Khaw Boon Wan
Singapore
“Motor vehicle dealerships and showrooms have been closed since the start of the circuit breaker. As COE bidding is done mostly by the motor vehicle dealers on behalf of prospective owners, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) suspended COE bidding for the months of April and May.”
“Though stressed by the financial pain, they press on with the immediate priority of fighting the virus and supporting essential services. Post-pandemic, we will see how public transport evolves. Will demand for public transport services simply return to the pre-pandemic level?”
“Under our rail financing framework, the Government fully pays for the cost of building new rail lines. In other words, we do not recover the cost of building the Cross Island Line (CRL) from commuters through fares. The CRL project is being implemented and the final costs will depend on tender bids.”
“There are around 5,000 private bus operators with a combined fleet of 13,500 private buses. As we do not track the number of private bus trips and passengers, we do not have data on their carbon emissions.”
“There are nursing rooms at 50% of our bus interchanges. We will provide nursing rooms at all new bus interchanges and integrated transport hubs. For the MRT network, we will provide nursing rooms at all new interchange stations. We will also explore providing such facilities when MRT stations undergo upgrading.”
“Over the last three years, Singapore carriers have reported a total of 20 incidents of food allergies on board their flights. None required the use of epinephrine or emergency flight diversions.”
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“Therefore, commuters using 99% of such journeys will get to enjoy faster time and cheaper fares. For example, for an adult commuter travelling between Farrer Park and Newton, their fares have come down from $1.09 to $0.93. This is a saving of 15%. DTL2 has saved them both time and cost. However, for a few station pairs, such as Bukit Panjang-Newton and Bukit Panjang-Bugis, PTC has used the old NSEW Line routing to compute the fares so as to ensure that no commuters need to pay higher fares as a result of DTL2. This directly benefits our seniors and disabled, while the fares for all other commuters do not increase. In fact, by adopting this method, it benefits the seniors largely living near Bukit Panjang station. At first, I thought it was in Mayor Teo Ho Pin's constituency but it has turned out to be Mr Liang's constituency. This method of computation by PTC therefore benefits the seniors and the disabled living in Mr Liang's constituency, without causing any additional cost to all the other commuters. In fact, the other commuters also benefit because of time-saving. If you take DTL2 from Bukit Panjang to Chinatown or wherever, the savings sometimes can be half an hour or 25 minutes. Understandably, this approach by PTC gives rise to some inconsistency, some anomaly, in the fare framework. But PTC did so in order to take care of the interests of the more vulnerable commuter groups amongst us. I think it is a commendable principle on the part of PTC.”
“Madam, fares should be based on the actual distance covered by commuters. However, different commuters may take different routes on different MRT lines to connect between two stations. To compute the fare, the Public Transport Council (PTC) uses the route which enables the shortest time of travel. Before Downtown Line 2 (DTL2), commuters travelling from Bukit Panjang to Newton or Bugis would have had to use the North-South East-West (NSEW) Lines. With DTL2, a faster route is now available. Logically, PTC should then use this DTL2 routing to compute the fares. Unfortunately, while this would mean lower fares for adult commuters, it would result in higher fares for two other groups of commuters: the seniors and the disabled. Fares from Bukit Panjang to Newton or Bugis for these two vulnerable groups are currently $0.88 based on the NSEW Lines routing. Had PTC used the DTL2 routing, our seniors and disabled would have had to pay a higher fare of $0.92. This is because of the way their concessionary fares are calculated and capped, coupled with the fact that higher fares are charged for travel on completely underground MRT lines like DTL2 where the stations are all air-conditioned, which incurs higher operating costs. PTC has, therefore, applied an additional fare charging principle: it will use the route for fare calculation only if all commuters will enjoy lower or the same fares. For DTL2, this is, indeed, the case for almost all journeys. With DTL2, with so many stations, it is quite easy to work out different permutations, how many possible journeys can be generated – something like 11,000 possible journeys. Actually, 99% of the journeys will be based on the distance approach to calculating fares.”
“So, maybe that is the reason. I believe I have answered the questions, Madam.”
