CNA : HDB working to ease shortage of carpark lots

HDB working to ease shortage of carpark lots
Posted: 04 March 2010 1348 hrs

SINGAPORE: The Housing and Development Board (HDB) is looking into supply and demand management measures to ease the shortage of parking lots in some estates.

About 10 per cent of HDB carparks are currently unable to meet local parking demand, due to changes in the demographic profiles and car ownership patterns.

Parliamentary Secretary for National Development Dr Maliki Osman said this in Parliament, in response to questions from MP for Aljunied GRC Cynthia Phua on the ratio of carpark lots to the number of residential units in new HDB estates.

Ms Phua also asked if there are plans to increase the carpark lots in mature estates to reflect changes in the population demographics, as more HDB units now have more than one car.

Dr Maliki said in general, HDB's 1,800 carparks are sufficient to cater to both the season parking and short-term parking needs.

The average season parking take-up rate in HDB carparks is about 73 per cent.

Dr Maliki said that depending on the availability of space as well as cost considerations, HDB may add parking lots. It can extend the existing surface carparks to adjacent vacant land, add parking decks to existing multi-storey carparks (MSCPs), or build new MSCPs to replace existing surface carparks.

"There are limits to increasing carparks in land scarce Singapore. Therefore, demand management measures are also essential," Dr Maliki said.

He added: "Where there are only limited parking lots for season parking ticket holders, HDB accords priority to the first car in each household. HDB also groups its carparks for season parking such that car owners living in several nearby blocks share their carpark lots.

"HDB will continue to monitor and manage the supply and demand for HDB carparks to address residents' changing parking needs."

- CNA/sc