Yong Nyuk Lin
Singapore
“Sir, it gives mc a chance to say again that the modified plan cannot be accepted at this stage. But it does give me the opportunity to answer another point which was raised by the Member for Ton Payoh and which I have missed in my answer, i.e, that the fringe area car parks would not be utilized at night.”
“I am sorry, Sir, for failing to answer all the questions raised by the Member for Sembawang. As regards the full implementation of the recommendations of the White Paper which was meant to be completed by the middle of 1973, I can only say that it was not a 100% implementation of all the recommendations.”
“He said that they threw the mail on the floor. Here again, unless a complaint is lodged, we can do little about it because all postmen and postwomen are being told how to behave and to extend courtesy, and what the correct procedure is and methods of delivery of mail.”
“" And if, God forbid, priority national needs should one day call for a limitation of circulation of automobiles or any other measure, no one would then regard it as an intolerable sacrifice. "For in a society where humanism regains fully its rights, the automobile should not constitute an end in itself," Mr Graber said.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, it is regrettably true that after many of the estimates for Paya Lebar Airport had been voted, revotes had to be asked for. The reason is that it has taken a long time to get all these development proposals started. They are development proposals really, Sir, and plans have got to be drawn and checked.”
“In these circumstances, I hope it will be appreciated that they are stretching themselves far and wide, and there is always a limit to what a human being can do I can assure him that we will continue to enforce the regulations as far as it is humanly possible before getting a complaint from the Member for Sembawang who says that our enfor…”
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“This will also help to wipe out the accumulation of time off mentioned by the Member for Telok Blangah. Firstly, the provision for 1,688 posts in this year's vote represents an increase of 159 posts or ten per cent over that authorised for the current year. Secondly, 104 out of these 159 posts are in respect of the grade affected by the accumulation in time off, which represents approximately 42,000 man-hours. The total overtime hours worked per month is over 1l,000 and the net average accumulation of time off per month is around 1,800 hours. The additional complement of staff will enable present overtime duties to be well covered and enable time off to be granted while leaving a sufficient margin for anticipated traffic growth over the year. Thirdly, I am very pleased to say that for the first time the department is well ahead on recruitment. The Public Service Commission has just completed an exercise to recruit over 250 Telecommunications clerical assistants and technicians. This will wipe out the present vacancy position as well as fill the 159 new posts now coming up for approval before the House. The department should be able to have a full complement of staff by May this year. A crash training programme is being arranged which will enable the new staff to be trained and put into operating position some time in August. It is anticipated that the long overdue time off can be granted thereafter. Fourthly, it is likely that the 24 vacancies in the vote for telegraph messengers will be filled by June, by which period time off for messengers can be granted thereafter. Fifthly, should our present staffing position still prove to be inadequate, it may well happen that the rate of development will again double what it was last year. We cannot say.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, may I first reply to the remarks made by the Member for Telok Blangah before I reply to the Member for Potong Pasir. I appreciate his concern over the staffing position in the Telecommunications Department. May I first explain why there was such an unfortunate accumulation of time off last year? Firstly, the Department has experienced a vacancy position of about nine per cent during the year. This was at a time when the work of the Telecommunications Department was expanding at an unusually high rate. It is all right if there has been no increased tempo in business. But the activity was as high as 22 per cent in terms of the overall gross revenue income. This is a fair yardstick to measure the progress of a department. The growth in international traffic has in fact been spectacular. For example, the international telephone traffic increased by 38 per cent. The medium-range maritime telephone service, which includes the offshore oil industry requirements, went up by 64 per cent, and the international telex traffic increased by 66 per cent. This is a galloping rate of development. It is most unusual. In order to satisfy public demand to the best of its ability and with certain reasonably acceptable standards, the department had no alternative but to cover all vacant positions through overtime from the existing staff. With the provision in the current Estimates before the House and the steps that have already been taken to increase the staff by recruitment, there are good expectations that during the coming year we should have adequate staff. I did not use the word "shall"; I said "should". I am always hopeful, but things may not happen as we wish. The staff will cover not only all normal requirements but also the expected high growth rate.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I am grateful to the Member for Mountbatten for highlighting this point of uniforms for the Postal Department and I can say that the department has anticipated his query. There is, in fact, a review now being made to ascertain what improvements can be made to the design and material of the uniforms for the Postal Department. Mr Ng Yeow Chong(In Mandarin): Sir, I thank the Minister for his reply, and I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The following amendments stood in the name of Mr P. Govindaswamy - (6) That the sum to be allocated for Head 0705 be reduced by $10 in respect of item (1) of subhead 3001. (7) That the sum to be allocated for Head 0705 be reduced by $10 in respect of item (3) of subhead 3001.”
“Sir, there are two types of licensed stamp vendors. One type operates in remote areas where facilities for the purchase of stamps are not readily available. They are paid a commission of two per cent of the stamp value, subject to a maximum commission of $5 in any one month. The other type undertakes the sale of stamps in their premises as an added service or attraction to their customers. No commission is paid to this type of licensee. There are at present 57 licensed stamp vendors in operation.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, since we have decided to ask the National Productivity Centre to proceed with this one-year study, I shall convey to it the advice tendered by the Member for Anson - that what is needed is practical advice and not theoretical advice.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I am grateful to the Member for Telok Blangah for pointing out where he got the mysterious 39 officers. It is true that the information is found in the Memorandum on the Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure of Singapore. Had he quoted it, it would have been easier to follow his line of thinking. This refers to temporary staff because the Postal Savings Bank is now part of the Postal Department. If and when the Savings Bank becomes a corporation, those temporary staff who have been employed to cope with the increased number of accounts in the Post Office Savings Bank will then become part of the staff of the corporation, but later on they will be given the opportunity to opt either to remain with the Savings Bank as a statutory organisation or revert to the Postal Department. This is just like in accounts where you have a debit and a credit entry. It is only a book entry. As to whether the staff in the Postal Department may be given the opportunity to get out of a closed service, this is a very big issue and I do not think the Member really expects me to give him an answer. It should really be the privilege of the Minister for Finance, who is in charge of the Establishment and the Treasury, to give an answer. May I just say that I will send the Member's query across to my colleague.”
“Since this is a closed service, again it is an establishment matter. My colleague the Minister for Finance will be in a position to answer this at a later stage. Can senior civil servants from other departments be transferred to the Postal Department? If the department is a closed service, I cannot see how senior officers from other Ministries could be transferred to the Postal Department. Can it be this -this is an assumption - perhaps the new Postmaster-General is assumed to be someone who was not in the Postal Department, but from the Immigration Department being transferred to the Postal Department? This new acting Postmaster-General has always been a Postal Department man, but a request was made for him to be transferred out to be the Controller of Immigration at a time when it was difficult to find a suitable officer to head this important and strategic post. I must say that the senior officers in the Postal Department, including the Ministry of Communications, were strongly opposed to his transfer out. I had to over-ride official objection and say, "We must allow our senior official in the Postal Department to be given this opportunity to head the Immigration Department." I think it reflected great credit on the Postal Department that an officer in that department was found worthy to head the Immigration Department in another Ministry, and he had served at least one full year in the Immigration Department. It was only when the substantive holder of the post of Postmaster-General decided that he wanted to retire that we had to recall this particular officer to look after the Postal Department. I hope, Sir, that I have answered the questions of the Members to their satisfaction.”
