Watch Out If You Park on Pedestrian Sidewalks

[Seraph]

I don't know about you guys but riding a small bike doesn't exactly give you much muscle to fight for your own right of way in on the road. If there's anything I've learnt from riding i that theres no such thing as right of way but just survival. If you can avoid a potentially hazardous situation why not?

 

Remember reading in the straits times forum page where one pedestrian wrote a letter and said he deliberately blocked the way of the cyclist on the pavement cos he rung his bell at him. I call that arrogance. And its evident in all classes of people. You want to stand your ground, not give way, fine. If you think it makes you a man, why not? but to what end? a few seconds or minutes later than the estimated arrival time? Not having to stop at a traffic light? Feed some kind of superiority complex?

 

Wrong context man. It isnt worth it to risk life and limb and the lives of others in question just for that over-rated moment of triumph and coming away with an inflated ego which might be the death of you someday. And it just feeds anger and frustration back into the cycle which will manifest itself some other time, somehow, somewhere.

 

It takes a real man to swallow his pride and have the presence of mind to recognise that most everyday things are not worth dying for. Save it for when something really extraordinary happens. It takes a great person to recognise that its not that there's something fundementally wrong with other people but that of his/herself. Its easy to point out other people's wrongs, but what that of yourself?

 

If you can telan (swallow), just do it. Remember that any accident would result in you being on the losing end. Actually, everyone loses.

 

Not to say that I'm strictly adhering to what i preach but I'll try to work towards that.

 

BTW parking on the pavement is also NO EXCUSE for areas with available parking but the owners of the bikes are just too cheap to pay. If you get fined you DESERVE it IMHO.

 

Uhoh, looks like its too long and off topic. But its something that has always bothered me. Just my 2 cents.

[Refugee]

parked at takashimaya for 1.5 hours on my bike.. BIG BIG MISTAKE.

 

so even if shopping centres open up their car park and charge like taka, i rather park elsewhere.

[2Bpencil]

parked at takashimaya for 1.5 hours on my bike.. BIG BIG MISTAKE.

 

so even if shopping centres open up their car park and charge like taka, i rather park elsewhere.

 

yes, their charges for bike is way high.

it was free in the past before they have the barrier at the carpark entrance.

[Refugee]

yes, their charges for bike is way high.

it was free in the past before they have the barrier at the carpark entrance.

 

i seriously wonder if its even called 'bike parking rate'.

 

or are we just 'smaller cars'

[2Bpencil]

i seriously wonder if its even called 'bike parking rate'.

 

or are we just 'smaller cars'

 

i couldn't remember how much and how they charge. only remember that i was shocked when the carpark attendant told me the charges, which was kind of almost the same as compared to the rate of a car.

[Seraph]

just park in the car lot since you paid the same price. you're entitled to! haha

[contrarian]

here is my opinion as someone that both rides and drives..

 

motorcyclists have to deal with a lot of buildings not allowing bikes to park inside.. why is anyones guess..

 

i totally agree that shopping centres should just open up their carparks to us and give us decent places to park.. we are consumers too and to assume that just because we ride makes us less likely to spend our hard earned money in their places..

 

My view is that developers have to pay development charge to use the land as extra parking space. To create parking space for motorcycles, they have to pay the government, and quite a lot, depending on the location.

 

Can they recover this money? Sure, if they charge an economically feasible (to them) rate for the use of the land. But then, will motorcyclists pay? Looking at places like Tangs, Takashimaya, Stanchart Building, Republic Plaza and some buildings downtown, generally the answer is no.

 

It's their land, they should do what maximises their interests. In the new developments downtown, many developers of very expensive apartments stopped providing one car parking space for every residential unit. They pay the government to provide less car parks, and let the residential owners ballot yearly.

 

To be fair to developers, I see a lot of buildings offering very good motorcycle parking. e.g. One Raffles Quay, Suntec City, Esplanade, HDB Hub, IBM Place 2...

