RENEWAL OF PAVEMENTS AND WALKWAYS IN CIVIC DISTRICT (Expenditure)

Dr Lee Siew-Choh asked the Minister for National Development how much monies were spent in 1989 and 1990 and the amount proposed to be spent in 1991 to renew pavements and walkways and beautify the Civic District and other areas, showing the amounts for each year separately.

Mr Dhanabalan: Mr Speaker, Sir, to renew and improve pavements and walkways in the Civic District, the Public Works Department spent $1,694,000 in FY 89 and $1,895,000 in FY 90. The expenditure includes paving, street furniture, lighting and landscaping. It expects to spend $12,797,000 in FY 91 for walkways in the Civic District and other areas in Singapore. This includes $3 million for covered walkways between MRT stations and bus interchange in five HDB estates.

Dr Lee Siew-Choh (Non-Constituency Member): May I ask the Minister, why is it necessary to keep on renewing the pavements and walkways all the time?

Mr Dhanabalan: Mr Speaker, Sir, some of these are new, for example, connections between MRT stations and population centres and between MRT stations and bus interchanges. So it is not a question of renewal. Some have to be improved.

Mr Speaker, Sir, as we encourage people to travel by public transport, whether by buses or MRT, we must make it convenient and pleasant for them to walk from MRT and bus stations to their final destinations. We have spent many millions of dollars improving the roads for cars and I think we ought to also spend money to make it easy, convenient and pleasant for people to walk if we are serious about encouraging the use of public transport.

Dr Lee Siew-Choh: Has the Minister ever considered placing priority on the spending of funds concerning the pavements and other things?

Mr Dhanabalan: I do not know exactly what the Member means but certainly, Sir, in view of the fact that we are always short of funds and we have limited resources, we do set priorities. We do things where they are needed most and where they can make the maximum impact.

Dr Lee Siew-Choh: Sir, what I mean is, there are other pavements all over the city. How is that all these sums of money have been spent only on Orchard Road and the Civic District?

Mr Dhanabalan: Sir, I hope the Member heard what I said. He asked, first of all, how much we spent in the Civic District and he also asked how much we are going to spend in the Civic District and other areas. I gave him the figure for the Civic District and I gave a much larger figure for what we intend to spend in the Civic District and other areas and I mentioned that this includes connections between MRT stations and bus interchanges. This is for the whole of Singapore. While he may travel oftenalong Orchard Road and see a lot of work being done there, I can assure him that work is also going on elsewhere.