When there are road traffic congestion problems, the scholars implement COE and ERP. Solve problem and make money for GIC and Temasek.
Now when a few inconsiderate second hand car dealers abuse fee parking lots ... ha ha haaaa ... more money for Temasek.
Policy makers and scholars score point again liao!
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No more free parking at West Coast
Letaidi Tan, 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.
This article was first published in The New Paper on Oct 9, 2008.
Now when a few inconsiderate second hand car dealers abuse fee parking lots ... ha ha haaaa ... more money for Temasek.
Policy makers and scholars score point again liao!
-
No more free parking at West Coast
Letaidi Tan, 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.
This article was first published in The New Paper on Oct 9, 2008.
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