FRINGE CAR PARKS (Request for free use)

Mr Ho See Beng asked the Minister for National Development and Communications if he will consider allowing those underutilised fringe car parks to be used for free parking so as to induce more motorists to park their cars there and travel into and out of the Central Business District by shuttle buses and thus reduce traffic congestion created by private motor vehicles leaving the Central Business District during the evening peak hours.

The Minister of State for National Development (Dr Tan Eng Liang) (for the Minister for National Development and Communications): Sir, the hon. Member's suggestion of allowing free parking at the fringe car parks is unlikely to attract more commuters to these car parks. The present charges of $10 per month or 50 cents per entry are nominal and are not the reason for the underutilisation of these car parks. Most of the motorists who have taken to commuting by bus prefer to board the buses directly from their homes rather than to park-and-ride from the fringe car parks. This appears to be particularly true of residents living in public housing estates as these estates are well served by buses to the Central Business District and walking distances to the bus-stops are generally short within the estates.

There were originally 11 fringe car parks but three were discontinued since June 1975. Of the remaining eight fringe car parks still in operation, six have been partly converted into day-and-night garaging of buses, parking of tour coaches, lorries and mobile cranes, season car parking, and as a Government Plant Sales Centre. Other possible alternative uses for the fringe car parks are being considered.

Mr Ho See Beng (Bras Basah): Mr Speaker, Sir, since the Minister of State has refused to allow free parking in these fringe car parks as I have suggested. I presume the Ministry has plans for better utilisation of these car parks. May I know what is the plan?

Dr Tan Eng Liang: Mr Speaker, Sir, I have indicated that, out of the remaining eight car parks, six have been converted into various uses. If the hon. Member is interested in their detailed use. I have all the figures here. For example, the fringe car park at Lorong 1. Geylang, is being operated as a fringe car park on working days. It is leased to the Singapore Shuttle Bus (Pte) Ltd for night garaging of buses. Similarly the fringe car park at Serangoon Road, where the Singapore Bus Service Ltd is using it for night garaging. Moreover, the remaining available space has been leased to the Housing and Development Board for car parking by the residents living there.

To justify our claim that these fringe car parks are being considered for other uses, let me cite the example of the fringe car park at Kampong Java Road. We are thinking of converting a certain portion of the car park into recreational areas such as tennis courts or squash courts to be built by the Singapore Sports Council. Another plan is to interest the HUDC in the site at Chancery Lane which could be used as a possible site for middle income housing. The fringe car park at Whitley Road is used as a car park during the day. It is also leased to the Singapore Bus Service Ltd for day-and-night garaging of buses. The same arrangement applies to Holland Road car park where part of it is used as a Plant Sales Centre of the Parks and Recreation Department. The Delta Circus car park is also leased to the Singapore Bus Service Ltd for day-and-night garaging of buses.

Mr Ho See Beng: Sir, the fact is that the car parks are still under-utilised. So may I suggest that these car parks be used as pasar ma/am sites?

Dr Tan Eng Liang: Mr Speaker. Sir, the policy on pasar ma/am lies with the Ministry of the Environment. If there is a request from the Ministry of the Environment to use these car parks as possible pasar ma/am sites, the Ministry of National Development will be too happy to consider it.