HOUSING AND DEVELOPMENT BOARD ESTATES (Overcrowding of Cars)

Mr Ong Teng Cheong asked the Minister for Law and National Development how the Housing and Development Board intends to solve the overcrowding problem of car population in the existing housing estates of the Board and, in particular, the problem of the current overspill of car parking on to public roads caused by the Board's recent introduction of the paid-parking system in Toa Payoh New Town.

Mr E. W. Barker: Mr Speaker, Sir, in recent years, the car ownership population in existing Housing Board estates has increased due to increasing affluence. However, it is not feasible for the Housing and Development Board to cater for the parking needs of every car owner who lives in a Housing Board flat. To alleviate the situation, paid parking of cars has been introduced progressively in Housing Board estates. This should ensure more orderly and systematic parking of cars and prevent misuse of the car parks. The parking fees in Toa Payoh New Town at 20 cents per hour, or for season tickets at $15 per month day-and-night, are reasonable and not beyond the means of car owners. Car parking will not be allowed to overspill on to public roads. Car ownership may eventually require proof of a car parking space either in a parking lot or private garage. Meanwhile the Housing and Development Board, in conjunction with the Traffic Police, is looking into the problem of overspilling and to get these cars off the public roads on to parking lots.

Mr Cheong Yuen Chee (Toa Payoh): Mr Speaker, Sir, in view of the apparent inadequate parking facilities in certain areas in Toa Payoh, will the Minister be prepared to ask the Housing Board to consider allowing season parking ticket holders as well as short term period ticket holders to park within Toa Payoh Town itself, rather than restricting them to certain parking lots only? The Housing Board should also prohibit lorries, trailers and buses from parking in the various car parks in Toa Payoh. I am sure this restriction will, to some extent, relieve the parking problems in Toa Payoh New Town as a whole.

Mr Barker: Consideration will certainly be given to the suggestion of the Member for Toa Payoh. But I think I have to repeat what I said earlier on, and that is basically the car ownership population has increased considerably and the Board cannot cater for the parking needs of every car owner.

Mr Ong Teng Cheong (Kim Keat): Sir, I thank the Minister for the answer. Obviously, the planning assumptions in the existing Housing and Development Board estates on which the car parking provisions were based have been outstripped by the rapid growth of car ownership. There is insufficient car parking space -

Mr Speaker: Mr Ong, are you asking a supplementary question, or are you proposing a vote of thanks to the Minister?

Mr Ong Teng Cheong: Sir, I am coming to my question. The overspill problem that I mentioned earlier on is due to the insufficient number of parking spaces provided by the Housing and Development Board in their estates, based on these wrong planning assumptions. This problem is also partly due at the very outset to the lack of planning and control on the allocation of parking spaces in HDB estates. Therefore, I am wondering if the Minister would in future take into account the car ownership when making allocations for Housing Board flats.

Mr Barker: By that, does the Member mean that if a person owns a car he is entitled to a Housing Board flat?

Mr Ong Teng Cheong: No, Sir,If the Housing Board is providing, say, only 200 car parking spaces for every three blocks of flats and allocation of flats is made without consideration of car ownership, then when the people move in with a total of, say, 400 cars, obviously there is going to be an over-spill problem.

Mr Barker: If what the Member means is that the Housing Board must supply or build a car park for every car owner, then I say he has got his priorities wrong. The job of the Housing Board is really to build houses for the people. It cannot at the same time build one car park for every house it builds. That is the short answer. The houses take priority. Some people say that "if you live in a Housing Board flat, you should not own a motor car!"

Mr Ho See Beng: Sir, this over-spilling is really a hindsight wisdom! But my question is: will the Housing Board in future take into consideration the provision of sufficient car parking space for the Housing Board tenants?

Mr Barker: Again, the answer is not a question of bad planning in the past. There has never been any bad planning. If the planning is such that every Housing Board flat owner deserves a car park, then I say it is bad planning. But the planning has not gone that way. Due to rising affluence, the Board is trying its best to provide more car parks, as suggested by the Member for Bras Basah. Obviously, the Board cannot build one car park for every occupier of a flat, whether owner or tenant.

Mr Phey Yew Kok (Boon Teck): Sir, will the Minister consider allocating parking spaces for those who require to use vehicles for their livelihood? I agree with the Minister that the Housing Board cannot build car parks for flat owners who possess cars, but I think that those who are required to use vehicles for their livelihood deserve consideration.

Mr Barker: I can put the Member's suggestion to the Board. But many people require the use of cars or vehicles - some for business and some to go to work. So where do we go from there. It is a question of priority. If someone uses his mini-bus or lorry for business, is he entitled to priority? If he says "yes", another Member says, "Throw the lorry out."