Night parking fee up
Price to double to $4; first increase in 21 years
Today Online Aug 03, 2010
SINGAPORE - The car population has outpaced the supply of parking spaces to the point that night parking charges are now going up, 21 years after the last increase.
From Nov 1, non-resident motorists and visitors at public housing and Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) car parks will pay double for overnight parking: From $2 to $4.
In 1989, the increase was from $1.50 to $2.
While the 34-year-old scheme was implemented in car parks where there were sufficient lots to meet season parking needs, "most" of these car parks are so "heavily utilised" that residents with season parking tickets face "difficulties" finding a spot at night, the Housing and Development Board and URA said yesterday.
The higher charge will "better manage the parking demand" and "safeguard the interests" of season parking ticket holders, the two statutory boards added.
The half-hourly night parking charge of 50 cents will remain, though.
The new $4 night parking coupons will be on sale from Oct 15.
Motorists can continue to use the $2 night parking coupons by displaying two such coupons.
Some Members of Parliament wondered if the latest measure is enough.
Ang Mo Kio GRC MP Lee Bee Wah, who receives one complaint a week from residents facing parking difficulties, pointed out that the non-resident group is not sizeable. And while the spike in overnight parking charges "may deter some non-residents from parking", the overall number of cars - and the supply of parking lots - remain unchanged, Ms Lee noted.
Jurong GRC MP Halimah Yacob reiterated that the problem requires "proper planning, a strategy of how to ensure there's enough parking places in Singapore. And that kind of planning is not only confined to just HDB, it has to be planning on the part of the Ministry of Transport as well".
On its part, HDB is planning to add 5,000 more parking spaces in the next three years….
This is actually a really dumb “solution”. It did not solve any problem at all.
The problem of shortage of car park will not simply disappear if you increase the cost. If it does, the fare increase in 1989 would have solve this problem.
The only winner out of this fare hike is URA. They has the opportunity to generate more income.
The fact is there is a shortage of car park. The question is why?
How many percent of a car park lots are being issued to season parking holder? Did HDB/URA issued more season parking (to earn more) and therefore causing these season parking holder unable to find a parking lots?
For example out of 100 lots avail. Does HDB keep 50 lots for season holder or 90 lots?
A simple solution is to increase the percentage of lots reserved for season parking holder. This is fair as they are resident of the area and is paying a monthly fee. They should be guaranteed a parking space.
And of cause a long time solution is to build more parking lots.
What they are trying to do now is what I call the ostrich mentality. “There is no problem if you don’t see any problem” By burying you head in the ground.
