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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“Yes, the PTC has looked into all these factors.”
“Sir, the PTC took into consideration many factors. Inflation was one factor. The investments that the companies put in for service improvements was another factor. Productivity gains was another factor. The possibility of wage increases was another factor. All these were considered by the PTC when they deliberated on these proposals. Therefore, as far as wage increase is concerned, if they do not have an increase in revenue, it would be very difficult for the company to consider a wage increase.”
“Sir, the comment that I made regarding increases was made after the PTC's announcement of its approval. Of course, the Ministry had to scrutinise what the PTC had deliberated on and whether it is indeed fair. Our view is that the PTC has done its duty and has looked in a very detailed manner into all the factors before coming to this conclusion.”
“GMAC is closely monitoring world trends on the regulation of GM products before making its recommendations to the Government. So there is a national agency that is looking after that. In the meantime, any produce found to be unsafe for consumption or harmful to the environment based on toxicity tests and allergenicity tests, and so on, whether genetically modified, or otherwise, would be banned from import or consumption. 6.30 pm”
“Sir, Dr Wan raised the subject of GM food. GM food is not new but, of course, the concern is real. GM food has been around for many years in the form of soya beans, corn and canola oil. Such GM food has been approved for sale in major countries, such as USA, EU, Australia, Canada and Japan, after extensive toxicity and allergenicity tests as well as animal and field trials. This is to ensure that they are safe for consumption and have no adverse impact on the environment. In fact, GM food is generally put under more stringent safety scrutiny than conventional non-GM foods. To-date, there is no evidence of adverse long-term health effects of consuming such approved GM food. But the concern is still there of such a new kind of food and how do we control their import and use. To oversee and advise the Government on GM products, a Genetic Modification Advisory Committee, or GMAC, has been formed. The Committee is chaired by Prof. Lim Pin who is the Vice-Chancellor of NUS with members from various agencies, including PPD, ENV and Ministry of Health. GMAC has established a set of bio-safety guidelines on the release of agriculture related GM products. However, the mechanism to regulate GM product such as labelling and so on, has yet to be worked out. While we can ban GM products that have been scientifically shown to be unsafe for consumption or detrimental to the environment, established by the advanced countries, or even by our own tests, the issue of mandatory declaration of all GM products and their derivatives at import is complex as it involves many factors, including trade implications and enforceability. These issues have been clearly debated at international forums, but there has yet to be any clear international direction.”
“Sir, I agree with the Member that if it is established that it is due to negligence, say, from renovation and so on and so forth, then there is a case to ask the owner of the upper floor unit to pay. But if it is due to wear and tear in the course of using the flat, I think it is only fair to ask both sides to pay, because naturally the owner of the upper floor unit will not want to use it such that he will have to pay for the leaks. No one would want to inflict the repair cost upon himself. In the course of using the unit normally, and if there is a leak, because the structure is designed in such a way that it can only withstand a certain number of years of usage, then when it leaks because of wear and tear, the parties that own the structure jointly should repair the structure.”
“A critical factor in the selection of sites for SERS is the financial viability of the proposed redevelopment. As Dr Wang mentioned, it must be a win-win proposal. If the block is already well-developed, in terms of plot ratio and flat size, it may not be financially viable. The actual pace of announcement would hence depend on the number of viable sites identified and the availability of suitable replacement sites to re-house the affected SERS residents. As you know, one of the objectives of the SERS programme is to allow the residents to live in the same area. We must find a replacement site not too far away from the same area. If we were to ask them to move very far away, then this objective of retaining the community bond will not be met. These are all the limitations. Having said that, I know there is so far no SERS site announced in the Member's constituency and obviously, he is lobbying very hard for it. In view of the strong support from the residents in his constituency, I will ask HDB to give me good reasons to support his request. I think I have answered all the questions.”
“Since then, the model, the preliminary design layout and unit floor plans of the new replacement flats are displayed at the SERS exhibition, which is held over a one-week period immediately after the announcement. HDB officers are also available to answer questions from residents and HDB would also conduct a survey among the affected residents after the SERS announcement and, possibly after the exhibition. It would take into account residents' feedback before finalising the design layout and the actual flat type proportion of the replacement flats. Mr Ang also asked whether we could extend this SERS privilege to the children of residents who are affected by SERS. I would like to inform him that we have a number of programmes to promote extended families and parents and children to live near to each other, like the Joint Selection Scheme, Multi-Tier Family Scheme and so on. For SERS programme, it is substantial, in terms of benefits given to the affected residents. I would ask HDB to consider whether to adopt both Dr Wang Kai Yuen's and Mr Ang Mong Seng's suggestion. We have to balance it with the need to be also fair to other Singaporeans. Certainly, it is something worth looking into and we will let them know in due course. I would like to thank Dr Wang Kai Yuen for supporting the SERS programme. I agree with him that SERS is effective in rejuvenating the older HDB estates. When SERS was first announced in 1995, the original intention was to announce about six sites per year. In view of the overwhelming support from the residents, we have, since 1997, accelerated the SERS programme. Altogether, we have announced 37 sites, involving 14,700 units of sold flats under SERS. The Government will continue to announce more SERS sites.”
“The relevant authorities would take actions against the developers concerned if investigations show that the regulations have been violated. The second question that Dr Neo raised is whether we have allowed development intensification, even though there are physical constraints. In the preparation of the Development Guide Plans (DGPs), the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) will study with various authorities on the need to increase the provision of infrastructure, utilities and services for the planning areas to support future developments. For example, the Land Transport Authority would study a need to widen existing roads or to build new roads. At the detailed planning stage, LTA will determine the appropriate vehicular entries and exits of the development to minimise the conflicts in traffic flow. Lastly, Dr Neo asked whether letters could be sent to residents to inform them of the DGP exhibitions. The DGPs were extensively publicised at the exhibition stage. Besides using advertisement to notify the public, press releases were issued. These exhibitions were held in convenient venues, such as community centres, community clubs and shopping centres, etc, and were well covered by the print and the broadcast media. Sending letters to every resident is time-consuming and costly and since there are already many avenues to publicise the DGPs, there is no need to send letters to every resident. I now come to Mr Ang Mong Seng's point. I am pleased to inform the Member that HDB has already implemented his suggestion for SERS sites announced from October 1999 onwards.”
