SINGAPORE: Even as the authorities look into the idea of
mechanised car parks, some analysts pointed out the challenges - such as
maintenance and costs - with such a system.
Instead, they
suggested more innovative ideas, including creating a private market for
parking spaces and allocating different zones for vehicles of different
sizes.
National University of Singapore transport expert Lee
Der Horng noted that it is "very common" in some cities in the United
States to group cars of similar sizes together.
Said Associate
Professor Lee: "So the smaller cars are parked in the same zone, and
it's the same for the sports utility vehicles (SUVs), for instance."
Nanyang
Technological University transport economist Michael Li has a more
radical suggestion: Allocate each household with a car park lot and
allow those who do not own any vehicles to "rent" out their lots to
others, thus creating a market which would enable demand and supply to
balance out.
According to the Ministry of National Development,
six in 10 Housing and Development Board (HDB) households do not own
cars. About a third own one car, while 5 per cent own two or more.
The transport analysts pointed out that the cheap HDB parking fees here would escalate the carpark crunch in the years to come.
In Taipei, for instance, motorists have to pay a flat fee of as much as S$200,000 for one parking lot, said Assoc Prof Lee.
He
added that policymakers should think about a "market-based" solution -
in which parking fees will have to be higher - for housing estates that
face severe car park shortage.
Last Friday, National Development
Minister Khaw Boon Wan wrote on his blog that, while new estates will
come with adequate car parks, new solutions are needed in the older HDB
estates "where there is little space to add new lots".
Mr Khaw
has asked the HDB to look into mechanised parking systems but he noted
there are "implementation issues" to be worked through.
HDB
residents who spoke to TODAY generally welcomed the idea - as long as
the system is thoroughly tested and properly maintained.
Some
suggested a policy which require residents to secure a parking lot
before they buy a vehicle - a suggestion mooted last year in this
newspaper in a column by consultant Richard Hartung.
Calling for a
balloting system for HDB households who wish to own more than one car,
IT consultant Brandon Tan, 40, said: "HDB carparks are supposed to be
for the middle-class masses ... If people want a second or third car but
fail to win the ballot, then they should look for alternative parking
solutions." - TODAY
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they imported so many people creating so much problems.