“I suppose you can. But, Madam, as you probably know, I have been spending a lot of my time visiting depots because I wanted to talk to the people on the ground and also see their working life. The first time I visited one depot, I was curious to look at their warehouse where they stocked all the spare parts. It was a huge place. They have to make use of automated warehousing with computerised forklifts to move the stock. I asked, "How many items?" It is a five-digit figure. Tens of thousands of components, which just shows how complex a train system is. So, if you publish for each item and track when you are going to replace this, and so on, I think it would be such a mass of data that I do not think it conveys much useful information. The bottom line is this. Rail reliability is an engineering problem. Let us let our engineers solve it the engineers' way. As users, commuters, commentators and some armchair critics, you can just look at it from the outcome point of view; say to yourself, "When I need a train, is it there?" Yes, we are not quite where we want it to be, but we are making improvements. This is a top priority for myself, for my Ministry. Members could just look at me; look at my hair! I think it is mess of duckweed, multiple colours! I promised my wife last night that I will make time to go and dye it before Chinese New Year. Just to conclude the story. Yesterday, I talked about my cholesterol. This morning, when I went to see the cardiologist, I expected it. He upped my dosage again. Over lunch just now, I was chatting with some colleagues and they asked, "Well, what has changed in the last few months?" They asked if I had changed my lifestyle or diet. I said, "No, nothing". But I can think of one change, which is I changed my job.”
“We are now often in situations where parts are replaced, not because they are going to reach or about to expire, but because of obsolescence. Just this morning, I read an industry article talking about German trains. The knowledgeable analyst made a comment that because trains took many years to manufacture and trains nowadays contain a lot of electronic components, and, dramatising a little, he said that there are occasions when as soon as a new train is delivered to the operator, some of the components are already in obsolescence, to the extent that the supplier of the components may no longer maintain them. The report talked about the development in Germany where they have an engineering firm who decided to set up a factory to take care of these obsolescent components where no more suppliers want to deal with them. In layman terms, you know that some of the early-generation PCs are still functional but nobody maintains them anymore. In that case, the operators do have some problems. In short, sometimes, we have to replace before the expiry date, even though they are still functioning, because of obsolescence and sometimes, better, more reliable and easier to maintain parts are now available. That is the situation we are working in. On asset replacement and who does it, that depends on ownership. If I own the assets, then, I take charge and I decide on when I should replace them. But you must have a reason if you want to vary or adopt a particular approach, to decide if you want to keep it for a longer or shorter time. There must be valid engineering reasons for doing so and that has to be captured and explained if you are confronted by the regulator. The Member asked can we publish KPIs for every component: when are you going to replace this, and so on and so forth?”
“I thank the Member for the questions. It is quite a number of questions, but actually my reply has contained the essence of what I wanted to say. Trains are a very complicated system, much more complicated than, say, cars that most people are familiar with. Madam, I hope the Member was in this House when my GRC colleague, Minister Ong Ye Kung, gave his speech, which I thought was an excellent speech. He talked about evolution and the way going forward. He said we should have "faster legs, bigger hearts and wiser minds", and in particular, the point about wiser minds. His point was that when things are simpler, it is possible to distill it into one figure or one rule, and then, we just go "law by law". But when the situation becomes more complicated, then you would require judgement, which requires hands-on experience and with time, you will develop judgement because you cannot just simply go "law by law". So, if we applied it to preventive maintenance, cars, especially new cars during their first five years, it is simple. Anyone who buys a car knows that the dealer will give him a book: first 5,000 kilometres, send the car into a workshop; the next 10,000 kilometres, do this; the following 10,000 kilometres, do that. When it becomes more complicated, like a train, which requires interactions between many components, systems and parts, it is no longer so straightforward. That is why I said that a manufacturer's recommendation is just a reference, a guide. Specifically, when do you replace it? That must take into account various other factors which are included in my reply. In fact, we have gone beyond this. It is just no longer a case of "Well, just replace those parts because manufacturers say year x".”
“Mdm Speaker, the recommended lifespan of train components and systems is taken into account when decisions have to be made as regard their replacement. In practice, many components are replaced before their expiry, for safety and reliability reasons. This is because how long they will actually last depends on many other factors, such as how often they are used, how they are treated and maintained, as well as the operating environment. It is the responsibility of the train operators to make this detailed assessment and replace deteriorated components earlier than their end of life if necessary, to maintain the safety, reliability and performance of the system. This is especially so for critical components and those with safety implications. This expectation of the operators is set out in the Rapid Transit Systems Act, the Licence Agreement with the operators and the Code of Practice on Maintenance, amongst others. To further ensure timely replacement and upgrades, LTA has been working with the operators to install condition-monitoring tools – tools that can continuously monitor the condition of the components that they are interested in – as well as sensors, when they become available in the market. They also jointly monitor and analyse data and trends to try to anticipate any asset deterioration so as to eliminate such risks. LTA will continue to work with the operators to further tighten the maintenance and replacement regime. This is a top priority for us.”
“This time round, I got back my blood results a few days ago. Unfortunately, it exceeded the targeted range. So, I am keeping my fingers crossed that, hopefully, the very aggressive dosage will not be raised further. Anti-cholesterol drug is the same thing as ERP.”
