No more free parking at West Coast

No more free parking at West Coast

Carpark abuse: NParks acts against free-loading drivers.
Lediati Tan

Sat, Oct 11, 2008
The New Paper

VISITORS to West Coast Park will soon be paying a price for the inconsideration of others, in the form of parking charges.

From early next year, they will no longer be able to park their car for free there.

This is a result of some motorists abusing the free parking lots there.

Citing difficulties in differentiating genuine park visitors from non-park users, the National Parks Board (NParks) has decided to act.

In an e-mail reply to The New Paper, Mr George Tay, deputy director of the Parks Division, said: 'We believe the long-term solution is to implement paid parking to regulate usage and we are preparing to do so by early next year.'

Recalcitrant abusers will also be in for a rude shock the next time they turn up to retrieve their vehicles from the park.

Towing away

Mr Tay warned that if the situation does not improve, NParks 'will be towing away the serious cases of abuse, such as cars without road tax'.

NParks was responding to The New Paper's queries after an irate reader, Mr Chiang Qing Seng, wrote in about carpark abuse in West Coast Park involving second-hand car dealers.

Mr Chiang, a 62-year-old retiree who lives in nearby Teban Gardens, visits the park every day to exercise. He began to have problems finding parking lots there about six months ago.

He said that about 85 per cent of parking lots in Car Park Two of West Coast Park are being used by second-hand car dealers to 'store' their vehicles despite a signboard stating clearly that the carpark is meant only for park visitors.

He said: 'The carpark belongs to NParks, it is not right for people to use it as a warehouse.'

How did he know that second-hand car dealers are responsible?

He noticed that several of the cars parked there are more than 10 years old, based on their registration plates. About nine vehicles did not even have valid road tax. On a number of occasions, he has seen tow-trucks leaving vehicles without valid road tax at the carpark.

He has also seen people driving some vehicles around the carpark, apparently to prevent the car battery from going flat, and then parking them back in the same lots.

He added: 'They even park their vehicles in the disabled lot.'

Mr Chiang said he had alerted NParks to the problem three months ago but was frustrated that no action had been taken.

When told of NParks' plan to charge for parking at West Coast Park, he was still not too impressed.

'If it's just to keep away unauthorised people, then it is not fair for people who really want to use the park,' he said.

Yet another mindless form of problem solving. PAY PAY PAY! Hahahahah! We pay our ministers so much money so that they can solve problems for us by, you guess it, paying more! hahahaa. People want to go "PARK" TOR (go on a date) also must pay. How to have the mood to make babies? All the sperm only thinking about $ and not egg. hahahaha.

My friend in Australia tell me how they do it over there. Almost all public carparks have this system where cars can park for free for a limited time (15 mins for super peak areas and up to 2 hours for not so peak areas). Free parking throughout the country leh! Even in the city!

Wah, then I ask him how can they enforce this rule leh. Coz singaporeans so kiasu, sure park more than 2 hours one mah! He tell me that they send out rangers to the carparks and start marking tyres with chalk. So the ranger arrive at carpark X at 10 a.m and start chalking all the tyres at the lots. Then he will come back at 12 p.m to see if the tyre marks are still there. If yes, means the car never move at all so summon! If not, means people really leave after 2 hours loh. Then I ask him what if people erase the chalk marks, he say not so easy one. Need to drive around abit for the marks to go off. Besides, the 2 hours rule is just to ensure that other cars have a chance to park. So if that place got alot of lots, the cars who want to park more than 2 hours can change lots and park longer.

Wah, I think quite good idea leh. This can create more jobs for Singaporeans leh! All the parking attendants (affectionately known as Fatimahs) sure damn happy one. Can create more job during recession. hahaha. I think I should move to Australia man! Free parking, cheap cars! Relax lifestyle. Yes, people actually have a life there. My friend tell me over there seldom see motorbike one coz cars too cheap liao. hahaha. How Mr P.M, can anot? Don't just everything charge us can anot? We don't have million $ salary like you and your ministers leh!