“The number of postmen who resigned not for last year but over a period of years, was: for 1967 - three, for 1968 10, 1969 six, and 1970 - 20. Most of those who resigned in 1970 had less than a year's service and they left for alternative employment elsewhere. Finally, Members of the House may recall that legislation was enacted on the first of this month requiring the installation of letter boxes in high-rise buildings. This major step will make for more efficient delivery of mails. There are a few other questions raised by the Member for Anson upon which I would like to touch. He mentioned that the post of Chief Inspector of Postmen has been vacant and left unfilled, and the present incumbent has been acting one year after another. This question of filling the post is an establishment matter and the procedure rests with the Public Service Commission. If it is found by the Public Service Commission that there is no suitable candidate, then there is no confirmation of the appointment. This is as far as I can go. I do not decide who should be the Chief Inspector of Postmen. The creation of more Postal Higher Clerical Officer posts to enhance promotion prospects for Postal Clerical Assistants is also an establishment matter. The Member for Telok Blangah has supplied information to the effect that he understands that 39 officers from the Post Office Savings Bank, which will be converted into a corporation soon, will be reverted to the postal services. He wants me to confirm whether this is true or false. I am afraid I am not aware of this information. I do not know where he got his grapevine information from, but even then this would be an establishment matter. Would postal clerks be allowed to transfer to other departments?”
“Since then 39 new bicycles have been purchased, 19 for replacement. For the next financial year, a further 56 new bicycles will be purchased. 42 of which will be for replacement. Minor repairs are now undertaken at nearby bicycle repair shops instead of being sent as hitherto to the post office garage. Every little small item of repair had previously to be referred to the post office garage instead of being attended to immediately at the nearest bicycle repair shop. This ensures a quicker return to service. 3.00 p.m. Unfortunately, locally-made bicycles have been found to be of very poor quality and there were frequent breakdowns. That is why even the factory has closed down! Better quality bicycles are now being purchased. I notice that my colleague the Minister for Home Affairs is having a good time over this subject. He probably has the same problem - too much dependence on poor locally-produced products. As for motor-cycles, the department has 10 machines, one bought in October 1970, for the Punggol/Tampines area. For the coming year, eight new motor-cycles will be purchased, five for replacement and three for new beats for the General Post Office Express Delivery, Taman Jurong and Bukit Panjang. I wish to assure Members of the House that a review is being undertaken by the Postmaster-General with the object of increasing motorisation for speedier mail delivery. With reference to the query of the Member for Telok Blangah that there are 29 postmen vacancies as at 15th March this year, action is in hand to fill them. As regards the high turnover of staff, may I provide some statistics that the position is not as alarming as put by the Member for Telok Blangah?”
“I would be less than candid if I were to deny that the study is long overdue. For it is true that the Postal Department has unfortunately remained basically unchanged for many decades. I can assure Members that the forthcoming N. P. C, study is intended to remedy the situation. The Members for Sembawang, Anson and Telok Blangah will therefore note that we are fully aware of the problems and have not been idle about these matters. In fact, the new Postmaster-General has taken immediate action to correct certain inadequacies wherever feasible. However, to return to the specific complaints raised by Members of Parliament concerning late delivery and mis-delivery of mail, these things can happen in any postal service. The volume of mail traffic has increased greatly over the years. In 1969, 219 million items of mail were handled by the department and this has increased to 239 million items last year. Although late deliveries and mis-deliveries do happen from time to time, this, of course, is not to be taken as an excuse. Mail delivery, as the Member for Anson is aware, is a complex process. It is not just taking it from here and handing it over to the other person. Where possible, the Postmaster-General has taken action to remove any shortcomings with available resources. However, this is one area which the N. P. C, will look into, and I have no doubt that the system will be considerably improved in the near future. The Member for Anson complained that the postmen have been overloaded with work and that there are not enough bicycles and motor-cycles for speedy mail delivery. Furthermore, these machines frequently break down and take a long time to repair. With regard to the complaint about bicycles and motor-cycles, the department had 328 bicycles at the close of 1970.”
“Finally, the training facilities were also considered inadequate for a department as large as our Postal Department. The preliminary report next recommended that there should be a full study and that the areas that should be covered are as follows: management and organisation structure, procedures, mail handling, parcel branch, inventory control, filing systems and record retention, sub-post offices, training school, transportation, job evaluation, regional centres and other development plans. This full study is expected to take a year and will be conducted in stages with a report being submitted at the end of each stage for approval and implementation. At the end of the whole study, a master report will be submitted. The National Productivity Centre has indicated that they would charge a retaining fee of $5,000 a month. My Ministry has been in touch with the Ministry of Finance for the necessary financial provision to be made. When it is approved, it is our intention to ask the N. P. C, to commence the study on the 1st of April this year. Meanwhile, the N. P. C, is already conducting a three-week course on method study, layout and material handling, and office management and methods for 21 senior and middle management officers of the Postal Department. The course began on the 8th of this month, which is 10 days ago. A few of the officers who attended this course will be attached to the N. P. C, study team as counterpart staff. Earlier, two senior postal officers were nominated to attend an appreciation course on industrial engineering organised by the N. P. C. Members of this House will note that the terms of reference of the N. P. C, study are very comprehensive and cover both immediate as well as long-term requirements.”