“Mdm Speaker, I hope so, too. I live in the north. In fact, the Member used to be my Member of Parliament and a very good one. I always say, "My favourite Member of Parliament – Er Dr Lee Bee Wah." She was my Member of Parliament two general elections ago, but because of the boundary changes, she is no longer my Member of Parliament. I am happy to let her know that my neighbours continue to remember her fondly. And there is a reason for it – because she always conveys very strong feedback from the residents, like the case of CTE and ERP. As I use CTE often enough, whether speeds improve or deteriorate, I have first-hand knowledge. But for ERP fee setting at each quarterly adjustment, we rely on the speed data which machines generate. As I have said, those data have not yet justified a reduction. But we hope that maybe with, for example, the new interchange which the Member talked about, speeds may enter the targeted range in a very definitive way – then there will be scope for adjustments. Mdm Speaker, you may know that I am a heart patient, I have a chronic heart disease. I had open heart surgery more than five years ago. Since then, I have to face my cardiologist regularly. In fact, I will be seeing him tomorrow. A few days before each consultation, I will have to do a fasting blood test. Each time, I hope that my bad cholesterol reading will be in the optimal range so that the doctor can remove the very high dosage of statin that he prescribes for me. Last year, when I went for my consultation, my results were better than the preferred range, which is very aggressive: LDL must be below 1.8 mmol/l and mine was 1.7. So, I said, "Doctor, this time round, you can remove it". He said, "No. If I remove it, who knows? It may go up again." So, same dosage.”
“Madam, the Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) policy helps to manage traffic congestion during peak hours and maintain optimal traffic speeds. Even with the evening ERP along the northbound Central Expressway (CTE), current traffic speeds are at the lower end of the targeted speed. In fact, speeds dropped below 45 kilometres per hour between 6.30 pm and 7.00 pm. Page: 25 If we remove the evening ERP, we will see even slower speeds and more traffic congestion. Er Dr Lee Bee Wah (Nee Soon): I thank the Minister for his answer. With the completion of the interchange, that means there is a new exit from CTE to Seletar West Link. Many of the residents use the exit there and, so, there is an alternative for them. The observation from the residents is that the speed along the CTE actually has eased because you have an additional interchange linking the three expressways. And that is why we are hoping for the monitoring of the speed again since the opening of the new interchange and see whether or not we can remove the evening ERP.”
“With the support and partnership of Singaporeans, we hope to forge a society where people will give their cars a break and choose instead to "Walk, Cycle, Ride Singapore". Page: 56”
“Ang Mo Kio and Tampines will pilot a fully integrated and seamless walking and cycling network. Kampong Bugis will pilot new design concepts for private developments that facilitate seamless walking and cycling, while Bidadari Town will have a walking greenway and cycling paths connecting to its two MRT stations. Our aspiration is also motivated by the desire for safer streets. We can go a long way towards a future of zero road fatalities by designing streets for the more vulnerable users – children, the elderly and other pedestrians – rather than cars. To this end, we plan to have more "silver zones" and "school zones" that allow the elderly and vulnerable to move about safely. We will build on these concepts for the town centres and our city centre as well, to create a more pleasant and safe walking experience for everyone. For longer distance connectivity, we will reconfigure the planned North-South Expressway to be part of a "North-South Corridor" that will include express bus lanes and a cycling trunk route to the city. We will restore Bencoolen Street, upon completion of the Downtown Line, with wide pedestrian paths and a dedicated cycling lane to connect to Rochor Canal and Bukit Timah to the north and to the city centre to the south, amongst other cycling connectivity improvements like the Queenstown-City Link and the Bishan-Kallang Link. Looking further ahead, self-driving vehicle technology will enable new concepts of mobility. We are planning and conducting trials and simulation studies to facilitate their future deployment, which will complement and radically improve the public transport experience, for example, in the first and last mile.”
“Page: 55 Our aspiration is for walking, cycling and riding public transport to become the way of life for Singaporeans. Improving rail reliability will continue to be our top priority. LTA and the operators will be recruiting many additional engineers and technicians in order to further enhance maintenance capacity and capabilities. It will be implementing more stringent maintenance requirements to better detect deficiencies upstream. Major renewal works for the North-South and East-West Lines will be completed by 2018, which will further improve their reliability. In addition, the service levels of existing MRT lines and public buses will be raised further in the next five years. Bus regularity and punctuality, for example, will see marked improvement under the bus contracting industry model. At the same time, the expansion of our public transport capacity continues apace. The Government is investing heavily in public transport, with a projected $36 billion in capital expenditure in the next five years. We are on track to double our rail network to 360 kilometres in the next 15 years, with a new line or MRT extension opening almost every year between now and 2021. By then, there will be an MRT station within a five-minute walk from any location in the central area, and eight in 10 households will be within a 10-minute walk of a station by 2030. Our transport network is also planned to enable the development of alternative business districts outside of the city centre, where jobs will be closer to homes. New housing estates will be designed and existing estates retrofitted towards this "Walk, Cycle, Ride" aspiration. Over the next five years, we will quadruple the length of covered walkways and build dedicated cycling paths in more towns.”
