MAIN AND DEVELOPMENT ESTIMATES OF SINGAPORE FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1ST APRIL, 1977 TO 31ST MARCH, 1978

Order read for resumed consideration in Committee of Supply [7th Allotted Day].

[Mr Speaker in the Chair]

2.50 p.m.

Head O (cont.) -

The Chairman: After the Member has spoken on his amendment. I shall ask the Minister to reply, in order to save time.

Mr Ng Kah Ting (Punggol): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move.

That the sum to be allocated for Head O be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead AAA 8101.

Sir, it is noted that the sum appropriated for FY76 has not been utilised, hence the revote. Perhaps the Hon. Minister would care to enlighten this House as to the reasons why the Centralised Motor Repair Workshops have not been constructed, although provision for this has already been made.

The House was informed yesterday by the Senior Minister of State that the Ministry is faced with the problem of resettling workshops, especially those that are in the city areas. I fail to understand how the Ministry concerned would be able to resettle such workshops unless the Centralised Motor Repair Workshops are ready for them to move in. Would not the Hon. Minister also enlighten this House as to where these workshops are to be located, when would construction commence and when would these workshops be completed.

The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for National Development (Mr Ho Cheng Choon): Mr Speaker, Sir, the proposed site for the Centralised Motor Repair Workshop is at 19.3 km Woodlands Road. Plans and cost estimates for the project have been completed. The Ministry will proceed with the implementation of the project as soon as funds are available. Sir, the delay to implement this scheme was due to the fact that we had to get approval from the Development Planning Committee of the Finance Ministry.

Mr Ng Kah Ting: Sir, in view of the reply from the Parliamentary Secretary I beg leave to withdraw my amendment.

Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.

Mr Teong Eng Siong (Sembawang): (In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move.

That the sum to be allocated for Head O be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead AAA 8104*. (* The same amendment also stood in the name of Mr Ng Kah Ting).

Mr Speaker, Sir, the main function of the Urban and Rural Services Committee is to look after the development of the rural areas in Singapore. Over the past decade the URSC has been quite successful in the development of the rural areas in Singapore. This achievement has helped to improve the standard of living of the rural people by the provision of electricity, better roads, water supply, etc. In other words, the URSC has brought to the rural people modern facilities in their environment.

Mr Speaker, Sir, notwithstanding this achievement I notice from the provision that there is a sum of only $3.94 million for expenditure on so many rural areas. This is obviously insufficient and it is less than the provision for last year. We should increase this provision so that the various construction and development work in the rural areas can be proceeded with more expeditiously.

Sir,I visit my constituents very often. In the course of my visits I notice that some recently constructed roads have a lot of potholes and driving becomes rather bumpy, so soon after the completion of the road.

3.00 p.m.

What is the reason for this? Sir, I think this is because supervision of the work has not been carried out thoroughly. As a result of lack of proper supervision, unethical and irresponsible contractors have provided bad services at the expense of public money. In other words there have been malpractices. They have failed to construct the roads according to proper specifications. As a result, the roads deteriorate more rapidly than expected. This is a waste of public funds.

On the other hand. Sir,I have also noticed that roads built under the gotong royong scheme are much better than those built by the contractors. Even after several years of use, these roads are still good. So I would like to propose that, where road construction is concerned, whether the job is big or small, we should encourage more people to participate in gotong royong rather than leaving this work of road construction entirely to contractors. By the spirit of gotong royong, we will be able to save costs and use the savings to construct still more. within the limited supply of funds.

Mr Ng Kah Ting: Mr Speaker, Sir, MPs representing the rural areas welcome the provision of $3.94 million for urban and rural services. However. Sir, it should be noted that item (h) of this subhead amounting to $339,990 is Expenditure Carried Forward. In other words, the total amount that will actually be utilised for urban and rural services for FY 77 is $3,600,010 to be exact.

Whilst I must first give due credit to the Urban and Rural Services Committee under the chairmanship of the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for National Development in the last 14 years for the various amenities enumerated and have already been provided to the rural constituencies, I would like the Parliamentary Secretary to inform this House as to the total amount of monies spent up to date, in respect of the items listed. I shall also be grateful if he will be kind enough to state the total amounts spent on each item. Otherwise it may be construed, as implied by one hon. Member, ah, yes I think it is the hon. Member for Boon Lay who was reported to have said that the Chairman of URSC had nothing to inform the press of what URSC has done to the rural constituencies.

Following this, Sir, I would like to draw the attention of the House in general and the Hon. Parliamentary Secretary in particular on the following observations:

(1) Most of the kampong roads are now in dire need of repairs as they were metalled some years ago. These roads are full of potholes resulting in much inconvenience to the residents. Would not the URSC consider resurfacing them? These roads, moreover, are very narrow and need to be widened, I hope the URSC will consider this also.

(2) The Street lighting in the kampongs is poor and brighter Street lamps should replace these lamps which in some cases are more than 10 years old.

(3) Public standpipes were removed to enable households to connect piped-water into their homes. I would like to know how much has been spent on laying of water-mains to enable those affected to connect piped-water to their houses. How many households have benefitted as a result? and

(4) Last year. I submitted a question for Oral Answer concerning the making up of the various Farmways in the Pig Farming areas. The Hon. Minister for National Development and Communications replied that such requests would be favourably considered when submitted to the URSC.

Sir, the Hon. Senior Minister of State in reply to questions on this matter yesterday, stated that it would take some time for the necessary infrastructure and services to be provided in this area.

I believe that this will entail high costs and it is my contention that the URSC should not be made to bear such costs in fairness to the other rural constituencies for the simple reason that the sums allocated are definitely insufficient to meet the numerous requests of these constituencies.

Therefore, Sir, I would like to reiterate that the URSC make out the necessary costing for such provision and that this matter be submitted to the Finance Ministry for approval.

Mr Ho Cheng Choon: (In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, first of all, I would like to thank the Member for Sembawang and the Member for Punggol for their remarks on the Urban and Rural Services Committee and for making suggestions to the Committee. The Member for Sembawang has said that after repair of construction of roads in the rural areas, further repairs often become necessary and he has expressed the view that this was due to the lack of strict supervision. As a matter of fact, Sir, all road construction undertaken by contractors is supervised by officers of the Public Works Department very strictly. There is no need for us to worry about this aspect. Furthermore, Sir, it is also written in every tender contract that for the first six months contractors are held responsible for any defects or disrepair of the road after completion. The crux of the matter is that the newly completed metalled roads very often attract a lot more vehicles. As a result of excessive use of such roads, the neighbouring rural roads are also affected and become damaged. As soon as the URSC has got information of such a state of affairs, the PWD will be told to carry out immediate repairs to prevent further deterioration of the roads.

The Member for Sembawang has also suggested that we should encourage more people to participate in road construction under the gotong royong scheme. As a matter of fact, Sir, this has always been encouraged by the URSC. In 1976 alone, in Chua Chu Kang. Punggol, Nee Soon, Jurong, Tampines and Kampong Chai Chee, we launched a gotong royong campaign for road construction in these areas. As a result, 18 rural roads were repaired or improved at a cost of $638,000. All these road construction works and improvement were completed according to schedule. Here, Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to express my thanks on behalf of the Government to all the rural people, the CCC, the MPs, national servicemen and the undergraduates of higher institutions of learning for their participation in these gotong royong projects. Sir, I can assure the Member for Sembawang that these collective gotong royong projects will continue to be encouraged by the Government and will receive all the necessary support of the Government.

The Member for Sembawang has also asked for an increase in the provision of funds for the URSC. As a matter of fact, Sir, over the past few years, the Urban and Rural Services Committee has been given increasing funds from year to year. For example, in FY 1974-75, the provision for the URSC was $3.3 million whereas in FY 75-76 the provision was increased to $3.6 million. There was an increase of 9.8%. In FY 76-77, the provision was $3.98 million, an increase of 9.7%. For the new financial year of 77-78, the provision is $3.94 million. This may appear to be slightly less than the previous provision but, in actual fact, it is not so. I say so because in the previous provisions for the URSC there was included a sum of $1 million for the improvement of street lighting in the urban areas, and this amount has now been transferred to the PWD fund from the total allocation to the URSC. So if we were to include the $1 million for street lighting improvement in the city area, then the total allocation can be said to have increased by 25% over the previous year's provision.

Mr Speaker, Sir, I agree with the view expressed by the hon. Member for Punggol that the U RSC annual allocation of funds can only be used for the improvement of public amenities within the various constituencies. As regards the work for the new resettlement areas, such as the resettlement area in Jalan Kayu and Punggol, the pig farms, etc., the URSC will very soon make a careful study and survey of these two Constituencies to understand and to find out which public facilities need further improvement or greater attention. At the same time, the URSC will also make an estimate of the amount of money required for these facilities and action will be taken to ask the Ministry of Finance for the appropriation of funds. So the hon. Member can rest assured about this matter.

As regards the matter raised by the Member for Punggol that the street lights in the rural areas provided by the URSC are not bright enough and should be improved, my answer is that his criticism is quite correct. As a matter of fact, Sir, the Urban and Rural Services Committee as far back as three years ago, looked into this matter very carefully. But, because in certain rural areas there were still no street lights available, so they could not as a matter of priority improve on the lighting conditions of the earlier existing lamps.

3.15 p.m.

Now, because most of the roads in the rural areas are equipped with street lights, the URSC is now ready to do something to improve the poor lighting. In the past the street lights installed in some rural areas were 100 watt metal filament lamps. That was one type. The other type was the 40 watt flourescent tubes. The common feature of these two types of lighting is that they will only last two to three months. The maintenance cost therefore is very high. Three years ago the Urban and Rural Services Committee on an experimental basis used the 125 watt high pressure mercury vapour lamps and they found that this kind of light was much better. They find that the new type was eight times brighter than the old ones and they could last two to three years. This means a greater consumption of electricity. The URSC has decided to improve the existing lamps gradually over the next few years. In the more densely populated areas or in areas where there are community centres, priority will be given in the replacement of old lamps.

If the rural roads built earlier are found to be in a very serious state of disrepair, the URSC is ever ready to consider taking immediate action to repair such roads as soon as possible. The Member for Punggol wanted to know the work of the URSC in the past 14 years from 1963 to 1976, in the improvement of public facilities in the rural and urban areas. Over the 14 years, the URSC has spent a total of $48,144 million for the improvement of the living environment of the rural people. This amount of money had been spent on the provisions for the following separate items: First, on rural roads, the expenditure amounted to $15.691 million. Second, the provision of street lighting which took up $8.96 million.

Third, the provision of water pipes $6.288 million, under this scheme 11,542 households have been provided with water supply. That is to say, more than 103,800 people have benefitted. Fourth, rural electrification scheme which was completed by 1972 accounted for $13.624 million, benefitting about 1 62,000 people involving about 23,000 households. Fifth, improvement of jetties and other works $3.551 million. All these facts and figures show that of the $48.144 million mentioned earlier, about 74% of the money was spent on rural constituencies. This shows that the Government has done a great deal in improving the living conditions of the people in the rural areas. Nothwithstanding what we have done. there is still room in the rural areas which merit further consideration and attention from the URSC and further efforts will be made to improve such areas.