[Pplater]

I would pretty much agree with both sides of the arguments here. Most of us seem self righteous in believing parking on pavements is our right. Contratrian correctly points out that what we do is illegal and wrong, and that we should just own up, rather than cite the reason of insufficient parking spaces as a reason to park on pavements. It is NOT a reason. It is just an excuse.

 

This is not to say I do not park on pavements. I occasionally do out of convenience. My suggestion is to "50 50", give and take. When u are riding on the pavement, stop when there is an oncoming pedestrian. If u are manovering your bike by back pedalling and rolling forward, allow pedestrians to walk first. It doesn't take too much intellegence to understand how to be considerate and patient. When following behind a pedestrian for example, I would roll at the pedestrian's walking speed patiently. More often than not, they will hear me and try to move a little to the side. When I am sure they have noticed me and there is ample space, I roll pass dead slow overtaking at "walking speed" so that i can stop on the spot. Its also common sense to be wary of kids being restraint by parents. U never know when they start running. Elderly (especially with walking sticks) also require more attention and consideration.

 

Just look at the huge amounts of bikes parked outside suntec city on the ground floor near the roundabout. Its not like people get killed there everyday. A little common sense, a little give and take and graciousness goes a long way. Its starts with you and me. Not complains, rantings and self righteous indignation. A friendly wave goes a long way.

[nelo]

 

To be fair to developers, I see a lot of buildings offering very good motorcycle parking. e.g. One Raffles Quay, Suntec City, Esplanade, HDB Hub, IBM Place 2...

 

 

I dont see alot of motorcycle parking at Suntec City leh. Most of the time have to squeeze between car lots or between pillars.

[arsie]

The absolute fair solution is for the government to require that all car parks, to provide the proportionate number of motorcycle lots to car lots as the Singapore proportion of motorcycles to cars. Simply put, if Singapore has 1 motorcycle for every 20 cars for instance, there should be 1 motorcycle lot for every 20 car lots in every carpark. It should also charge proportionately to the space used. If 1 car lot can house 5 motorcycle lots, the car park charge to the motorcycles should be about 1/5. That is absolute fairness that noone can argue against, but it will never happen simply because of discrimination.

 

Its the same with toilets. Statistically, ladies spend 3x more time in a public toilet than men do. So buildings should ideally provide 3x as many female toilets than men's toilets, but it just does not happen.

 

Another related issue that this brings up is whether a building has the responsibility to provide the parking space for their expected visitors. For shopping centres, they want to attract visitors, they will automatically provide the car parks. Places of worship are the opposite, they know people will come whether they provide car parks or not. There are no exceptions, Temples, Mosques and Churches all have the same problem, just on different days.

 

I have concluded that the reason why buildings are not required to provide parking for their visitors is because government buildings are very likely to end up the biggest culprits. Many government buildings are notoriously lacking in parking, one shining example is ICA where you make passport/IC. The carpark is so tiny compared to the people who need to use the building.

[toobez]

Its the same with toilets. Statistically, ladies spend 3x more time in a public toilet than men do. So buildings should ideally provide 3x as many female toilets than men's toilets, but it just does not happen.

 

erm.. actually.. i imagine that the spaces used for urinals in a male toilet are used for cubicles in place of a female toilet.. then again i wouldn't really know lar..

[zart]

another way singapore make fast money..

[CokeAddicT]

Speaking as a dispatch rider who plies his trade mostly in the CBD area, my opinion is that most building managements are money minded more than anything else.. Point being, parking is exorbitant in the CBD area. To squeeze all the money they can out of rich car owners, they refuse motorcycle in. They may make excuses like we tend to park any which way we like or 2 stroke bikes produce too much exhaust smoke which lingers in the carpark but we all know better.. It's all about the money..

 

They don't seem to mind that their tenants rely on couriers or their own dispatch riders to even function. For businesses involved in import/export, dispatch riders are the very links that tie their profits together. You can't expect the container truck driver to drive into town to collect the delivery order he needs, now can you?