“A growing number of cities are also decisively moving their transportation model away from private cars, for an improved urban environment and higher quality of life. We should, too. We will further strengthen the competitiveness of our air and sea hubs. To this end, we are undertaking major infrastructure projects. Changi Airport Terminal 4 and Jewel Changi Airport are on track to commence operations in 2017 and 2019 respectively, while Pasir Panjang Terminal Phases 3 and 4 will grow our seaport capacity by more than 40% come end-2017. In the longer term, the first set of berths of the new Tuas Terminal will be ready by 2021. Changi Airport Terminal 5 is expected to be completed in the second half of the 2020s while a three-runway system will be in place in the early 2020s. Second, we will focus on innovative design and cutting-edge technology that maximises the efficiency and productivity of our air and sea ports. Our new infrastructure projects offer the best opportunities to do so, but we will also retrofit existing facilities. Third, we will deepen the services, capabilities and skills that anchor our competitiveness as a global aviation and maritime hub. We will continue to build up a comprehensive ecosystem of services and companies which make up Maritime Singapore. We will invest even more in air traffic management capabilities to remain top of the class, capable of providing the highest standards of safe and efficient air traffic services in our busy and complex airspace. We will continue to work with the industry, unions and educational institutions to train and develop Singaporeans so that they can seize the exciting and rewarding career opportunities in the aviation and maritime sectors.”
“Our mission is to connect Singaporeans from doorstep to destination in Singapore and to the rest of the world. Our aviation and maritime sectors are the lifeline of Singapore's economy. They provide the global connectivity needed by companies and keep Singapore at the heart of international business and trade. They ensure our attractiveness as a global city, facilitating the flow of people, goods, services and ideas. They contribute about 13% of our GDP and more than 330,000 jobs. We cannot take this for granted. We face increasing competition from new hubs, market restructuring and alternative flight and shipping routes. We face strong headwinds, such as the heightened security environment and the global economic slowdown, which will also affect the growth of our airport and seaport and, hence, the livelihoods of Singaporeans. Within Singapore, we have laid the foundations for a public transport system that is reliable, convenient and affordable. We aim to have three out of four commuters take public transport as their main mode of travel by 2030 and at least 85% by the 2050s. We will support this shift by making it much easier to walk and cycle in Singapore, since this is how almost every public transport commuter gets to the MRT station or bus stop today. With safe and comfortable facilities, we hope, too, that Singaporeans will increasingly walk or cycle to neighbourhood amenities. Technology and innovation, such as self-driving vehicles, the sharing economy and new urban designs, will also support a new mobility paradigm that does not revolve around the private car. Indeed, a car-centric transport system is not sustainable in land-scarce Singapore. Already, one million private vehicles ply the roads today and 12% of our land is used for roads.”
“Public rental households are generally eligible to buy a new or resale flat. However, they may not be financially ready or cannot afford to buy a flat. Some of them also decide not to buy a flat because of their old age, or preference to stay in their current rental flat as they are familiar with the living environment. During the renewal of tenancies, the Housing and Development Board (HDB) will actively nudge tenants who are financially stable to buy a flat. Eligible tenants will also be encouraged to make use of the various housing grants to move on to home ownership. In the last three years, about 1,700 ex-rental tenants had moved into their home ownership flats. In addition, as of June 2015, 2,600 rental tenants had booked home ownership flats and are waiting for the completion of their flats.”
“Madam, when assigning priority, the Housing and Development Board (HDB) takes into account the housing needs of the buyers and also the prevailing demand and supply situation. The low application rates by families for 2-room Build-To-Order (BTO) flats have allowed us to do more for singles. We are now able to set aside half of the 2-room BTO flat supply in non-mature estates for singles. Singaporeans with foreign spouses and without a child are treated no differently from singles.”
“Madam, Studio Apartments (SAs) are targeted at elderly home owners who are right-sizing from a larger flat or private property. These buyers can pay for the SAs using their sale proceeds, with balance set aside for their retirement needs. There is no need for a housing loan. In any case, the Housing and Development Board (HDB) does not accept guarantor arrangements in offering housing loans. This is for prudence and to preempt disputes between the owner and guarantor in the event of default on the housing loan.”