On the 16th of this month when the House was debating the estimates for the Ministry of Culture. the Member for Boon Lay raised the question as to why the URSC had not held press conferences as in the past. I would like to take this opportunity to give him a brief reply. In the past, because the Urban and Rural Services Committee was just a newly established Government agency, the people in Singapore did not quite understand the objectives, plans and the work procedure adopted by the URSC. There was therefore the necessity for frequent press conferences to be held to keep the people informed of the detailed work-objectives, the procedure and development plans of the URSC. After several years of work the rural people have improved in their living conditions. The living environment in the rural areas has been improving all the time. The people not only have better roads, brighter lights but they also enjoy modern living facilities. Subsequently, we have the Citizens' Consultative Committees and the Management Committees of Community Centres set up in the rural areas. The URSC has often come into contact and liaise with such committees. The needs were brought to the attention of the Government and the people also know what the Government is doing for them. Under the circumstances there is no longer the need to hold press conferences which would be amounting to drawing a snake and adding legs to it, which is unnecessary. The more important thing for the URSC is to keep on with its effort to improve the living conditions of the people.

Mr Teong Eng Siong: (In Mandarin): Sir, the Senior Parliamentary Secretary has given me a satisfactory answer, and I beg leave to withdraw my amendment.

Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.

Mr Sia Khoon Seong (Moulmein): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move.

That the sum to be allocated for Head O be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead AAA 8201.

In moving this amendment, I am taking the opportunity to enquire from the Minister as to when the Housing and Development Board will develop Ah Hood Road vicinity. It was some years ago when land was acquired by the HDB after fire gutted some of the huts there. Since then no concrete steps were taken to expedite the development of the area. Residents staying there are not allowed to renovate their present huts. Some of them want early resettlement but were told to wait. The question is. how long do they have to wait? As the Member of Parliament for the area, it is natural that I should want to see, despite some of the criticisms that my fellow Members of Parliament have to say about the designs and qualities of the HDB flats, a nice little housing estate, with pleasant surroundings in the area rather than to see the present dilapidated old huts in such deplorable surroundings.

It may be opportune for me at this time to suggest that in the development scheme for the area the Housing and Development Board should take into account two factors: (1) There is already a fairly large scale development of private flats in the adjoining areas. This definitely adds to the population density in and around the area. It is therefore important that sufficient open space and recreational facilities be provided. (2) Because of the very large number of households in the area it is very necessary to build a market there.

The Minister for Law and the Environment (Mr E. W. Banker): Swimming pool?

Mr Sia Khoon Seong: Later.

The Senior Minister of State for National Development (Dr Tan Eng Liang): Sir, clearance of the site at Ah Hood Road will commence in the middle of this year. As the site is heavily encumbered clearance is likely to take some years to complete. The HDB, on the other hand, is unable to indicate a firm date for development. However, construction work is expected to begin sometime in 1979. The Member's suggestion for the inclusion of a market, open space and recreational facilities will be included in the development plan.

Mr Sia Khoon Seong: In view of the Minister of State's reply. I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Sir.

Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.

Mr Ng Kah Ting: Sir,I beg to move,

That the sum to be allocated for Head O be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead AAA 8301.

Sir, I pointed out earlier in this House that I have resettlement both ways. Many families have to move out from Punggol to make way for the pig farmers from Chua Chu Kang and Kranji catchment areas. I had appealed that the approach to this resettlement should be more humane and sympathetic so as to alleviate the bitterness on the part of those families concerned. Those who had to move out were not given sufficient time to do so and were to some extent often harassed. They complained that they were not given the opportunity to purchase flats of their choice on grounds that these flats are not ready. Take, for example, the Punggol estate which was developed in two phases. Phase I has been completed and Phase II is nearing completion. The result, they have to rent flats first in those offered for rental in Punggol Estate Phase I and await completion of the new flats.

To reinforce my assertion, may I inform the House and the Minister concerned that I have about 103 resettled families (from Punggol) in Punggol Estate waiting to purchase their flats in the said Estate, which will be due for balloting at the end of this month. My question is why the HDB resettlement department did not encourage these affected families to accept other estates where flats are ready for occupation.

3.30 p.m.

Next, the relocation of farmers from the catchment areas to the non-catchment areas. I have visited them on several occasions and held discussions with them. They complained to me that they were told to move out soonest possible because their farms are causing pollution to the Kranji Reservoir. They agreed to cooperate in the national interest, but when they came to see the farming lots allocated, they noted that they had to start life anew because they had to set up new farms. They accept this and I am proud of them. But they pointed out that apart from the barest facilities provided, they need time to settle down.

They had to spend a lot of money to do so. Moreover, they had to borrow money to set up their farm, as the so-called enhanced compensation could not be paid to them earlier. I mentioned that in some cases, they have been resettled as many as four times. Therefore the uprooting of these families has made the ground bitter. I must urge the Hon. Minister concerned that his department should henceforth be more humane and sympathetic in its approach towards resettlement.

Dr Tan Eng Liang: Sir, the Government is appreciative of the understanding of these resettled families in the importance of water and the need to move them out from the catchment area. The Ministry does not believe that the Resettlement Department would really harass the families concerned in order to achieve its objectives but, if it pleases the hon. Member, we can perhaps advise the Resettlement Department to be more persuasive in its approach. I am surprised at the incidence quoted where the Resettlement Department did not try to persuade the 103 resettled families to other areas. The likely reason would be that there are available flats, for example, in Bedok, Ang Mo Kio and even as far away as Woodlands, but the families have been so used to Punggol and the good efforts done by the MP that they choose to stay in Punggol. So they would prefer to rent the flats at Punggol Estate I and do not mind waiting to purchase the flats at Punggol Estate II. I think that is more likely the reason and not the fact that the HDB's Resettlement Department had not given them any alternative accommodation.

As to his query on the need to be more humane and sympathetic to alleviate the bitterness of these people concerned, we share his sentiments and I can only reiterate by saying that we could advise the Resettlement Department to be more persuasive in its approach.

The original time given for those to resettle from the Kranji catchment area was much shorter and I think, due to the urgency of the project, extended time was given to allow them to move out from the catchment area. Similarly. I suppose the same reasons are applicable to Punggol where the families have been resettled outside so as to make the land available to resettle those pig farmers from the catchment area.

Mr Ng Kah Ting: In view of the assurance from the Senior Minister of State that his department concerned would be more humane and sympathetic, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment.

Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.

Mr P. Govindaswamy (Anson): Sir, I beg to move,

That the sum to be allocated for Head O be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead BAA 8105*. (* The same amendment also stood in the names of Mr Ahmad Haleem and Dr Ong Leong Boon)

Sir, I wonder whether the subject I am speaking on comes under the right subhead, because it seems that the Senior Minister of State for Communications normally deals with the mass transit system. However, since this item appears in the Estimates under the Ministry of National Development, I would like to ask a few points. What progress has been made in the development of the Mass Rapid Transit System in our Republic so far? Are we still relying on foreign experts, or are we making progress on our own? What has been the result of the various expensive studies that have been conducted during the past few years? Could the Minister comment?

The Chairman: Mr Ahmad Haleem is not here. Dr Ong.

Dr Ong Leong Boon (Kim Seng): Sir, I rise in support of the sentiments expressed by the hon. Member for Anson regarding the mass rapid transit system that we hear so much about but has yet to see its realisation. I recall that the Hon. Senior Minister of State for Communications was one of the most vocal advocates of the system years back when he was sitting on this side of the House. I hope, Sir, that he would pursue the same matter with the same vigour and persistence.

Sir, I also note that the Prime Minister and, of course, the Hon. Minister for National Development and Communications, have just returned from Hong Kong and we are told that they made some on-the-spot studies. I would have thought that this would be a good occasion when perhaps they might like to enlighten us as to what steps or progress there are in relation to the mass rapid transit system.

Sir, the last time we hear of this matter was in connection with the completion of Phase II of the feasibility study. I would just like to make the point that if we must go ahead, I think an early decision should be made because any delay means further costs and this Government is, as we all know, very cost-conscious.

Dr Tan Eng Liang: Sir, the Singapore Mass Transit Study was undertaken in two phases. In Phase I, various mass transit systems including both the all-bus and the bus-rail systems were examined. Phase I was completed in early 1974 with the recommendation to study in greater detail a bus-rail system and this was carried out in Phase II. Both phases of the MTS were undertaken by a firm of consultants appointed by the World Bank which acted as executing agencies for the UNDP. To assure the hon. Member for Anson, local counterpart staff were attached to the MTS Unit throughout the feasibility study.

The Phase II study was completed by the consultants in March 1976 and the draft final report which was submitted by the consultants is now under review by the World Bank. The consultants had concluded that the rail-base mass transit system is technically feasible. The World Bank, however, has taken some time for their review because of the many factors to be considered, including a close scrutiny of the bases and assumptions used in this study. The World Bank has indicated that the review will be finalised shortly. My colleague, the Senior Minister of State for Communications is still extremely interested in this project and he has just told me that they are pursuing the report of the World Bank very closely.

My Minister has just been to Hong Kong but it was on an unofficial visit. So do not believe what the newspapers have said.

Mr P. Govindaswamy: Sir, we should not spend too much money in engaging consultants. We must be very careful about spending such money. We are spending too much money on consultants. We should engage one consultant right until he completes his work.

I beg leave to withdraw my amendment.

Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.

Mr Ng Kah Ting: Sir,I beg to move.

That the sum to be allocated for Head O be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead DAA 8101.

Sir, I think I should explain to the House on the problems of setting up pig farms but I shall be brief. All the pig sties are in single-storeys and in rows. The pigs have to drink water and also to be watered. Therefore, several pig farmers encounter the difficulty of locating water through the digging of wells. The costs for well-digging range from $5,000 to $40,000 depending on the size, capacity and depth of the well. Sometimes, several places have to be dug before water can be found. In this respect, may I suggest that the Department concerned look into the question of carrying out hydrographical surveys of these farmlands and make use of the necessary equipment to assist the farmers in locating water so as to cut down cost in well-digging.

Another problem, Sir, concerns those farmers who have been allowed to remain where they are. Most of them are poultry farmers. I have received complaints from a number of them stating that the Primary Production Department has asked them to indicate when they would convert to pig farming. (I have seen such forms relating to this). These farmers tell me that they have been carrying out poultry farming activity practically all their lives and that they do not know anything about pig farming. I believe that there is a great difference between pig and poultry farming. And when I checked up with the department concerned, I was told that the areas have been designated for pig farming. I therefore cannot understand the rationale in allowing the retention of the poultry farms in the first instance. It may well be that because they comply with certain requirements laid down by the department concerned they were allowed to remain where they are. I think the department concerned should have considered the question of loss of income to these poultry farmers in the first place. They should also note the costs involved in the setting up of pig farms, which are different from poultry farms, whilst not forgetting the fact that these poultry farmers may have to be retrained for pig farming. As such, they also have to incur extra financial resources. In this light, could the department concerned offer them financial assistance? I sincerely hope that the Minister would enlighten the House on this matter.

The final point I wish to touch on, Sir, concerns those farmlands which are situated on higher ground. I am told that some farmers have rejected them on the ground that there is no water in the area. It may well be that if they should move there, they would have to dig deeper into the ground to reach the water table. In this case, may I suggest that the department concerned should consider allowing such lands to be used for poultry farming instead as this will mean that there is optimal utilisation of lands available for farming.

3.45 p.m.

Dr Tan Eng Liang: Mr Speaker, Sir, the Primary Production Department is not an expert in hydrographical surveys such as the detection and digging of wells. If I remember correctly, there are firms which specialise on this. In fact, some firms also give guarantee that if no water is detected you do not have to pay any money at all. I think it is best left to the private sector to do that type of work.

