Many residents in private estates oppose the idea of paid parking outside their houses. (Photo: Nikki De Guzman)
Majority of residents in private housing estates are against the idea of paying for parking their cars on public streets outside their homes, reported The Straits Times.
The issue on whether landed homeowners should pay for such space came up again after last month’s announcement that public car park rates will increase from December.
The announcement has caused some people to ask if paid parking should also be introduced in landed housing estates, where residents are more likely to own multiple cars.
Residents of private housing estates revealed that they park along the road for convenience.
Kobu Kotaraju, 50, parks his car outside his house near Sembawang Shopping Centre. The global head of procurement at an energy firm argued that HDB housing is subsidised for those living there, but it is not the case for private homeowners.
Sebastian H, on the other hand, is frustrated with non-residents who park their cars outside his house. However, the banker, who owns three cars which he parks inside his house in Upper Thomson, does not believe that charging for parking is the solution.
“I think when there are facilities, then it makes sense to pay for parking, but there are no parking facilities here,” he said.
Residents along Jalan Pari Burong in Simpang Bedok noted that many visitors to nearby HDB estates choose to park at private estates since it is free.
As such, it is almost impossible to navigate the area during busy periods, especially when cars are parked on both sides of the road, said one resident, who wanted to be known only as Mrs Tan.
“If they draw parking lots here, I’d pay (for season parking) if it’ll stop others from parking here,” said the 48-year-old housewife.
According to the Land Transport Authority (LTA), a balance should be reached in meeting parking needs and ensuring smooth traffic flow within private estates.
“There is no one-size-fits-all solution. The LTA adopts a consultative approach by working with the Neighbourhood Committee, grassroots leaders and resident groups,” said a spokesman.
This included whether or not to offer paid parking at estates, he added.
Meanwhile, the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) provides paid parking at private housing estates only when they are near commercial businesses like sports facilities or food outlets.
The URA noted that its policies are not fixed. In fact, it is open to reviewing the policies in areas where there is a need to manage parking demand.
Both the URA and HDB said the hike in public car park charges was to recover costs in operating car parks, which has risen by 40 percent since 2002, or the last time the rates were raised.
Aside from signalling the city-state’s push towards a car-lite society, experts said the increase in rates also sends a consistent message; private homeowners should also pay for parking.
“They park on the road and the road is a public space. If we consider parking as a commodity, then it must come with a price,” said National University of Singapore transport researcher Lee Der Horng.
Romesh Navaratnarajah, Senior Editor at PropertyGuru, edited this story. To contact him about this or other stories, email romesh@propertyguru.com.sg
