Singapore designates 4 HDB estates as 'car-lite', with more greenery and public transport connections
View of HDB flats in Singapore. (File photo: CNA/Calvin Oh)
SINGAPORE: Four public housing estates will be designated as "car-lite" from Oct 31, with parking spaces reduced to make way for more public facilities and greenery, the Housing and Development Board (HDB) and the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said in a joint press release on Wednesday (Oct 5).
The estates - Ulu Pandan, Mount Pleasant, Tengah and the Keppel Club site, which is part of the Greater Southern Waterfront - will be "planned upfront with good public transport, walking and cycling connections", the authorities said.
With limited parking provision, lots will be prioritised for residents in these precincts.
Two other areas - Tanjong Rhu and Pearl’s Hill - will also be gazetted by LTA as car-lite, while Bayshore's existing car-lite area will be expanded.
Ulu Pandan will be Singapore's first car-lite HDB precinct, designed for residents to adopt "green modes of commuting", HDB and LTA said. The first Build-to-Order (BTO) flats there are expected to be launched in the upcoming November 2022 sales exercise.
Parking spaces will be reduced in precincts near Dover MRT station to free up space for other uses such as shared community spaces, pedestrian and cycling paths, parks and greenery, the authorities said.
Residents of the new public housing projects in Ulu Pandan will have convenient access to rail and bus services, with sheltered elevated linkways connecting them directly to Dover MRT station and barrier-free accessibility to bus stops along Commonwealth Avenue.
There will also be a network of walking and cycling paths, allowing convenient access to the neighbourhood centre and key amenities in Ghim Moh via the Park Connector Network.
HDB will introduce the following measures in car-lite precincts:
- Season parking will be reduced and restricted to residents only, and will be prioritised for the first car of resident households.
- Residents who buy season parking for their second and subsequent vehicles will be charged a higher season parking rate, subject to availability.
- Short-term parking for visitors will remain available, but with limited lots. Parking charges may be adjusted based on demand.
There are currently 10 car-lite areas, including Kampong Bugis, Marina South, Jurong Lake District, Bayshore and Woodlands North, which were gazetted in February 2019.
The other five - Jurong Innovation District, one-north, Punggol Digital District, Springleaf, and Woodlands Central - were gazetted in August 2020.