Now, the Punggol area was extensively acquired by Government for the sole purpose of resettling the affected pig farmers from the Kranji catchment area, so that Punggol, being a non-catchment area, could be made into the place for pig-rearing in Singapore. The 62 poultry farmers were retained on the condition that they should be prepared to switch over to pig-farming. The criterion used was to allow any farmer with more than 3,000 birds to stay. I am sympathetic with those who have to switch from poultry farming to pig farming as it involves some costs but the PPD has really no money to help them in financing this transaction. But due to the representations made by the Member for Punggol on the plight of these poultry farmers, the Primary Production Department has given them a grace period to switch over. Instead of asking them to resettle elsewhere immediately, the PPD has indicated that farmers will be given three years to switch from poultry farming to pig farming.

It is true that certain parts of Punggol are high land where pig farming in the conventional sense may not be attractive. But we have figures to indicate that even in these high lands, where PUB water is available, and using modern commercial methods the total cost of water per pig after slaughtering is only $4. However, we are prepared to concede that if certain plots in these high lands are not taken up by pig farmers, then when the time comes, we will consider converting it into poultry farming.

Mr Ng Kah Ting: Sir, I thank the Senior Minister of State for his kind remarks. I beg leave to withdraw my amendment.

Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.

The following amendment stood in the names of Mr Ho Kah Leong and Mr Ng Kah Ting -

(17) That the sum to be allocated for Head O be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead DEA 8101.

Mr Ho Kah Leong (Jurong): I am not moving. Sir.

Mr Ng Kah Ting: Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move,

That the sum to be allocated for Head O be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead DEA 8101.

Sir, I welcome the provision to extend the Jurong Fish Market which will give the fish merchants some permanent offices. In this respect I would like to seek clarification and enlightenment from the Minister as to whether there are plans in hand to resite the Kangkar fish market to another locality in the same constituency. In reply to my question earlier, he has said that there are no plans. But I hope that plans can be drawn up now so that construction of a new market can be carried out as soon as possible.

Dr Tan Eng Liang: Mr Speaker, Sir, it is acknowledged that the Kangkar fish market handles something like 9,600 tons of fish in 1976, representing 15% of the fish consumed in Singapore. I have indicated previously that the Primary Production Department has actually drawn up a plan to expand and develop this market but due to the requirement to widen and lengthen Upper Serangoon Road this plan was aborted. I assure the hon. Member that the department has now drawn up a new plan with the hope to resite this market to another locality further up the coast in the vicinity of Punggol.

Mr Ng Kah Ting: In that case I thank the Senior Minister of State. I beg leave to withdraw my amendment.

Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.

Mr Ng Kah Ting: Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move,

That the sum to be allocated for Head O be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead EAA 8101.

Sir, in moving this amendment I just wish to make a few observations concerning the creation of park lands. Under this subhead there is a revote of $310,000 out of $460,000 to be allocated. Under subhead EAA, the items for "West Coast Park", "Extension of Labrador Park", "Sembawang Park", "Pasir Panjang Hill Park" and "Pasir Ris Park", are all under revotes. To my mind. Sir - correct me if I am wrong - it appears that nothing has been done. May I suggest to the Hon. Minister that such projects should be farmed out so that our people, especially those who live in highrise flats, will be given the necessary recreational facilities as soon as possible.

Mr Ho Cheng Choon: Mr Speaker, Sir, the Member for Punggol has suggested that the authority concerned should undertake park development and ensure a speedier completion of the projects. However, in order to speed up the development of such parks, the Ministry will consider asking the Parks and Recreation Department, which has the requisite expertise in the form of landscape designers. horticulturists as well as the resources, experience and supporting facilities, to develop certain parks.

Mr Ng Kah Ting: Sir,I beg leave to withdraw my amendment.

Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.

Mr Sia Khoon Seong: Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move.

That the sum to be allocated for Head O be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead EAA 8105.

In moving this amendment. Sir, I am taking the opportunity to inquire from the Minister as to whether the Parks and Recreation Department would look into the possibility of planting shrubs and plants along Balestier Road, not only to break the harshness of the area but also to enhance the pleasantness of the surroundings. As we all know, Balestier Road is one of the main arterial roads in Singapore and situated in one of the most important areas in Singapore. (Interruption] Members may disagree. But if out-of-the way roads are planted with trees and shrubs to enhance the pleasantness of the environment, I do not understand why an important road like Balestier Road should look so barren without any greenery to break the harshness of the area.

Mr Ho Cheng Choon: Mr Speaker, Sir, the portion of Balestier Road from Serangoon Road junction to Moulmein Road junction is well planted with trees and is quite shady and green. The portion from Moulmein Road junction to Thomson Road junction has no trees because no planting can be done on the road divider which is only about 0.4 metres wide. Furthermore, as this stretch of Balestier Road is an old road, there is no provision for tree planting along the sides of the road. However, the Public Works Department will investigate to see if the centre divider can be widened to provide space for tree planting without adversely affecting traffic flow.

Mr Sia Khoon Seong: Sir, before I withdraw my amendment. I just want to say that although the reply given by the Parliamentary Secretary is that the stretch of road from Moulmein Road to Serangoon Road is well planted with trees, that is no consolation to me because that portion of the road is now under Farrer Park constituency. But since he has given an assurance that the PWD will look into this matter, I am satisfied. I am sure that if they want to do something, something can be done. Nothing is impossible with the Singapore Government and this must also apply to the PWD. I beg leave to withdraw my amendment.

Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.

Mr Teong Eng Siong: Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move.

That the sum to be allocated for Head O be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead EAA 8109.

The amount of $400,000 appropriated is for the development of a seaside park in Sembawang with a view to turning the area into a holiday resort and tourist attraction. As the MP for this constituency, I appreciate very much that the Government has attached importance to the well-being of the rural residents in Sembawang by providing recreational facilities. Now, I have a few questions to ask the Minister. Firstly, when will work on this proposed seaside park start and when will it be completed? Secondly, what recreational facilities will be provided in this park? Thirdly. I suggest that a jogging track along the park be provided, since jogging is now popular with our people. Jogging is good for the health of the people. Fourthly, I suggest that a fishing pond be provided in the park to enable visitors to enjoy the pleasure of fishing.

A performing stage should also be provided for the regular staging of musical and dance performances by the people of various races. Apart from plants and flowers, statues of personalities and animals should also be erected to create an aesthetic atmosphere in the park.

Mr Ho Cheng Choon: Mr Speaker, Sir, as soon as the Ministry of Finance approves the project, work on the Sembawang Park will commence and development is expected to take two years. The Member also asked what kind of facilities will be provided. The facilities that will be provided in the Park include picnic areas, beach shelters, toilet facilities, benches, footpaths and car parks. Of course, the Member's suggestion for a jogging track, fishing pond, and a stage for cultural activities to be included in the development plan will be considered.

Mr Teong Eng Siong: Sir, in view of the Parliamentary Secretary's satisfactory explanation. I beg leave to withdraw my amendment.

Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.

The sum of $159,839,000 for Head O ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates.

The sum of $1,213,685,000 for Head O ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates.

Head P -

Mr P. Govindaswamy: Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move,

That the sum to be allocated for Head P be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead AAA 1004*. (*The same amendment also stood in the name of Dr Ong Leong Boon.)

There has been a remarkable improvement in our bus service over the last few years. For one thing, rude conductors, smoky buses, infrequent services are things of the past, with some exceptions. The improvement has been made possible because of the action taken by the Government Team of Officials which has been seconded to the SBS. However, the authorities still have to look after some of the minor problems which still exist. It is a common sight to see buses speeding, especially at night and also at rural areas throughout the day. Some even go against the traffic lights and practically bulldoze their way through traffic. Obviously most of the drivers hold the maxim that "might is right". There are some drivers who on the pretext of overtaking other vehicles do not care to halt at scheduled bus stops, even though the commuters who have been patiently waiting for that particular service, signal the bus to stop. This normally happens outside the peak periods when there are fewer inspectors around.

Sir, there has also been a remarkable improvement in the condition of buses. However, on rainy days many buses, both old and even some of the newer ones, seem to leak from the top and also from the windscreens. Thus, seats are wet and commuters have to stand up and dodge the rain water that splashes into the buses. I wonder whether the SBS carries out periodic checks to see that the buses do not leak.

Sir, some of the bus services from housing estates do not cater for services to places all over the island. For instance, there is no service running direct from Marine Parade to Telok Blangah via Keppel Road. In fact, in Keppel, Telok Blangah and Pasir Panjang Roads, there are many offices and yet no bus service has been considered. Even before the bus service was reorganised there was a service running from Cantonment Road turning to Keppel Road to Pasir Panjang. But now there is no such service. It appears commuters have to change buses to go through these routes. This would then cost them an extra fare. Why not introduce direct services running through these routes, because I have received complaints from a number of workers whose place of work is at Keppel, Telok Blangah and Pasir Panjang Roads. Could the Minister look into this?

The SBS also seems to have certain rules just to suit its conductors. They refuse to accept Malaysian coins. Yet they do not mind giving them for the return change and tell off the commuters if they refuse to accept Malaysian coins. What is the guideline on this matter?

The city shuttle service is performing a very good service to the public, though the reasons for the introduction of this service have completely overlapped their original functions. Why not extend the hours and the terminal points of the shuttle service? This will in a way improve further our transport service.

The Scheme B service is also providing a useful supplementary service during the peak hours. When it was introduced it was praised as clean and efficient. Yet lately the service seems to have deteriorated, like running the service with no proper timing, changing directions at their discretion and buses not as tidy as before.

Sir, at present there are about 7,000 taxis. Yet this number seems to be insufficient to meet the needs of the public. At times, it is difficult to get a taxi at many places in the city area and also in the outskirts of town. It is time the number of taxis was increased. We should also see that they are run efficiently so that more people will give up the idea of owning cars. At present, some people are still reluctant to give up their cars simply because our bus service has not improved sufficiently and the difficulty of getting taxis for commuting.

Sir, turning to the subject of telephones, though we are proud that many new lines have been introduced, yet there seems to be too many complaints of getting through the main lines of most Government departments. At times, even the police 999 emergency line is difficult to get through. What would happen when there are serious crimes? Because of poor communication, they may not be solved.

At times, when we get through the line, we could hear the ringing but no one would answer for a long time. Sometimes we hear wonderful opera music on the phone when we are dialling. And also very often we get crossed-lines. Why is this so? The telephone exchanges of the Government departments must definitely be improved for the benefit of the public, especially the businessmen.

Sir, I hope the Hon. Minister will reply to my queries.

Mr Teo Chong Tee (Changi): Mr Speaker, Sir, some years ago a campaign on queuing-up for buses was unsuccessfully launched in Singapore. I wonder whether the Ministry had analysed the failure of that campaign and whether or not another similar campaign will be launched to instill in the minds of commuters that a sense of discipline must be developed in bus stops situated in heavy traffic routes.

During peak hours, commuters comprising office workers, school children and other bus users gather in large numbers at bus stops. In such circumstances, buses packed with passengers are frequently seen overshooting such bus stops to allow certain commuters to disembark. This has caused waiting commuters to run, rush and worst of all, scramble their way into these buses which have hardly any standing room left. Obviously, there is overcrowding in the buses. Accidents can happen during this mad scramble. I can imagine that these commuters are losing their patience after a long wait for buses.

It is ironical to see a big and bold display board in the passenger cabin of every bus stating the number of passengers it is licensed to carry (sitting and standing) when practically every bus overloads passengers at peak hours. Perhaps, the situation can be further improved by increasing additional buses with similar service numbers on routes where the corn muter traffic is very heavy. I wonder whether the excess passengers over and above the figure stipulated in the licence are covered by insurance. I also wonder whether the drivers, conductors, conductresses or for that matter the bus companies have ever been prosecuted for such overloading, as it undoubtedly flouts the law. Perhaps the Hon. Minister can enlighten us on this.

