Source : Straits Times – 13 Oct 2009
THE Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) has granted permission to at least 4,000 motorists wishing to park their vehicles in public parking spaces so far this year.
Last year, it approved 6,000 such applications.
Among the applicants is grocery store owner Uthirabadhi Sivabal.
When he expects a delivery from his suppliers, he logs onto the URA website and books two of the parking spaces in front of his shop at Desker Road for the container truck that delivers the goods.
In the past, Mr Sivabal, 40, used to place white plastic chairs in the spaces to reserve them.
But that led to tiresome arguments with motorists looking for a place to park. ‘Sometimes they even move the chairs away,’ he said.
Since he started booking the spaces nine months ago, such arguments have become a thing of the past. He just whips out his receipt from URA whenever a dispute arises.
‘It’s a small price to pay for the convenience, at $34 for two parking spaces over two days,’ he said.
URA says that while public spaces are meant primarily for parking vehicles, they are occasionally used for other purposes such as loading and unloading, construction and road works as well as for festivals and religious events.
Parking charges depend on the rates at different locations.
The duration of bookings can range from a few days, like in the case of a funeral, to a few months, such as when construction work is being carried out.
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