SINGAPORE TRACTION (AMENDMENT) BILL

Order for Second Reading read.

10.30 a.m.

The Minister for Communications and Works (Mr M. P. D. Nair): Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time."

Sir, the purpose of this Bill is simple. It has been briefly stated in the Explanatory Statement appended to the Bill which has been in the hands of hon. Members. The Bill seeks to make what might be described as a technical amendment to the Singapore Traction Ordinance. Part XIII of the Municipal Ordinance contains provisions relating to public service vehicles. These provisions do not, however, apply to the public service vehicles of the Singapore Traction Company. The operations of these S.T.C. vehicles are regulated by provisions contained in quite a separate Ordinance - the Singapore Traction Ordinance (Chapter 111), and section 52, subsection (2) of the Singapore Traction Ordinance specifically provides as follows:

"The provisions of Part XIII of the Municipal Ordinance relating to hackneyed carriages and carts shall not apply to cars as defined by this Ordinance."

Sir, the House will know that Part XIII of the Municipal Ordinance has been repealed, and has been replaced by Part XII of the Local Government Ordinance, 1957.

This Part XII subsequently re-enacts the provisions relating to public service vehicles previously contained in the Municipal Ordinance.

The wording of section 52, subsection (2) of the Singapore Traction Ordinance has therefore become obsolete, and in order to remove any doubts which might arise, it is now proposed to amend the subsection by substituting an up-to-date wording. All that the amending Bill seeks to do is to substitute for the words "Part XIII of the Municipal Ordinance" the words "Part XII of the Local Government Ordinance, 1957".

Sir, there is one other section in the Local Government Ordinance, 1957, which might be construed as being in conflict with the provisions of the Singapore Traction Ordinance. It is section 131. Section 131 of the Local Government Ordinance, Sir, empowers the local authority to levy taxes on vehicles kept or habitually used within the area of the local authority. Section 132 of the Local Government Ordinance, however, provides that this power cannot be exercised in respect of whatever vehicles are licensed or registered or exempt from licensing or registration under the provisions of the Road Traffic Ordinance. It will be noted that exemptions must be under the provisions of the Road Traffic Ordinance. Now, Sir, the vehicles of the Singapore Traction Company are exempt from the licensing and registration under the provisions of the Road Traffic Ordinance; but such exemptions do not arise under the provisions of that Ordinance. It arises rather by virtue of the special exemption contained in section 52, subsection (1) of the Singapore Traction Ordinance.

It is possible, therefore, for an argument to be advanced that since the exemption of S.T.C. vehicles is not under the provisions of the Road Traffic Ordinance, a strict interpretation of section 131 of the Local Government Ordinance would empower a local authority to levy taxes on such vehicles. In order to remove any doubts on this clause, Sir, it is proposed that the amendment to section 52, subsection (2) of the Singapore Traction Ordinance, should also expressly provide for the exemption of Singapore Traction vehicles from the provisions of section 131 of the Local Government Ordinance.

Sir, I beg to move.

Question proposed.

10.34 a.m.

Mr Lim Cher Kheng (Changi): Mr Speaker, Sir, although the Minister for Communications and Works reminded us that this amendment is merely a technical amendment, I wish to ask the Minister why he did not take the opportunity to amend the many privileges conferred on the Singapore Traction Company during the life of the previous government. I am sure the Minister will agree with me that the public - the masses in Singapore - always have such a feeling that the Singapore Traction Company is something like a government enterprise, or a semi-government enterprise, because it has so many privileges when compared to other private bus companies. So, Sir -

Mr Speaker: Order. I am afraid the hon. Member is straying much too far away from the Bill. It is merely a Bill to amend section 52. The principle whether or not the Singapore Traction Company should continue, I think, does not arise.

Mr Lim Cher Kheng: Sir, I was just making a point about the privileges enjoyed by the Singapore Traction Company. I would say to the Government that it is time to move this amendment. I wish the Minister would move an amendment to cut as much as he could the privileges enjoyed by the Singapore Traction Company.

10.36 a.m.

Mr Nair: Sir, I do not want to take up too much of the House's time in discussing the policy on the Singapore Traction Company, but I wish to stress, as you have stressed, Sir, that the questions raised by the Hon. Member for Changi are completely irrelevant. But there may be an opportunity later on to do so when the new Government discusses the policy of transport in Singapore.

Question put, and agreed to.

Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole Assembly.

Assembly immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill.-[Mr M. P. D. Nair].

Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read the Third time and passed.