Double-decker buses will soon be introduced on our congested roads. Overloading in these buses may, be disastrous particularly in the upper deck. I foresee this will happen when they are put on the roads, for they will become a novelty on our roads.

Unless the stipulated passenger capacity for each bus is strictly observed where commuters can travel in comfort either standing or sitting, buses will continue to be over-crowded with commuters. As a consequence, accidents will happen and will definitely raise the rate of traffic accidents on our roads. In fact, this morning I saw another accident at Airport Road where an elderly lady was killed on the spot.

I thank you, Sir, for allowing me this opportunity to speak although my name is not on the list.

The Minister for National Development and Communications (Mr Lim Kim San): Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to inform the hon. Member for Anson that action has been and will continue to be taken by the Traffic Police and the Singapore Bus Service against reckless and inconsiderate drivers. In fact, the SBS operates five radio-equipped patrol cars for this purpose. In the past 14 months, it has taken disciplinary action against 400 drivers for speeding or for dangerous driving or for inconsiderate driving. I am glad to inform the Member that during the last three months the number of such cases has dropped because of this strict enforcement action taken by the SBS and the Police.

Sometimes, Sir, buses which have to stop at the left side of the road have to make a right turn and in doing so they edge their way from the left to the right and might give the impression that they are bulldozing their way. Under such circumstances, Sir, the drivers and conductors have been given strict instructions to give appropriate signals to provide sufficient warning to other road users. It is the intention of the SBS to continually upgrade the skills of the drivers by training and retraining.

4.15 p.m.

It is not feasible to provide direct bus services from the housing estates to every part of Singapore. Resources are limited and to do so would be a waste of limited resources. A direct service between two areas can only be justified when there is a high demand for such service. In all other cases, bus transfers will be inevitable. The Member gave the example that there is no direct bus service between Marine Parade and Keppel/Telok Blangah/Pasir Panjang Roads. The demand is not sufficient to justify a direct route. But they only need to do one transfer. Later on if the demand should increase and there is justification, the SBS will run a direct route between Marine Parade and the roads mentioned by the Member. At the moment there are already 10 services operating 70 buses along Keppel/Telok Blangah and Pasir Panjang Roads. The SBS will continue to monitor closely the demand for such services. If it is required, more buses will be put in service there.

As we all know, the rate between the Malaysian and Singapore currencies fluctuates. The SBS bus conductors have been told not to accept Malaysian currency and it is only fair that they should not give Malaysian currency in return. The directive will be further emphasised.

Under the present condition, the City Shuttle Service operates for quite an extended period, that is, from 7.00 a.m. to 7.30 p.m. This covers both the morning and evening peak periods. Extension of operational hours will result in the need for more buses, more workers and more costs. Since the commuting demand outside the CSS operational hours is adequately met by the SBS, there is no need to extend the CSS period of operations.

With regard to the extension of the routes, this again depends on the demand.

The Member also mentioned about deterioration of the Scheme B services. The Registry of Vehicles has been taking enforcement action against Scheme B operators who have breached operational conditions stipulated in their licence. One of the conditions is that the operator can only operate on an approved route and he cannot change his route without the prior approval of the authorities. Those who do not observe this rule can have their licences suspended or even revoked. The ROV is also in constant touch with the Singapore School Bus Owners' Association and the Singapore School Transport Association, whose members operate most of the Scheme B services. From time to time these associations are asked to remind their members of the rules and conditions of the scheme under which they operate. Since early this year the Scheme B operators have introduced time-keepers at four major terminals. This has brought about some improvement in the service.

Sir, we do not have 7,000 taxis. The Member is wrong. There are only 5,745 taxis. 400 taxis have been added to the fleet during the period November 1976 to March 1977. We expect to add another 1,800 taxis to the fleet. To increase the efficiency of the taxi fleet, taxi operators are encouraged to operate radiophone taxis and set up taxi kiosks with telephones. When radio taxis become universal, probably the service will improve greatly.

Mr P. Govindaswamy: What about buses leaking?

Mr Lim Kim San: There may be a few buses with leaking roofs.

Mr P. Govindaswamy: They do not close the windows.

Mr Lim Kim San: So it is not due to defective buses. Probably it is the fault of the conductors. Instructions will be given and probably passengers could help by closing windows of the buses whenever it rains. They can and should help.

Mr P. Govindaswamy: The seats are already wet.

Mr Lim Kim San: If there are no passengers, the bus conductors will be asked to close the windows. These cases are few and far between because the conductor himself does not like to get wet. But if his complaint is about leaks from the roof, then my explanation is that probably these cases are getting less and less. From the figures given to me, in spite of an increase of 400 buses to the fleet, the number of buses that have been laid up has dropped from 750 to 110 per day. There has been an improvement in the servicing of the buses.

As regards music through the telephone, this is due to interception of broadcasting wavelength, but more often than not it is due to the proximity of Rediffusion wires. If the Member should pick up the phone and hear music the next time, the TAS will make the necessary adjustment if he will only telephone them.

With regard to difficulties in getting through to some Government departments, perhaps everybody wants to get through to the same department at the same time.

The adequacy or inadequacy of telephone lines for any organisation, be it a Government department or a business concern, is something over which the TAS has no control. The TAS can however advise the department or organisation concerned as to what should be the appropriate number of lines, taking into account the usage, but the decision whether to increase the number of lines or not lies upon the Minister or the Head of Department or the organisation concerned.

Mr P. Govindaswamy: Point of clarification, Sir. Regarding the bus service, I had mentioned last year at the Budget debates that they must take down the statistics of passengers travelling from one place to another. If they had done that, they would now know whether or not the particular direct service has to be put on. And if they increase the number of buses there, it will be much easier for the passengers.

Mr Lim Kim San: Sir,I am greatly enlightened. We take statistics. But if he wants to know what it is, let him write to me and find out. I will answer his questions with regard to statistics or anything on the buses.

Mr P. Govindaswamy: Thank you.

Mr Lim Kim San: To come to the Member for Changi, I do not know whether he is aware that the Minister for Home Affairs has already indicated that there will be a nation-wide campaign on road safety in order to instil into the commuters and motorists a sense of discipline for the good of all concerned.

I do not think either the SBS, the drivers or the conductors would like to have an overloaded bus, if they can help it. It is all very well to say that we have certain limitations and that we must not allow more passengers on the bus and that the bus would move off when there are enough passengers. But it is not as easy as that. I do not think it is practical during the rush hours when every one, as he says, is rushing helter skelter trying to get into an already overloaded bus. To push them out would have caused a riot. Probably his experience with travelling in aeroplanes gives him a bias over the way in which the running of the bus can be controlled. I would like him to get down to a bus stop during a rush hour, and obviously he must have done so, otherwise he would not have been able to give such a good description of the scene during the rush hours. I think if the conductor or the driver were to start pushing people off the bus, there will be a riot and there will be a terrific jam. Much as we like to, there has got to be some laxity. The answer here would be probably to supply more buses. This we are doing. We are adding more buses to the fleet. This is one of the ways by which we can alleviate overcrowding in buses. Probably the way to solve this problem would be to increase the number of buses and provide buses with larger capacity. We are doing that. As he said, there will be double-deckers. We hope to deploy these on the different routes so that congestion can be gradually relieved.

Mr P. Govindaswamy: Sir,I would urge the Minister to take remedial action when the seats of buses get wet. Every conductor must have a towel to wipe the wet seats.

Instructions must be given to the bus drivers not to over-take another bus. They must confine themselves to the bus lanes.

Mr Lim Kim San: I do not know whether the Member for Anson has ever been along Shenton Way and the Esplanade when we first introduced bus lanes. If he had he would have seen the long queue of buses stretching from Collyer Quay right down.

Mr P. Govindaswamy: Yes.

Mr Lim Kim San: This is probably because one bus breaks down in a bus lane and all the other buses get stuck.

Mr P. Govindaswamy: There is no bus breakdown.

Mr Lim Kim San: Somehow the bus is stopped. Therefore, bus drivers have the right to use the other traffic lanes, like other motorists. The bus lanes are reserved for buses in order that they may move faster, but they also have the right, as other road users, to use other traffic lanes.

4.30 p.m.

Mr P. Govindaswamy: Can they use the they can use the other lanes?

Mr Lim Kim San: Yes, they can use the other lanes.

The Chairman: Mr P. Govindaswamy, are you going to withdraw your amendment?

Mr P. Govindaswamy: I beg to withdraw my amendment.

Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.

The Chairman: I propose at this stage to take the Suspension.

Thereupon Mr Speaker left the Chair of the Committee and took the Chair of the House.

Mr Speaker: Order. I suspend the Sitting and shall take the Chair again at 5.05 p.m.

Sitting accordingly suspended at 4.31 p.m. until 5.05 p.m. Sitting resumed at 5.05 p.m.

[Mr Speaker in the Chair]

Debate in Committee of Supply resumed.

[Mr Speaker in the Chair]

Head P - (cont.)

The following amendment stood in the name of Mr Phey Yew Kok.

(2) That the sum to be allocated for Head P be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead AAA 1005.

The Chairman: Mr Phey Yew Kok.

Mr Phey Yew Kok (Boon Teck): Sir, I am not moving.

The Chairman: Mr Tan Cheng San, amendment (3).

Mr Tan Cheng San (Paya Lebar): (In Mandarin): Sir, I beg to move,

That the sum to be allocated for Head P be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead AAA 1101

By the efforts of the Government, the trade unions and the bus company, the common objective of tripartitism has step by step been realised. In the past two years, our bus transport system has greatly improved, as a result of the efforts of the Government in this respect.

On the Government side, there are a few ministries and agencies which are in close touch with the bus transport system, that is, the Ministry of Communications, PWD, Housing and Development Board and the Ministry of the Environment. But because of red-tape and the complicated procedure of these ministries or agencies plans or measures on how to improve public transport were very often delayed or could not be implemented.

Now, let me touch on a few measures for the improvement of bus services which have been shelved, delayed or not yet been solved. Firstly, bus depots. Because of the great number of buses, the bus company should have some well-equipped bus depots in order to repair at all times the buses that have broken down. However, this question of bus depots has' yet to be solved. Only the Braddell Road Main Depot has shown some progress.

Secondly, sanitary facilities at bus terminals. The Government, trade unions and the bus company all fully understand that there is an urgent need for good sanitary facilities at bus terminals. The bus company has therefore applied to the authority concerned. However, because of red-tape and the complicated procedure of these ministries or agencies there has been no reply although applications were sent in to the authorities concerned years ago.

Thirdly, bus lanes. During the peak hours many bus lanes are obstructed by some buses which have no time schedule to keep and that causes other buses which have a time schedule to keep to move out of the bus lane, otherwise it would disrupt all the bus schedules badly. Yet, buses leaving the bus lane is illegal and it is also extremely unsafe for the commuters. It also directly affects the safety of other road users. Although the trade union has complained to the authorities which then became busy for a while, but there was no result and it was the end of the matter,

Fourthly, bus bays. On the dividers in front of the bus bays usually some plants are planted for decoration and the branches of these often obstruct the view of the bus drivers. Moreover, because of their length, when the buses move into or out of the bus bay, the buses inevitably run into some branches. thus causing unnecessary danger to commuters and also causing unnecessary wear and tear of the buses.

Fifthly, bus stops. Some bus stops are sited very close to traffic lights. At present some buses do not have automatic doors and this is very dangerous because some commuters would try to get up or down the bus before the traffic lights. This can cause unnecessary accidents. Therefore, I hope the Minister concerned will try his best to cut down on red tape and simplify the procedures and would take note of the above points in order to ensure that any plans or measures for the improvement of public transport would not be hindered or delayed.

