to work closely with HDB in developing the road network to serve the needs of residents moving into Punggol Town and ensure that the problems encountered in Sengkang will not be repeated in Punggol Town.”