“On average, about one-third of new Build-To-Order (BTO) residents approach the Building Service Centre (BSC) for assistance after collecting their keys. Design, Build and Sell Scheme (DBSS) projects are developed by different private developers who may offer varying fixtures and finishes for their projects. DBSS projects are not standardised. Hence, it is not meaningful to compare the rates of feedback on quality. Residents of DBSS developments who face issues with the quality of their flats may report them directly to the BSC managed by the developer during the one-year Defects Liability Period.”
“Housing and Development Board (HDB) car parks are provided primarily to serve the parking needs of the residents. Allowing commercial activities, such as the sale of food items, to be conducted in a dedicated season parking area could compromise the safety of the patrons and car park users and may also cause disamenities to residents Page: 151 living in the area. For these reasons, HDB has no plans to enable NEA-licensed mobile operators or other vendors to carry out their businesses in HDB car parks.”
“The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) licenses and registers all food importers and is able to impose import requirements on them. In addition to requiring each food consignment from Japan to be accompanied by a certificate of origin, stating which prefecture the food originates from, the food packaging also needs to be labelled with information, such as country of origin of food and contact information of the local importer. This is to ensure that the food products in the market are correctly labelled. To date, AVA’s active surveillance has not detected any case of Fukushima food products being mislabelled or repackaged and sold under other local brand names in Singapore. AVA continues to test food products from Japan. Since January 2013, AVA has not detected any radioactive contamination in food samples from Japan. Hence, it is not necessary to carry out research on the health effects of Fukushima food products on local consumers. Singapore does not tolerate any radioactive contaminants in food.”
“The requirement to use pre-packed waterproofing material for renovation of wet areas in HDB flats has been mandated since 2001. This requirement was extended to cover dry areas such as living rooms and bedrooms in view of the many benefits derived from the use of pre-packed material. They include higher quality of finished works, cleaner environment, higher productivity and lesser material wastage. In June 2014, the HDB Registered Renovation Contractors (RRCs) were informed of the intention for the change. They had a year from then until implementation of policy to adjust Page: 150 and to advise their clients accordingly. The mandatory requirement is consistently applied to all renovation carried out in existing and new HDB flats, regardless of the key collection dates.”
“In November 2014, the Housing and Development Board (HDB) converted the Married Child Priority Scheme (MCPS) from being chance-based to quota-based. With the enhancement, young couples who are first-time buyers have a significantly higher chance of securing a flat in mature estates near their parents, as we set aside 30% of the flat supply for them. In addition, among the MCPS applicants, we give first priority to two groups: (a) parents and married children who apply for a flat to live together under one roof in mature estates; and (b) parents who own a flat in mature estates applying for a flat in non-mature estates to live near their married child. As land for new flats in mature estates is limited, first-timer couples could consider buying an HDB resale flat to live with or near their parents and receive the higher-tier CPF Housing Grant of $40,000, which is $10,000 higher than the basic-tier amount. We are studying how we can further help those who wish to buy a resale flat near their parents. The Ministry of National Development is committed to fostering strong families and enabling family members to live near one another for mutual care and support.”
“Since 2008, about 100,000 first-timer applicants, comprising families and singles, have bought a new Housing and Develoment Board (HDB) flat through a Build-To-Order (BTO) or Sale of Balance Flats (SBF) exercise as shown in the table below. Among these successful applicants, about 50,400 (50%) have collected the keys to their flats and 6,700 (7%) will be collecting theirs later this year. We expect another 31,100 (31%) to collect their keys in 2016 or 2017, and the balance 11,800 (12%) after 2017. Over the same period, another 38,400 first-timer applicants were successful in receiving housing grants for the purchase of resale HDB flats.”
“The Home Improvement Programme (HIP) was introduced in 2007 with about 300,000 eligible flats. Since then, HIP has been announced for 140,000 flats. We have completed the HIP works in 41,000 flats, while works for another 66,000 flats are in progress. Last year, we announced the ramp-up of HIP from 35,000 to 50,000 flats a year. We have selected another 100,000 flats for implementation in 2015 and 2016. With the ramp-up, the Housing and Development Board expects to complete selection of all eligible flats by Page: 143 2018.”
“In February 2015, the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) worked with the Choa Chu Kang Town Council on a bird-deterrent gel trial to test the effectiveness of the gel in deterring roosting. The preliminary results were promising with a reduction in roosting and fewer cases of bird nuisance. AVA is monitoring the long-term effectiveness of the gel, especially over the migratory bird season which is generally from August to April. AVA will be better able to assess whether the gel continues to deter the birds from roosting after the end of the current migratory season in April 2016. If the gel is effective, AVA will work with Town Councils that are keen to use the gel as part of their long-term management of bird-related nuisance. Interested Town Councils would have to pay for the installation of the gel and ensure its maintenance and upkeep.”
