AREA LICENSING SCHEME ON SATURDAYS (Lifting from 10.15 am onwards)

Dr Wong Kwei Cheong asked the Minister for Communications if he will consider lifting the Area Licensing Scheme on Saturdays from 10.15 am onwards.

The Minister for Communications (Mr Mah Bow Tan): Mr Speaker, Sir, the Member's proposal will be taken into consideration when we review the whole-day Area Licensing Scheme (ALS). This review will be done after the PWD completes a comprehensive survey of the traffic situation in the Central Business District in the next one or two months.

Mr Robert Chua Teck Chew (Nominated Member): In the meantime, Sir, would the Minister consider giving it a trial run of, say, two months, by lifting the ALS after 10.15 am on Saturdays?

Mr Mah Bow Tan: Sir, the purpose of the review is to give us a picture of the real situation after the traffic situation in the CBD has stabilised. If we were to conduct a trial run, as the Member suggested, I think it would only confuse the picture and we would not have the true picture of what actually is the result of the whole-day ALS.

Mr Robert Chua Teck Chew: But I suggest that this be looked into because that is one way of comparing with and without the lifting of the ALS on Saturday afternoons, otherwise you only get one picture.

Mr Mah Bow Tan: Sir, as I said, it is more accurate to have a full picture of what is happening when the situation stabilises. Right now, everything is still in a state of flux.