Car Park rates to go up

Front page news that public car park rates will go up soon and a study is in process. You can expect this kind of money grabbing decision to come very soon. No time to waste. One question, govt short of money or what?

What is amusing are the silly reasons that are being quoted to justify a big round of increases. Maybe the cost of living index is too low and the people can afford to pay more. Maybe too long never increase, so it is time to increase. Then of course, the standard high cost of living, inflation and what have you. Actually want to increase just increase lah. Who is there to object or protest or to say that it is unreasonable, unnecessary, it will increase the cost of everything, the cost of living, the cost of visiting your friends or your parents and grandparents?

Ok, listen to this, ‘the review is meant to “right price public car park charges and reduce the gap between the fees charged by private and public car parks.’ What a gem.  The people have a choice not to go to public car parks but no choice parking at HDB car parks. It is home, stupid. Now you people better protest if private car park operators increase their rates or over charged. It would be used as an excuse to raise public car park fees. This is something like HDB prices priced to market private housing prices. It is like that mah!

Next, ‘Separately, the HDB pointed out that its carparks have improved over the years, with amenities such as landscaped decks, electronic parking systems and lifts. Wah, it is like a cup of kopi, now taste better, so good reason to raise price. Or is it that they are now using porcelain cups instead of plastic cups? Who cares about the landscape in a car park? And why pass the cost of electronic parking system that makes collecting fees more efficient to the car owners? Sial lah!

Oh, this one I must agree. HDB is also studying to charge non residents different rates. Got non residents meh? I thought everyone in the island is a resident except permanent or not permanent? Second car charge more. Thought this is already in practice? How about bigger cars charge more? Sorry big car owners.

This one is classic, sooo clever. According to parking policy expert, Dr Paul Barter, ‘Rates could be raised during peak periods and lowered in the off peak period…If it’s too full, it’s too cheap, and if it’s too empty, it’s too expensive.’ This one HDB car owners sure jialat jialat. Evening and night time when all went home after work, it would be peak period for the HDB car parks. So evening and night parking would be more costly according to this logic. Knn, your HDB home car park is subject to demand and supply meh, peak hour and non peak hour?  Got choice meh?

We need foreign experts for such silly brilliant ideas mah! Singapore where got so clever people other than pricing HDB to resale market price? Actually the kopitiam ah peks and ah mahs have better ideas than these if you are willing to ask them.

Give the HDB a break or they will lose more billions. This will be a better reason.