ST : Tourist coaches near DFS store irk residents

March 1, 2010

Tourist coaches near DFS store irk residents

Illegally parked vehicles create congestion and noise in residential area

By Maria Almenoar



Some of the tourist coaches that park illegally on Claymore Road behind the DFS building in nearby Scotts Road. Coaches also park illegally in Draycott Drive, Draycott Park, Ardmore Park and Claymore Hill. Parking is not allowed in front of the DFS store. -- ST PHOTO: CHEW SENG KIM

UNSIGHTLY, noisy and congested - these are common complaints that residents of the upmarket area of Ardmore Park and Draycott Drive have because of tourist coaches parking illegally there.

During the day and especially at weekends, the area becomes a huge temporary carpark for these coaches whose drivers wait for tourists shopping at the Duty Free Shopping (DFS) building in nearby Scotts Road.

Parking is not allowed in front of the DFS store and there are only four parking spaces for large vehicles along Claymore Hill and Claymore Road behind the store.

So, to avoid heading to carparks such as that in Newton Circus, which is about a five-minute drive away, coach drivers wait in their vehicles for between half an hour and 11/2 hours before circling back to pick up their passengers.

They park illegally at the side of Draycott Drive, Draycott Park, Ardmore Park, Claymore Hill and Claymore Road and leave the vehicle engines running while they sit in the air-conditioned buses reading, take a nap or clean their vehicles.

In some cases, they double-park next to legal spaces.

Residents also complain that they leave their rubbish behind.

Draycott Drive resident Rose Mei, 62, who has lived in the area for the past three years, is angry that her road is being used as a carpark for the big buses.

'It's a terrible sight and it is impossible to have a peaceful afternoon at home with the noise of the engines,' she said.

The housewife said she has contacted the Traffic Police numerous times about the issue, as the Land Transport Authority has said it is not the relevant authority to deal with such matters.

'The police are quick to respond to the call but after they ask the bus drivers to move away, the drivers just circle round and come back to park,' she said.

When contacted, the police said they were aware of the situation, adding that they conduct regular patrols along these roads. Enforcement actions have been taken against vehicles found to be parked illegally, they added.

Last year, more than 1,300 summonses were issued against vehicles parked illegally in this area, said police spokesman Stanley Norbert.

'The Traffic Police have also requested the tour agencies and bus companies to remind their drivers to refrain from parking their vehicles indiscriminately, causing inconvenience to other road users,' he said.

Motorists who park their vehicles illegally can be fined up to $150 and could incur three demerit points.

When the police are not patrolling the area, security guards at several condominiums in the area take the initiative to drive away the tourist coaches.

But they said that they could only ensure that the coaches are not parked in front of the condominium they are in charge of.

A security guard at a condominium in Draycott Drive, who declined to be named, said: 'There are usually between four and 10 of these buses at any one time.

'The buses obstruct the road and my residents have problems turning in and out of the carpark... Not a pleasant sight for such a high-class area.'

mariaa@sph.com.sg