Carpark California

[MarrickG]

IF YOU park your car at Kopitiam Square in Sengkang, be sure to leave the carpark within an hour. Otherwise, you might find yourself not being able to get out of the carpark - unless you have a Kopitiam card.

What's more, you need to buy the card to drive out of the carpark.

This unusual parking payment system has been in place at Kopitiam Square - which is next to the Sengkang MRT station and Compass Point Shopping Centre - since it opened in December 2009.

The Kopitiam card costs $10, with an initial stored value of $8. Cardholders are entitled to 5 per cent discount at the wet market and 10 per cent off at the food centre.

At Kopitiam Square, drivers can enter the carpark with a normal cash card but require a Kopitiam card to tap out if they leave after an hour. There is no charge for the first hour.

Kopitiam owns the two-storey building. The carpark is one level above the food centre and wet market.

But some patrons, thinking they can use a normal cash card to enter and leave, have been caught unawares, though there is a sign at the entrance of the carpark that says "Kopitiam Card Parking Only".

Signs are also displayed on the carpark barriers. Despite this, Sengkang resident Jerome Yong said he didn't know about the system.

The 47-year-old executive had supper at Kopitiam Square with his friend and the latter's family on March 18. Mr Yong's friend lives in Yishun.

The group was at the food centre from 8pm to midnight that Friday.

But when they tried to drive out of the carpark after their meal, they found themselves stuck. "Everyone was tired and then we discovered that it was impossible to exit the carpark with a normal cash card," Mr Yong said.

"My friend, who was driving, spoke through the intercom and the operator told us we needed a Kopitiam card (to leave the car park). We had no choice but to buy one."

They then left their cars and purchased the Kopitiam card from a kiosk there.

Mr Yong added: "It was a real mood-spoiler. The evening was great but it turned sour the moment we found out that we 'die die' had to buy the card."

He said he did not know about the mode of parking payment there until that night as he usually walked to the 24-hour food centre.

His friend also did not notice the sign before entering the carpark.

A stallholder at Kopitiam Square, who declined to be named, said: "Some of my customers said the carpark is troublesome. They prefer to use cash cards."

But Sengkang resident Calvin Teo, 42, an engineer, does not have a problem with the system.

"If you are able to make your purchases quickly, it's not so bad actually. The first hour is free," he said.

In response to The New Paper's queries, Ms Goh Wee Ling, corporate communications manager of Kopitiam Investment, said: "As the carpark has limited capacity (116 lots), this mode of payment was introduced to give Kopitiam customers priority in parking."

After the first free hour, it costs 1.92 cents per minute to park there.

Customers can buy and top up their Kopitiam cards at kiosks within the food centre and in the carpark.

Ms Goh said: "If motorists exit from the carpark within one hour, they do not have to use Kopitiam card."

'Clear signs'

She added: "New visitors might not be aware of this mode of payment. Hence, we put up clear advisory signs for them before entering the carpark so that they are able to make an informed decision on whether to use our carpark."

Other than signs at the entrance and carpark exit barriers, there are also signs explaining the card system placed around the establishment. Ms Goh said that during the first two months (after Kopitiam Square opened), they had feedback from those who were unfamiliar with the system.

She added: "Most customers understand and accept the arrangement. Since then, we have not received any feedback."

But is it fair for Kopitiam to impose such a payment system?

Said Dr Lim Wee Kiak, Sembawang GRC MP and chairman of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Transport: "Kopitiam's carpark is privately owned. Hence, it is not classified as public, unlike the carparks managed by HDB and the Urban Redevelopment Authority. Therefore, it is up to Kopitiam to decide who gets to use the space."

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This article was first published in The New Paper.