STREET HAWKERS AT SUNGEI ROAD VICINITY

STREET HAWKERS AT SUNGEI ROAD VICINITY:

(Regulation of activities): 11.

Ms Denise Phua Lay Peng asked the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources whether his Ministry has plans to (i) regulate the street hawkers at the Sungei Road vicinity so that problems caused by illegal hawkers are reduced; and (ii) work with relevant agencies to set up a proper flea market at Sungei Road.

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The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources (Dr Amy Khor Lean Suan) (for the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources): The National Environment Agency (NEA), Singapore Police Force (SPF) and Land Transport Authority (LTA) have been working closely to regulate the activities of the secondhand goods street vendors at the Sungei Road area. This is to ensure that the place is kept clean and activities are carried out in an orderly manner. The activities of the street vendors are confined to Pitt Street, Larut Road and Pasar Lane where they are allowed to display their secondhand goods for sale. Operating hours are also restricted to 1.00 pm to 7.00 pm daily when the roads are closed to traffic.

The National Environment Agency conducts regular checks at the site and will continue with strict enforcement against vendors who operate illegally outside the permitted areas and hours of operation, including seizing the goods of such vendors where necessary. In 2007, the NEA had enforced against 29 illegal vendors at the Sungei Road area, mostly for operating outside the permitted areas. The Police and LTA officers also patrol the site to enforce law and order and traffic regulations respectively.

There are currently many privately operated flea markets, such as the ones that are held every weekend at Far East Square and China Square. The Government has no plan to set up a flea market at Sungei Road or elsewhere, as this is a commercial venture best undertaken by the private sector. For the street vendors currently operating at Sungei Road, the relevant agencies will continue to work together to minimise any social, public health and law and order issues arising from these activities.

Ms Denise Phua Lay Peng (Jalan Besar): Thank you, Senior Parliamentary

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Secretary, for your response. I took a drive yesterday at Sungei Road and it still looks like a slum in the city with many locals and foreigners alike (foreigners probably on Social Visit Passes) peddling in the makeshift sheds there. Two questions for the Senior Parliamentary Secretary. The first question: can the Ministry and the relevant stakeholders support us to ringfence the residential zone in that area so that the shops and HDB flats in that area are not used as storerooms or even toilets for the Sungei Road hawkers? The second question: could the Ministry and the relevant agencies decide on what would be a desired future for a place like Sungei Road? Is it a flea market to sell secondhand goods in the name of recycling, a tourist spot to attract tourists, or a place to allow needy citizens to make a living there?

Dr Amy Khor Lean Suan: Sir, the National Environment Agency, SLA, LTA and SPF are already regulating the activities at that site. As I have noted earlier, the vendors are only allowed to hawk their secondhand goods within the permitted area. We have NEA officers who patrol the area on a daily basis to enforce against any illegal hawking outside the designated area or outside the operating hours as well as foreigners who are not allowed to hawk their goods. In addition, we have also, since October last year, actually put AETOS officers on-site to patrol the site and to monitor and regulate the activities around that area to ensure that the activities are carried out in a disciplined manner. Additionally, the Singapore Police Force also patrols the area to ensure that there is law and order, that there are no theft crimes as well as stolen goods being sold in that area. And LTA actually imposes traffic regulations to ensure that there is no traffic obstruction.

As regards additional measures, actually the agencies are also looking into

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this. They are studying additional measures that can be put in place to improve the area and to minimise the disamenities to the public. So, for instance, there could be signs that we put up to list clearly the operating conditions for the sale activity within the permitted area as well as to expediently remove any abandoned goods left behind after the day's activities as well as abutting the fence, and so on, that SLA has put up. I think this would improve the situation in that area. We are also planning to actually talk to the grassroots organisations within that area, including the Member herself, to update them on the actions that have been taken.

Ms Denise Phua Lay Peng: I look forward to that plan. I would want to put on record the hard work that was put in every weekend by the LTA, Police and NEA officers. It still looks like a slum to me, but I am sure a lot of work will be put into it, and I appreciate that. I have photographs to prove that as well.