HDB VOID DECKS (Removal of payphones)

Dr Koh Lam Son asked the Acting Minister for Communications why payphones are being removed from Housing and Development Board void decks.

The Acting Minister for Communications (Mr Mah Bow Tan): Mr Speaker, Sir, Singapore Telecom constantly reviews the deployment of public telephones in Housing and Development Board estates. If a public telephone is found to be poorly utilised, it is redeployed to a more convenient location. Conversely, in areas where payphones are well utilised, more public telephones are installed. In addition, desk-top coinaphones are installed when there is demand for coin-operated telephones.

The total number of payphones, including desk-top coinaphones installed mainly in shops and hawker centres, has increased by 10% in the past four years. There are now some 26,000 payphones compared to 23,500 in 1987.

Dr Koh Lam Son (Telok Blangah): Is it not true that in the first place the payphones in HDB void decks are for the convenience and accessibility of residents, especially in times of urgency, and they are not just based on whether they are well utilised or not?

Mr Mah Bow Tan: Sir, in general, that is correct. But in the case of telephones which are not well utilised, it is Singapore Telecom's policy to make sure that they are put in places where there is good usage for them. So in this particular case, in their constant review of payphones, they, as a matter of course, would move the public telephones to places where there are more people using them. It is not a matter of removing them completely.

Dr Koh Lam Son: Mr Speaker, I think it is also important to have a phone at a place where there is an urgent need for it, and not just on how well utilised it is, or how many calls are being made on that phone.

Mr Mah Bow Tan: Sir, it is not possible to put a public telephone in every block. So it is incumbent on Singapore Telecom to find out which is the most convenient and well located position for each public telephone.