“Living together requires mutual tolerance and understanding. Given the shared living arrangements, rental tenants should be considerate and provide mutual care and support to each other. In the event of a dispute, the Housing and Development Board (HDB) will advise them to settle their dispute amicably. Where necessary, HDB will enlist the help of the Residents Committees or the Community Mediation Centre to mediate. Applicants are encouraged to look for someone they know, such as a relative or a friend, to jointly rent a flat. HDB will also provide them with a list of single applicants or introduce them to other single tenants of a similar profile. Tenants may then contact these individuals before mutually agreeing to jointly rent a flat. HDB may allow a tenant to rent a flat on his own if there are extenuating circumstances, such as if the tenant has medical conditions.”
“The land parcel at Rivervale Crescent was originally safeguarded for a primary school. In 2013, the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) and Ministry of Education reviewed the distribution of school sites in Singapore. They concluded that there were sufficient primary schools in and around the Rivervale area, including Rivervale Primary School and North Spring Primary School. URA thus rezoned the land parcel for other uses. A portion of the parcel has been set aside for a park to provide a green space for residents to enjoy. The rest of the parcel has been rezoned for residential use, which is compatible with the predominantly residential nature of Rivervale Crescent. URA has considered other uses for the site but assessed that the residential use is the most compatible with surrounding developments.”
“From January 2014 to July 2015, the Council for Estate Agencies (CEA) received 12 complaints against five licensed estate agents which marketed foreign properties in Singapore. Three of the 12 complaints were found to be unsubstantiated as no fault or blame can be found on the part of the estate agents. Investigations into the other nine complaints are ongoing. Of these nine complaints, three involved the developers going into liquidation and the rest are related to contractual fees and investment returns issues. These complaints include the development not being carried out according to schedule and consumers being unable to get their deposits back from the developers after deciding to withdraw from the purchase and alleged misrepresentation by the estate agent.”
“The National Parks Board (NParks) has been receiving feedback on the constant misuse of car parks in some of our parks, where parking lots were taken up for extended periods of time by non-park users. To minimise misuse and safeguard parking lots for genuine park users, NParks had to implement charged parking at parks with high demand. This is no different from many other car parks whereby charges are imposed to Page: 128 regulate usage. NParks has received some feedback that this may discourage some park users who are drivers from visiting our parks. NParks will monitor the situation and consider whether it is necessary to make any adjustments. Park users are encouraged to also consider using public transport when visiting parks that have good public transport connection.”
“The granting of the Temporary Occupation Permit and the Certificate of Statutory Completion is dependent on the building meeting the respective regulatory requirements of agencies, such as the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) for fire safety, the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) for structural safety and the Public Utilities Board (PUB) for drainage and sewerage provisions. Disputes over defects, such as those related to design and workmanship, are governed by the terms of the sale and purchase (S&P) agreement between the developer and the buyer. While BCA cannot intervene in private contractual disputes, BCA will facilitate meetings, where possible, between the parties concerned to resolve such disputes. Additionally, buyers may also resolve their disputes with the developer through mediation. Currently, there are two organisations offering mediation services, namely, the Real Estate Developers' Association of Singapore (REDAS) and the Singapore Mediation Centre (SMC). For example, the REDAS Conciliation Panel deals with disputes specifically concerning workmanship, quality of materials used and/or obligations under the S&P agreement which arise during the defects liability period.”
“HDB blocks are built with void decks as a deliberate part of their design and are a common space to serve the interests and needs of the neighbourhood. The void deck, for instance, serves as a potential space for use to set up social and communal facilities benefiting the community. These include childcare centres, senior care centres as well as Residents' Centres. The supervising agency will assess the need for the facility, with input obtained from residents in the neighbourhood, grassroots leaders and the local Advisor through house-to-house visits, surveys and community events like block parties. The feedback collected is considered and evaluated carefully against the assessment of the most suitable locations in the context of the whole neighbourhood or precinct before a decision is made whether to proceed. As the community facilities are meant to serve residents in the area beyond just any single block, it is not practical to conduct formal polls only among residents living in the block where a facility is to be located. Town Council offices support the Town Councils' functions of managing and maintaining the estates. They may be located at HDB void decks if there are no suitable commercial premises available. Currently, Constituency Offices are not located at HDB void decks but at the Community Centres/Clubs.”
“Madam, I thought NEA has already announced that there will be a new hawker centre coming up in Bukit Batok.”
“Madam, the Member observed that there was speculation, using these two transactions. I doubt it because I checked the two cases. The seller of the Bukit Batok coffee shop had been there for 20 years before he sold it and the one in Hougang at least 10 years before he sold. So, these were clearly not speculators. In fact, they are operators. They actually operated the coffee stalls in the coffee shops. What are the concrete ways? I thought that was explained in my reply. Thirdly, could we force the shops to be sold back to HDB? I do not think, legally, I can do so.”