“It is fair because if we were to ask the upper floor to pay, the upper floor household would ask the same question, "Why should I pay?" We will have problems in convincing them that they should pay. That is why we have all these disputes. But if we were to tell them that it is a party structure and since both parties jointly own the structure and through wear and tear, there are leaks, then there should be no argument that both parties should share the cost of repairing the leaks. This has been practised, both in the public and private housing. It is fair if we continue with the practice, rather than, say, imposing on the upper floor to pay. He would say, "I am just using it normally and why should I pay for something which is owned by both parties?". In addition, we have to bear in mind that the lower floor unit will also have his party structure below. The law is thus very fair and we should keep it. Let me come to Dr Lily Neo's point about the noise and dust created from redevelopment projects. Dr Neo asked what could be done to lessen the pain of residents affected by noise, dust and traffic congestion of redevelopment projects. When developers and contractors carry out development projects, they have to comply with the legal requirements under the Environmental (Pollution Control) Act and the Environmental (Pollution Control of Noise at Construction Sites) Regulations. These regulations have been drawn up to protect the residents from being affected by intolerable levels of environmental pollution. Members of the public can alert the relevant authorities if they feel that the developers have created an excessive level of noise, dust and construction traffic.”
“Sir, I would first like to take the cut by Mrs Lim Hwee Hua. Mrs Lim has proposed that we should be more imaginative in naming HDB estates, streets, precincts, neighbourhoods and so on. In the earlier HDB towns, the road names were derived from a combination of town names and numbers based more or less on a grid system. This was very systematic and sequential in nature to facilitate an easy orientation and identification of roads. Based on feedback received, HDB has introduced an alternative approach to road naming and to enhance the identity of these towns and better reflect the historical significance. For example, Sengkang has a historical past as a fishing village. Hence, it has road names such as Compassvale Street and Rivervale Drive. The same goes for Punggol 21, where road names like Punggol Dale and Punggol Field are based on the original topographical features of vast tracts of farmland and vegetation. Likewise, different neigbourhoods in new HDB estates, for example Sengkang, will also be given names such as Rivervale, Compassvale, Anchorvale and Fernvale. HDB will continue to name roads and neighbourhoods in new towns using this alternative approach. I am pleased to inform Mrs Lim that we have made progress. Dr Ker asked who should pay for the repair of ceiling leaks. To answer that question, it is very important to first establish the principle. The present rule uses the principle of establishing the ownership of the party structure to determine who should pay. According to the Land Titles Act, the party structure is owned jointly by the parties sharing the use of it. So whether it is in public housing or private housing, the practice is to require the households owning the same structure to pay for the repair.”
“Sir, Mr Ang Mong Seng raised two questions regarding the refund of unused toll coupons now that, with effect from 1st April 2000, cashcards will be used to pay tolls at the checkpoints. The first question he asked is whether there will be a deadline for refund. I will ask LTA to consider giving a reasonable length of time before they impose a deadline. The second question he asked is whether the refund can be obtained at outlets like petrol stations and so on. LTA is currently looking into arrangements to allow for more designated places where refunds can be obtained. They will announce the outcome in due course.”
“Sorry, Sir. Let me remind Members that before the merger, the numbers for category 1 over the years were dropping. And just before the merger, the number was only 100-plus a month. It was getting smaller and smaller. Is that desirable? And why is the number getting smaller and smaller? Because we have allowed a mechanism via the open category to allow the market to decide what choice of cars people want to buy, and that is the signal we were receiving. Sir, Mr Inderjit Singh said that he agrees with Dr Wang that the people would decide what car to buy first. I agree with him. That is also what happened under the new system, which shows that people prefer to buy a higher cc car.”
“Sir, that is precisely what we are doing, to let the market decide what cars they want to buy. Let me ask you a question. How many COEs should we give to small cars? Who is going to decide? You or the market?”
“Sir, the Minister has also shown the Member the pitfalls of the small number of quota for category 1. And if we have a very small number, the COE prices tend to fluctuate, and that is not good. For any system, if there are large fluctuations in prices, it is not good. On top of that, experience has shown that the COE prices for Category 1 were not too far behind the Category 2 prices and, at times, exceeded the Category 2 prices. So we made a judgment and we feel that by merging, we actually eliminate the pitfalls and provide more choices. If we look at it as a whole, we feel that it is a better system.”
“Sir, with the merging of the two categories, the advantage is that the user can decide whether he wants, with the same COE, to purchase a higher value car or a lower value car. In the past, we forced people to compete in the small category and having bidded successfully for Category 1, they have no choice but to buy a small car. Now, they can decide whether they want to buy a bigger car or a smaller car. It shows that the market prefers a bigger car and, of course, a bigger car has a higher open market value. That is the consequence and there is a choice, not because of our intention of trying to rake in more revenue, but it is actually to allow Singaporeans to have more choices.”
“I have answered him. The consultants have told us that the road resistance is good for this expressway and we have passed with flying colours. It will be extended to other expressways. At the moment, about 26% of our expressways are already surfaced with this new material. It is called drainage mix and it drains water faster and as a result of this drainage, it is less wet and therefore of higher resistance.”
“The COE, as has been explained by the Minister, is a basic component of vehicle ownership in Singapore. COE exemption is given only to a select group of vehicles that include scheduled buses, emergency vehicles and those for the handicapped. Hence, any treatment for cars over 20 years old must be evaluated against the adverse impact they would have on our overall vehicle quota system. However, my Ministry will continue to review the feasibility of having a classic class scheme and what this would entail for Singapore. Assoc. Prof. Toh See Kiat: Sir, with your indulgence, I did also ask the Ministry whether they could give us an update on the effectiveness of the KJE and if it will be extended to other expressways. Could I ask if Dr John Chen has an answer to that also?”