“He proceeded on leave prior to retirement in October last year and he was succeeded by the present acting Postmaster-General at a time when the latter was still on secondment as the Controller of Immigration in the Ministry of Home Affairs. In view of this change in the incumbent for the top post in the Postal Department, it would not be prudent for me to have conducted surprise visits to the Postal Department, and also when the new acting Postmaster-General had still to carry on as Controller of Immigration for two solid months before he could officially take full charge of the Postal Department in December last year. However, even before the former Postmaster-General went on leave prior to retirement, my Ministry had decided officially to request the National Productivity Centre to undertake a study of the mail system. The request was made in August last year but, unfortunately, the National Productivity Centre was already heavily committed to other duties and they could only begin a preliminary study in February this year. Members of this House may be interested in a brief summary of the findings and recommendations of this preliminary study. I happen to have a copy of the preliminary study in my hands. The N. P. C. team found that the structure of the existing organisation should be fully examined and streamlined, and that the mail delivery system should be examined in view of mechanisation in place of the present manual system, and many other improvements. Other procedures should also be examined and streamlined. Jobs should be evaluated to eliminate inequalities. The practice and quality of communication and co-ordination are inadequate to the present scale of Postal Department's operations and should be improved.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Members for Sembawang, Anson and Telok Blangah have raised questions pertaining to mail delivery and staffing problems in our Postal Department. The Member for Anson spoke about postmen being overloaded with work, insufficiency of bicycles and motorcycles, and the prolonged acting appointment of the Chief Inspector of Postmen. The Member for Telok Blangah was worried about the high turnover of postal staff and the closed service in the Postal Department. At a previous session of Parliament, Members will recall that the Member for Anson raised similar complaints and, in fact, went so far as to suggest that the Minister should make surprise visits to the Postal Department. It is not usual for a Minister to accept such an invitation, because it is very demoralising to the staff for the Minister to make surprise checks. It is normal courtesy for the Minister to advise the head of the department concerned that he will be at such and such an office at a certain time and to be aware of his presence. But knowing full well that the Member is a most respected retired member of the Postal Department staff, that he has the welfare of the Postal Department staff at heart and felt very strongly that certain things have got to be done, I accepted therefore his kind invitation to do something. But I must confess today in this House that I was not able to follow up that suggestion, although I accepted it, because of a certain change in circumstances. In July last year, the former Postmaster-General submitted his application for retirement.”
“Fourth, preference will be given to those residing nearest to the school.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Ministry is of the opinion that our present effort in building more and better facilities for pedestrians crossing the roads is a more positive approach than the legislation against jaywalking pedestrians. Overhead bridges, zebra crossings and underpasses, for example, go a long way to help pedestrians cross the road safely and, in most cases, it would appear that they do make use of the facilities provided. However, the Ministry is keeping a close watch on the situation to ensure that overhead bridges, zebra crossings, etc., are not built in vain. If subsequent reports indicate that we are not successful in persuading the pedestrians to make the best use of the facilities provided for crossing the roads. Consideration will be given to introduce legislation to compel the use of such facilities by pedestrians. STALLHOLDERS IN SCHOOL TUCKSHOPS (Criteria for allocating places) 2. Mr J. F. Conceicao asked the Minister for Education what are the criteria for the allocation of places to stallholders in school tuckshops. The Minister of State for Education (Dr Lee Chiaw Meng) (for the Minister for Education): Mr Speaker, Sir, the basic principle is that the school children should get the best nourishment and value for the money they spend. The criteria for the allocation of places to stallholders in school tuckshops are contained in the regulations governing the management of school tuckshops. They are based roughly on the following considerations. First, they must be Singapore citizens. Second, ability to prepare well the food to be sold, give good service, observe high hygienic standards and conduct business in person. Third, the financial position. We usually give preference to those receiving social aid.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to report that the Committee of Supply has made progress on the Estimates of Expenditure for the financial year 1st April, 1971, to 31st March, 1972, and ask leave to sit again tomorrow.”
“I think it would be difficult to use Hokkien, Cantonese or other Chinese dialect. One of the official languages is Mandarin and I think we will have to stick to that. We do what we can. I do not think we should use other Chinese dialects in our airport.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I am glad to notice the great interest taken by Members of this House in our airport hostesses and their activities. I am afraid I am in no position to judge whether the Tamil which is spoken by the Tamil-speaking airport hostesses is correct. I accept the verdict of the two Members on this score. But may I say that airport hostesses are supposed to have the qualifications of a School Certificate and they have to pass a voice test conducted by our Broadcasting Department. At least three of them are supposed to be able to converse in English, Malay and Tamil. In view of the criticisms that have been levelled by the two Members, I will have to request the Tamil Division of the Broadcasting -Department to interview them and see whether they are up to the mark, or request that in future they should conduct a very stringent voice test so that what they speak is intelligible Tamil and not unintelligible Tamil. I just cannot make out whether it is Tamil or not Tamil. These are the requirements and I can only ask the parties that are supposed to be responsible for the test to pay due attention to this question. The Member for Sembawang says that, in his view, announcements at the airport seem to be made only in English and Malay and not in Chinese. There again- I beg to differ. According to our records, there are at least eight of the airport hostesses who are supposed to be conversant in Chinese, English and Malay. It may be that at the time the Member was at the airport, the plane that arrived was probably a B.O.A.C, or a Qantas plane' and therefore the airport hostess used English. But if it were a China Airlines aircraft that came in, it was likely that the airport hostess on duty might have used Mandarin.”
“Sir, I am glad to say that there has been no change in the bus fare structure for the last 20 years. When one thinks about the increase in prices, not only of commodities but other things - I think there is practically nothing that has not increased in price over the last 20 years - if we think along those lines, then an increase of five cents should be, if not well received, then at least with understanding. Besides, if we are to ask for a better and improved bus service, surely we will have to accept a slight increase in bus fares, although, unfortunately, the increase may affect school children. We should also take into consideration the fact that nothing is for free in Singapore. There is always a price to be paid for the service that we get. The best example is water. It is raining outside this House at this moment. The water is free. It comes from the sky in torrents. But the water from the sky has to be collected in reservoirs which cost millions of dollars to build. The water has to be purified. Pipes have to be laid and again they cost millions of dollars. Even free water has to be paid for. So I regret to say that, despite some agitation, the bus fare structure has been decided and will come into operation in three weeks' time.”
“We cannot be chopping and changing the routes with every request made for consideration. We have officially stated that all the requests will be considered in due time. But the 130 routes which have already been approved for the four bus companies will go into operation on Sunday, 11th April. As regards the suggestion by the Member for Jalan Kayu to continue with the minimum fare of five cents for school children, I am afraid that he has stressed only one aspect of the new bus fare structure and has forgotten completely the reductions in bus fares where they are applicable to long distances. In the past, 10 bus companies were entitled to charge a maximum fare of 80 cents. This has been reduced to 50 cents. And we have the usual silent majority! When there is a benefit, nobody talks about it. But when a five-cent minimum rate is raised to 10 cents, everybody talks about it. The five-cent rate is only applicable for the first mile for school children when travelling in S.T.C, buses today. 7.30 p.m. As regards the 10 other companies. It is five cents for the first two miles and it goes right up to 40 cents. But when we want to introduce a flat rate of 10 cents, Members pick on the increase of five cents and say that there has been a very heavy increase in bus fares. For adults, the minimum fare being charged by the S.T.C, is 10 cents. But, of course, the Chinese bus companies are charging five cents for the first mile. I am afraid this minimum fare of five cents is not strictly correct, but even if it is correct -”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I wish to answer the Member for Jalan Kayu in respect of the implementation of the Wilson Bus Study. It was clearly stated that the recommendations were accepted in principle, with or without amendments. The basic principles have been accepted. There will be re-routing and re-allocating of the 120-odd bus routes which before were operated by 11 bus companies but which will be re-allocated to four bus companies. The implementation date has been fixed for 11th April, which is only about three weeks from now. In all cases of reorganisation, one must anticipate difficulties during the transitional period. A massive operation like this is bound to create certain difficulties. It must not be assumed that the previous routes allocated were ideal routes. They were put up before the Omnibus Services Licensing Authority for approval. But under the new Bus Services Licensing Authority Act, which was passed in this House recently and which is now in operation, it is the Bus Services Licensing Authority which decides on the routes. It may happen that there will be alterations to the bus routes that used to run from Jalan Kayu to various parts of Singapore. I can only plead that the bus users try to accept the changes and allow a period of six months for the system to work. The newly constituted Bus Services Licensing Authority will look into all the difficulties that may be encountered and amendments may have to be made. I think it is only fair that some time should pass before a proper study can be made and the implications felt before further changes can be made. If we go round the city, we can see that new bus poles have been erected. The number is not small. As many as 2,500 poles will be erected along the main routes of Singapore.”
