HDB CAR PARKS (Season parking fees and security guards)

Mr Chiam See Tong asked the Acting Minister for National Development why there is a necessity to increase the season parking fee at Housing and Development Board estates and whether the HDB will provide security guards at these car parks to prevent illegal parking, car thefts, vandalism and other misdemeanours since residents pay for their parking lots.

The Acting Minister for National Development (Mr Lim Hng Kiang): Mr Speaker, Sir, in the past, HDB car parking charges were priced to gradually recover the full cost of building and maintaining its car parks. Based on this policy, the monthly parking charges were fixed at $75 for multi-storey car parks and $55 for surface car parks.

However, this disparity in pricing has led to an imbalance in the demand for the two types of car parks in precincts where they co-exist side by side. Car owners prefer the surface parking lots, mainly because they cost $20 less than in the adjacent multi-storey car park lots. This has resulted in shortages at the surface car parks, while the multi-storey car parks are under-utilised.

HDB therefore recently reviewed the car parking charges in precincts which fall under one of the following three categories.

The first category involves five precincts where there is a severe congestion in the surface car parks while the multi-storey car parks nearby are under-used, mainly because of the large difference in the season ticket prices for the two types of car parks. The equalisation of the car parking charges will help resolve this problem.

The second category involves 12 precincts where temporary surface car park lots were provided while multi-storey car parks were being built. The residents were informed from the start that the surface car park lots would be removed when the multi-storey car parks were completed. However, the residents have now appealed to retain some of these surface lots to supplement the multi-storey car parks. As the majority of the surface lots will be removed ultimately, HDB wants to prevent a mismatch in demand arising from the difference in car parking charges. A single charge would therefore be imposed.

The third category involves six HDB upgrading precincts. The residents were previously paying $55 per month for the surface car parks. In the upgrading, the surface lots were replaced either fully or partially by a multi-storey car park to enhance the aesthetic value of the living environment. However, these car owners then end up having to pay $20 more than before.

Taking these circumstances into consideration, HDB has decided that, in future, car parking charges will also take into account the utility value to the car users, and the demand and supply situations of car parks in the housing estates.

On this basis, HDB has adjusted the parking charges for 23 of its car parks. From 1st February 1995, the monthly parking charges for multi-storey car parks in these 23 precincts will be decreased from $75 to $65, and that of surface car parks adjusted from $55 to $65.

By equalising the parking charges, car owners will now be more willing to park in multi-storey car parks. Both surface and multi-storey car parks are now integrated into one category for a more efficient usage of parking lots.

As to the suggestion of providing security guards for car parks, this would increase the cost of operation, and the cost increase would have to be passed on to the car owners. With the generally low crime rate in Singapore, HDB does not see the need to specially provide security guards and increase the operation cost.

However, in response to the Member for Potong Pasir's concern, I have instructed HDB to increase the number of patrols by HDB parking wardens in Potong Pasir in order to prevent illegal parking and to deter car thefts, vandalism and other misdemeanours. The Member will be glad to know that these increased patrols have over the last three nights resulted in HDB issuing 600 parking offences. I assure the Member that HDB will keep up its effort to reduce illegal parking and deter car thefts and vandalism in Potong Pasir.

Mr Chiam See Tong: I am happy that the Acting Minister has increased the number of parking wardens at Potong Pasir and he said that over the last three days there were 600 parking offences. Can I have a clarification? Where were these 600 parking offences committed?

Mr Lim Hng Kiang: If the Member wants, I will photostat the list to him. It covers all the car parks in Potong Pasir with varying numbers of parking offences in each of the car parks. Does he want me to read out the whole list?

Mr Chiam See Tong: If he could, he could roughly tell me which are the car parks in which these 600 parking offences were issued over the last three days. Is it near Block 108?

Mr Speaker: Order. Mr Chiam, no speeches. Ask your question.

Mr Chiam See Tong: Sir, I am just responding to the Minister.

Mr Lim Hng Kiang: Mr Speaker, Sir, with your indulgence, I will read out the list. There are altogether 11 car parks in Potong Pasir grouped under two groups. HDB calls them Group 17 and Group 12. Group 17 is in Potong Pasir Central and Group 12 is in Toa Payoh Estate.

In Potong Pasir, a total of 147 parking offences were issued on 21st January, 140 on 22nd January and 149 on 23rd January. In Toa Payoh, 52 parking offences were issued on 21st January, 52 on 22nd January and 61 on 23rd January.

Mr Chiam See Tong: Thank you, Mr Minister. I think it is high time that the HDB got on to the job. It is probably due to other people coming into the estate to park their cars indiscriminately.

Mr Speaker: Mr Chiam, no speeches.