The Senior Minister of State for Communications (Mr Ong Teng Cheong): Sir, the hon. Member for Paya Lebar raised a number of points. The first one is about bus depots and workshops. It is not true that no progress has been made. In fact, the construction of the Braddell Road Depot and Central Workshop has already commenced and is expected to be completed by the middle or before the middle of next year. Besides, the new bus depot at Jurong which will be commencing work very soon is expected to be completed sometime next year too. As to the other depots and workshops in the other areas, various stages of progress have been made and they will be completed over a period of time, within the next two to three years.

Regarding toilet and canteen facilities in the depots and terminals. I wish to inform him that all the existing depots are presently already provided with toilets and canteen facilities. Of the bus terminals, most of them, 56 out of 66 terminals, are provided with toilet facilities and canteens. Only 10 terminals are without these facilities, and eight of them are in the Jurong area but they will soon be relocated to a proper terminal in Jurong when the new terminal is completed,

There are only two bus terminals without toilet facilities and they will not be able to have toilet facilities because of shortage of space on a very restricted land. This is the one at Yio Chu Kang Road near the Sembawang Circus and the other one is at the Mandai area. In 1974 and 1975, SBS has spent $125,000 on the building of toilets at the various terminals. Terminals with proper toilet and canteen facilities and other amenities for the bus crew are being developed at Paya Lebar Airport and Boon Lay Garden at a cost of $130,000 and $185,000 respectively. So it is not true to say that nothing is being done. But, of course, all this takes time and all efforts are being made to improve the facilities and amenities for the bus crew.

He mentioned about bus stops near traffic lights. Sir, bus stops are normally sited away from traffic lights. However, there are instances when the siting of a bus stop near a traffic light is unavoidable, especially when the junctions are too close especially in the City area. I wish to assure Members, however, that where a bus stop needs to be sited near a traffic light, whether at a road junction or a pedestrian crossing, the PWD and the ROV would ensure that pedestrians and motorists are not being endangered.

5.15 p.m.

He has referred to tree planting near bus bays. Trees are planted to provide shade for the pedestrians and commuters waiting at bus stops. In the planting of trees in the vicinity of bus stops, care is usually taken to see that they do not obstruct visibility or constitute a potential cause for accidents if the plants grow and reach a stage where they are likely to obstruct the view. We are aware of that and the Parks and Recreation Department do go around and trim these trees when they become obstructive. However, if the Member does come across any bus bay obstructed by plants. I suggest that he writes immediately to the Parks and Recreation Department.

He mentioned about bus lanes being obstructed by school buses, resulting in the buses having to move out of the bus lanes and saying that this is illegal. As my Minister has pointed out earlier, this is not so. The bus lanes are meant to accord priority to high capacity public transport vehicles. During the operative hours bus lanes are reserved for buses only. But this does not mean that buses can only travel in bus lanes. The buses continue to have equal right as other vehicles to use the other traffic lanes. This is in line with our policy of giving priority to high capacity public transport wherever the road space is limited, particularly in the Central area. Since the objective is to give priority to high capacity public transport vehicles, the Scheme B school buses will continue to be allowed to use these bus lanes. The ROV, however, has taken action against school buses for unnecessarily obstructing the bus lanes as it would against any other vehicles. For the last two months alone, a total of 24 school bus drivers have been booked for this offence. Obstructions caused by school buses have already been reduced significantly. I think I have replied to all his points.

Mr Tan Cheng San: (In Mandarin): Sir, the Senior Minister of State has said that up to the present time there are 10 bus terminals which have no sanitary facilities. Will the Minister concerned provide temporary sanitary facilities at these places?

Mr Ong Teng Cheong: Sir, this request has, in fact, been looked into sometime ago. As I have mentioned earlier, at some of the depots, there is just simply no space for these facilities to be provided. The bus crew will have to go to the other terminals if they want to use the facilities. This is rather unfortunate. Fortunately, the number of terminals without facilities is small. As I have said, there are only 10 of them. Eight of them will be relocated soon to proper terminals with facilities. Regarding the other two terminals without facilities, the SBS has been asked to look into this question seriously and hopefully proper solutions will emerge soon.

Mr Tan Cheng San: (In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, we know that the bus routes are now quite long. Travelling from one terminal to the other will take about two hours. It is quite difficult for anyone to control for two hours without answering the call of nature. I do hope that the Minister for Communications will consider this point. I hope the Minister of State will answer this question.

Mr Ong Teng Cheong: Mr Speaker, Sir, as I have said, the matter is being looked into.

Mr Tan Cheng San: (In Mandarin): I am very sorry that he has not given me a favourable answer. I would like to know when it can be done. This is not a very difficult question to answer.

Mr Ong Teng Cheong: Sir, if there is no space at the terminal, how can one provide even a temporary toilet?

Mr Tan Cheng San: (In Mandarin): Sir,I do not think we require a very big space. It can be just a latrine like those provided at wayang sites.

Mr Ong Teng Cheong: Sir, the matter is being looked into and I hope there will be a solution soon.

Mr Tan Cheng San: (In Mandarin): Sir, I beg leave to withdraw the amendment.

Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.

Mr P. Govindaswamy: Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move,

That the sum to be allocated for Head P be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead CAA 1101*. (* The same amendment also stood in the name of Mr Ahmad Haleem).

Mr Speaker, Sir, the departure lounge at the Paya Lebar Airport is still unsatisfactory. There are not enough seats for people waiting to board their plane, and at times they may have to wait for hours before the plane actually departs.

The shops which have been put up sometime ago around the building seem to occupy too much space and contribute to the congestion felt during the peak periods. Sometimes the place seems to be like a fish market. The Member for Changi, who is attached to the Airport, would bear me out. No doubt over the years, we have improved and expanded our international airport to that comparable to many western countries, but then further improvements can still be made.

Sir, according to our Development Expenditure there is a revote of $8,300,000 for the construction of a new arrival block for Paya Lebar Airport. Why is this huge sum being allocated for this project when in a couple of years the new Changi Airport will be ready for use?

Sir, taxi service at the Paya Lebar Airport seems to be a perpetual problem. It is hopelessly inadequate and there have been too many complaints from tourists and our local passengers about this. Even the recent introduction of the mini-bus service where a commuter is charged a flat rate of $5 has not solved the problem. Probably more mini-buses are required to solve this problem.

Mr Ahmad Haleem (Telok Blangah): Mr Speaker, Sir, I have two very minor questions. When the new arrival hall is being built, will adequate car parks also be built to accommodate the extra number of cars? At present during peak hours on any day, all the car parks, even those in the cargo complex, are fully taken up. It is almost impossible to find parking space.

The other question I want to ask is this. After 1982 when Changi Airport undertakes the role of unscheduled flights and cargo flights, will the present services provided by Seletar Airport also be transferred to Changi Airport? If so, what will be the future role of Seletar Airport?

Mr Ong Teng Cheong: Mr Speaker, Sir, the Member for Anson has complained about the inadequate number of seats in the departure lounge at the Paya Lebar Airport. I wonder whether he knows how many seats there are in the departure lounge at the Paya Lebar Airport. There are actually more than 1,400 seats now at the Paya Lebar Airport departure transit lounge.

Mr P. Govindaswamy: It is congested.

Mr Ong Teng Cheong: It is true that there are times when there are insufficient number of seats for the passengers and the well-wishers, especially during the peak hours. However, these waiting periods are normally of very short duration. There is only a high turn-over of passengers and their well-wishers during the peak periods. With the reopening of the waving gallery in September last year the situation has improved, since many of the well-wishers leave the departure lounge to go upstairs to the waving gallery to view the planes landing and taking off.

The Airport shops provide essential services for the convenience of air travellers. Banking, post office. insurance and money changing activities and operations as well as other Airport shops are an integral part of passenger terminals and are provided at all the international airports throughout the world. Our shops occupy only a small portion of the total space in the departure lounge and they are so located to avoid hindering the smooth flow of passengers. We do realise that there is inadequate space in the present departure lounge at the Paya Lebar Airport during the evening peak hours. However, to provide more seats for the passengers and well-wishers would cause more serious congestion as circulation space would be reduced. That is why we are now building a new arrival terminal, after which we will convert the existing passenger terminal into a departure terminal. This is so even as we are constructing the new Airport at Changi, which will be ready only in the middle of 1980, or maybe early 1981. In the meantime we must continue to provide more space and facilities to cope with the ever-increasing traffic. The new arrival building at the Paya Lebar Airport will be ready by the end of this year. When the renovation of the existing terminal into a departure building is completed in mid-1978. more seats will be provided for passengers and the well-wishers.

The Member also referred to the taxi situation at the Paya Lebar Airport. The taxi situation at the Paya Lebar Airport has improved considerably over the last few months. The current airport fleet of over 500 is double that of May last year, that is, nine months ago. Periodic surveys on the waiting time of passengers for taxis by the Department of Civil Aviation have revealed a remarkable reduction in the waiting time. Generally, only 7% of the passengers need to wait more than 15 minutes during the evening peak hours, while during the non-peak hours there is no taxi waiting problem at all. There are special airconditioned bus services from the airport to the major hotels - these are airconditioned coaches - at $3 per passenger. In addition, the Department of Civil Aviation has also introduced a mini-bus service to hotels, leaving the airport at 15-minute intervals during the evening peak hours and charging $2.50 and not $5 per passenger. These bus services have taken about 10% off the taxi passenger load and have, therefore, contributed to the reduction in the taxi waiting time.

Coming to the two points raised by the Member for Telok Blangah. The first question is about the car parks at the Paya Lebar Airport and whether there will be additional car parks in the new arrival building. The answer is yes. For the new arrival building at the Paya Lebar Airport, an additional 303 private parking lots. 102 permanent taxi stands and 20 coach stands have been constructed. Although these additional parking lots are to serve the new arrival building which is expected to be completed by November or December this year, the PWD has constructed the parking lots ahead of time. These additional parking lots have, in fact, been completed and are open to the public. With these additional parking lots. Sir, the parking situation during the peak periods at Paya Lebar Airport has improved.

5.30 p.m.

On the question of Seletar Airport, Sir, the type of traffic which uses Seletar Airport are light aircraft, helicopters and small jets. The type of aircraft that will be diverted to Paya Lebar Airport in the later years when the Changi Airport is ready will be the larger aircraft. Therefore, Paya Lebar and Seletar Airports will serve different markets. It is unlikely that the general aviation traffic at Seletar will be affected when Paya Lebar is used for charter and cargo flights.

Mr Tan Soo Khoon (Alexandra): Mr Speaker, Sir, may I be given permission to seek some clarification from the Senior Minister of State?

The Chairman: On what point, Mr Tan?

Mr Tan Soo Khoon: On the seating capacity at the Airport.

The Chairman: I thought the Minister has already replied.

Mr Tan Soo Khoon: Sir, earlier on, in reply to the Member for Anson, he mentioned that he was going to give figures of the seating capacity for the departure lounge. When, quoting the figures, he mentioned more than 1,000 seats as the seating capacity in the transit lounge. What I want to know is whether this figure is for the whole airport or just for the transit lounge, because if I am not wrong, the Member for Anson is more concerned with the seating capacity for people who go to the airport to await arrivals and departures.

Mr Ong Teng Cheong: Sir,I have the figures here. The actual figure is 1,420 seats for passengers coming to the airport to depart. There are 80 seats in the ticketting wing; 320 seats in the main concourse ground floor and 270 seats in the main concourse on the mezzanine floor; 450 seats in the departure hall itself; and 300 seats in the transit lounge. So they total 1,420 seats.

