Disclaimer: This technique may get you a summon for not following instructions.
The design of the parking coupon requires the motorist to tear off the tabs to indicate the year, month, day, hour, minute for the start of the parking payment validity. It is clear when one coupon is used but when a motorist wants to park beyond the validity of one coupon, multiple coupons must be used. While the instructions on the back of the 50 cents coupon booklet (instructions are not printed in the back of the $1 coupon booklet; I did not check the others as I rarely buy them) state that:
When parking for one hour, motorists can use two coupons with tabs torn at 30
minutes’ interval. Example: 1st coupon: 8.30am, 2nd coupon:9.00am
I usually tear the tabs off all the coupons at the same time as it is so troublesome to figure out all the different required intervals. Till date, I have not received a summon for doing so.
On one Saturday morning when my mind was very clear, I had parked for 3 hours from 9am to 12 noon at an URA carpark ($1 per half hour rate) to attend class and then I drove off to lunch. I then parked at a HDB carpark (50 cents per half hour rate) and almost tore a new coupon before realizing that my $6 worth of morning coupons are valid at this carpark from 9am to 3pm. Yes!
So I have found a loop-hole for stretching the useful life of my parking coupons but this is only possible in a scenario of parking at a higher rate before moving to a lower rate car park. Thus, you may want to plan your sequence of activities …..
2 comments:
I feel obliged to point out that it is illegal to tear the same time. Just because you have not got fined doesn't mean it's fine.
As you have discovered, there is a loophole according to your tearing method.
There's another loophole: HDB parking is capped at $10 per day. If you tear the same time, you just need to collect 10 used coupons from other drivers and you can get free parking.
I disagree that it is illegal to tear the same time on multiple coupons - it is just not following instructions. And it is up to the wardens whether to issue a summon ... but I know that there will be a mass outcry if they start doing so as that is a common practice among motorists and HDB/URA has to incur much resources to waival of fines.
Thanks for the other tip but it hard to coordinate 10 coupons with same time torn out and also it will only benefit one party - who should get the used coupons?
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