Mr Chiam See Tong: In the past, when the first flats were occupied, the HDB did not charge any parking fees. It is obvious that the HDB ---

Mr Speaker: Order. Mr Chiam, could you ask your question? You are making long statements.

Mr Chiam See Tong: All right. In the past, the HDB did not charge parking fees. Now the fees have all gone up. It is obvious that there would be surplus funds in the HDB. Therefore, there must be places which need ---

Mr Speaker: Order. Mr Chiam, are you asking your question? If you are making a speech, I will ask you to resume your seat. Ask your question now.

Mr Chiam See Tong: All right. Why is the Minister so reluctant to supply security guards at places where there are rampant vandalism and/or thefts from cars?

Mr Lim Hng Kiang: Sir, I have asked HDB to enquire from the Neighbourhood Police Post in Potong Pasir whether there was indeed a higher incidence of crime in Potong Pasir or not. I am afraid that I have not got the data. But from the overall macro-data that I have received, the rate of crimes in car parks in Singapore is in fact very low. On the average, two crimes of theft from and theft of cars are committed per car park per year. So with that kind of low crime rate, there is no need to deploy special security guards for the car parks. But, knowing Mr Chiam's concern, I assure him that HDB will deploy extra parking wardens in Potong Pasir.

Mr Chiam See Tong: May I know how many extra parking wardens will be deployed in Potong Pasir and can he please let me know when will it be implemented?

Mr Lim Hng Kiang: Mr Speaker, Sir, when I received the Question for Oral Answer, I felt that Mr Chiam probably had a problem in Potong Pasir. So I asked HDB to gather information on the ground. As a result, in the last three days they have deployed extra parking wardens to ensure better safety and less illegal parking in Potong Pasir. That is the reason why we have got 600 parking offences. I assure the Member that this exercise will continue and we will eradicate illegal parking in Potong Pasir.

Mr Chiam See Tong: I have already told the Minister that I welcome the move of the Minister to be so diligent at Potong Pasir. He has said that more parking wardens will be deployed. I want to know how many more parking wardens will be deployed in Potong Pasir and when they will be deployed. After all, I am the MP there and I should know.

Mr Lim Hng Kiang: Mr Speaker, Sir, I leave this to the operational people on the ground. They will deploy the required number of parking wardens to eradicate illegal parking in Potong Pasir.

Mr Chiam See Tong: I know that uppermost in the Minister's mind is revenue. So if his purpose is to eradicate illegal parking, I would certainly, as the MP there, welcome such a move. I think we are privileged to have such attention given to us.

Mr Speaker: What is your question, Mr Chiam?

Mr Chiam See Tong: Sir, I still have not got the answer from the Minister because I have to report back to my constituents at Potong Pasir.

Mr Speaker: That question has been answered. Have you got any other questions? We have to move on.

Mr Chiam See Tong: Yes. What is actually the problem at Potong Pasir for him to deploy extra parking wardens there?

Mr Lim Hng Kiang: Mr Speaker, Sir, as with many of my colleagues on the Frontbench, we take Questions very seriously from Members. So when we receive a Question like this, I have to ask HDB what is the situation on the ground because Potong Pasir was not involved in the revision of car parking charges in the 23 precincts. So obviously something must be amiss in Potong Pasir that prompted Mr Chiam to raise the Question. So I asked them to check and they told me that there was in fact rampant illegal parking in Potong Pasir. I told them that, as Mr Chiam is very keen to remove illegal parking, we should provide a higher level of service. So the parking wardens will continue to go down and provide this level of service for Potong Pasir.

Mr Chiam See Tong: I am surprised at the answer of the Minister. Does it mean that if there is no increase in the rate of parking fees at Potong Pasir, there will be none in future? Certainly, we have to anticipate that this increase will be coming. So the Question is absolutely in order. Nevertheless---

Mr Speaker: What is your question? Could you get to the point?

Mr Chiam See Tong: The Minister seems to say that ---

Mr Speaker: Mr Chiam, never mind what the Minister has said. What is your question?

Mr Chiam See Tong: If he thinks that there is illegal parking in Potong Pasir and there is no illegal parking in other places, why does he not try and see whether he can get more than 600 parking offences at other places within three days?

Mr Lim Hng Kiang: Mr Speaker, Sir, HDB parking wardens are deployed all over the island to catch illegal parking.

Mr Chiam See Tong: Is there any place, other than Potong Pasir, which has rampant illegal parking in HDB housing estates?

Mr Lim Hng Kiang: If the Member files a Question, I will give him the statistics on illegal parking.

Mr Chiam See Tong: You are the Minister. You must answer the question. I ask a question and you answer.

Mr Speaker: Order. Mr Chiam, you will rise only when I allow you to, and you will rise to ask questions. Do you have any more questions?

Mr Chiam See Tong: No.