No compelling reason to reserve lower floors for season parking

Season parking is already discounted relative to hourly parking, yet gives extra privileges. PHOTO: ST FILE

With environmental protection gaining traction, I hope the authorities will seriously consider Mr Ho Yew Kee's suggestion to reserve higher floors in multi-storey carparks in public housing estates for season parking (Reserve higher floors in multi-storey carpark for season parking, March 26).

Many years ago, I wrote to the authorities to suggest this, but received feedback that it was the residents' requests to have reserved season parking spaces. I spoke to an MP, who replied that it was a very sensitive issue to raise with his residents. So this will have to be initiated at a national level.

Other than creating unnecessary air pollution by forcing hourly-parking drivers to drive up to higher levels of multi-storey carparks, while many lower-level spaces are vacant, there are other reasons to abolish this practice.

First, season parking is already discounted relative to hourly parking, yet gives extra privileges. Second, HDB residents may visit other HDB estates too, and thus the net effect is neutral. Third, the cost of building multi-storey carparks in public housing estates is subsidised by the public and so public users should not be discriminated against. Fourth, many multi-storey carparks now have lifts installed for the convenience of residents.

So while some lower-level parking spaces can be reserved for season parking for the mobility-challenged, there are no compelling reasons to reserve all of the lower-level spaces for season parking. Let us move towards a more gracious society for all.

Tan Kay Khoo

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on March 28, 2019, with the headline No compelling reason to reserve lower floors for season parking. Subscribe