By Cai Haoxiang

ALL residents of HDB flats in Bukit Panjang constituency will have lifts that stop on every floor by November.

It caps a $100-million effort that has transformed the 'no frills' new town into a place with a string of amenities over 12 years, said Dr Teo Ho Pin, MP of the single-seat constituency. He cited a long list that includes markets, places of worship, gardens as well as ramps and railings for the elderly and handicapped to move about freely.

'I'd say the town is almost mature with all the facilities,' he said yesterday, ahead of a ministerial visit to the ward on Aug 30 by Transport Minister Raymond Lim, who is also Second Minister for Foreign Affairs.

The one still-to-come significant change that will spur new development is an MRT station, said Dr Teo, noting that the Bukit Panjang station is scheduled to be open in 2015.

It will give residents a direct link to the Central Business District.

But lift upgrading tops the ward's infrastructure development list, with more than $80 million going towards such works for 132 HDB blocks.

The Government pays between 75 and 90 per cent of the bill and the remaining 10 to 25 per cent is split between residents and the Holland-Bukit Panjang Town Council.

Besides the changes, Dr Teo also introduced 'green' initiatives to promote a pleasant living environment and save energy costs.

Among them are two community gardens, where residents grow vegetables such as sweet potatoes or chye sim for their own consumption.

In addition, solar energy lighting panels were installed on the top deck of a multi-storey carpark.

Dr Teo also started a briskwalking club for residents to exercise and bond with each other.A challenge now, he said, is to maintain the facilities and manage the impact of inflation on costs. However, the town council finances are healthy, he added.

The change that is most important to residents like Madam Mariam Maidun, 50, is the lift upgrading. The housewife, who has lived in Bangkit Road for 10 years, appreciates it especially when returning home after marketing with her bags of groceries. 'It's much more convenient now.'

But she misses the stools that were removed from the ground floor of her block during the upgrading works. 'Most old people or housewives coming back from the market have no place to rest,' she said.

This article was first published in The Straits Times.