HAWKERS ALONG NORTH BRIDGE ROAD (Issue of notices of offence during Christmas and Chinese New Year)

Mr Ho See Beng asked the Minister for Health if he will instruct the Hawkers Department to refrain from issuing notices of offence to hawkers along North Bridge Road between Rochore Road and Bras Basah Road during the Christmas and Chinese New Year seasons.

Mr Chua Sian Chin: Mr Govindasamy, Sir, as stated in my previous answer, the whole length of North Bridge Road between Rochore Road and Bras Basah Road is a cleared area which is prohibited to hawkers.

It is further not possible to permit hawkers to sell along this stretch of the road without causing serious obstruction to the free flow of traffic and endangering the safety of pedestrians. This will be particularly so during the forthcoming festive seasons of Christmas and Chinese New Year when the traffic congestion along this main road caused by the shopping public will be at its peak. Both sides of this road are also occupied by car parking lots.

It is therefore clearly out of the question to allow hawkers to hawk along North Bridge Road during the Christmas and Chinese New Year seasons.

It is suggested, however, that if the hawkers wish to sell during the festive seasons, they could apply for temporary licences to operate at vacant pitches in prescribed hawkers sites at Liang Seah Street, Purvis Street and Seah Street which are side-streets nearby.