Debated in Parliament on 13 Sep 2016.
Mr Leon Perera asked the Minister for National Development (a) how many HDB void decks are raised platforms vis-a-vis the pavement surrounding the void deck thereby presenting accessibility issues for users of wheelchair and personal mobility devices; (b) how many of such void decks have been modified to improve accessibility; (c) whether the Ministry plans to modify all such void decks to improve accessibility for the disabled and elderly; and (d) whether the Ministry has conducted any safety risk assessments and implemented measures to mitigate such risks.
Raised void decks are mostly found in older Housing and Development Board (HDB) blocks and were meant to reduce rainwater wetting the void decks. Newer HDB blocks do not have raised void decks.
HDB has been pro-active in promoting a barrier-free environment in public housing developments. In 2006, the Government launched a Barrier Free Accessibility (BFA) Programme to make all HDB estates barrier-free. Under the programme, HDB worked closely with the Town Councils to retrofit all estates with ramps and handrails to aid the mobility of residents, including those who are physically challenged. The respective Town Councils drew up the master plan for the BFA works for each town or estate, in consultation with grassroots organisations, and took into account feedback and requests from residents. HDB's Lift Upgrading Programme also complements the BFA Programme by bringing direct lift access to flats, where technically and financially viable.
In implementing BFA improvements, the focus was to provide access in a pragmatic way. For example, ramps could have either replaced existing steps, or were added separately at strategic locations. In particular, where site conditions permitted, ramps were installed near the lift lobbies, thereby providing BFA access to the void decks. However, it may not have been feasible to construct ramps at some locations due to technical issues or existing site constraints.
For this reason, even though Town Councils completed all their planned works under their respective BFA masterplans in 2012, there may still be opportunities to further enhance BFA in our towns and estates. These works could include levelling-up aprons to eliminate the step or installing more ramps at strategic locations and could be done through the Town Councils' improvement works or the Neighbourhood Renewal Programme (NRP).
PAPERCUTS