Committee to ease inconveniences for residents moving in to new BTO flats

When Ms Hayley Tai, 30, gets the keys to her new Build-To-Order (BTO) flat at Tampines GreenOpal in May, the bridge crossing Bedok Canal to connect to the MRT station will still not be ready, making it less convenient for the marketing manager to get to work.

- Lee Nian Tjoe

"I guess it would take me an additional 15 minutes to get to work, so that's a bit of an inconvenience," she said.

To better time the completion of key infrastructure and essential services, a multi-agency committee has been set up to minimise inconveniences to owners when they move into their new BTO flats.

Announcing the nationwide initiative on April 12 at the Housing Board's roadshow for home owners moving into Tampines GreenOpal, Senior Minister of State for National Development Tan Kiat How said: "With an extensive building programme, it is even more important for us to strengthen our planning and coordination efforts, to shape a better moving-in experience for new residents."

Between 2025 and 2030, around 130,000 BTO flats will be completed.

Mr Tan said that HDB's BTO construction volume is expected to peak in 2026 and 2027 with nearly 150 projects that will be under construction.

Normalcy has returned to HDB's BTO building programme after all the projects affected by the Covid-19 pandemic were cleared, according to the public housing authority in March.