PARKING LOTS IN FRONT OF SHOPHOUSES (Reservation by shopkeepers)

Mr Ho See Beng asked the Minister for Law and National Development if he will consider converting the existing parking lots in front of shop-houses into reserved lots for shopkeepers who may be willing to pay the fee for such parking lots as is charged for season parking.

Mr Ho Cheng Choon (for the Minister for Law and National Development): Mr Speaker, Sir, the Car Parks Division has a total of 7,076 parking lots, of which 3,493 or approximately 50 per cent are delineated in the central business districts where the demand for parking facilities is ever-increasing.

The shortage of such facilities in certain areas has added to traffic congestion; hence specifically to allocate any portion of a road frontage for the exclusive use of shopkeepers will further aggravate the situation. Requests and petitions received by the Car Parks Division for implementation of parking schemes in areas where such facilities have not been provided are indications of a general awareness of the advantages of having as many car parking lots as possible to enable shoppers to have a readily available place to park their vehicles. Only recently shopkeepers in Beach Road have petitioned to the Member of Parliament for Kampong Glam for restoration of parking lots which were deleted by the Car Parks Division. Similarly, shopkeepers in Arab Street have also requested the Division to implement the pay parking scheme in this area for the convenience of their customers.

The view of my Ministry is that it will be wrong to convert the existing parking lots in front of shophouses for the exclusive use of the shopkeepers, as this will only affect business transactions and drive away customers to localities where parking facilities are more readily available.

I wish to point out that with the constant phenomena built up in motor traffic at the rate of 700 new cars per month, there may come a time when parking on the roads will be totally amended to prevent the city from being strangled. In anticipation of this, my Ministry is already preparing plans for more multi-storey, off-the-street and underground car parks to be constructed at which vehicles will be allowed to park without detriment to the traffic flow which is the life-blood of the city.

Mr Ho See Beng (Bras Basah): A supplementary question. Mr Speaker, Sir, from the answer given to me just now by the Parliamentary Secretary, the Government is only catering for the needs of the motorist. Will the Government also consider catering for the needs of the shopkeeper who is doing business connected with loading and unloading if, in front of his shop, there is a parking bay which is occupied by a motorist who parks his car there, and this brings about difficulties in loading and unloading?

Mr Ho Cheng Choon: Mr Speaker, Sir, the question raised by the hon. Member for Bras Basah is whether we can provide parking lots for loading and unloading in front of shophouses. In fact, in every busy business centre when a parking scheme is introduced, there are one or two parking lots reserved for loading and unloading. As I have just mentioned, we cannot reserve a parking lot for every shopkeeper for loading and unloading. In drawing up the lines in one street, we can only provide one or two parking lots for loading and unloading where there is a need for them.

Mr Ho See Beng: If the Department concerned does provide a parking bay for loading and unloading, say, about 50 feet away from a shop which requires this facility, then it does not serve the purpose of the shopkeeper. What I am asking is this: if a shopkeeper has made an application to convert the parking bay in front of his shop for his real need of loading and unloading, will the Government consider his application?

Mr Ho Cheng Choon: Mr Speaker, Sir, the answer is very simple. If the shopkeeper wants to make use of the existing parking lot for loading and unloading, he can occupy the vacant parking lot for that purpose provided he pays the charge.

Mr Ho See Beng: But when the parking bay in front of the shop is being occupied by a motorist who parks his car there, how can the shopkeeper make use of it to load and unload the goods from the lorry?

An hon. Member: Hear, hear!

Mr Speaker: It is not a supplementary, but the earlier question is. Do you wish to answer it, Mr Ho?

Mr Ho Cheng Choon: Mr Speaker, I consider this a very simple question. He can find his own answer!