A government review of public parking rates is
currently under way in a move that is set to raise prices at all
public carparks, The Straits Times has learnt.
The Housing Development Board (HDB) and Urban
Redevelopment Authority (URA) both confirmed yesterday that an
islandwide review of both short-term and season parking schemes is
in the works.
This comes just two months after the ministries of
National Development and Transport said in Parliament that parking
prices would go up, to bring Singapore's rates in line with those
of other global cities.
The URA said the review is meant to "right-price public
car park charges and reduce the gap between the fees charged by
private and public carparks". It is studying the quantum of
increase.
It noted that in some areas in the Central Business
District, the difference between private and public hourly parking
prices during peak periods was over 100 per cent.
Separately, the HDB pointed out that its carparks have
improved over the years, with amenities such as landscaped decks,
electronic parking systems and lifts.
Both agencies noted that the last price revision was in
2002, when short-term parking prices increased about 10 per cent -
carparking charges in the city area rose from 90 cents to $1 per
half-hour, and from 45 cents to 50 cents per half-hour outside the
CBD.
"Since then, the costs of managing and operating
carparks have increased substantially," said a URA spokesman.
Before 2002, prices were also hiked in 1993 and 1989 -
in all cases, the increase was over 10 per cent. The HDB and URA
manage 607,000 and 24,000 parking spaces respectively.
The HDB is also studying differentiated season parking
charges for non-residents who use HDB carparks, and residents who
own more than one car. It said differentiated rates could help
manage demand, with priority given to a resident's first car.
Motorists hope prices would not increase beyond 10 per
cent. "Already, we spend a substantial amount on our cars," said
technopreneur Toh Kian Khai, 34.
A parking policy expert, Dr Paul Barter, said a review
was timely, but recommended taking a more nuanced approach. Prices
should be set based on the occupancy rate of carparks - which
ideally should only be 85 per cent full at any one time so that
there are always parking spaces available. Rates could be raised
during peak periods and lowered in the off-peak, he said.
"If it's too full, it's too cheap, and if it's too
empty, it's too expensive," he said.
A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The
Straits Times on June 23, 2016, with the headline 'Public parking
rates set to rise after review'.