“Sir, it was indicated by the World Bank Mission that it may take anything from 15 to 18 months. ROAD REPAIRING AND STREET LIGHTING The following Question stood in the name of Mr Teong Eng Siong - 2. To ask the Minister for Law and National Development (a) if immediate steps will be taken to repair Jalan Ulu Sembawang which is badly damaged; and (b) when work will commence (i) to repair Lorong Kasemek; and (ii) to install street lights at Chong Sin Road near the Huang Long Community Centre. Mr Ng Yeow Chong (Mountbatten) rose -”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, in February last year, at the request of the Ministry of Finance, the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, otherwise known as the World Bank, sent an evaluation mission to review the studies conducted by the State and City Planning Office for an urban mass rapid transit system in Singapore. It concluded that more detailed studies were required especially to consider, firstly, the consequences of having or not having a mass rapid transit system; and secondly, the selection of a favoured system after considering the various alternatives available. The World Bank Mission further recommended that we seek technical assistance from the United Nations Development Programme to finance the cost of the proposed study. With the concurrence of the Ministries of Communications, Finance and National Development, the terms of references for the study were finalised and an application for assistance submitted to the United Nations Development Programme in January this year. The matter is now under consideration by them and should the assistance requested for be granted, the study is expected to commence as from January next year. The Member for Katong may recall that the Minister for Finance, in his budget statement made in this House on 8th March, in referring to Development proposals under the Ministry of Communications, stated as follows --see Hansard, cols. 582-3: The new Mass Transit Planning Unit to be set up for further investigation into the feasibility of a mass rapid transit system for Singapore, requires a sum of $500,000. The study will be carried out with U.N.D.P. (United Nations Development Programme) assistance.'”
“However, should he fail to pay the penalty or to furnish a satisfactory explanation, he will then be liable to prosecution for the alleged offence. For this purpose a traffic ticket summons may be issued against him by a police officer not below the rank of Inspector. The Minister is empowered to make rules to prescribe the offences to which the ticket system will apply and to provide for any matter incidental to such a system. Clause 2 of the Bill also seeks to amend section 32 of the Ordinance so as to remove any doubt that furnishing false or misleading information under this section will be an offence and to increase the penalty for an offence under that clause. To facilitate the use of information furnished under this clause, it is also provided that such information may be used as evidence, without proof of signature. The Bill also extends the period during which a notice of intended prosecution must be given from 14 days to 30 days, vide clause 3 of the Bill. Certain consequential amendments under clause 6 of the Bill are being made as a result of the repeal of the Singapore Traction Ordinance (Chapter III) by the Bus Services Licensing Authority Bill, which has just been considered by the House. Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move. 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. -[Mr Yong Nyuk Lin]. Bill considered in Committee. [Mr Speaker in the Chair] 3.31 p.m. Clause 1 -”
“Mr Speaker. Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time." The main object of this Bill is to provide for more effective eradication of "pirate" taxis. This will be effected under clause 4 of the Bill by making "pirate" taxi operations a seizable offence, i.e., "pirate" taxi operators can be arrested on the spot, without warrant, detained at the police station, and produced in court and charged the next day without the time-consuming process of applying for and issuing summons for them to appear in court. Members may recall that this amending legislation was contemplated in paragraph 7.6 (d) of the White Paper on Reorganisation of the Motor Transport Service of Singapore (Command 21 of 1970) as one of a number of strong measures which "will be taken by Government to squeeze out `pirate' taxis from our midst" as from 1st July this year. Another object of this Bill is to introduce a new "ticket" system in respect of certain traffic offences to be prescribed by the Minister. Such a system provided under clause 5 of the Bill will reduce the enormous volume of paper work involved under the present procedure of processing all reports of traffic offences at a central office and then issuing offers of composition in cases of compoundable offences which form the vast majority of reported offences. Under the proposed ticket system a police officer may issue a prescribed notice on the spot to the offender, or affix such notice on the vehicle concerned, which will specify the offence alleged and the fixed penalty to be paid. The offender is generally given two weeks to pay the penalty, and if he does so, no further proceedings will be taken against him for the alleged offence.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I agree with what the Member for Toa Payoh has said on the regrettable incident which took place in Lorong One a few days ago. I believe for some time now the residents of Toa Payoh have been grumbling about the inadequacy of bus services. I think there are now more than one hundred buses operating in Toa Payoh since the reorganisation took place last year. Before I can comment further on the Member's query on whether steps can be taken against bus workers who fail to man the buses and provide a satisfactory service, perhaps it would be better to wait until the Wilson Study is published and certain recommendations will then have to be considered - it is only a month - and that would be the appropriate time for me to answer his question. As regards the plea from the Member for Bras Basah that we give an assurance that, when the S.T.C, is reorganised, the workers will not be made to suffer for lack of job security. I can assure him that that will be one of our primary tasks. In the course of reorganisation, one should see to it that the S.T.C, workers do not suffer. But I must add to that a warning. A bad worker cannot take cover behind that sort of shield. Ultimately, if he fails to improve after the reorganisation, I think the axe will have to fall on him. But at the first stage of reorganisation, I think it would be fair to say that we will ensure that everyone who is working will have a job. But thereafter he will have to pull up his socks if he wants to continue in that job. 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. -[Mr Yong Nyuk Lin]. Bill considered in Committee. [Mr Speaker in the Chair] 3.24 p.m. Clause 1 -”
“Offences in the nature of breach of conditions are also punishable by increased fines, vide clause 10. This is the opportune moment for mc to inform the House that the study on the co-ordination and rationalisation of the then existing 117 bus routes, to be undertaken by the Transport Consultant, Mr R. P. Wilson, Traffic Manager of the Municipal Tramways Trust of Adelaide, South Australia, as stated in paragraph 4.5 of the White Paper was completed on 26th November, 1970. When making copies of the Wilson Study available to the bus companies on 15th December, 1970, I indicated to them that before Government proceeds with the implementation of the Wilson recommendations on 11th April, 1971, we would, however, like to have the benefit of their views for consideration. These should be submitted not later than 15th January, 1971, i.e., within this week. It is our intention to release the Wilson Study, together with full details of the implementation, not later than the middle of February, so that the bus commuting public would have two months' advance notice of the proposed major reorganisation of the bus services before it comes into effect early in April. In these circumstances, the Bill now before this House can be regarded as not only being timely but most appropriate, so that my Ministry may be giver! The necessary legislative backing and "teeth" to carry out its onerous task of a long overdue major overhaul of our public bus transport service, and to usher in the dawn of a new era for a more rational, adequate and effective public bus service for our people. Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move. Question proposed. 3.19 p.m.”
