PASAR MALAM (Quota)

Mr Chiam See Tong asked the Minister for Communications, in view of traffic congestion at peak hours due to the many exits and entry points at the Upper Serangoon Road/MacPherson Road/Bendemeer Road junction (at the former Woodsville Circus), whether the Public Works Department will construct an underpass at that junction below the existing Upper Serangoon Road and Bendemeer Road.

Mr Mah Bow Tan: Although traffic flow is heavy at the Serangoon Road/ MacPherson Road/Bendemeer Road/Upper Serangoon Road junction, the major movements are satisfactorily accommodated by the traffic signal lights.

However, the traffic from MacPherson Road and Upper Serangoon Road into the PIE towards Jurong has to be channelled via Whampoa North. This route is not the most direct but is necessary to minimise the number of traffic movements at the main junction below the PIE flyovers. The approach width of Whampoa North where it meets Serangoon Road has recently been widened to improve the traffic flow.

The Land Transport Authority, which has taken over the road related functions of PWD, has no plans to build an underpass at the junction to link Upper Serangoon Road with Bendemeer Road.

Mr Chiam See Tong asked the Acting Minister for the Environment what are the reasons for awarding the grassroots organisation in Potong Pasir a two-year quota of holding pasar malam in July this year, thus depriving the Potong Pasir Town Council of holding a pasar malam until July 1997.

RAdm Teo Chee Hean: Before control measures were introduced, trade fairs were held so frequently that they almost became a permanent feature in some housing estates. When such fairs are held over many nights at a stretch, they become a nuisance. Residents complain of the noise which disturbs their sleep and their children's studies. Shopkeepers complain of unfair competition.

When my Ministry introduced controls to curb the proliferation of trade fairs, the guidelines were widely reported. My Ministry limited the number of fairs to be organised by each CCC or Town Council in each constituency to only one fair per year and that such a fair is to last not more than 16 days. The organiser may extend the duration to 32 days by using the next year's quota. The quota counts from July to June in the following year.

The honorable Member for Potong Pasir would recall that Potong Pasir Town Council was given permission to organise a trade fair last year. This year, the Potong Pasir CCC applied for and obtained approval to organise a 32-day fair using both this year's and next year's quota. This approval is within our guidelines.