Debated in Parliament on 8 May 2024.
Ms Hazel Poa asked the Minister for National Development (a) since 2010 in the west region, what is the annual number of public and private heavy vehicle (HV) parking lots registered under the Vehicle Parking Certificate scheme and the length of the waiting list for publicly-operated lots; (b) whether there are any plans to reduce the number of publicly-operated lots in the next five years; and (c) whether any new publicly-operated lots will be provided in or near newly constructed residential areas, such as Tengah New Town.
As of March 2024, there are around 40,500 heavy vehicle (HV) lots island-wide, more than sufficient for the 30,800 HVs registered with the Land Transport Authority (LTA) under the Vehicle Parking Certificate scheme. Around 16,200 HV lots are in the West region, comprising 2,900 public and 13,300 private HV lots. There are around 700 applicants on the waiting list for public HV lots in the West region. These applicants already have a HV lot, but may be looking for another lot for various reasons, such as better accessibility. We do not have these data on an annual basis dating back to 2010.
We have been reviewing our plans to progressively reduce the number of public HV lots in or near residential areas as having HVs enter densely populated residential areas poses a safety risk, especially to the elderly and young children. This will also free up land to meet other development needs, including public housing. Any injection of public HV lots in or near new residential areas will need to be studied carefully, taking into consideration the overall availability of HV lots in the area.
HV drivers play an important role in our economy. Agencies will continue to monitor demand and work closely with the private sector to ensure there are sufficient HV lots island-wide that are accessible to drivers.
PAPERCUTS