“15 STC to be reorganised As bus services are a public utility, it is cleat that unless STC takes strong steps to reorganise itself, the Ministry [the Ministry of Communications] will have no alternative, but to intervene. If Chinese Bus Companies (which on the whole are showing profitable results) are required to reorganise themselves through amalgamation, there is no reason why SIC should be allowed to drag its feet, when bus commuters are so vocal and critical of the performance of STC, for many years.' It was also made clear to the S.T.C. Directors that with the proposed reorganisation of the public bus system with uniform legislation and bus fare structure, the S.T.C, would lose its present privileged position and be treated as just one of four bus companies, after the 10 Chinese bus companies have amalgamated themselves into three larger groups. In the Bill, it is also proposed to increase the membership of the Authority from three to six, and membership is also not to be restricted to public servants, vide clause 3. Under clause 5, bus licences are to be made renewable for a period of three years instead of one year, as at present. As the present practice of bus companies working out their own routes and applying for same has been found to be unsatisfactory, provision is now made for the new Authority to determine the routes and to invite applications from the bus companies concerned. The cost of such advertisements and expenses involved will have to be borne by the successful applicant. Temporary licences for any purpose can also now be granted, vide clause 7 of the Bill. The Authority is to be given the power to require bus companies to furnish to the Authority their audited accounts in the form to be prescribed. This comes under clause 9.”
“(b) The Eastern group comprising: (1) Changi Bus Co. (Pte) Ltd., (2) Katong Bedok Bus (Pte) Ltd., (3) Paya Lebar Bus Service (Pte) Ltd., (4) Ponggol Bus Service (Pte) Ltd., also amalgamated themselves on 10th December, 1970, to be known as the Associated Bus Services (Pte) Ltd. (c) But, unfortunately, the Northern group comprising: (1) Easy Bus Co. (Pte) Ltd., (2) Green Bus Co. (Pte) Ltd., (3) Tay Koh Yat Bus Co. (Pte) Ltd., were a little tardy and were not able to meet the deadline of amalgamating themselves by 1st January, 1971, and are still in the process of amalgamation to become the United Bus Co. (Pte) Ltd. Not very united, to begin with! I wish, however, to assure the House that this matter will be finalised soon. If Members refer to paragraph 4.3 of the White Paper, it will be noted that the dominant position of the S.T.C, has been eroded over the years. As at 30th April last year, out of a total of 1,087 operating buses, the S.T.C, had 404 or less than 40 per cent of the total bus fleet of Singapore, whilst the Chinese bus companies had 683 or more than 60 per cent of the fleet. It is pertinent for me to draw the attention of this House that over the last eight months, whilst the size of the S.T.C.'s operating fleet remained static, the Chinese bus companies have substantially increased their bus fleets, so much so that the S.T.C.'s fleet as at 31st December, 1970, stood at less than 30 per cent of the total bus fleet - a drop of ten per cent! I wish to inform Members of this House that, subsequent to the publication of the White Paper, I called up a delegation of three Directors of the S.T.C. (which included its Chairman) on 15th September, 1970, and drew their attention to paragraph 4.15 of the White Paper which stated as follows: `4.”
“C, is also empowered to license its own drivers and conductors so that even the Registrar of Vehicles has no authority whatsoever to withdraw or suspend their vocational licences for any breach of conduct. Government has also lost considerable revenue over the years because the S.T.C, is exempted from paying the usual customs import duty and additional registration fee which are applicable to the other bus companies. The large crowds waiting helplessly at bus stops during peak periods in the city central area, which are mainly served by the S.T.C., is a clear indication that the S.T.C, has failed in its task to provide an adequate public bus service. This state of affairs is not of recent origin but has been prevalent over a long period of years. It is, therefore, no wonder that the `pirate' taxis have emerged to fill the need, having regard to the existence of an unsatisfactory public bus service in Singapore for some time. With the publication of the White Paper in the middle of last year aimed at the eradication of the `pirate' taxis, and the repeal of both the Singapore Traction Ordinance (Cap. 111) and the existing Omnibus Services Licensing Authority Ordinance, the new Bus Services Licensing Authority should then function as a proper Road Transport Authority. Clause 13 provides for that0 The privileged position of the S.T.C. must go and it will have to compete on an equal footing with the Chinese bus companies, which have amalgamated or are in the process of amalgamation into three regional groups - (a) The Western group comprising: (1) Hock Lee Amalgamated Bus Co. (Pte) Ltd., (2) Kampong Bahru Bus Service (Pte) Ltd., (3) Keppel Bus Co. (Pte) Ltd., already amalgamated themselves on 16th November, 1970, as the Amalgamated Bus Co., Ltd.”
