PAID CAR-PARK SYSTEM IN HOUSING AND DEVELOPMENT BOARD ESTATES

Mr Ho Kah Leong asked the Minister for Law and National Development whether the paid car-park system introduced in Queenstown housing estate is satisfactory and whether it will be introduced to all other Housing and Development Board estates.

Mr Barker: Mr Speaker, Sir, the short answer to the two points raised by the Member for Jurong is `Yes'.

The paid car-park system introduced in Queenstown housing estate is working satisfactorily and will be introduced to other Housing and Development Board estates.

It is, however, necessary to elaborate on the policy of the Government with regard to the provision of car parks in Housing Board estates in order to dispel some wrong impressions that might have been created following the introduction of the paid-car-park system in Queenstown. Free car parks are provided in central localities and near to shopping facilities in Housing Board estates as part and parcel of the approved layout. These car parks are made up to approved standards and taken over by the P.W.D. Instead of providing one car park for each flat as required in luxury apartments, in the low-cost housing estates of the Board the ratio is one car park for each seven flats. On this basis the car parking and road network of Queenstown has been planned.

Over the years the income of people living in flats in Queenstown has increased and more and more of them have bought motor-cars. There has also been a considerable increase in the number of pirate taxis. As a result, in Queenstown motor-cars overflowed from the available car parks on to the public roads, causing traffic congestion. Many complaints were received and the traffic police had difficulty in sorting out this traffic problem. Initially a one-way traffic system was introduced, but even this proved to be inadequate when cars were parked on both sides of one-way streets.

To reduce congestion, it was decided to draw white lines on the roads in order that these roads would not be blocked. It was anticipated that the drawing of white lines on these one-way streets would result in motor-cars having difficulty in finding parking places. Some provision, therefore, had to be made to accommodate them.

Two lots of Housing Board land which had been set aside for other purposes were, therefore, converted into car parks for those prepared to pay a small fee to park their cars in these two lots. These two lots can accommodate 185 and 250 cars respectively. On the1st of July this year, the tenants of Queenstown were invited, if they so wished, to put their cars in these parking lots for a fee of $12 per month. The fees were determined on the basis that costs will be recovered over a period of time.

In the first three months, of the 435 lots provided, an average of about 200 lots were taken up. The Board expects that there will be no difficulty, once the tenants get used to the idea of parking in these lots, for the lots to be fully occupied.

In other housing estates where open space or suitable land is available, similar facilities will be provided and a fee charged to recover costs. In Tiong Bahru Estate car-parking sticks are provided with parking lots and are rented out to the tenants at $5 and $10 in parking areas in Moh Guan Terrace, Guan Chuan, Eng Hoon and Eng Watt Streets. It is also planned to provide similar paid car-parking lots in MacPherson Estate and in Toa Payoh.

Inche Mahmud Awang: (In Malay): Is it the intention of the Ministry to use the meter system for car parking in Singapore?

Mr Barker: I take it that the Member is not merely referring to Housing Board estates but to car parking in the whole of Singapore.

We have no intention to replace car-park attendants with car-parking meters, but we intend to start a little experiment to test car-parking meters. I can assure the Member that it will only be an experiment. We will be trying it out in places like High Street where the meters will not be damaged or stolen. But I repeat - it will be only an experiment and we will continue to use car-parking attendants and provide some employment rather than replace these attendants with meters.

Mr Lee Teck Him: (In Mandarin): Regarding payment for car parking and the building of parking lots, of course, the tenants are very grateful. But the fees levied are a bit high because it is getting more and more difficult to earn a living nowadays, and on top of that the tenants have to pay quite a high fee for parking. Therefore, I suggest that the fee should be reduced.

As regards car parking in Tiong Bahru, many tenants have complained to me that ---

Mr Speaker: Order, order. Mr Lee, could you please resume your seat?

Mr Lee Teck Him resumed his seat.

Mr Speaker: Mr Barker, if I may assist the hon. Member with his supplementary, his question is: will you consider reducing car-parking fees at Tiong Bahru?

Mr Barker: Mr Speaker, Sir, I thought we were discussing the introduction of car parks! But, like the hon. Member for Tiong Bahru, the hon. Member for Queenstown has also been approached by his Citizens' Consultative Committee and the residents of Queenstown to try to get these car-parking fees reduced. But these are the fees that have been calculated by the Board to recover their costs of building the car park and providing for its maintenance.

I can assure the Member that the Board is not making any profit out of the fees charged at Tiong Bahru or Queenstown. But representations have been made. This is the first representation I am hearing from Tiong Bahru, and I will ask the Board to consider whether or not they can reduce the parking fees.

But what really surprises me, Sir, is the number of cars that are at present around Housing Board estates. The flats are meant to be for the lower income group, and yet many of them can afford to buy cars. And if they can afford to buy cars, surely they can afford to pay $12 a month.

Mr Ho Kah Leong (Jurong): Can the Minister inform the House whether security measures are provided in this paid car park?

Mr Barker: By "security", I assume the Member is asking whether there are car-park attendants or guards. I assure him there are. For instance, in Queens-town we employ 12 car-park attendants and they work for 24 hours on three shifts - four attendants at a time. So if you pay your $12 in Queenstown and put your car in this car-park, you are assured of better protection than if you leave it on the main road.

Mr Ho See Beng: Since Government charge a motorist a fee to park his car in the parking bay which is the property of Government, in the event the car is hijacked by someone, will they accept the claim from the owner of the car?

Mr Barker: I can assure the Member for Bras Basah that Government will accept full responsibility according to the law.

Mr Ho See Beng: Mr Speaker. Sir, if you are thinking of doing business on such terms, then it is not profitable. Here you are charging $12 a month as a parking fee and, in addition, you have to hire three-shift workers to look after the car park and also give a policy - something like an insurance policy - to meet the claim of a motorist whose car has been hijacked. I say that that policy is no good, and we had better abandon it.

Mr Speaker: Mr Barker, do you want to add anything to your previous answer?

Mr Barker: No, Sir.