“There are about 100 vintage cars in Singapore. Internationally, cars manufactured during the pre-war period are generally recognised as vintage cars. However, there is no international agreement on what constitutes a classic car. Some clubs and associations use a criterion where cars are deemed classic if they were manufactured more than 20 years ago. In Singapore, there are currently about 31,000 cars above 20 years of age. I am sure Members will agree that 31,000 is quite a large number and that not all of them possess a heritage value. In fact, it is very difficult to assess the heritage value of these cars. Therefore, we must be very cautious about granting any concessions for such a large group of cars as this would greatly undermine our existing policies which are tough but necessary. Furthermore, we do not want a situation where there are too many old cars on our streets as owners take advantage of a generous concession scheme. For owners who do not want to use their cars on a regular basis, there is an existing off-peak car scheme (OPC). Under this scheme, owners pay reduced taxes in return for using their cars during off-peak periods. Moreover, as we further shift the balance between the upfront cost of owning a car to usage cost via the ERP and road tax rebates, the financial burden for the retention of these classic cars under the OPC will further be minimised. Car owners and car enthusiasts may wish to consider the OPC scheme, which will help them to reduce cost somewhat although, obviously, not to the same extent as complete COE exemption. It is difficult for us to justify COE exemption or the payment of a lower PQP for this large group of 31,000 cars when their heritage value cannot be ascertained objectively and definitively.”
“Toh has asked whether my Ministry has any plans to encourage the use of more environmentally friendly cars on our roads. It is indeed true that today, there is an increasing awareness of the environmental pollution caused by the combustion of conventional fuels. Some countries have embarked on the development of green vehicles that utilise alternative fuels. Such green vehicles include electric, fuel cell and hybrid vehicles. Recent technological advances have placed such vehicles closer to reality and some have actually become available for sale. From a land transport perspective, we have no objections to the use of green vehicles on our roads, as long as they meet established safety standards. As these green vehicles also occupy road space and they contribute to congestion, they will be subjected to the same registration and licensing requirements for conventional vehicles. As such, all green vehicles will similarly be required to pay COE and ERP charges. But we recognise that these vehicles are less pollutive at the point of usage, as compared to conventional vehicles using petroleum-based fuels. Therefore, my Ministry is examining if tax incentives should be provided, as suggested by Prof. Toh, to promote their use in Singapore. We will carefully study this together with the Ministry of the Environment and Ministry of Finance. Finally, I would like to thank both Dr Lily Neo and Mr Gerard Ee for making a call for a scheme for older cars or cars older than 20 years old. Today, as we know, there is a vintage car scheme where special tax concessions are given to cars manufactured before 1940. Under a restricted scheme, these vintage cars enjoy COE exemption and, in return, they may only be used for a maximum of 28 days a year.”
“For other overhead bridges and underpasses, we will look into the various factors, such as site constraint for ramps, vehicular traffic volume, pedestrian traffic volume, cost-effectiveness of escalators and their operational problems, and review how safety and the need to cater to the elderly can be met. I believe I have answered all the questions. The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Communications and Information Technology (Assoc. Prof. Yaacob Ibrahim): Sir, Prof. Chin has made a call to MCIT and LTA to review the way we treat offences. I would like to thank Prof. Chin for his thoughtful suggestion. Members will recall that the introduction of the administrative surcharge as a first stage in dealing with certain ERP violations actually arose from a similar suggestion made by Prof. Chin at the debate in the Committee of Supply last year. Here, I would like to point out that Prof. Chin's latest suggestion is somewhat different from his earlier one. The rationale for the introduction of the administrative surcharge for ERP violations was premised on the fact that ERP enforcement is almost 100%. Hence, any violation is mainly due to forgetfulness or carelessness on the part of the motorists. This is not the case for other offences, such as eating at MRT stations, when enforcement is more difficult and we would have to rely on public cooperation not to dirty our trains and MRT stations. While SMRT would like to avoid fining commuters, sometimes it is necessary to drive home the point that people should not engage in such inconsiderate behaviour. But, nonetheless, Prof. Chin's suggestion is an interesting one which I would ask LTA to look into. Prof.”
“As most of these footpaths are still in good condition, it would be a waste of public funds to reconstruct them to the latest standards. We will replace them when necessary and, in the meantime, LTA will discuss with ENV on ways to improve the efficiency of mechanical road sweeping for these older pavements. On linkway design, for the linkways built by LTA, LTA has adopted a few standard designs of basic form. However, these covered linkways are often connected to a variety of different amenities of different designs. Hence, there is also a need to see that the covered linkways can be designed to blend in with the surroundings. LTA tries to maintain a balance between the two. As for linkways built by town councils between flats and other buildings, HDB has, since 1997, provided 15 designs of linkways for town councils' reference to assist them and their consultants in the construction of linkways. The designs have been standardised to expedite processing time and cut down cost, which addresses Mr Ong's concern, and at the same time, provide a sufficient variety of choices. Mr Ong also asked whether we can install escalators on overhead pedestrian crossings and underpasses. Escalators have been provided for many pedestrian overhead bridges which are connected to shopping centres. The reasons for installing them at shopping centres are, firstly, the heavy usage by pedestrians; secondly, the mechanical and electrical equipment will be under cover and protected from rainwater; and thirdly, if the escalators break down due to faults or vandalism, there are the security personnel at the shopping centres to put them back into operation quickly. For expressways, we will build pedestrian bridges or underpasses with ramps.”
