New app for parking fees to be rolled out by October

SINGAPORE — By October, a new parking mobile application on trial among public sector officers and their networks will be rolled out to the general public — saving motorists the hassle of fumbling with parking coupons. 

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong cited the parking.sg app as an example of how the authorities are working on small projects which help people learn about and adapt to new technology in everyday life — and get them ready for bigger changes down the road. Singapore has to continue pressing on with such projects in a changing world, Mr Lee said in his National Day Rally speech on Sunday (Aug 20).

“Unless we change with it, we will fall behind. And Singapore must always stay with the leaders to attract talent and business to live up to our own expectations of what we ought to be and can be,” he added.

The parking app, announced about three months ago, was first tested by public sector officers at selected public car parks in the city that use paper coupons. The second phase of tests, which began this month, involves public sector officers who may ask their friends and family to test out the service.

The URA, HDB and GovTech told TODAY that more than 4,000 public officers and their friends and family have taken part in the trials so far with “no major issues”. All public car parks that use parking coupons — numbering about 1,150 — are now involved, up from more than 80 car parks when the trial began in May.

Acting on feedback from public officers, the agencies have added new features, including notification alerts and parking history. More than nine in 10 trial participants surveyed had indicated that they preferred using the app to parking coupons, the agencies added.

The app, which uses the Global Positioning System and is meant as an alternative to paper coupons, negates the need for drivers to return to their cars to replenish coupons to extend their parking sessions. 

Motorists just have to key in their vehicle number, choose a car park, indicate the duration of parking and pay via a credit or debit card. Fees are based on the length of time a car is parked on a per-minute basis. 

“The app will alert you when your session is about to end. If you want to park longer, you can extend your session remotely … before the parking lady puts a summons on you,” Mr Lee said.

Elsewhere, businesses are also responding to the explosion of e-commerce as technology transforms traditional retail. While delivery services like Amazon Prime Now have gained popularity, Mr Lee noted that 
online retailers are also starting brick-and-mortar shops.

Amazon, for instance, recently opened a “drive-up” grocery store in Seattle, United States, where consumers can collect goods they bought online at a time of their choosing. A licence plate reader registers a customer’s arrival and the groceries are taken to the car. The service is “not available here yet, but perhaps it’s not so far away”, said Mr Lee who noted that traditional businesses must reinvent themselves and tap technology to provide users with greater efficiency and convenience.

At home, supermarkets have had self-service counters for some time. NTUC FairPrice has even opened an unmanned, cashless Cheers convenience store at Nanyang Polytechnic. 

As Singapore forges ahead with its vision to be a Smart Nation, engineers, programmers, data analysts and technicians are needed, the PM said. Noting the global shortage of such professionals and skills, he said the country must build its talent pool urgently.