Parliamentary Questions from Er Dr Lee Bee Wah, 1-2 Oct 2018
1. To ask the Minister for National Development in view of the 370 applicants on the waitlist for heavy vehicle season parking spaces in and around Nee Soon GRC
(a) how long will the waiting time be; and
(b) what is the Ministry doing to expedite the waiting process.
2. To ask the Minister for National Development whether he can clarify on the timetable for implementing the Home Improvement Programme extension for the HDB estates that are now eligible.
3. To ask the Minister for National Development
(a) in the past year, how many disputes between neighbours have been reported to HDB;
(b) how many were because of cigarette smoke;
(c) how many were mediated successfully; and
(d) whether there has been any disputes that were escalated to Community Disputes Resolution Tribunals or other channels.
4. To ask the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources in respect of funding support for initiatives to reduce plastic packaging
(a) what is the current take-up rate of the 3R Fund and 3P Partnership Fund; and
(b) how popular are these schemes among the food delivery and food and beverage industries.
5. To ask the Minister for Education
(a) how many Singaporeans have used up their SkillsFuture credit;
(b) whether he can update the House on the review for the next phase of the national SkillsFuture Credit Scheme; and
(c) whether there are plans to top up SkillsFuture credits.
6. To ask the Minister for Home Affairs
(a) how many drug offenders have children at home;
(b) what rehabilitation support is provided to youths and children of parents who are found guilty of drug-related crimes;
(c) what outreach activities are in place to encourage youths to stay drug-free; and
(d) what is being done to increase vigilance and awareness of drug-related activities in the community.
7. To ask the Minister for Transport
(a) what is the expected timeframe for LTA to complete its review with stakeholders on safety requirements for personal mobility devices (PMDs) to mitigate fire risks;
(b) whether the Ministry will impose a ban on PMDs and components that come from non-reputable sources in the interim; and
(c) whether maintenance standards for PMDs can be made part of the Safe Riding Programme.
Answer:
LTA has studied the standards available today and determined that the UL 2272 standard is suitable for application for motorised personal mobility devices (PMDs) in Singapore.
To improve the safety of motorised PMDs and reduce fire risks, we will require all motorised PMDs intended for use on public paths to conform to the UL 2272 standard.
We will prohibit retailers from selling motorised PMDs which are not UL 2272 compliant from July 2019 onwards. This provides retailers with a nine-month transition period to change their inventories and comply with the new regulation. Existing owners of motorised PMDs which are not UL 2272 compliant can continue to use their devices until December 2020. They will thus have a grace period of over two years to make the transition to a UL 2272 certified PMD. This takes into account the average PMD lifespan of below three years. Motorised PMDs which are not UL 2272 compliant will be prohibited from use on public paths from January 2021 onwards.
Meanwhile, we strongly encourage owners of motorised PMDs to switch to UL 2272 compliant devices in order to minimise the fire risk of their devices. When purchasing PMDs, consumers should seek out reputable sources and study their fire safety standards. They should not overcharge batteries, modify their PMDs or tamper with the electrical
components of their PMDs. We will include such advisory information in the Safe Riding Programme curriculum.