“We welcome any new ideas that Members have that can contribute to a better design. 2.00 pm On rain shelters, LTA recognises the plight of the motorcyclists during heavy downpours and has thus constructed rain shelters under flyovers for their use. These are concrete bays, located away from the traffic flow to ensure the safety of all motorists. LTA has provided these shelters under all flyovers where space permits. LTA will continue to improve the existing rain shelters by expanding the bays to accommodate more motorcyclists, where possible. It will also explore ways to overcome space constraints, without compromising the safety of motorists. In view of our high rainfall, motorcyclists should also be prepared by having raincoats at hand in case of inclement weather. Dr Teo asked me to update him on the progress of upgrading of bus shelters. In Phase I, LTA has upgraded nearly 900 bus shelters and there are more than 3,000 bus shelters to go. LTA will carry out the upgrading over the next four years and the plan is for LTA to call for tenders and to ask the contractors to design, build and operate these shelters. LTA will, of course, specify the locations and the design specifications for the bus shelters. Mr Ong raised three issues. Firstly, he asked about the pavement design. With regard to standardised design for footpaths and pavements, I agree with Mr Ong that this would make sweeping by mechanised road-sweepers easier. LTA has, in fact, already introduced such guidelines. However, many of the existing pavements were built way before we standardised their designs, hence, the variety of different layouts and characteristics, as pointed out by Mr Ong.”
“The authorities concerned, HDB and LTA, make provisions for these facilities at the development stage when the roads are constructed. There is an inter-agency committee and they meet quarterly and all these issues are discussed and implemented. In the initial stage when residents start moving into the town, the bus operator would implement bus routes to the CBD and other employment centres as well as links to the MRT station, interchange and amenities in nearby towns. The operator is provided with HDB's staging plans for the town's development and will introduce more bus routes in tandem with the growth of the town. Routes are planned in accordance with the travel needs of residents which are assessed through surveys at various stages of the town's development. Mr Yeo also asked about the premium bus service. The premium bus service serves a niche requirement and it serves to complement the trunk service provided by the main bus operator. If necessary, we can always introduce such services. He mentioned about the publicity of such services. Yes, I would ask LTA to look into how we can get the operator to publicise them and to ensure that their numbers are displayed properly. Dr Teo Ho Pin also asked about the bus shelters' design. Bus shelters are designed taking into account construction and maintenance cost as well as comfort for commuters. Most bus shelters today are three metres wide. Newer bus shelters have been installed with panels which serve to shelter commuters from the rain. Presently, about a quarter of all bus shelters have such panels. The design and construction materials of the shelters will continue to be reviewed by the LTA so as to improve comfort for commuters while minimising costs.”
“So I would ask LTA to do three things. Firstly, I would ask LTA to monitor the safety records closely and look at trends and indications whether safety is being eroded. Secondly, I would ask LTA to discuss with MOE and school bus operators to find cost effective ways to enhance the safety. To Mdm Claire Chiang, perhaps she does not mind paying. But I think the cost effectiveness and cost levels must be a legitimate concern. If there is a diminishing return, I do not think it is wise to do something which may not be necessary. But we will look at how we can reduce cost, for instance, for installing seat belts or back padding, and so on. And, if necessary, I would enlist her help to look at how the cost issues can be addressed. Thirdly, I would also ask LTA to step up the training of the school bus attendants and the enforcement of their responsibilities. So I think these are the things that we can do instead of mandating that all school buses must install seat belts. Because, as I have said before, from our preliminary calculations, the cost implications are not a small one. Sir, Mr Yeo Guat Kwang asked how we plan public transport and bus services in HDB new towns. At the planning stage of a new HDB town, the bus operator responsible for providing bus services for the town would put up the conceptual bus plan based on the bus service guidelines of the Public Transport Council. The bus plan would take into account HDB's inputs on the size of the town, ultimate number of dwelling units, estimated population, land use and road system for the town. Bus stop locations are also identified during the planning stage and are indicated in a road-related facilities plan.”
“Chin's concern about fog lamps, these lamps are designed to project a low and diffused light to assist the drivers to see road markings more clearly under foggy conditions when visibility is very poor. The authority decided to allow the installation of fog lamps to improve visibility following the bad haze experience in 1994. If approved fog lamps are properly installed, they should not blind other road users. LTA has advised vehicle owners on the proper design and installation of the fog lamps. During the mandatory periodic inspection, vehicle owners would be required to remove or cover the lamps, if their vehicles are found with unapproved or improperly installed fog lamps. Nevertheless, the LTA will continue to monitor the situation closely and, if necessary, step up enforcement of unapproved or improperly installed fog lamps. Sir, now, I come to Mdm Claire Chiang's issue. She brought up the issue of safe transportation for school children again. I share Mdm Chiang's concern over the safety of our school children when travelling in school buses. But she seems to think that the safety of the school children taking school bus is compromised. I would like to reiterate to her that their safety is not compromised. That is because we have at the moment a number of measures. Firstly, for instance, we require the bus to fulfil stringent technical requirements. Secondly, we require the bus drivers to have a vocational licence and medical check-ups. Thirdly, we require the bus to have a bus attendant. Fourthly, the bus cannot exceed the speed limit of 50 kilometres per hour. All these measures have helped us to maintain the good safety record that we have. But, nevertheless, it is always good to see how we can look for other ways to enhance road safety.”
“If we do not do so, then traffic intending to join or leave the CTE has to go to the adjacent parallel roads, such as Thomson Road or Upper Serangoon Road, where traffic conditions are also heavy. The congestion at the CTE between PIE and Braddell is mainly due to the very high volume of traffic and partly also because traffic exiting at Braddell is backed up to the expressway. Nevertheless, I note that Prof. Chin's real concern is the way in which we can reduce the traffic congestion. I would like to inform him that the LTA is constructing a vehicular underpass along Braddell Road. This underpass will be ready by December 2002 and will improve the situation at the interchange between the CTE and Braddell Road. LTA expects that, with the underpass in place, more green time would be available to allow traffic from the CTE to exit into Braddell Road, thereby easing the congestion. On bad driving habits, LTA will step up its education programme. I believe that is what Prof. Chin would like to see, ie, more education. And LTA will continue to work with the Traffic Police and other relevant agencies to educate drivers on good driving habits and discourage bad driving habits, including dangerous lane switching and tailgating. Prof. Chin has also suggested using, what he calls, "chevron". Basically, it is a safe-distance guide marking on expressways to allow motorists to keep a safe distance. I would ask LTA to look into his suggestion. LTA will also study, perhaps instead of studs, whether raised pavement markers can be used to discourage dangerous lane switching. With regard to Prof.”