“However, as the demand for better and more efficient services became evident over the years, the relatively small private Chinese bus companies, who were once content with operating only a "mosquito" bus service over the rural routes, began to show a greater interest in this field, as evidenced by their growing investments, firstly, in new buses, and later, their applications for new routes in areas where the S.T.C, services were unable to provide such services. Whilst desiring to provide the public with a more adequate and better public bus transport service, the Authority (O.S.L.A.) was, however, greatly hampered by the provisions of the existing Omnibus Services Licensing Authority Ordinance, 1956, which, inter alia, imposes upon O.S.L.A, the obligation to consider the interests of the S.T.C. when granting new routes, including those within the city central area. Traditional routes of the S.T.C, granted before the coming into operation of O.S.L.A, in 1956 were also to be renewed, as of right. In addition, no route operated by the S.T.C, could be withdrawn, even if it was inefficiently run. No condition could also be attached to any of the S.T.C.'s authorised routes. Neither are any fees payable in respect thereof. These are not all. Under the Singapore Traction Ordinance, 1925, the company is exempted from paying licence fees in respect of its vehicles. In its place, the S.T.C, pays to Government a royalty of 5 per cent of its gross receipts and contributions of two cents per car mile run, which works out quantitatively to be far less than what is being paid by the Chinese bus companies in respect of their licensed buses. The S.T.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time." Members may recall that the White Paper on the Reorganisation of the Motor Transport Service of Singapore (Command 21 of 1970) was tabled in this House on 21st July, 1970, and I would particularly draw attention to paragraph 4.4 which stated as follows: `It is the aim of the Ministry [that is, of Communications] to allow only four bus companies to operate the domestic public bus services in Singapore, as from 1st January, 1971. To this end, the Omnibus Services Licensing Authority Ordinance will be suitably amended to give OSLA additional and wider powers so that it can function as a proper Road Transport Authority.' It is in pursuance of this objective that the Bus Services Licensing Authority Bill has been drafted to provide for additional and wider powers so that it can function as a proper and effective Road Transport Authority. The existing Omnibus Services Licensing Authority Ordinance, 1956, which was adopted from the Municipal Ordinance (Cap. 133), 1936 Revised Edition, contains provisions which, to say the least, are outmoded, both in form and content. In the past when the public transport system was under the monopoly of a single undertaking, both the Municipal Ordinance or the Omnibus Services Licensing Authority Ordinance may be considered adequate legislation to govern the issue of licences for bus services. The Singapore Traction Company of 1925 was then the only large public bus company with the ability and resources to meet the needs of the bus travelling public.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Member for Jalan Kayu has raised a good point, with his insurance expertise! I can assure him that the reason why this Amendment Bill has been introduced is to give added powers to the Port of Singapore Authority to ensure that cases like the sinking of the Kuala Kangsar will not be allowed to lie on the bed of the harbour for too long a time, and that greater efforts will be made by the P.S.A, to get things moving. It is more than likely that the P.S.A, will have its own salvage unit. It is only when the P.S.A, feels that there are more salvage operations than it can handle in the circumstances that the commercial field will be invited to undertake the salvage. As regards the question of whether sunken cargo comes within the ambit of this provision, I shall put this question to the Solicitor-General's Office for clarification, and the Member will be supplied with the information in due course. 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.-- [Mr Yong Nyuk Lin]. Bill considered in Committee. [Mr Speaker in the Chair] 3.02 p.m. Clause 1 -”
“Under clause 9, the Authority is protected from all liability in respect of the discharge, reception, storage or removal of any cargo subject to any general or particular average. Furthermore, the Authority will not be liable for any act, omission or default of any stevedore or workman employed by the Authority. Clause 12 allows the Authority to own and operate vessels for providing any of the services which the Authority is required or empowered to provide. Sir, I beg to move. Question proposed.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time." The Port of Singapore Authority Ordinance, 1963, came into force early in 1964. Experience since then has revealed a number of difficulties and inadequacies in the law. The Bill now before the House seeks to rectify this situation by making appropriate amendments to the Ordinance so that the Authority can operate and carry out its functions more effectively. Clause 2 of the Bill enables the Authority to dispose of goods which have remained in its custody longer than the stipulated time, in any manner it thinks fit, instead of by auction only, which is the case under the existing section. This amendment is necessary to ensure that the much needed space in the P.S.A.'s godowns are put to proper use, and also to provide for operational flexibility. Clause 3 specifically empowers the Authority to make regulations relating to the towage of or assistance to vessels, the sale and supply of water in the port, as well as the use and licensing of harbour craft. In addition, the Authority can exclude or limit its liability for anything done under any such regulations made. To discourage contravention of regulations, the maximum penalties have been increased. These amendments are intended to control the activities of marine craft within port limits, to minimise pollution and to ensure that the fresh water supplied is not contaminated. Under clause 4, the Authority is empowered to recover costs for the the removal of any vessel or aircraft sunk, or any other obstruction stranded or abandoned in the port or in any approach to the port. Clause 7 seeks to amend section 88 of the Ordinance, which is somewhat obscure. The section is repealed and re-enacted with modifications for greater clarity.”
“Part IV contains miscellaneous provisions including power to detain a vessel suspected of discharging oil or garbage, etc., into Singapore waters. The Minister is generally empowered to make regulations for preventing the pollution of Singapore waters, including requirements for oil refineries to store detergents and equipment to deal with any pollution of our waters, Persons responsible for polluting our waters are liable to pay for the cost of removing or eliminating the pollutant. Mr Speaker, Sir, if the provisions of this Bill appear to be severe, it is because we regard the problem of pollution of the sea as a major problem for us and strong measures are necessary to provide effective control of a difficult subject. By and large, ship-owners and other operators have shown a reasonable sense of responsibility in the matter, but, unfortunately, there are some parties for whom only strict application of the law would appear to be the means for ensuring some form of discipline. I appeal to the whole shipping community to make a concerted effort to co-operate with us in keeping our seas and marine environment clean and pollution-free. For those who choose to be recalcitrant, may I sound a note of warning, and it is this - that we will not hesitate to apply the full force of the law to any person found contravening the provisions of this Bill, i.e., the power to detain suspected vessels will be exercised without hesitation. Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move. Question proposed. 2.46 p.m.”
“If oil is discharged from a place on land, the occupier of that place shall be guilty of an offence, and, similarly, if oil is discharged from any apparatus used for transferring oil from or to a ship, the person in charge of the apparatus shall be guilty of an offence. Under clause 7 of the Bill, any person who throws refuse, garbage or trade effluent into Singapore waters shall be guilty of an offence. Very stiff penalties are being provided in the Bill, e.g., a person contravening clause 7 will be "liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding ten thousand dollars or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or to both such fine and imprisonment". Members of this House will note that under clause 5 special defences are provided, i.e., when a person is charged, it shall be a defence to prove that the oil was discharged for the purpose of securing the safety of the ship, cargo or life or that the escape of oil was not due to want of reasonable care. The 1954 Convention recommended that governments should encourage the establishment of oil reception facilities for ships. This is given effect in Part III of the Bill which empowers the Port of Singapore Authority to provide such facilities. The Minister is also empowered to make regulations to require ships to be fitted with equipment to prevent or reduce the discharge of oil into the sea. Regulations may also be enacted to require masters of ships to keep records or matters relating to oil. Restrictions are placed on the transfer of oil from or to a vessel at night. It shall be the duty of the owner, master or agent of a vessel or occupier of a place on land, to report any escape of oil into Singapore waters.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time." As our port is a fairly busy one, it is vital that we adopt measures to prevent the pollution of our harbour, territorial waters and shore lines by ships and shore establishments. Unless we do something now, the increasing problem of oil pollution may become unmanageable. The main sources of oil pollution are tank cleaning and bilge pumping. Land establishments, including shipyards, also contribute to the contamination by indiscriminate disposal of waste into rivers or seas. A study of the problem has revealed that the existing laws are inadequate and that it would be to Singapore's interest and advantage to accept the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution of the Sea by Oil, 1954. The purpose of this Bill, therefore, is to enable effect to be given to the Convention and to make provision to prevent the pollution of Singapore waters by oil and other substances. This Convention prohibits the discharge of oil from ships and tankers except under certain well-defined conditions. The Convention requires ships to maintain Oil Record Books which may be inspected by a contracting government when the ship is in its port. Governments are to promote the provision of oil reception facilities for ships, oil terminals and shipyards. All these are provided for in the Bill. I shall now summarise briefly the main provisions of the Bill. It shall be an offence for a Singapore ship to discharge oil into the sea outside our territorial limits, and for any ship to discharge oil into Singapore waters.”
