CONCRETE FOOTPATH FROM YISHUN MEDICAL CENTRE TO YISHUN CENTRAL 1 (Construction)

Mr Cheo Chai Chen asked the Acting Minister for National Development if he will consider constructing a temporary concrete footpath from Yishun Medical Centre to Yishun Central 1 in the open space opposite Block 647 of Yishun Central.

Mr Lim Hng Kiang: Mr Speaker, Sir, the footpath proposed by Mr Cheo would be on a parcel of State land reserved for future development. As such, the Government has no plans to construct a concrete footpath on this site.

Mr Cheo Chai Chen (Nee Soon Central): Sir, can the Ministry provide a temporary footpath?

Mr Lim Hng Kiang: Mr Speaker, Sir, when I said that the Government has no plans to construct a concrete footpath, it means both temporary and permanent footpaths.

Mr Chiam See Tong: Sir, is there any footpath built on Government land which is in the PAP ward?

Mr Lim Hng Kiang: Mr Speaker, Sir, there are temporary or permanent footpaths built in both PAP and non-PAP wards.

Mr Cheo Chai Chen: Sir, is the Minister aware that we have many parcels of State land and you can find many walkways in these open spaces? Why is the Ministry taking a different standard in this matter?

Mr Lim Hng Kiang: Mr Speaker, Sir, we do not enforce different standards. We do not want to have encumbrances on State land, whether it is a temporary footpath or a permanent footpath. Because later on, the State land will have to be put up for sale, there will be redevelopment, and the footpath will be removed. In some cases, we do allow footpaths to be built because they serve a very large number of people and we assess that the development will not take place for a very long time.

Mr Chiam See Tong: Sir, the Minister says that a footpath will be built if there is a large number of people using it. What does the Minister mean by a "large number"? Assuming that the footpath in Yishun qualifies in terms of the number of people using it, would he be willing to construct a footpath there?

Mr Lim Hng Kiang: Mr Speaker, Sir, I do not have the number of pedestrians moving per hour that PWD uses for its determination on the construction of footpaths. But as I explained in this House before, PWD has certain criteria before it builds a footpath and other criteria before it builds a covered footpath. There are two reasons for building footpaths. Firstly, if there is a big demand based on the criteria used by PWD, and, secondly, if we assess that the land would not be used for a long time, it is worthwhile to put in public money to construct a footpath. If the development is to take place very soon, then by the time you constructed a footpath, you have got to dig it up and redevelop it a few years later. That would be a waste of public funds.

Mr Chiam See Tong: I am talking about this particular footpath in Yishun. If it meets all the criteria, would the HDB be willing to build a footpath there, ie, it qualifies in terms of pedestrian traffic, usefulness, and also in terms of the length of time in which it would be there?

Mr Lim Hng Kiang: Obviously, if it qualifies, then it would have been built.

Mr Chiam See Tong: So the Minister is giving an assurance to this House that if it qualifies, it will be built. Am I correct?

Mr Lim Hng Kiang: I said that if it qualifies, it would have been built.

Mr Cheo Chai Chen: Will the Ministry conduct a survey to justify the demand?

Mr Lim Hng Kiang: PWD has assessed that this footpath is not used so frequently as to meet its criteria and, therefore, it is not recommended that it be built.

Mr Eugene Yap Giau Cheng (Mountbatten): Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to know from the Minister whether he would like to put up a fence to prevent trespassing.

Mr Lim Hng Kiang: We also do not want to put up a fence because when the land is being built, we have got to tear down the fence. That would be a waste of public resources. We control our expenditure very tightly.

Mr Chiam See Tong: Will the Minister be willing to give such criteria in writing, if requested to do so, in regard to the building of footpaths on public land?

Mr Lim Hng Kiang: If you raise a Question, both oral and written, we will provide the answer and the criteria.

1.23 pm