Mr P. Govindaswamy: Sir, in view of the explanation of the Senior Minister of State. I beg leave to withdraw my amendment.

Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.

Mr Ahmad Haleem: Sir, I beg to move,

That the sum to be allocated for Head P be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead DAA 1101.

Sir, at the moment, the meteorological service provided through our papers is inadequate and I am aware of the joke that whatever is the forecast, you just think of the opposite and that is the truth. But I think our meteorological service in Singapore can provide us with a more reliable forecast. I am thinking more in terms of a longer one-week forecast of possible weather fronts coming to Singapore. This will help our people to plan their activities during the weekend. Perhaps if inclement or hot weather is expected during the weekend, they can plan ahead of time and this will also be of service to our service industries like the lighterage business, the transport business and the stevedoring business. Knowing what kind of weather is coming up, they can plan for the situation and perhaps save some money in the process and help to increase our productivity. So I would like to ask the Minister if it is possible to arrange perhaps through the Culture Ministry the release of a more detailed meteorological forecast for publication in our papers and also through the RTS.

Mr Ong Teng Cheong: Mr Speaker, Sir, much as we would like to, it is extremely difficult to provide weather forecast for a small and compact area like Singapore with the required degree of accuracy to be useful to the public. Singapore's weather to a large extent is local in character and of short duration. It is not uncommon to find parts of the island experiencing rain and showers while the rest of the areas are dry. Unlike the temperate latitudes, atmospheric processes in the tropical regions are complex and not clearly defined, making long-range forecasting difficult.

However, the Meteorological Services Department is making every effort to improve its forecasting capability through the upgrading of equipment used and increasing its sources of weather data. This will enable it to provide a higher standard of service not only to members of the public but also to ships, aircraft and other specialised users. Therefore, for the time being, the suggestion made by the Member for Telok Blangah is not practical.

Mr Ahmad Haleem: Sir, in view of the answer from the Senior Minister of State. I beg leave to withdraw my amendment.

Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.

Mr Teong Eng Siong: (In Mandarin): Sir, I beg to move,

That the sum to be allocated for Head P be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead EAA 1101*. (* The same amendment also stood in the name of Mr P. Govindaswamy).

Sir, under this amendment. I would like to raise three questions:

(1) According to the complaints I have received from members of the public, the present postal services are not as good as before. In the past, if a letter is posted in the morning the addressee might be able to receive it in the evening or at the latest the following day. But in recent years, the situation is entirely different. Sometimes for ordinary local mail the addressee can receive it only after some two or three days after posting. This delay will cause unnecessary inconvenience to members of the public. particularly in the case of Government correspondence such as property tax bills. PUB bills, radio and TV licence renewal notices and certain urgent letters or notices. If delivery is delayed or missed, then the addressees can be inconvenienced by having to pay a fine or put in a difficult position for delayed payments.

(2) In Marsiling, in Sembawang Constituency, there is a new HDB housing estate with a temporary post office in a HDB block for the needs of the residents there. There are altogether 37 blocks of HDB flats comprising 5,604 units of flats with a population of 30,000 people. So there is a lot of mail to be dealt with. I understand that there is a staff of only four members in the post office, including the postmaster, and seven postmen. This number of staff is not sufficient to deal with the large parcels of mail. Moreover, there are 19 blocks of factories with thousands of workers in Marsiling area.

5.40 p.m.

[Mr Deputy Speaker in the Chair]

Mr Teong Eng Siong: Most of them have Post Office Savings Bank accounts there. Very often on pay days they crowd into the post office and pack up all the space, and the small number of staff would be kept very busy. According to my understanding, the small post office there will soon be receiving payments for PUB bills for the benefit of the people there. Of course, this will be convenient to the residents there. But to tackle this job there is a need for more staff at the post office. So I would like to ask the Minister to consider increasing the number of staff there. I would like to stress here that the working efficiency of the staff at this post office is good. But in view of the small number of staff, it is difficult to tackle the big amount of work to be dealt with. So it is necessary to increase the number of staff there.

(3) At the moment, this post office is a temporary one. I would like to ask the Minister whether there is any plan to set up a permanent post office on a larger scale, because more and more people will be living in this new housing estate. There is a need for a bigger post office to serve the people better.

Mr P. Govindaswamy: Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, every now and then we find new issues of stamps depicting fishes, birds, flowers, etc. I wonder why there has never been a stamp issue to commemorate our late First President of Singapore. Tun Yusof bin Ishak. In many countries we find the President's portrait appearing in stamps, money, etc. Here, we have missed a key person who had been a historic figure in the struggle for self-government and independence, and yet nothing has been done in remembrance of the First President of Singapore.

I hope the selection body which decides on the motif of stamps to be issued would not overlook key figures of our Republic or even some of the historical sites when new stamps are being considered.

Sir, the idea of opening new post offices at Housing Board estates and at other locations are indeed welcomed by the public for convenience. However. I wonder whether due consideration has been given to see that ample space is made available for the postal staff to perform their duties comfortably.

I notice that in certain post offices, the space at the sorting section of mails and parcels is so limited that the postmen find difficulty in performing their duties in the uncomfortable atmosphere. Furthermore, there are no rest rooms for the staff. Sometimes there is only one toilet. When the postwomen are inside the toilet, the postmen outside will say, "Siapa goreng ikan?" (Who's frying fish?) We can see this at the newly-opened post office at the Tanjong Pagar Plaza. It has not been officially opened yet.

5.45 p.m.

Mr Ong Teng Cheong: Sir, the Postal Department has actually set up an internal monitoring system for monitoring its mail delivery service performance, and it has been found that letters posted locally normally take about one day to reach addressees in Singapore after the date of posting. Delay of one day affecting some mails due to bad weather has been recorded in the past, especially in the more rural areas where the coverage is wide. But mail deliveries to the Sembawang Constituency has been found to be quite in order. Mail deliveries are undertaken there by nine postmen, and not seven postmen. All of them perform their delivery beats on motor scooters for speedier delivery and more productive operations. The present staffing is adequate for maintaining the normal standard of service for the time being. Should the need arise later on, that will be looked into.

Regarding the plan to set up a bigger post office in Woodlands New Town, the answer is, yes, there is a plan to set up a bigger post office in Woodlands New Town. This new post office is expected to be completed early next year. In fact, there are also plans to establish four more post offices eventually in the entire Woodlands New Town.

The Member for Sembawang also mentioned about the Marsiling Post Office being a temporary post office. The Marsiling Post Office is not a temporary post office. The Marsiling Post Office will continue to operate even after the Woodlands Post Office is established in early 1978. The present Marsiling Post Office is staffed by a total of 11 members. The existing staff strength is found to be adequate to meet the present needs to serve the people in the area. The staffing needs at all post offices are constantly under review by the Postal Department and increases will be made as and when necessary.

For the information of the Member for Anson, it is the responsibility of the Stamp Advisory Committee to consider, select and recommend themes for the stamps. As a matter of general policy, the Committee has refrained from considering themes to depict personalities. This same policy also extends to Singapore currency notes and coins as well as new street names and other public projects.

He mentioned about the inadequate working space for the staff in the post office. Normally each postman involved in the sorting of mails is provided with a working space of four to five square metres. (This is roughly 40 to 50 sq, ft. We have now metricated.) This is considered to be sufficient. It is within the current standards for working space of 3 1/2 to 5 square metres per head laid down by the Government Building Committee for Division IV staff, to which the grade of postman belong. The working space at Tanjong Pagar Plaza Post Office is about 4 square metres per postman. This is actually considered to be adequate.

What he said is true - there is no rest room in Tanjong Pagar Plaza Post Office, because for one reason there is a shortage of space. Besides, there are nearby coffee shops and canteens where the postmen can go to.

About toilets, I do not know whether the example which he has quoted is in Tanjong Pagar Plaza Post Office or somewhere else. Perhaps if he would let me know I would look into the matter.

Mr Teong Eng Siong: (In Mandarin): Sir, I am satisfied with the reply given, and I beg leave to withdraw my amendment.

Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.

Mr Chin Harn Tong (Aljunied): (In Mandarin): Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to move,

That the sum to be allocated for Head P be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead FAA 1101*. (* The same amendment also stood in the names of Dr Ow Chin Hock, Messrs Teong Eng Siong, P. Govindaswamy, Ho Kah Leong and Dr Ong Leong Boon).

I am moving this amendment because of the wrong attitude adopted by the Registry of Vehicles towards taxis. This wrong attitude has often given rise to doubts as to whether the ROV also takes taxis as public service vehicles. As we all know and agree, in this developed society of Singapore taxis constitute a very important link in the public transport system, particularly at the present juncture when as a result of Government restrictions the number of private cars is decreasing. This gives rise to a corresponding increase in the demand for taxis. In the Central Business District, because car owners do not drive their cars into the CBD there is an even greater need for them to use taxis for transport. In view of all this and the importance given to public transport vehicles by the ROV I would expect them to give every encouragement to taxi operations, but instead the attitude adopted is just the reverse.

In terms of taxes, one has to pay the same amount of additional registration fee for a taxi as for a private car. The original 25% ARF levied in 1972 has been increased to 100% today. To give an illustration: if the original price of a taxi is $10,000, then the taxi driver will now have to pay another $10,000 by way of additional registration fee. If this vehicle is not locally assembled but .an imported vehicle, the taxi driver will have to pay a further 45% in import duty. From this, you can see that a car which orginally costs only $10,000 will now cost about $24,500 because of the imposition of additional registration fee and the import duty. But buses are not affected by this additional registration fee because the Government regards buses as public transport vehicles. Does not this attitude then show that the Government does not regard taxis as public transport vehicles?

In so far as entering the CBD is concerned, the ROV is also imposing on taxis the same rate of the area licensing fee as for private cars, i.e, at $4 per entry. In the case of buses, they are not subject to this imposition on the ground that the Government regards buses as public transport vehicles. But taxis are not regarded by the same measure as public transport vehicles. I would like to point out here that because taxis are subject to the same restrictions as for private cars entering the CBD. taxi drivers try to avoid entering the CBD during peak hours in order to avoid paying the $4 area licensing fee. As a result, many members of the public are experiencing a great deal of inconvenience. The ROV has naively suggested that to avoid paying the $4 area licensing fee, taxis can also resort to car-pooling. They could wait to pick three passengers before entering the CBD. Such a proposition from the ROV seems to fail to take into account the reason why members of the public make use of taxis. Members of the public use taxis and not buses simply because they find the taxi to be a faster and more convenient means of transport. If the passenger in a taxi has to wait for other passengers to make up a car-pool what is the point of boarding a taxi and who wants to ride in a taxi? This kind of proposition by the ROV is easier said than done. To implement it will get just the reverse result.

This attitude of the ROV not to regard taxis as public transport vehicles has been mentioned by me in this House, but the authority concerned has not answered my point directly. In actual fact this kind of attitude is now adversely affecting members of the public and the taxi drivers. It also affects our public transport services. The authority concerned should not bury its head and remain indifferent to this matter. I am awaiting for a concrete answer from the relevant authority.

Dr Ow Chin Hock (Lang Kee): Sir, road transport problems are part and parcel of the urban problems confronting most major cities in the world and, as an urban centre. Singapore could not avoid these problems. Moreover, since Singapore is also a city state, road transport problems have received much attention and ranked high in the priority scale of national policies.

In the past two or three years, the Government has introduced a number of policy measures to curb the increase in car population and to alleviate traffic congestion, particularly in the Central Business District. These measures range from increases in road tax, introduction of Area Licensing Scheme to imposition of additional registration fee. Sir, I believe many people understand and support the Government's good intention to reduce the number of vehicles on the roads. Given the constraint of our land area, restriction on the increase of vehicles on the roads is absolutely necessary. Furthermore, traffic congestion is counter-productive; this is manifested in the unnecessary lengthening of travelling time to and from work, fuel wastage and so on.

