Coronavirus: HDB, URA extend parking grace period to give drivers more time for deliveries

Drivers delivering groceries and food to Housing Board estates will no longer have to rush to do so within 10 minutes to avoid paying parking fees.

In a joint statement yesterday, the HDB and the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) said that they are extending the grace period for parking to 20 minutes.

"This will give motorists, especially those providing delivery services, sufficient time to park their vehicles and deliver their goods," they said.

Those who take longer than 20 minutes will have to pay the parking fees when they exit the carpark.

The extended grace period will be in place until May 31.

Both HDB and URA said that the move will help drivers to cope with the increased demand for delivery services, with more Singaporeans turning to online shopping for food and groceries as they stay at home during the circuit breaker period.

They added that despite the longer grace period, motorists should not linger in view of the safe distancing measures.

The move yesterday comes after Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan said on March 29 that taxi and private-hire car drivers can make grocery and food deliveries, in a bid to address the shortage of delivery slots for such services here.

A Grab pilot programme was then launched and expanded to allow private-hire drivers and taxi drivers to deliver food as well as parcels.

On Tuesday, online grocer RedMart also announced that ComfortDelGro cabbies are being trained to deliver groceries to help meet the surge in orders.