Does this make economic sense? HDB's new mechanized parking multi level garages.

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An honorable member of the Coffee Shop Has Just Posted the Following:

One of Lee Bee wah's hair brained ideas. The HDB will build multi story mechanized parking towers to supplement its stock of park lots in the pilot estates. So one example that Penang Cow gave was that $5 million will be spend to create 60 new additional parking spaces using this tower system. Since they are keeping the charges the same, I am taking $90 as a monthly season parking for a covered car park. This means that the additional 60 lots will add $5400 per month in parking revenues. Since, it cost $5 million to build, at this rate, it will take 926 months or 71 years to pay off!! Are you kidding me? And these things cost electricity to operate, as well, the system has to be maintained, all costing money. In Yishun, they are spending $3 million to add 22 additional parking space. There is really no economic returns at all. Is this a prestige project of the PAP?

SINGAPORE: Residents in three public housing estates trying out the mechanised parking system will find it easier to get parking lots. The system in these three estates, costing a total of about S$18 million, is on track to be ready by the end of next year.


The pilot sites are at: Bangkit Road, beside Block 259A; Yishun Avenue 4, beside Block 666A; and Changi Village Road, behind Block 1.

The mechanised parking system will help address the shortage of car parks, especially in older HDB estates where there is limited space to build more car park lots.


The new parking system will be fully automated, which means that motorists do not have to hunt for a lot. They need only park their vehicles in the car-lift and key in a PIN number.

The system will allow automatic transfer of the vehicles to an empty parking storage area. To retrieve the vehicles, motorists simply key in the same PIN number.

The commencement ceremony for Bangkit Road site took place on Sunday (Sep 14) , with National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan, as the guest of honour. In a blog post, Mr Khaw said that the plans are progressing well, with construction to start next week.

The new mechanised parking system will add another 60 lots to the current 311, at a cost of about S$5 million.

The pilot project at Yishun will cost about S$3 million and will boast 246 lots, up from the current 224 lots.

The project at Changi Village will cost around S$10 million and will increase the number of lots from the current 182 to 319.


This being a pilot study, HDB will keep the parking charges for the mechanised parking system at the same rate as existing car parks.


The pilot implementation will allow HDB to test bed the suitability of the technology in Singapore, gauge users’ acceptance of the system, and gain learning points, before considering future implementation to more sites.


Earlier in October 2013, Lee Bee Wah, Chairperson of the Government Parliamentary Committee (GPC) for National Development and Environment, announced that HDB would be implementing the mechanised parking system in the three pilot sites. The announcement came after a joint GPC-HDB study on the viability of mechanised parking in HDB estates in Singapore, initiated by Ms Lee in January 2012.

HDB has assured residents that a comprehensive maintenance regime will be in place to ensure the reliability of the mechanised parking system. Should the system break down, motorists can call a 24-hour service hotline for immediate assistance. The parking system is also fitted with a back-up power generator and a manual mechanism that allows the retrieval of vehicles


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