However, Sir, a given objective normally could be achieved by alternative means. In selecting the measures, their effectiveness in achieving the objective and their by-effects must be evaluated and examined. In this context, I would like to make some observations and comments on the two policy measures implemented by the Registry of Vehicles. The first is the additional registration fee and its related measures such as preferential ARF and surcharge on old cars. According to the Motor Vehicles (Registration and Licensing) (Amendment) Rules, 1976, Part II of the First Schedule, a fee equal to 100% of the value of the vehicle will be imposed on vehicles under category (b) which includes private motor cars, taxis and business service passenger vehicles. At the same time, preferential rates (ranging from 35% to 55% depending on the cylinder capacity of the vehicle) are granted on application by the car-owner provided that his old vehicle could satisfy certain specified conditions. One of these conditions is that the old vehicle should not be more than 10 years old or. where the vehicle is a taxi, it be not more than five years old. For vehicles which are more than 10 years old, a surcharge on an increasing scale according to the age of the vehicle will be imposed.

6.00 p.m.

Sir, the full ARF, by increasing the purchase price of a vehicle and its annual depreciation expense, is effective in discouraging car ownership. However, it is both inflationary and discriminating. It raises the cost of living and imposes hardship on people who have to use vehicles to make a living. Naturally, car owners would try to qualify for the preferential ARF. The conditions laid down for the PARF, together with the surcharge on old cars, however, are not consistent with the objective, i.e, restricting the increase in car population and alleviating the traffic congestion. Rather, these measures seem to aim at reducing the average age of our car population. Moreover, Sir, these measures encourage wasteful consumption.

One virtue of the Oriental societies is "thriftiness." It is well known that many older people are even reluctant to throw away used clothing, bottles or cans. Our Government also encourages people to save voluntarily with the Post Office Savings Bank and increases forced savings by raising the CPF contribution rates. Yet, Sir, when it comes to the motor vehicle, which is the second most important investment of a household, next only to the house or flat, the Government has taken a contradictory philosophy. It encourages people to abandon their cars within 10 years even though they might still be in good condition. Another consequence is that car owners may choose to intensify the usage of their vehicles without proper maintenance within the limited life span. By so doing, they increase the risk to themselves and to other road users when their vehicles are on the roads.

Bearing the objectives in mind, the following modifications seem to be better:

(1) the full ARF should be imposed on second and subsequent vehicles of a family or a company not engaged in public transport activities;

(2) all first registered vehicles would be given a preferential ARF, based on their cylinder capacity, but lifting the condition concerning the old car;

(3) all cars which are more than 10 years old should be subjected to an annual roadworthiness test by the Registry of Vehicles. The surcharge should be imposed only if the cars fail the test.

Let me now turn to another problem and I am glad to note that the Member for Aljunied has made some remarks on this problem. I just want to add some of my personal observations. Sir, I submit that the Area Licensing Scheme has resulted in an excess capacity of the present taxi fleet, in the sense that many taxis remain idle during the peak hours. The extent of excess capacity could, in fact, be estimated by the difference between the number of taxis entering into the Central Business District before and after the introduction of the ALS. The excess capacity of taxis would be further aggravated with an increase in the number of taxis as time goes by. To eliminate the existing excess capacity, I humbly suggest that taxis should not be treated in the same manner as private passenger cars. In fact, the Road Action Committee has first treated taxis as public transport vehicles. Its document, entitled A Plan For the Relief of Traffic Congestion in the City (Page 7) stated that:

"The following categories of vehicles will be specifically exempted and be allowed free access into the restricted zone at all times:

(a) Public transport vehicles including regular scheduled buses, school buses, private buses with seating capacity of 7 or more persons and taxis:

(b) Emergency vehicles, e.g, ambulances, fire engines, police and military vehicles."

Sir, while some may argue that taxis do not have the same passenger capacity as buses, we must also bear in mind that at present taxis still represent the most efficient and convenient alternative means of transport for those who opt not to drive into the city. While taxis may not be given full exemption as with buses, they should be given some concessionary rates in view of the present role they play in our transport system. Also, some taxi-drivers have complained that they are not allowed to park at taxi stops to wait for passengers. Sir, I hope that the Registry of Vehicles could relax this restriction during the peak hours, thereby enabling taxis to wait at taxi stops within the CBD. This will also help to eliminate the excess capacity mentioned above.

Mr Teong Eng Siong: (In Mandarin): Sir, after several reorganisations the bus services in Singapore have made some improvement but this improvement is still far from ideal, I think it will take some time before it can reach a higher degree of satisfaction because I can still find certain defects and shortcomings in the bus service. I wish to bring a few examples to the attention of the Minister of State.

Firstly, many Members of the public complain that some buses do not keep to the schedule regularly. For example, the bus service from Victoria Street to Sembawang, the people have to wait as long as half an hour and at times several buses come together at the same time with very few passengers. As a result of this irregular schedule, inconvenience is caused to the people living in the Sembawang area. I think this is because of poor allocation and scheduling of buses and remedial action should be taken to improve the situation.

Secondly. I would like to ask the Minister of State to consider this. There should be more buses plying from Naval Base to Marsiling. At the present moment, there is only Service No. 1 69 running this route. This is inadequate. In the past, we had bus Service No. 1 60 from Crawford Street to Sembawang passing through Marsiling, but now it does not pass through Marsiling. So I would like to ask the Minister of State to consider reinstating Service No. 160 to pass through Marsiling and to increase the number of buses on this route, so that people living in this area will have a better bus service.

Thirdly, I have received many complaints from the public that the buses are still very dirty nowadays. This was also pointed out by the Member for Anson. The seats are also very dirty. They have not been cleaned properly. Some of the bus windows are damaged and they Cannot close properly. Once they are pushed up they will slide down again because there is no catch. As a result, whenever it rains the buses get wet, and there is no cloth or rag in the bus to wipe the seats dry. I have travelled in buses on rainy days. So I would call for immediate attention to the cleanliness and repair of bus windows. If necessary, I can produce my bus tickets to prove that I have travelled in buses.

Fourthly. Sir, on the emission of black smoke. I still notice a lot of old buses emitting black smoke. Very smoky buses on the road are still to be seen. We have often asked public vehicles to be kept clean. Taxis have been summoned for smoky exhausts but I do not know whether similar action has been taken against buses. I would like some report on this in this House. Action should be taken to reduce the number of smoky buses on the road so as to alleviate air pollution in Singapore so that the people here can have fresher air for good health.

Mr P. Govindaswamy: Sir, bus lanes have been introduced to speed up the bus service. Other vehicles cannot use these lanes during the restricted hours, but it seems that buses are not confined to bus lanes because they are allowed to use the other traffic lanes during the peak periods, thereby causing obstruction to other vehicles. I think the Minister has replied on this point but I would like to bring up a few more points.

What action is being considered to force lorries carrying sand and stones to cover their load? These lorry drivers drive recklessly on the roads, thus posing a threat to other motorists, particularly to motor-cyclists who are at times injured by the loose stones falling from the lorries.

Sir, it appears that nowadays there are too many traffic signs and restrictions in most of the City limit areas. In fact, most streets have either the single or double white and yellow lines. Therefore, vehicles cannot park along the roads. As a result, in times of emergency, both public and Government vehicles cannot comply with these road traffic signs. I wonder whether in times of emergency these traffic regulations could be relaxed, especially Government vehicles on official duties.

Sir, the high price of oil has in a way compelled motorists to economise in the use of their vehicles. However, since most of our roads are one-way streets. motorists have to drive a little extra whenever they want to make a U turn or to drive in an opposite direction. But then some of the U turns are sited some miles away, especially along the highways, and the motorists have to drive those extra miles before he makes the turn. This is, in fact, a waste of petrol and money. Just to quote an example. A motorist, especially, driving at night, is driving from Serangoon Road to Punggol. When he approaches the Woodsville junction and instead of turning to Upper Serangoon Road he wrongly turns into Toa Payoh Road, he has to make the unnecessary trip of driving about three to four miles ahead before he could make a U turn to come back to the original point. I wonder whether more U turns could be provided at shorter intervals in some of our highways so that our motorists would not waste petrol and money unnecessarily.

The Chairman: Mr Ho Kah Leong and Dr Ong Leong Boon are not here. Mr Ong Teng Cheong.

Mr Ong Teng Cheong: Sir, a number of Members have touched upon the treatment that is given to taxis in as far as the Area Licensing Scheme and road taxes are concerned. I agree with Members' observation that taxis are not private cars and should not be treated in the same manner as private cars. In fact, as further measures are taken to discourage the ownership and use of private cars, more commuters will turn to taxis. The taxi is an inefficient use of road space, like private cars, against which various measures have been taken to relieve our urban road network. Although taxis do not use the road space as efficiently as the buses, which are high capacity public transport vehicles, they nevertheless are a personalised mode of public transport to provide a door-to-door service.

In line with our attempts to encourage the use of public transport, my Ministry has examined the Additional Registration Fees and import duties imposed on taxis. I am pleased to inform hon. Members in this House that Government has agreed to the following after the persistent request made by the hon. Member for Aljunied over the last three years: -

(1) The Additional Registration Fee (ARF) for taxis will be reduced from the present rate of 100% of the open market value of the vehicle to a flat rate of $5,000;

(2) The import duty for taxis will be reduced from the present 45% to 20% of the open market value;

(3) The ARF will be further reduced to a flat rate of only $2,000 instead of $5,000 if the new taxi to be registered is a replacement for a taxi that is between five and six years old;

(4) The full exemption from ARF will be allowed if the new vehicle is a replacement for a taxi that is five years or less in age.

Sir, the objective of this reduction in the ARF and import duty is to encourage the use of larger and more powerful vehicles as taxis. It will also encourage taxi operators to replace their vehicles at the end of five or six years instead of seven years. which is the maximum life span of a taxi. This will result in a newer and better taxi fleet.

6.15 p.m.

Further, in line with the policy of treating taxis as a form of public transport. Sir, I am also pleased to inform Members of this House that the Area Licence Fee for taxis will be reduced by 50%, that is, from $4 to $2 for a daily area licence, and from $80 to $40 for a monthly area licence. The reduced ARF and area licence fee will be effective from 1st April 1977. With the implementation of this reduction, Sir. it is expected that the grade of service provided by taxis will gradually improve over the next few years.

Coming to a few points raised by the Member for Leng Kee on the surcharge of cars over ten years old and parking of taxis at taxi stops. Regarding the first point, as the Member has eloquently explained in his speech, Government's policy is to control the growth of private car population. Amongst the many measures taken was the increase of the ARF for new cars. With the increased cost of new cars, owners of old cars will tend to keep their cars longer than they would otherwise have done. Apart from discouraging the purchase of new cars it is, therefore, necessary to ensure that old cars are not kept for an inordinately long time. Surcharges on road tax are imposed on cars that have reached or are over ten years old. Under local conditions, cars of this age would have reached the limit of their physical and economic life span. Owners would have little reluctance to dispose of them, as a trade-off and an inducement for these owners to scrap or export their cars, the preferential ARF scheme was introduced at the same time. There may be some cars that are over 10 years old but still in road-worthy condition. The scrapping of these cars may lead to economic waste, as the hon. Member has said. This is, however. minimal and it is insignificant when weighed against the overall environmental, economic and other benefits derived. It is not a compulsory scrapping, Sir, when a car has reached 10 years old. For example, if the Member owns a Mercedes 200 which would cost $35,000 or $40,000 to purchase now, and if it is still in a road-worthy condition, there is no need for him to scrap his old car for a new one. After all the 10% surcharge amounts to less than $90 a year.