“As I said, we have to also look at the safety issue. As for road signs, electro reflective sheetings for road signs are also used to improve their visibility, especially at night. In view of the ageing population, LTA has been progressively upgrading the existing directional signs along our roads and expressways by using better grades of electro reflective sheeting. It also has a programme to upgrade our street name boards and traffic signs to improve the visibility of these signs. Dr Teo also asked about the maintenance cost. Annually, about $2.5 million is spent on the maintenance of road markings and another $1 million on the maintenance of the 85,000 road signs in Singapore. The maintenance works include washing, replacement of old and damaged signs. This cost is not high, considering that a good maintenance regime is essential to ensure that the road markings and road signs continue to serve their purposes so that safety of the motorists is not compromised. Prof. Chin commented on the exit and entry points along expressways. I assure Prof. Chin that the locations of the entries and exits along the expressways were carefully studied before construction. The present arrangement is considered to be optimum, in terms of traffic functional requirement, given the land available. It will be ideal if we could have exits from the entrance to expressways spread out. This would cut down confluence and convergence. However, with our limited land and dense expressway network intersecting major roads, junctions are frequent and necessary. In general, we will prevent access to expressways from the minor roads. However, in the case of CTE, which he has brought up, we have to provide for the connection to the major roads, such as from Braddell Road and PIE.”
“For instance, it is now being amended to include guidelines for the use and placement of variable message signs (VMS) used in connection with EMAS. We did not have VMS earlier. The signs manual sets guidelines for a number of things. For example, the siting of signs, ie, the distance from the decision point, the types of destinations to be included and the order they should be displayed, the size of the letterings for different speeds, the spacing between letters on the sign, the colour combinations for the different types of signs, for example, yellow on green for expressways, white on green for other roads, white on brown for tourist sites, etc. Also, the specifications of the material used are all in the guidelines. 1.45 pm High quality materials have been used to ensure their effectiveness and to minimise maintenance cost. LTA has used durable thermo plastic painting with glass beads as road marking material for the lanes along our roads. This ensures that the carriageways are well delineated both in the day and night. However, the visibility of these markings may be affected by rain at night. One way to overcome this problem is to use cat'-s eyes or road studs, as proposed by Prof. Toh. LTA had used these studs mainly to delineate some of the turnoff points to the exit of the expressways. These studs are currently not used on the main lanes on the expressways because the safety impact on motorcyclists is still uncertain. In other words, what would happen if motorcyclists ride between lanes or change lanes. LTA will therefore continue to study the issue closely and see whether there are other options to address the issue. Earlier, Prof. Chin was proposing using studs to guide motorcyclists or impose a discipline on them.”
“Sir, first, I would like to thank Assoc. Prof. Toh for his kind remarks on measures taken by LTA to improve road safety. Road safety is a key consideration of LTA. And to that effect, LTA has set up a special unit called the Road Safety Engineering Unit which focuses on road safety engineering. It will continually review and identify areas for improvement and help to enhance road safety. LTA has also engaged a consultant to carry out road safety review for all the expressways. The review has been completed for PIE, BKE, CTE and KJE, and it has concluded that these expressways have met our stringent road safety standards. LTA will follow up with some minor modifications that the consultants have suggested to further improve road safety on these roads. Prof. Toh asked whether the review can be extended to other roads as soon as possible. Yes, LTA also plans to carry out road safety review for all existing major roads, and there are about 570 kilometres in length of these roads in Singapore. So it will take some time and we expect to do the review perhaps over the next three to five years. Prof. Toh also asked that LTA tap the feedback and suggestions of the public to improve road safety. Yes, LTA welcomes public feedback. The public is encouraged to give their feedback through the LTA hotline or the Feedback Unit. Dr Teo asked about the policy for road markings and signs. Road signs and markings are important elements in our road design for traffic management and to ensure safety of motorists. LTA has a signs manual for implementing road signs and markings. The guidelines in the manual were drawn from manuals used overseas, for example, UK and Australia, and adopted for local use. The manual has been updated from time to time to make it current.”
“Yes, Sir. According to British standards which have different headways and different periods of the day, it will be more frequent during peak hours and it will be less frequent during off-peak hours. HDB FLATS IN MATURE ESTATES (Balloting) 6. Dr S. Vasoo asked the Minister for National Development if he will give an appraisal of the recent public response to the balloting of Housing and Development Board flats in mature estates and if there are more future plans for such an exercise.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the residents of Sengkang town are now served by 10 bus services (nine trunk and one feeder). This number is higher than the standard set by the Public Transport Council given its current state of development. In addition, SBS, which is responsible for the provision of bus services in Sengkang, plans to introduce two, and possibly three more trunk bus services and one additional feeder service this year when the roads leading to and within Sengkang town are completed. It will work closely with all relevant authorities to monitor and improve the service levels in tandem with the development of the town.”
