Heads up, drivers — the grace parking period at all Housing & Development Board (HDB) and Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) car parks will be adjusted from 20 to 15 minutes next month.
The current 20-minute grace period came into effect in September last year.
Citing records, HDB described the 15-minute period as “sufficient” for motorists carrying out pick-up, drop-off, and delivery duties.
In addition, they will discontinue the sale and exchange of parking coupons at all branches from 19 Sep.
On Monday (22 Aug), HDB announced that from 1 Sep, motorists will only have a grace period of 15 minutes for short-term parking at all HDB and URA car parks using the Electronic Parking System (EPS).
Source: Urban Redevelopment Authority
Before Apr 2020, there was a 10-minute grace period for motorists to search for an available lot or to do quick pick-ups and drop-offs without needing to pay parking fees.
Since the ‘circuit breaker’, HDB and URA have been adjusting the period based on the ever-changing Covid-19 situation.
This was to meet the demands of a higher number of deliveries as more people stayed home during the pandemic.
The last extension took effect in Sep last year, giving motorists a grace period of 20 minutes, up from the usual 10.
Now, with the easing of pandemic restrictions and fewer people working from home, HDB and URA have reviewed the grace parking period.
From 1 Sep, the grace period for short-term parking in all HDB and URA car parks will be reduced to 15 minutes.
Based on their records, HDB found that 15 minutes “has generally been sufficient”, even with higher demand for deliveries.
The new grace period also takes the shift towards e-commerce into consideration by ensuring that motorists have enough time to find a parking lot and carry out pick-ups and drop-offs.
Motorists exiting car parks beyond the grace period will have to pay parking fees for the whole duration. This includes the first 15 minutes.
In addition, HDB will be discontinuing the sale and exchange of parking coupons at all its branches.
Source: vapourtrails on Flickr
Since the implementation of the EPS and the Parking.sg app, sales of parking coupons have reportedly dropped by 99%.
As a result, HDB will no longer continue the sale and exchange of parking coupons from 19 Sep.
Motorists can still purchase them from authorised agents, including petrol stations, as well as 7-Eleven and Cheers outlets.
Those wishing to seek a refund for unused or expired parking coupons may still do so at HDB branches. To reduce the waiting time, they can also schedule an e-appointment online.
In light of the change in policy, HDB encouraged motorists to use the Parking.sg app for payment of short-term parking at HDB and URA car parks that do not have the EPS and still use coupons.
“The Parking.sg app offers motorists the convenience of per-minute charging and automated calculation of parking charges, thus removing the need to buy, tear and display multiple coupons,” said HDB.
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Featured image adapted from Urban Redevelopment Authority.
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