1,960 caught tampering with parking coupons
Number more than doubled last year after stepped-up enforcement
Published on Apr 25, 2013
Posed photo of a man folding parking coupons. The number of motorists caught tampering with their parking coupons has more than doubled following a crackdown. -- NP FILE PHOTO: MOHD ISHAK
By Maryam Mokhtar
The number of motorists caught tampering with their parking coupons has more than doubled following a crackdown.
About 1,960 were nabbed last year - up from an average of 950 a year between 2007 and 2011.
The most common method is to reuse old coupons by folding the tabs instead of tearing them off.
On Wednesday, the authorities said the offence is "tantamount to cheating". They now plan to extend the use of electronic parking systems, which avoid the problem by charging motorists automatically.
BACKGROUND STORY
The offenders
- The most common method is folding the tabs of the coupons instead of tearing them off.
- Since October 2011, first-time offenders have been fined up to $400 rather than charged.
- 160 of the motorists caught last year were repeat offenders.
- Under the Parking Places Act, repeat offenders can be fined up to $2,000, jailed for up to three months or both.
Get the full story from The Straits Times.