“In the past five-and-a-half years, there were 32 resale transactions involving coffee shops: 10 were below $5 million, 12 between $5 and $10 million, eight between $10 and $15 million. The two transactions at Hougang and Bukit Batok were clearly outliers, but these were market transactions between private entities. If they miscalculate and overpay and, hence, need to charge above market rentals or food prices, they are at risk of losing their tenants or customers and may become insolvent. We want our HDB residents to have access to affordable food. We do so through several means. First, HDB no longer sells its coffee shops; it only lets them out for rental. Second, we ensure a sufficient supply of coffee shops to maintain competition. For example, there are three other coffee shops near the transacted coffee shop in Bukit Batok and four other coffee shops and a new hawker centre next to the transacted coffee shop in Hougang. Third, HDB continues to build new coffee shops. For example, it will build 62 new coffee shops in the next three years. We are ready to further ramp up the supply if there is clear demand for it. In addition, NEA will be building 20 new hawker centres by 2027.”
“Yes, they are eligible, if they have a Citizen or Permanent Resident child.”
“Rooftop gardens at HDB multi-storey car parks (MSCP) provide greenery and recreational space for residents. HDB takes care to place facilities which may be noise-generating further from the flats to reduce potential dis-amenity. Plants are also provided close to the flats to address privacy concerns of the residents. Facilities within public housing estates are designed to be open and accessible to all. Similar to landscaped spaces on the ground, rooftop gardens are communal spaces for people to meet, mingle and interact with one another. They are not intended for the exclusive use of one group of residents. HDB works closely with the Singapore Police Force (SPF) to ensure safe and secure neighbourhoods. While there are no plans to install CCTV cameras at all MSCP roof gardens, such initiatives will be considered should there be security or crime concerns at these areas. As the existing roof gardens form part of the common property under the management and maintenance of the Town Councils, Town Councils could also liaise with SPF to assess the viability of installing CCTV cameras at localised areas where there are safety and security concerns, especially those covering the ingress and egress into existing blocks.”
“The Singapore Improvement Trust (SIT) blocks were built in the 1950s and are being vacated to allow the area to be developed for higher-density housing as it is near an MRT station. As we redevelop the area, we will study ways to retain some of its distinctive identity and character.”
“The Community Improvement Projects Committee (CIPC) provides funding support for improvement projects in HDB estates for the benefit of local residents. Such facilities include covered walkways, footpaths, cycling tracks and playgrounds. CIPC funding is disbursed through the Citizens’ Consultative Committees (CCCs). CCCs are close to the ground and can help identify projects which will be most useful for the residents and, through that process, strengthen bonds within the community. CIPC allocates its budget to the CCCs each year based on the number of HDB residential units of each Town. CCCs have the flexibility to allocate their notional budget and prioritise projects within their Towns based on local needs and which will be most useful for the residents. Town Councils may approach their respective CCCs if they have any enquiries or proposals.”
“Private residential property owners (PPOs) are allowed to buy a resale HDB flat, but they are required to dispose of their private property within six months from the date of the resale flat purchase. This is to reinforce the principle that HDB flats are for long-term owner-occupation. This is also to dampen the demand for resale flats from buyers with no urgent need of housing.”
“The present system of refuse bins placed outside individual homes is a practical method of waste collection. It is convenient for residents and does not require land to be set aside for centralised collection points. As for local disamenities which may arise from this system, the National Environment Agency's licensing framework for waste collectors contains regulations, such as on collection timings, which minimise disruption to residents and ensure a satisfactory standard of waste collection. However, some precincts have unique characteristics which may favour centralised waste collection. If there is strong interest from local residents for common waste collection points to be provided there, we are prepared to consider the proposal.”
“After a significant ramp up in BTO supply, we have cleared the first-timer demand backlog and the resale market is moderating nicely. This has allowed us to start tapering our BTO supply last year. This year, we have settled on a BTO supply of about 15,000 flats. We are studying the BTO supply for 2016 and will announce the details when ready. Page: 156”
“We have to site construction staging grounds along the coastline to allow the transfer of excavated materials to barges for subsequent disposal at offshore sites. We also need to spread out the staging grounds to facilitate disposal of the excavated materials from construction projects across the island. The Marina East staging ground is one of three locations found suitable, with the other two being at Changi and at Tuas. It is a temporary staging ground and is segregated from the existing residential area with planting of trees along Fort Road. LTA has also adopted a series of measures to minimise disamenities to road users in the vicinity of the staging ground. First, adequate queue bays are provided within the staging ground so that trucks do not overflow into public roads. Page: 155 Second, LTA has significantly enhanced the throughput of the staging ground so as to minimise the queue of trucks. Third, LTA has reduced truck volumes at Marina East Staging Ground by diverting some trucks to the site at Changi East.”
