ZONAL PARKING IN SAME HDB NEIGHBOURHOOD (Granting of reciprocal parking rights between immediate family members)

Mr Tong Kok Yeo asked the Minister for National Development whether the Housing and Development Board will consider extending the zonal parking by granting reciprocal parking rights between immediate family members who live in the same HDB neighbourhood.

Mr Lim Hng Kiang (for the Minister for National Development): Mr Speaker, Sir, the Member has suggested that a season ticket holder be allowed to park in another car park group within the same HDB neighbourhood where his immediate family members reside. I take it that this is with the intention of encouraging the preservation and enhancement of family ties.

To encourage relatives and friends to visit one another, HDB has introduced the Free Parking Scheme on Sundays and public holidays. This scheme now covers 1,105 car parks, or 86% of the total number of car parks island-wide. This, in my Ministry's view, is a sufficient measure for the purposes that we assume are intended by the Member.

If the Member's suggestion to grant reciprocal parking rights is implemented, HDB will have difficulties restricting it to immediate family members residing within the same neighbourhood. Immediate family members who are not staying within the same neighbourhood would also request similar privileges. After all, it could be argued that there is a greater need to extend reciprocal parking rights to such residents, in view of the greater distances involved in maintaining family ties. For HDB to meet all these requests, however, will cause congestion to the car parks, and lead to residents being unfairly deprived of parking lots, especially in the popular car parks.

Mr Ling How Doong (Bukit Gombak): Is it true that so long as the RC and CCC members obtain a season parking ticket within one constituency, they are allowed to park in other constituencies within the GRC zone?

Mr Lim Hng Kiang: If the RC member has a season parking ticket, he is allowed to park in all HDB car parks within the same constituency to facilitate his work as a community leader within the constituency.