“Moving ahead, we are developing a model set of self-regulation code of practices on the protection of personal information for reference by the industry. We will encourage industry associations and various business and professional bodies to adapt the code for application in their respective sectors. This is to strike a right balance between consumer protection and business efficacy, and not lead to excessive business compliance costs which will ultimately be paid for by the consumers. Assoc. Prof. Chin Tet Yung (Sembawang): Two supplementary questions, Sir. Can the Minister of State confirm that credit card companies actually are not caught by any of the pieces of legislation he had mentioned? Credit card companies, for example, are not caught by the Official Secrets Act. What is there to stop credit card companies, for example, processing data of users of credit cards and selling them to other companies doing business? And the second question is: Is it the Ministry's view that the code of practices would be sufficient to regulate the whole industry?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Member for Potong Pasir did not hear what I said. The 0.1% we are talking about is the statistics involving the school buses. But as far as the children are concerned, there is no serious injury. So that is the point. If you want to have no accident at all, then let us not drive on the road. LEGISLATION TO PROTECT PRIVACY OF COMPUTER USERS 2. Assoc. Prof. Chin Tet Yung asked the Minister for Communications and Information Technology whether, in the light of incidents such as the surreptitious scanning of users' computers by an Internet service provider or by others, legislation protecting the privacy of computer users will be enacted, which will in turn also serve to encourage the greater use of the Internet for e-commerce. The Minister of State for Communications and Information Technology (Mr Lim Swee Say) (for the Minister for Communications and Information Technology): Mr Speaker, Sir, our assessment is that it is not necessary at this point in time to enact separate legislation to protect the privacy of computer users. We have in place legislation, such as the Official Secrets Act, Computer Misuse Act and Banking Act, to protect the confidentiality of data held by the Government, statutory boards and financial institutions. In the private sector, several professions such as the medical and legal fields already have strict codes of conduct in place to ensure proper handling of data. In light of the scanning incident, as mentioned by Prof. Chin, IDA issued a set of guidelines on the conduct of preventive security scanning by the Internet Access Service Providers. It will assure Internet subscribers that security scanning by the IASPs will be guided by a code of ethical practices to respect users' privacy.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the most important is the safety record. And because of the safety measures that we implemented, that is, the speed limit of the buses and also the requirement of having the bus attendants, the safety record has shown that we do not have a safety problem. But I do agree with the Member that we can try to do more if we can, and therefore we can step up, for instance, the training of the attendants. We can consider, subject to the discussion with bus operators, whether they can perhaps implement more cost-effective protection, maybe padding and so on. But what is most important is that we do not think that we have a safety problem at this moment.”
“If he has any specific example, he can bring it to the attention of the enforcement agency. I think the law treats everybody equally. Question put, and agreed to. Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House. The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. - [Dr John Chen Seow Phun]. Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed. NURSES AND MIDWIVES BILL Order for Second Reading read. 2.15 pm”
“Parking provision is a separate issue. At the moment, there is no shortage of parking places island wide. In fact, in the new towns, HDB and URA have car park planning norms, and there is generally no shortage. But, of course, he mentioned about the problem of heavy vehicles. Again, nation wide, there is no shortage of heavy vehicle parking places. Yes, heavy vehicle owners want to park right in the centre of the town, but there are land constraints to cater for that kind of demand. We have interim heavy vehicle parks near the estates, but this is a separate issue and the Government is in the process of looking into how to tackle this problem in the long term. Having said that, this does not give them the right to park illegally and, therefore, any illegal parking will be dealt with according to the law. Mr Zulkifli talked about the despatch services in the CBD and asked whether public parking lots can be created. He is aware that there are bays, lanes or car parks where despatch service vehicles can be parked and, where possible, there will be car parks provided along the roads. But we have to bear in mind that the CBD traffic is very heavy and therefore if we were to allow indiscriminate parking or to set up car parks along some of the roads, then the impact to the traffic can be very adverse. So, much as we like to help them, there are the other greater objectives, in other words, to keep traffic free flowing and ensure that there will be no danger to other road-users. I would urge that the despatch services abide by the law and park legally. As for his comment on Singapore Post and CISCO having an advantage over the other courier companies, this is something that I am not aware of.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, before I answer the specific questions, I would just like to clarify the point I made earlier in response to Mr Simon Tay's question about parking offences. He asked what would happen if the owner was not the person who committed the offence. At the moment, the law does allow the registered owner to clarify upfront that he is not the one who committed the offence. Of course, if he makes a false declaration, then the law will go after him. Firstly, let me address Prof. Chin's point about the nuisance issue. We have consulted the Attorney-General and his view is that the word "nuisance" in the original section 42 of the Parking Places Act is unqualified. So it is wide enough to cover both public and private nuisances. The new section 42 refers to causing a nuisance to any person. Words in the singular include the plural, under section 21 of the Interpretation Act. This means that the amended wording should be read to refer to nuisances caused to any person or persons. Therefore, we do not think that the amended wording would create any different consequences compared to before. But I thank Prof. Chin for expressing this concern. If there is any problem that we face later on, we can always come back to Parliament and tighten the law. Secondly, he also asked whether trivial offences like illegal parking would necessitate such measures. Again, let me say that the Bill does not only target at illegal parking offences. In fact, it covers all Road Traffic Act-related offences plus Parking Places Act offences. And so long as a person against whom there is an outstanding warrant of arrest, the Superintendent of Car Parks can actually immobilise his vehicle in his area of jurisdiction. Therefore, we must look at the amendment in that regard.”
“The provision of multi-storey car parks in favour of open car parks in the new housing estates means that even medium height goods vehicles have difficulty finding parking space at a reasonable distance from their flats. An even more acute problem relates to heavy vehicles. Very often, heavy vehicle parks are some distance away from the main housing areas. That is understandable because the noise from these vehicles early in the morning may be regarded as a nuisance. However, it is also true that many of these vehicle owners were compelled to park illegally because of the lack of public transport that would take them to their vehicles very early in the morning. I hope that as the Authority is now in charge of the provision of car parks, it will work together with HDB, URA and the public transport companies to rationalise the provision of parking places in Singapore. Provision of suitable parking places is, of course, important. Making sure that the owners of vehicles can get to them in time is equally important, if not more. I hope that the Minister of State can address these problems before using the criminal law that can have such adverse effects not just on the drivers or the owners of vehicles but also on the families concerned. Sir, I support the Bill but implore the Ministry and the Land Transport Authority to take the necessary steps to perform their statutory duties of providing good and convenient parking places in Singapore.”
