Singapore — As restrictions ease during the Phase 2 (Heightened Alert) period, car parks under the Housing & Development Board (HDB) and Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) will shorten their grace period back to 10 minutes beginning Aug 19.
As the country entered Phase 2 (Heightened Alert) in May 2021 and the public was encouraged to stay home to prevent local transmission of Covid-19, the demand for deliveries increased.
The initial 10-minute grace period at car parks was extended to 20 minutes on May 23 to meet the surge in deliveries and help delivery service personnel avoid paying parking fees.
The grace period will now go back to 10 minutes beginning Aug 19.
“Friendly PSA for motorists: the extended grace period of 20 minutes for HDB and URA electronic car parks will end with the easing of restrictions,” announced HDB on Facebook on Friday (Aug 13).
In response to the post, members from the online community noted that a 10-minute grace period was too short.
One Peter Tan noted that 10 minutes was not enough to get things done, such as finding a parking slot, unloading, walking to the right block and waiting for the lift.
He suggested that the first 30-minute parking rate could be at half off, thus giving the motorist enough time without paying too much.
The easing of restrictions began on Aug 10, with differentiated measures for vaccinated and unvaccinated members of the public.
Vaccinated individuals can gather in larger groups such as five in F&B establishments and are offered more dining options.
The Ministry of Health noted that should the situation remain stable, capacity limits for malls and attractions can increase beginning Aug 19.
Singapore is currently in a preparatory stage, lasting about a month until early Sept, towards becoming a Covid-19-resilient country. /TISG
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