“The Bill seeks to introduce specific provisions in the Ordinance to deal with the mortgage of Singapore ships and matters such as the rights and powers of the mortgagee and the priority of mortgages. The following important provisions may be noted: Firstly, a mortgagor, i.e., the ship-owner, is obliged to disclose in writing to the mortgagee the existence of any prior mortgage or other liability before executing the mortgage. This is an additional safeguard for the lenders of money. Secondly, a mortgage may be executed on a ship holding a provisional certificate of registration. If a bank is prepared to accept a mortgage on a provisional certificate of registration, there is no reason to refuse the registration of the mortgage. Thirdly, a mortgage executed outside Singapore may be recorded by the Registrar in Singapore. At present all mortgages executed outside Singapore must be produced before the Registrar in Singapore for sighting and then registered, the registered time being the time the mortgage was produced and approved for registration by the Registrar. This does not appear to be a practical procedure particularly in the case of new buildings, where it is necessary to register the new ship at the time of delivery and simultaneously to record the mortgage. Under the new system, a mortgage executed outside Singapore will be approved and recorded by the Registrar in Singapore and the ship registration formalities simultaneously completed over the telephone. This arrangement has been stressed by international financial institutions and maritime lawyers as being most important. Sir, I beg to move. Question proposed. 6.12 p.m.”
“Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time.' Members may recall that the new Registry of Singapore Ships was established in 1969 which was opened to foreign shipowners and which also provided exemption from Singapore income tax and other incentives. Since then the tonnage attracted to the Singapore flag has been satisfactory. In January 1969 there were 357 ships totalling 253,000 gross tons on the Register, and this increased to 489 ships totalling 574,775 tons as at 30th November, 1970. On the mortgage of Singapore ships, the present Merchant Shipping Ordinance provides that until such time as regulations are made, the provisions of the United Kingdom law on ship mortages shall apply to Singapore ships. Unfortunately, this state of affairs does not appear to be satisfactory from the lenders' viewpoint, and after study of other mortgage systems and consultations with shipowners, international financial institutions and legal firms, a set of mortgage legislation has been drafted in the form of the Bill now before the House. The objective is to formulate a simple and effective system which will make it attractive for banks and financial institutions to finance ships under the Singapore flag. Like any other valuable property, a ship may be pledged as a security for a loan or some other form of financial consideration, and it is common practice for ships to be built with concessional financing based on the mortgage of the ship. The interests of the mortgagee, namely, the lender, are protected through a system of registering mortgages, and any interested person may sight the register book in Singapore on payment of a small fee, or alternatively a certified copy of the register may be provided.”
“Unfortunately, the report is not for circulation but for study by the Ministry. Item (7) reads: `Mass Rapid Transit Study Monograph No. 8 June 1969, State and City Planning Department (Restricted).' May I say this - that in the White Paper passing mention was made of mass rapid transit. Since the World Bank has expressed an interest in conducting a feasibility study, we hope that when this feasibility study is completed and it does recommend a mass rapid transit system, then perhaps by the 1980s we will be able to travel either underground or overhead. By then, we will be able to have a proper public transport system with improved bus services on the road and some form of mass rapid transit either underground or overhead. Question put, and agreed to. Resolved, That this Parliament approves the proposals of the Government on the Reorganisation of the Motor Transport Service of Singapore as set out in Paper Command 21 of 1970. ADJOURNMENT Resolved, "That Parliament do now adjourn to a date to be fixed."-[Mr Yong Nyuk Lin]. Adjourned accordingly at Nineteen minutes to Nine o'clock p.m. to a date to be fixed.”
“If he will again refer to page 34 of the White Paper, section Ii, under the title Reports and documents etc., he will find item (5) of section II which reads: `Rail Transit Plan for Singapore, May, 1968 by P. E. Garbutt and F. S. P. Turner of the London Transport Board (Restricted).'”
“If a member of the public has a genuine complaint and is able to say that "I came to the R.O.V, one day and was treated badly by so and so", we will look into it and have the Public Service Commission take action on it. There are disciplinary rules. One must be definite and specific in making a complaint. If it is a genuine case, we will look into it. But it is not quite fair to tar everybody with the same brush. The Member for Punggol says that he agrees to the increase of staff for the R.O.V. I am very glad that he supports the Ministry's request for more staff. On the other hand, he says that he does not feel that the increase is adequate. I wish the Minister for Finance thinks the same. I would like to say this. If the Member will turn to page 28, paragraph 12.2 (b) Enforcement Section of the White Paper, he will see that in 1962, the original staff of the R.O.V. Inspectorate was 45. Lower down in the third paragraph, it is now suggested to recruit "80 additional men for the Traffic Police (to be attached to ROV.)". The Member says it is not enough, but 80 additional men represent 50 per cent of the present establishment of the Traffic Police. There are only 160 men in the Traffic Police at this moment. And asking for 80 men is asking for one-half of the present establishment! This is already a big mouthful, and if I can get 80 additional men, I think I am very lucky. The Member for Punggol then refers to the report of the two London Transport officials. He quotes the Hansard of 1969, which is a year ago, and also mentions the fact that in another reply a team of U.N, advisers have been in the State and City Planning Department for the last two years working on a mass rapid transit system.”
“I think the Members for Sembawang and Jalan Kayu are concerned that there is no indication as to how the phasing out will take place. It stands to reason that it will be phased out gradually over a period of time. Naturally, the oldest vehicles will first have to be changed to new ones. You find a lot of these 25 years old rickety vehicles breaking down in the heart of town, causing traffic jams and so forth. There is no doubt that we do not want an immediate change of all lorries that are more than 15 years old. We will first pick out those that are the oldest, and gradually come to those approaching 15 years for the change-over. There are a few miscellaneous questions. I have already answered the one posed by the Member for Sembawang, that the Traffic Police and the Car Parks Division should come under the Ministry of Communications. Logically they should, but I am not in charge of the demarcation of duties and responsibilities. That is the responsibility of the Prime Minister. Perhaps if the Member for Sembawang will write a letter to the Prime Minister suggesting this change-over, he might agree, but I think I have enough on my plate. I would prefer looking after my Ministry as it is, for the time being. This reorganisation plan will give me more white hairs than I have now. The Member for Sembawang also raised the question of the discourtesy of the ROV, staff. Since 1959 the P.A.P. Government has never tolerated discourtesy in Government departments. It is sometimes possible that a member of the staff may have had a bad night, e.g., a scolding from his wife for going home late, and turns up for office the next day with a sour face. This can happen. It is humanly possible. As a rule, we do not encourage discourtesy.”