“I wonder whether this is intended to allow any person adversely affected to complain and possibly to bring an action against the Authority to remove parking places that cause a nuisance to him or others like him. Perhaps the Minister can clarify what is intended in this change in the language of the section. In other words, is it intended that a private person can bring a private nuisance action against the authority? This would, undoubtedly, I am sure, complicate the general provision of car parks in Singapore. For example, HDB residents staying next to car parks may complain about the nuisance of listening to squeaking brakes and squealing tyres as vehicles make their way through these car parks. Can they now apply for an injunction to stop the use of the car park until the Authority has installed a surface that would not be so noisy? It would be good if the Minister of State could clarify this aspect. The Bill also includes a provision that refers to the situation dealt with in the earlier Bill that was just passed, namely, where a person is under a warrant of arrest, his vehicle may now be seized by a Superintendent. The inclusion of such a provision in the Parking Places Act, of course, means that even in the case of illegal parking, the person against whom a warrant of arrest is issued can have his vehicle immobilised, seized and even sold. Again, I would like to draw attention to the fact that there is some unease that no distinction is made in the Bill between those who habitually ignore summonses and those who may be going through the process for the first time. Sir, the legislation that we are considering today, in my view, does not really deal with the root causes of why there is so much illegal parking, especially in the new housing estates.”
“Taken together with the proposed amendments to the Road Traffic Act, enforcement action against such motorists will be tightened. This will ensure that there is proper respect for the law, and that the massive backlog that the courts are currently experiencing will be cleared. The proposed amendments will also streamline the operations involved in designating HDB and URA car parks, and facilitate the work of the Superintendent in issuing summonses and notices to offenders. Car park Superintendents will also be granted protection in the course of discharging their duties. Sir, I beg to move. Question proposed. Assoc. Prof. Chin Tet Yung: Mr Speaker, I rise to speak in support of the Bill. I only have a couple of concerns. The Bill confers the Land Transport Authority to provide for parking spaces in Singapore. Clause 2, proposing the new section 4 subsection (2), states that the Authority is under a duty to ensure that in the provision of such parking spaces, it should not unreasonably prevent access to premises or use of the roads by others. The provision of such spaces should also not be a nuisance to any person. I should like to ask the Minister whether the difference in language between the repealed section and the new proposed section is intended. In the repealed section, the provision of parking spaces should not be a "nuisance". It is proper to interpret this word most likely to refer to public nuisance, that is, the Authority can provide parking places unless such provisions become a public nuisance. Of course, as it stood, the word is ambiguous enough to include private nuisance but this is by no means well-established in case law. The new provision states "nuisance to any person".”
“The Superintendent will release the vehicle only when he is satisfied that the owner of the vehicle has been arrested, or has surrendered himself to a police officer, or the warrant of arrest in force against him has been cancelled by a court. The definition of the term "warrant of arrest" in clause 8(d) covers any Warrant of Arrest issued by a court against a person in connection with an offence committed by this person under the Road Traffic Act, the Parking Places Act, and the rules made under these Acts. This is to ensure effective enforcement against motorists against whom outstanding warrants of arrest are in force. As highlighted earlier in my speech on the Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill, the large number of outstanding warrants of arrest is a matter of serious concern as it shows that enforcement against motorists who have refused to settle their offences has not been effective. Tougher measures are necessary to send a signal that there must be respect for the law, and that motorists who commit traffic or parking offences must be responsible enough to either compound the offences when given the opportunity to do so, or to attend court in relation to the offence when required to do so. Clause 9 enables the Superintendent to serve on a person any summons, notice, order or document required under the Parking Places Act or its rules, by publication in the Gazette, if the Superintendent is unable to ascertain the person's usual or last known place of residence, after reasonable diligence is exercised. In conclusion, the proposed amendments to the Parking Places Act will enable URA and HDB to take tougher measures against motorists against whom outstanding warrants of arrests are in force, by immobilizing or removing their vehicles at parking places.”
“Currently, the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology approves and gazettes the Parking Places Order which designates new HDB and URA car parks, and prescribes the parking charges for them. Generally, new Parking Places Orders are processed and gazetted once a month. To streamline the procedures and processes, the power to provide public car parks will be transferred from the Minister to the LTA. Public car parks will be designated by a parking sign planted on site, in lieu of a Parking Places Order. The prescribed parking charges will be displayed on the parking sign. The certified car park plans will be available for public inspection. The power to approve parking charges will remain with the Minister for Communications and Information Technology. Clause 5 seeks to confer on the Superintendent protection from liability for the loss of or any damage to any vehicle parked in any parking place, or for any injury or death suffered by any person in any parking place. With the amendment, the Assistant and Deputy Superintendents of Car Parks, who are HDB and URA staff, will enjoy the same level of protection in discharging their duties as staff from the Land Transport Authority. Currently, the Parking Places Act only protects the LTA and the Government from such liabilities in the parking places. Clause 6 seeks to cater for the future implementation of electronic parking systems. Clause 8 empowers the Superintendent to immobilise, or remove and detain any vehicle which is parked in a public car park, and which is owned by a person against whom a warrant of arrest is in force for a traffic or parking offence.”
“Otherwise, I foresee a loophole here. In other words, a person who has committed an offence can say that it is somebody else who does not own a car. I believe, subject to confirmation, this is the case. Question put, and agreed to. Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House. The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. - [Dr John Chen Seow Phun]. Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed. PARKING PLACES (AMENDMENT) BILL Order for Second Reading read. 1.50 pm The Minister of State for Communications and Information Technology (Dr John Chen Seow Phun): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time." Sir, the objective of this Bill is to amend the Parking Places Act (PPA) for the following purposes: a) to transfer to the Land Transport Authority (LTA) the power to provide suitable public car parks for vehicles; b) to extend protection from liability for Assistant and Deputy Superintendents of Car Parks; c) to add a general provision to cater for the future implementation of an Electronic Parking System; and d) to empower the Superintendent to immobilise or remove any vehicle which is parked in a public car park and which is owned by a motorist against whom there is an outstanding warrant of arrest in connection with a traffic or parking offence. Sir, let me now address the key provisions of the Parking Places (Amendment) Bill. First of all, clause 2 of the Bill repeals and re-enacts section 4 for the purpose of transferring the power to provide public car parks for vehicles from the Minister to LTA.”