 

You can point out that there are URA controlled lots in the CBD (some guy even pointed out that there are lots across the road from the picture the TS uploaded). I've been there. It's always full. 'Cause office people working in town do ride bikes too and have to park somewhere..

 

Of course not all building management are bad.. 6 raffles quay(formerly John Hancock Tower) got the formula right.. And if all buildings do they same, there'll be no more illegal parking in CBD.. They have 5 bike lots ON the pavement(Yes. ON the pavement).. Strictly for dispatch riders with business in 6 raffles quay.. Get spotted crossing the road, they'll slap the clamp on your bike faster than you can shout "FREE PARKING!" They are also flexible in a sense that even if there are more 10 bikes parked along the lots they are still ok as long as it doesn't get any closer to the expensive ground floor windows. Suprisingly, i don't think the lots are illegal 'cause they even quote an MCST order..

 

Now,surely even the most money minded building management can do that, don't you think?

[m3ngl4ng]

Speaking as a dispatch rider who plies his trade mostly in the CBD area, my opinion is that most building managements are money minded more than anything else.. Point being, parking is exorbitant in the CBD area. To squeeze all the money they can out of rich car owners, they refuse motorcycle in. They may make excuses like we tend to park any which way we like or 2 stroke bikes produce too much exhaust smoke which lingers in the carpark but we all know better.. It's all about the money..

 

They don't seem to mind that their tenants rely on couriers or their own dispatch riders to even function. For businesses involved in import/export, dispatch riders are the very links that tie their profits together. You can't expect the container truck driver to drive into town to collect the delivery order he needs, now can you?

 

You can point out that there are URA controlled lots in the CBD (some guy even pointed out that there are lots across the road from the picture the TS uploaded). I've been there. It's always full. 'Cause office people working in town do ride bikes too and have to park somewhere..

 

Of course not all building management are bad.. 6 raffles quay(formerly John Hancock Tower) got the formula right.. And if all buildings do they same, there'll be no more illegal parking in CBD.. They have 5 bike lots ON the pavement(Yes. ON the pavement).. Strictly for dispatch riders with business in 6 raffles quay.. Get spotted crossing the road, they'll slap the clamp on your bike faster than you can shout "FREE PARKING!" They are also flexible in a sense that even if there are more 10 bikes parked along the lots they are still ok as long as it doesn't get any closer to the expensive ground floor windows. Suprisingly, i don't think the lots are illegal 'cause they even quote an MCST order..

 

Now,surely even the most money minded building management can do that, don't you think?

 

 

Well said bro, :thumb:

 

only a despatch rider can understand fellow riders' feeling. :cry:

[contrarian]

CBD has 4,500 m-cycle parking lots, says LTA

 

ST March 14, 2008

 

I REFER to the letter, 'Orchard zone should have parking for m-cyclists' by Mr Seah Kian Chong (Feb 26).

 

There are currently 4,500 motorcycle parking lots in the Central Business District (CBD). As many motor-cyclists in the CBD are on short working trips, building owners are encouraged to allow short-term parking for motorcycles in their loading and unloading bays and driveways. This makes it more convenient for motorcyclists and reduces potential obstruction to traffic and pedestrians.

 

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) is working with various building owners to facilitate this outcome. The LTA is also studying the need for mandatory provision of motorcycle parking spaces in new building developments.

 

Suhana Kharudin (Ms)

Manager, Media Relations

Land Transport Authority

[contrarian]

my opinion is that most building managements are money minded more than anything else..

 

There's nothing wrong with trying to maximise the yield on their property in the way that is most optimal to the building owner or manager.

 

They don't seem to mind that their tenants rely on couriers or their own dispatch riders to even function. For businesses involved in import/export, dispatch riders are the very links that tie their profits together.

 

That's the fault of:

1. the business using the courier services, which chose its location knowing its limitations and has not got the landlord to accommodate its needs.

and

2. the courier business, which chose to operate in such a way.