On taxis entering the restricted zone since the revision of the area licence fee on 31st December 1975, if the hon. Member would submit a Question for a Written Answer. I will give him the details of the statistics. But there is definitely a slight reduction in the number of taxi trips into the Central Business District. I believe the reduction is in the region of 18%. But with my earlier announcement that the Government has decided to reduce the area licence fee for taxis by 50%, the number of taxi trips into the restricted zone will no doubt increase.

On the question of parking of taxis at taxi stops in the Central Business District raised by the Member for Leng Kee. I wish to inform him that the taxi stops are introduced in the CBD to prevent obstruction caused by taxis stopping at random to pick up or drop passengers. Since the traffic volume in the CBD during the restricted hours of the Area Licensing Scheme is now not as heavy as before, the ROV and the Traffic Police will be asked to look into the Member's suggestion of allowing the taxis to wait at taxi stops where adequate space is available.

The Member for Sembawang is concerned about the bus services in Sembawang and at Marsiling. He has complained about the irregular services, the dirty condition of the buses and windows not being able to shut properly and causing inconvenience to passengers during rainy days. Generally, there is no doubt that the bus services have improved. But it does not mean that they are perfect and there are no problems. There are problems. But every effort is made to improve the service generally and that takes time. When the central workshop and other workshops at the bus depots are completed in the next one or two years, the improvement would be more rapid. At the present moment the facilities to provide the preventive maintenance, repair of buses and so on are rather limited because of the inadequacy in the facilities provided. The bus services in both the Sembawang and Marsiling areas have also been improved over the last two years in line with the general improvement of the SBS services. The SBS will continue to improve its services by re-routing and adding more buses if the demand justifies it.

The Member has also complained about the bunching of buses together at times and sometimes the passengers have to wait for a long time for a bus. I wish to inform him that there are many buses from different services running along a certain common route. For instance, Sembawang Road is served by 31 buses per hour, that is one bus every two minutes during peak hours. Since the buses plying any one service are scheduled independently from the buses plying other services, it is possible for a few buses from different services to arrive at the bus stop all at about the same time, especially during the peak hours. So we have this bunching-up problem of buses at the bus stops. But, on the other hand, during the off-peak periods the time interval between two buses of a certain service could be as long as 15 minutes and it is possible that because of a bus breaking down the commuters would have to wait up to half an hour for the next bus. However, this type of disruption of service has been greatly reduced with the improved maintenance and better buses used by the SBS. As my Minister has mentioned earlier, the breakdown of buses has been reduced from 750 a day in 1974 to 110 buses breaking down a day now. There is therefore a vast improvement in this respect. It is a very rare occasion when a commuter has to wait for more than an hour for a bus. This sort of occasion happens only when there is a massive traffic jam due to traffic accidents or other causes which in turn seriously affect the bus services.

The Member for Anson has raised a few points. He has complained about the counter staff showing a lack of courtesy and helpfulness when serving the public. [Interruption] No, he did not? All right. Like all counter officers, they are asked, to be polite to the public. He mentioned about the buses moving out of bus lanes. I think the Minister has replied to that and I have also mentioned that. But in practice the bus drivers have been encouraged to drive within the bus lanes wherever possible. He has mentioned about the spillage from lorries carrying sand and stones. The officers from the Ministry of the Environment and the Traffic Police do take enforcement action against spillage from lorries, The lorry users and drivers are encouraged not to overload their lorries and drive carefully to avoid spillage. The covering of lorries may help but does not prevent spillage if the lorries are not properly loaded and driven. We have no intention to make it a general compulsion that loads on lorries have to be covered although lorry users and drivers are encouraged to do so. Enforcement officers will, however, see to it that where loads carried are light and are of a fine nature and are likely to be blown off the lorries by wind, then such loads should be covered.

The Member has also complained about too many traffic signs at certain road junctions. There is a committee on traffic signs. I do agree with him that at certain road junctions there are too many signs which confuse the motorists. If the Member and all the other Members in this House could help by writing in to the committee - I think the Member for Kampong Chai Chee does write in to the committee now and then to inform the committee of certain junctions with too many of these signs - I am sure they will look into the matter. He also has mentioned whether Government vehicles on official duties should be allowed to park in areas prohibited by road traffic signs. I am afraid the commission of offences is not encouraged nor allowed, even if it is a Government vehicle on official duties. If it is a case of emergency, it is for the offender to explain the nature of the emergency to the Magistrate in court.

6.30 p.m.

It could be pre-arranged, or the Traffic Police could be informed on the spot of the nature of the emergency, For example, in case of a fire, the firemen would be fighting the fire, and there would be fire engines, ambulance, and so on. And if there are Traffic Police on the spot, they would understand the need for parking of such vehicles against road traffic signs. I think that is all right.

The Member complained about not enough U-turns along certain roads and quoted the example of a motorist going from Serangoon Road to Punggol had to make a wrong turn at Woodsville Circus into Jalan Toa Payoh. Well, he has himself to blame. If he is alert, after turning into Jalan Toa Payoh, he should straightaway turn left and get back into Serangoon Road again through Moonstone Lane.

The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Labour (Mr Fong Sip Chee): Yes, I use that road.

Mr Ong Teng Cheong: Yes. It is one-way. You can turn back. However. I do agree that certain stretches of road are without U-turns and this sometimes cause an unnecessary detour when one makes a mistake of direction. When he makes a mistake, as I said, he has himself to blame. Anyway, if the Member has any suggestions on the provision of U-turns, I suggest that he writes to the Roads Branch of the PWD which have all the experts and traffic planners to look into the matter.

Mr Teong Eng Siong: (In Mandarin): Sir, I thank the Senior Minister of State for his answer, but he has left out two points. One is about the damaged bus windows or doors and I would like to know whether he will take steps to repair them immediately. The second point is about buses emitting obnoxious black smoke.

Mr Ong Teng Cheong: Sir, the Traffic Police and the Enforcement Squad of the ROV do take action against buses with smoky exhausts. If the hon. Member would submit a Question for Written Answer or Oral Answer, I will give him the full details of the statistics on action taken, even on a month-to-month basis, for the last few years.

Regarding faulty windows and the dirty condition of buses. I wish to inform him that the SBS, in fact, has been paying great attention to this. But unfortunately as I mentioned earlier, this takes time to overcome. There are too many buses. The SBS now operates over 2,000 buses and sometimes after a rainy night the buses just have to go on to the road with the seats still wet. But they do give instructions to the bus conductors to clean the buses. There are rags provided for them to wipe the seats dry and to keep them clean. If the Member has come across any particular bus which is not kept clean. I would appreciate it if he lets the SBS know by taking down the bus numbers, the time of the incidents, and action will be taken against them.

Mr Fong Sip Chee: Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, to save time I will just raise my points in question form. The Senior Minister of State has said that as a result of this announced reduction in import duties and ARF for taxis, he expected an improvement in the taxi service. My question is: does it therefore mean that the imposition of such a fee in the first instance was meant as a disincentive for an improved service? In other words, was it meant to obstruct an improved service?

The next question is related. Does he mean that it is the deliberate policy of the Government to impose a higher fee and thereafter reduce it to show that the Government is benevolent?

Another question. The area licensing fee will be reduced from 1st April, from $4 to $2 for a daily licence and from $80 to $40 for a monthly licence. He expects an increase in the number of taxis after this new rate of fees. Does he mean, therefore, that he wants more taxis to go to the City area now? Or does it mean that he was quite satisfied that the initial fee would not affect the taxi population in the City and that there were sufficient taxis to serve the people there?

The last question. There is one junction near Killiney Road. I think it is Somerset Road, where roadside trees were planted. As a result, you cannot see the traffic lights; so a letter was sent to the press complaining about it. The answer to this complaint in the press was that, instead of removing those trees planted wrongly, they put up another traffic light about one metre away from the first one. So there are now two traffic lights within a distance of one metre.

Mr Ong Teng Cheong: Sir, if I may be allowed to go back to the basic principles of the introduction of the area licensing fees on taxis. As I have briefly mentioned earlier, taxis like private cars do not use the road space efficiently, although it is a form of public transport. But it is not a high capacity public transport. The whole purpose of the Area Licensing Scheme is to give priority to the high capacity public transport vehicles converging into the CBD. Therefore, when the Area Licensing Scheme was introduced, the object was to screen off the non-efficient road user from contributing to the congestion in the urban road network. It was difficult at that time to anticipate the response of taxis coming into the central area when the area licensing measure was extended to include taxis. But after conducting surveys and taking down statistics, it was found necessary to reduce the licence fee for taxis, not because the objective was wrong or the principle was wrong but that this is a mechanism used in traffic management to adjust the need and the flow of commuters' vehicles in the Central area.

Referring to the point he raised on the junction of Somerset Road and Killiney Road, perhaps if he could let me know the exact position. I will get them to look into it.

Mr Fong Sip Chee: I will send you a photograph.

Mr Chin Harn Tong: (In Mandarin): Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, because of the more satisfactory answer by the Senior Minister of State than that given last year, i.e, a deduction in fees for taxis as from 1st April this year. I beg leave to withdraw.

Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.

The sum of $64,206,530 for Head P ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates.

The sum of $261,399,000 for Head P ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates.

6.41 p.m.

The Chairman: I shall now deal with the remaining heads of expenditure in respect of which no amendment stands on the Order Paper Supplement. In respect of the Main Estimates, they are Heads C, D. E. F, G, H and I.

I propose to take these heads of expenditure en bloc.

Question, "That the sums stated for those heads of expenditure which appear in the fifth column of the Summary of Estimated Expenditure on page 43 of Paper Cmd 3 of 1977 stand part of the Main Estimates for the financial year 1st April, 1977 t0 31st March, 1978." put, and agreed to.

The Chairman: The remaining heads of expenditure in the Development Estimates are Head H and I.

Question, "That the sum of $173,700 for Head H, and $2,200,000 for Head I stand part of the Development Estimates for the financial year 1st April, 1977 to 31st March, 1978." put, and agreed to.

Question, "That the sum of $2,835,245,620 shall be supplied to the Government under the heads of expenditure for the public services shown in the Main Estimates for the financial year 1st April, 1977 to 31st March, 1978, contained in Paper Cmd 3 fo 1977," put, and agreed to.

Question, "That the sum of $2,708,699,130 shall be supplied to the Government under the heads of expenditure for the public service shown in the Development Estimates for the financial year 1st April, 1977 to 31st March, 1978 containted in Paper Cmd 3 of 1977." put, and agreed to.

Resolutions to be reported.

Thereupon Mr Deputy Speaker left the Chair of the Committee and took the Chair of the House.

The Minister for Finance (Mr Hon Sui Sen): Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to report that the Committee of Supply have come to certain resolutions.

First Resolution reported -

"That the sum of $2,835,245,620 shall be supplied to the Government under the heads of expenditure for the public services shown in the Main Estimates for the financial year 1st April, 1977 to 31st March, 1978, contained in Paper Cmd 3 of 1977."

Second Resolution reported -

"That the sum of $2,708,699.1 30 shall be supplied to the Government under the heads of expenditure for the public services shown in the Development Estimates for the financial year 1st April, 1977 to 31st March, 1978, contained in Paper Cmd 3 of 1977."

Mr Hon Sui Sen: Sir, I beg to move. "That Parliament doth agree with the Committee on the said resolutions."

Question put and agreed to.

Resolutions accordingly agreed to.