“NParks provides for recreational activities in the Nature Reserves, so long as they do not cause serious damage to the environment. NParks has developed hiking trails, boardwalks, a tree top walk, a viewing tower and other visitor amenities in the Reserves. We have about 1.2 million visitors per year. Page: 154 NParks also allows higher impact activities like mountain biking, in the Nature Parks, which act as green buffers for the Nature Reserves. For example, NParks developed the Bukit Timah Mountain Bike Trail that runs through Hindhede Nature Park and Dairy Farm Nature Park, so that bikers can enjoy the forested ambience. This minimises the impact on the adjacent Bukit Timah Nature Reserve. The Butterfly Trail in the Central Catchment Nature Reserve is currently closed due to the ongoing construction of Chestnut Nature Park, which is next to the Trail. NParks is studying the use of the Trail further. In the meantime, there will be trails for mountain biking and other activities at the new Chestnut Nature Park. With these, we will have a total of 30 kilometres of biking trails in our parks and nature areas. Our Nature Reserves are for all Singaporeans. They must be managed sustainably, as their ecosystems are fragile. The Reserves are home to more than 1,000 plant species and 500 animal species. Many are endangered and found only in the Reserves. With careful planning of the activities within and around them, our natural heritage can be enjoyed by all, both now and in the future.”
“This is something for the local Town Council to decide, after taking into account the net savings in their operating cost as a result of the Greenprint project. They will also have to consider the rising cost of the other components of Town Council’s operation. Greenprint helps but it is still a small component of the total Town Council’s annual expenditure.”
“Service yards provided in HDB flats are semi-open spaces for residents to hang their clothes. They also come with water and electrical points and space for a washing machine. The design of the service yard does take into consideration the safety and general security of the residents. For example, the parapet height is 1.1 metres, above the safety barrier height requirement of 1 metre set by the Building & Construction Authority. There is a door between the service yard and the kitchen and it can be locked from the inside of the flat to address safety aspects. Additionally, flat owners who wish to put in more safety measures, like installing window grilles, can apply to HDB for approval.”
“Tree pruning is done primarily to maintain the health of the trees and remove weak branches for public safety. Trees along roadsides are also pruned for vehicular clearance. It is not advisable to prune trees excessively as it can affect their health and reduce their ability to withstand strong winds. When NParks receives requests from the public for trees to be pruned, trained officers will assess if this is needed, and if so, work with their contractors on what needs to be done. These contractors are required to send their workers for formal training under the Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) System for Landscape. Their key technical supervisors are also required to be trained and certified by the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA), which is the world’s largest professional body for arboriculture.”
“In the past 12 months, AVA received 6,694 feedback on bird nuisance. Addressing bird nuisance requires cooperation and coordination amongst members of the public, the Town Councils and Government agencies, including AVA and NEA. AVA is the First Responder for animal-related feedback, and will then work with the relevant agencies on an appropriate and coordinated response. Specifically for the pigeon nuisance at Sembawang Drive, a successful response requires the pigeon feeders to cease their pigeon feeding activities. This requires public education and effective enforcement both by AVA and the Town Council. Separately, the Town Council will need to manage and control the pigeon population. We also require NEA to ensure proper food waste management at the food establishments and enforce against littering offences. Community Page: 152 and grassroots leaders can help by educating residents not to feed the birds. In 2012, AVA commissioned a study on the ecology and population management of mynahs by the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research (NUS), now known as the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum. The study was concluded in June 2013 and AVA is currently doing trials on the various recommendations in the report. For example, AVA worked with the Choa Chu Kang Town Council in February 2015 to install a bird deterrent gel as a trial. The preliminary results were promising as the gel deterred birds from roosting, reducing incidences of bird nuisance. If it is confirmed to be effective, AVA will work with relevant stakeholders to extend it to other sites. Addressing bird nuisance requires joint efforts. In particular, it is important that residents do not feed birds and thereby encourage their population growth.”
“Between 2005 and 2014, 59,100 first-time HDB flat owners fully paid up their HDB loans. Among them, about 50,000 (85%) continued to own their flats. Another 5% sold their flat and moved to a larger flat or private property before the age of 55. 1,100 did so before the age of 40, 800 between age 40 and 44, 500 between age 45 and 49, and 200 between age 50 and 54.”
“There are about 44,000 heavy vehicle parking lots for 35,000 heavy vehicles. Businesses use these heavy vehicles to transport goods, machinery and people. That is why most of the parking lots are found in industrial estates at premises where Page: 145 businesses operate. Naturally, these parking spaces are managed by the private sector.”