“The short answer to Mr Chay and Prof. Chin is that I do not have these figures with me on how many are recalcitrants, how many are first-time offenders, and how many are owners of vehicles. I also do not have the number of persons that the Police deploy for such enforcement. Mr Simon Tay asked a few questions. On the Causeway jam, the purpose of the exercise is really to speed up the clearance, not just for the long-term but even for the short-term. And as I mentioned, if you were to compare the automated procedure with the current procedure, you can expect improvements because we are doing through electronic means. As I said, the smartcard will be used and reading of the smartcard is in parallel with the immigration clearance. On the fair market value for the cars, the Government has a duty to ensure that the vehicles are auctioned off because the Government cannot keep the vehicles forever. So that is why we are asking for the power from this House to allow the Government to dispose of the vehicles. And when you dispose of the vehicles, what is a fair market value? How do you actually determine that it is a fair market value? As far as the responsibility of Government is concerned, we have to ensure that reasonable means are employed to publicise the auction but there will still be people who say, "I do not know about the auction." Because of that, can you say it is not a fair value? Publication in the Gazette is one means and it also fulfils a legal requirement. The other thing that we can do, as I said, is to publish in newspapers and ensure that more people will get to know about it. Finally, owners versus drivers. I am not so clear about this point. If it is a parking offence, I believe that we will probably go after the car owner.”
“The police can do so if they have reason to believe that they want to perhaps do certain other investigations, and so on. The powers are given to them to do that and there is no presumption of guilt here.”
“Gazetting is to provide the legal cover for the auction. But I do agree with him that we can actually do other things like publishing it in the papers, and so on, to make sure that more people will know about the auction. He also mentioned about credit companies or hire purchase companies. Legally, these vehicles rightly belong to them. Therefore, they can actually approach the Authority and if they can prove that the vehicles belong to them, the vehicles would be returned. Finally, Mr Tay mentioned about the Causeway jam. In my speech earlier, I mentioned that the system will actually help to reduce the jam. At the moment, when foreign vehicles come into Singapore, they have to pay for the entry permits. Whereas in the new system, they just put the card into the card reader. This process is in parallel with the immigration process. If they do not have a card, of course, they will have to purchase it. But, as I said, it is only once off and it would not be worse than before. Presently, they have to purchase a permit. Sir, I think I have addressed most of the questions.”
“So these are the powers that the Government is asking Parliament to provide to the relevant authorities to ensure that they can carry out their functions properly. I do not think that we are presuming that the person is guilty before the court trial. So my point is that the whole objective of this amendment is that we should not allow people to disregard the law and that they should show respect for the law. It is actually contempt of court if they just ignore the court orders and the warrant of arrest. So what we are doing here is to put in place an effective means whereby the various agencies can effectively carry out their functions. Again, if Members are concerned about whether family members would be using the cars, and so on, let me say again that the idea of the Bill is to ensure that the person settles the warrant of arrest speedily. Because all he has to do is to surrender himself to the police and he would be given bail and the Authority will release the vehicle. So it is not as if we are going to detain the vehicle for a long period of time. All he has to do is to simply surrender himself. Members have also expressed the concern whether the Authority would be trigger-happy. Let me say that the Authority will first employ other means and seizing the vehicle will in a sense be the last resort. We would not be going out and start clamping vehicles, as some of the Members have feared. Because of the limitation of resources, there is good reason for the authorities to target those recalcitrant offenders first, as Prof. Chin has mentioned, and thereafter, extend it to the rest if they continue to ignore the warrants. Mr Simon Tay raised a valid point about the notice of auction in the Gazette and whether people will know about the auction.”
“For the foreign motorists, we will not be able to tell who the registered owner is. So what we will do is we will go after the person who drives the car because he has to leave the country at some point in time, and that is where we will go after him. But of course if he just drives in Singapore without going out of the country, we have a system to track that because the vehicle entry permit is only given for two weeks. After two weeks, if he does not go and renew the vehicle entry permit, we will go after the vehicle which may be somewhere in Singapore. Sir, Prof. Chin Tet Yung brought up the difference in delivering notices between the two Acts. Let me inform him that in the amendment, this is in new section 95A(7) where it mentions about the means of delivery. But this is not the only means of delivery because if you refer to section 131 of the RTA Act, it also mentions about the other means of delivery. So if you compare the two Acts, the only difference is that, in the PPA, the additional means is by way of publication in the Gazette plus also the serving of notices to an employee of family. So he is right in the sense that it is slightly more elaborate for PPA. But the other means are all there. Therefore, we believe that both notice serving procedures provided in both Acts are adequate to enable the effective discharge of the law. Sir, let me now turn to Mr Jeyaretnam's point. He is concerned about clause 6 and also the immobilising, seizure and detention of vehicles in clause 9. He thinks that this is against presumption of innocence. I do not think so. The authorities are given powers in discharging their responsibilities to do certain things. For instance, if LTA suspects that a car on the road is not safe, LTA has the power to detain the car.”
“First, Mr Chay asked why is it that you cannot arrest a person at his home, and why do you need to resort to detaining or seizing the vehicle. As I said, there are limitations to the resources that we have, and the numbers are just increasing too large. So there is a need for more effective measures. Mr Chay is questioning whether it is effective. But, obviously, the rest of the Members think that it is very severe. So we think that it would be effective. And when we talk about seizing the vehicle, it does not mean that you need to seize it only in the homes. For LTA, the area of jurisdiction will be the roads and the public parking places. For the Police, because Police has jurisdiction also in private premises, therefore, they can arrest the person, and they can seize or immobilise the vehicle in the homes and other areas under their jurisdiction. Members also raised a point on how do we differentiate the driver from the owner. Let me say that there is a current procedure. The current procedure is that whenever a person commits an offence, usually the vehicle number is recorded, and the authority will write to the registered owner and ask whether the offender is the registered owner or somebody else. So if it is somebody else, then by law he has to furnish the information and the Authority will go after the offender. Therefore, there will not be a problem because if the registered owner is not the offender, his vehicle will not be targeted. So it is as simple as that. Mr Chay also asked about the VEP. VEP violations will not result in demerit points. So the question of whether it is the driver or owner will not arise. What LTA will do is that it will recover any fines or unpaid fees from cars upon exiting the Checkpoints. So it is very much like a parking system.”