If you drive, chances are you'd know that there's an ongoing painful process of having to trade in your old parking coupons for new ones, especially ever since the new parking rates kicked in on Dec 1.

And the reasons it's painful are outlined in this story we wrote, which also happened to highlight one of a number of really good suggested solutions to the problem:

Here's another one:

"For instance, a way could have been found for motorists to pay for the shortfall through Internet banking or ATM machines, and the coupons' serial numbers captured and relayed to parking enforcement officers' handheld devices (with character recognition software)."

A valuable suggestion from one Lim Mun Yoke.

There were others highlighting the injustice and nonsensical nature of the situation:

Now, with all this pressure, folks from the Housing Development Board and the Urban Development Authority would have to respond, right?

Indeed, on Saturday, December 17, one person from each agency collaborated on the following:

Adequate supply of new parking coupons

We thank the various writers for their feedback on the sale and exchange of parking coupons ("Why penalise motorists who can't get new coupons?" by Mr James Wong, Forum Online, Dec 9; "Allow pro-rated use of old parking coupons" by Mr Joe Chua Cheok Kwang, Dec 12; "Innovation needed to avoid wastage due to parking coupon exchange" by Mr Lim Mun Yoke, Dec 12; and "Agencies have to address parking coupon exchange issues" by Mr Adrian Ho Kok Wai, Forum Online, Dec 12).

We assure the public that there is an adequate supply of new parking coupons at authorised coupon agents, such as all petrol stations, Cheers and 7-Eleven stores, as well as HDB branches/service centres and The URA Centre.

The new coupons have been available since Oct 12, but the sales rose sharply only in the first week of this month, resulting in some outlets running low or out of stock at times.

The situation has improved, as stocks are being replenished regularly, especially at petrol stations with higher visitor traffic.

The volume of coupon-exchange transactions has also stabilised after the initial surge in demand.

In fact, motorists have until Jan 31 next year to exchange their coupons at participating petrol stations.

There is also no cut-off date set for the exchange of coupons at HDB branches/service centres (except the Tampines branch, where coupon sales and exchanges are not available) and The URA Centre.

For motorists who are unaware that the revised parking charges came into effect from Dec 1, we are extending flexibility during this initial period by issuing advisory notices to remind them to display the new parking coupons, as the old parking coupons are no longer valid.

Eng Soh Seng

Director (Carparks)

Housing and Development Board

Ong Kim Chwee

Director (Carparks, Administration and Policies)

Urban Redevelopment Authority

The comments below are from the day the response was published:

And these are a few of the comments posted on this follow-up letter, published on Wednesday — four days later:

Don't believe the regular folk? Here's economist and public intellectual Donald Low's take on their response:

Perhaps this guy's explanation of what's happening might shed some light on this apparent discrepancy between the government's statements and reality:

Now, will the hero minister we all need (and, well, which 70 per cent of us elected), please stand up to help us out?

Thanks.

Top photo adapted from HDB and screenshot from ST forum letter

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