“Two weeks ago, after the White Paper was published in the Chinese press, I had to instruct the Traffic Police to carry on as they used to. So the SCH taxis, which are operating openly now as pirate taxis, are being nabbed. That is why we hear of people running around and sending petitions here and there supposedly in the name of the Committee for the safeguarding of the livelihood of SCH drivers'. They are not SCH drivers. They are pirate taxis operating as such but with SCH plates. These things have been going on, with transfers of SCH licences at a cost of $2,000 a licence. By buying an SCH licence, therefore, they have a legal way of conducting themselves as pirate taxi operators. This is where we have got to be very clear in our stand. We must differentiate between the genuine SCH drivers taking school children from home to school and from school to home and those who brazenly drive up and down the busy streets picking up passengers, stopping at bus stops and doing things like that. This state of affairs cannot go on. The Traffic Police will pick them up. The Member for Punggol has asked whether SCH taxi drivers will be encouraged to own and operate mini school buses. The answer is "yes". In fact, there are at least 150 of the 900 SCH licences which are mini buses or station wagons, and the operators have been asked to change their licence to an SCB plate, which is a school bus or a mini school bus series, and the N.T.U.C, is also about to operate such buses. They are vans and station wagons, but not ordinary private cars. So long as they have SCB plates, we can keep a watch on them. I come now to the goods vehicles. As I mentioned earlier, we received a petition from the Lorry Owners' Association.”
“I think I can now move on to the SCH taxis. It is most unfortunate, Sir, that the SCH taxis have got involved in pirate taxi operations. They started off quite well. When I took over the Ministry two years ago, some of them came to see me because, as I said, the Association's premises are in my constituency. It was at the meet-the-people sessions that they came to see me and I was told that some SCH taxis had been nabbed by the police and they asked whether I could do something for them. That was in November 1968. My answer was, "If the police have already nabbed them, I am sorry I cannot do a thing. But I will advise the Traffic Police to lay off and instead go after the pirate taxis proper. They have got the SCH licences. Lay off until such time as I can decide on their fate." And as stated in the White Paper, Sir, at page 21, paragraph 7.3, you can see the figures of pirate taxi arrests. In 1968, 1.156 pirate taxis were arrested; in 1969, 958, which is almost a thousand. But in 1969/70, no SCH taxis were arrested because I told the Traffic Police to leave them alone until a decision had been made. The relevant paragraph reads: `The absence of arrests of SCH School Taxis for 1969/70, was not due to exemplary conduct of SCH Taxis but the fact that in November 1968 the Ministry [which is really myself~ requested Traffic Police not to harass SCH Taxis, pending a decision which would be decided under this reorganisation plan.' Unfortunately, because of this, they just took advantage of the situation and merrily went about pirate taxi-ing proper. The majority of them were not taking school children. They were openly driving up and down the road. They thought the SCH plate gave them protection. That was a very ridiculous state of affairs.”
“I am all for the eradication of pirate taxis. Let me make my stand very clear.”
“We are prepared to register them if they will come forward. Not many people are prepared to come forward and say, "Yes, I am a pirate taxi operator." I hope the Member for Paya Lebar can assist in this registration. The pirate taxi operator should not just turn up and say that he is a pirate taxi operator. We want to have more facts than just that. I am prepared to conduct a registration campaign. We have a bus drivers' training school and are prepared to increase the intake from 50 each time to 150. It is a 5- to 6-week course. Bus companies, too, cannot get qualified bus drivers. We are prepared to step up the enrolment. As regards the point raised by the Member for Punggol, we will step up the issue of vocational licences for those wishing to switch over from illegitimate driving as pirate taxi operators or as SCH operators to legitimate employment. We will do all that. But we cannot concede and give them this and give them that. Some Members say they are poor fellows. They are not poor. They may appear to be poor. The Member for Punggol says that the plan is offering 6,500 jobs but that it is over a period of three years. Therefore, we appear to be harsh if we ask the pirate taxi operators to stop in a year's time. But if the Member will look into the White Paper again at page 23, 4,150 jobs are likely to be created in the first year. This is no small number of job opportunities. A good number of pirate taxi operators are doing it part-time and earning a few extra dollars. But the number of people who are making a living out of it could very well be 4,000. I do not know. It has yet to be seen. Mr Ng Kah Ting: Mr Speaker, Sir, on a point of clarification. I am not saying in any way that taking them off the road in 11 months' time is a harsh move.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, 6,500 jobs are being created and pirate taxi drivers will be given an opportunity to take up these jobs. I see no reason why they should be given special treatment. Here is the opportunity. Here is the way out. Shall I put it this way in discussing this problem without stirring up emotion? Supposing a man gets cheap cigarettes because they have been smuggled into Singapore without paying the tax. Do you raise a hue and cry if the person who smuggled them in is caught and sentenced? Or if the owner of a car will not buy petrol from an authorised petrol kiosk but pinches it from the British Army - the petrol is blue in colour and he is caught, fined, or his car is confiscated. Do you speak on his behalf? Do you pity him because he was only trying to get cheap petrol? Surely any responsible person will say, "Well, he asked for it; he got it." In this reorganisation, the N.T.U.C, will be forming a co-operative. They welcome the pirate taxi operator as a member of the co-operative. I think it is $50 a share. Do you mean to say that his taxi is worth less than $50? If he means to change, he should join the co-operative. Or even the SCH taxi operators, if they really want to change, it can be done. The bus companies themselves realise that they will have to increase their bus fleet. According to the White Paper, it is not less than 300 new buses each year for the next three years. Each bus can employ five people. These bus companies are prepared to employ any pirate taxi operator or SCH taxi driver interested in a legitimate job. So we have the N.T.U.C, and the bus owners coming forward to say, "Let us get together to make this plan a success." This is where I think the suggestion of the Member for Jalan Kayu is a sound one.”
“I think this question has caused worry to some people, and I am prepared to consider that the taxi licence should continue with the owner until he dies. It should not be part and parcel of, shall we say, the man's property. Sir, the real meat of the debate is on pirate taxis. I think we have to be clear in our minds when we talk about this subject and not get involved because of sob stories, sympathy and so on. First of all, we must get down to the root cause of this. Surely our approach to the whole problem is that pirate taxis came into operation because of the inadequacy of the bus services. Since this is a White Paper produced to reorganise the public transport service to improve the bus services, our approach should be, "Yes, how shall we go about it to improve the bus services so that there will be less opportunity for the pirate taxi driver to operate?" The approach should not be to look at the other side of the problem and say, "Poor fellows, what shall we do with them?" The Member for Paya Lebar even suggested that they should be legalised and given special routes to operate. This is doing just the opposite. In other words, he wants a continuation of the present situation by giving them the status of legality.”