On Monday (9 Sept), the Urban and Redevelopment Authority (URA) and the Housing and Development Board (HDB) announced in a circular the official launch of the Courier Hub Scheme (CHS).
The scheme enables courier companies to utilise selected HDB multi-storey car parks as a “courier hub. Currently, over 50 HDB multi-storey car parks are available for reservation.
According to the circular, the decision to formalise the scheme follows after a “positive outcome” of the initiative’s pilot run in 2021.
The URA attributes the introduction of the scheme to the rapidly flourishing e-commerce industry in Singapore and hopes that it will “improve the efficiency of last-mile Business-to-Consumer (B2C) deliveries in residential estates”.
Source: Desmond Lee on Facebook
Under the scheme, parking lots at selected HDB multi-storey car parks can be reserved and used by delivery companies as “courier hubs” where they can “conduct delivery activities such as parcel unloading, sorting and dispatching to parcel walkers”.
By law, using parking lots in HDB car parks for courier activities is an offence when it is unauthorised.
Source: Desmond Lee on Facebook
Under the scheme, delivery companies can reserve selected parking lots for use for an entire year. According to the URA, these car parks were selected “based on the availability of space and feedback received” during the scheme’s pilot run.
Interested companies may apply on HDB’s website to reserve these lots from Monday (9 Sept). Applications will close at 5.30pm on Friday (4 Oct.)
To apply for the lots, the applicant has to meet certain regulations:
Applicants are also required to apply for a minimum of four lots and a maximum of twelve and locations will be given on a first-come first-served basis according to the date and time of application.
Under the scheme, successful applicants will have to sign a Temporary Occupation Licence (TOL) and will have access to the selected lots for a year.
They will have to pay a one-year TOL fee of S$70 per lot per month and a three-month security deposit based on the number of lots approved.
Parking charges will still apply for vehicles utilising the parking lot for courier hub activities and the spaces will only be available from 9am until 6pm daily.
According to a Facebook post by Minister for National Development Desmond Lee, the scheme was first piloted in 2021 and then in 2022 at selected HDB multi-storey car parks.
Companies such as Ninja Van and Shopee Express participated in the pilot scheme.
“Through the pilot, we saw increased productivity and reduced outbound delivery times, allowing customers to receive their parcels earlier,” he wrote
Source: Ninja Van
He also said that the scheme saw “increased productivity and reduced outbound delivery times”, therefore allowing customers to receive their parcels earlier.
Additionally, URA said that the scheme also decreased the need for frequent trips made by delivery vehicles.
As a result, it significantly reduced the time spent on the roads by drivers, bringing down the overall carbon footprint.
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Featured image adapted from Desmond Lee on Facebook and Facebook.
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