 

As the WWF slogan goes: "if the buying stops, the killing will too."

 

Suprisingly, i don't think the lots are illegal 'cause they even quote an MCST order..

 

If the pavement is on land belonging to the building, or the building managers have applied for approval to the authorities to use that place, then it's perfectly legit even if it's on the pavement.

 

Now,surely even the most money minded building management can do that, don't you think?

 

That's what LTA is trying to work on now, from the letter above.

[contrarian]

The absolute fair solution is for the government to require that all car parks, to provide the proportionate number of motorcycle lots to car lots as the Singapore proportion of motorcycles to cars. Simply put, if Singapore has 1 motorcycle for every 20 cars for instance, there should be 1 motorcycle lot for every 20 car lots in every carpark. It should also charge proportionately to the space used. If 1 car lot can house 5 motorcycle lots, the car park charge to the motorcycles should be about 1/5. That is absolute fairness that noone can argue against, but it will never happen simply because of discrimination.

 

Nowadays they tend to build 4 motorcycle spaces in one car space instead of 5.

 

This idea sounds great until you make the offer to many of the motorcyclists:

We'll provide you parking for which you'll pay 1/4 of the car space. Now you get your season parking at Raffles Quay at $75 a month or daily parking at $12 a day (based on existing charges for cars in one of the building theres).

 

What say you?

 

I'm pretty sure that many fellow motorcyclists suddenly won't agree with your idea of "absolute fairness". No, it's not that "it will never happen simply because of discrimination".

 

It's not happening because it's quite clear that even when buildings provide parking space (like Far East Plaza, Wisma Atria, Tangs) for what you would consider expensive (and what they consider to be reasonable), there are others out there who choose to park outside on the pavements at these same places.

[CokeAddicT]

If LTA is working with building managements downtown, then that's all I need to hear. The move is probably 10 years overdue from what I gather from more experienced dispatch riders. I would think that it is a huge oversight. Businesses in the financial district,and elsewhere, have always engaged courier companies or hire their own dispatch riders. Could they really not bring up anything to the management when these riders complain of lack of parking? I doubt so. These small, niggly things affects them one way or the other. I have indeed taken time to chat with managers of some of these businesses. They all say they tried reasoning with the management but to no avail. So, Mr. Contrarian, are you working in an office that denies the need of such accommodations?

[fireshamie]

most of the tym difficult to find proper parking la..n inconvinient also..

[thenation]

I've noticed that bike lots in shopping centre carparks tend to be squeezed into one corner, often hemmed in by car lots. Its quite hard for larger bikes or bikes with longer wheelbases to manuever into the lot...and even when you can the lots can be so small that one bike may need two lots to park comfortably. Its as if Singaporean bikers all ride kups...

[contrarian]

So, Mr. Contrarian, are you working in an office that denies the need of such accommodations?

 

The building that I work in - partly owned by a sister company of my employer - has one of the priciest rents for office space and one of the highest car parking charges (about $4.80 an hour) in Singapore.

 

Notwithstanding this, it has kindly provided more than 70 motorcycle parking spaces for $1.07 per entry or per day (whichever is earlier). The motorcycle parking is on the lower levels 4, 5 & 6 whereas the car parking usually has to hit levels 7 to 11 after 8.30am.

 

Despite all these measures to provide for motorcyclists, and the good planning and intentions of the building owners and management, there are still many inconsiderate and irresponsible ones who choose to take advantage of and make life difficult for the car park managers.

 

As a result, the building management still takes active steps to deal with the inconsiderate and irresponsible ones:

 

1. actively clamp motorcycles who park at these bicycle bays where they don't belong.

 

2. station security guards at the exit barriers in the evenings to watch out for cheats who bypass the barrier without paying by sneaking past with other exiting vehicles.

 

3. remove another 3 or 4 designated red motorcycle season parking slots outside the barrier, because there were many motorcycles who had no season parking but parked there where they didn't belong.