On 30 June, HDB and URA jointly announced that public car park charges will be increased by a whopping 20% from 1 December.
20% increase for public car parks is OK with PAP
Up to 26% increase for HDB residents
The soon-to-be increased charges, and more akan datang, shouldn’t surprise anyone: PAP needs to recover the cost of all goodies dished out to our pioneer generation as well as to buy voters.
By increasing costs now, it can then wayang and offer more subsidies and grants “to help citizens” pre-GE. This MO for almost all elections never failed to win over silly voters.
Was this increase planned some time back? The answer is clearly no. Why print millions of parking coupons to be unusable in December 2016?
Just last year, HDB planned to use parking coupons until 2021
So why did PAP suddenly feel the need to collect more revenue after it had only recently started charging vehicle owners visiting parks and beaches? Need millions more to promote paper generals, scholar colonels or stat board directors? Or to help pay for the construction of mechanised parking?
What happens if Lift A, B, C and D break down at the same time due to power fault, again?
Original image source: CNA
Or probably just a continuation of LKY’s “what’s wrong with collecting more money” legacy?
That HDB has consistently profited tens of millions from car park maintenance is a fact. Any justification to profit even more is self insulting.
Following the imminent increase in public car park charges, private car park operators have now confirmed that parking charges at shopping centres and offices are set to increase.
The reason – their fees are pegged to public rates and would be raised in tandem with the impending hike. “In 2002, when public parking prices were last hiked, private operators raised their fees too”.
(PAP has always been the culprit responsible for cost increases, eg increase petrol levies when oil prices have collapsed, tweaking ERP charges resulting in net gain, setting unbelievably high polyclinic consultation fees, etc. Increase in costs leads to an increased GDP which reflect the performance of ministers and civil servants.)
Once PAP has finalised its planning to generate more revenue, nothing can change its mind. Will even 1% of vehicle owners organise a protest rally at Hong Lim Park to register their unhappiness? No, most will just KPKB and suck thumb right?
The disposable income of average income vehicle owners will be reduced and the increased costs for business will ultimately trickle down to consumers. But does PAP care?
Why would PAP even bother when it has the mandate from 70% of mostly silly Singaporeans who had voted to screw themselves in the first place?
likedatosocanmeh 
It’s amazing, the time lapsed between the announcement the car parking may be raised to the confirmation that it will be raised in less than 2 month, I am just wondering if this issue is being debated or there is never a need to.
If this is not debated, how do we expect our MPs with residents in hearts to debate for us? Or the MPs will not be bothered to debate over this issue because it will not affect them. Why? I believe none of them and the grassroots leaders are affected the way the ordinary residents are affected, for sure.
I happened to read an article carried by mothership.sg that someone bother to question MN on why the need to raise the HDB & URA parking fees when the income is 7 times of that of the expenses.
I cannot help but ask myself these questions,
Who pays for the water and electricity bill for the maintainance of the HDB car parks?
Who pays for the cleaning and washing of HDB car parks?
Who pays for the installation of the ERP car park system?
Who actually pay for the construction of the HDB car parks?
I believe it’s the Town Council and in turn the residents. I hope I am right. Maybe someone can enlighten me.
Forget about those low income households, the medium income 5 room household pays about $160 with 1 car park lot. A no frills condominium pays about $200/month and if you knock off 30% for cost for Security which HDB doesn’t include, it will be only $140 which include free parking for years. This condominium is self sufficient and is still alive and kicking.
All MCSTs get to collect the carparking fees if they so decide and use it for their maintenance fund. What would happen if Town Council gets to keep the car parking instead of HDB?
With our ingenious GRCs system and better still, combined Town Councils management so claimed by our government, the economy of scale must surely play a part, otherwise, there is certainly something very wrong, in my opinion. No?
There would not be a need for government grant that make management of Town Council like a rocket science that nobody understand?
The mathematics is just not right? Correct me if I am wrong.
The questions you have raised have no answers because managing a HDB estate is now rocket science only our scholars can understand. My take is that PAP complicates issues in order to hide left to right pocket transactions.
In this case, it is likely HDB profited from residents’ maintenance of public car parks.
You should write to your TC and query the MP in charge. Appreciate if you could let me know the outcome.
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