School buses exploiting Sembawang Park’s free parking

Sembawang Park’s free parking policy is increasingly being exploited by scores of school buses plying the Causeway route using it as a station inn.

These bus drivers monopolise stretches of the parking areas and create a “camp” by opening the huge rear hatch doors and sliding side doors of their vehicles to loiter for hours in between ferrying their school charges back and forth across the Causeway.

As a Sembawang resident and regular park user, I am concerned for these reasons.

First, the buses are an eyesore affecting the green-lung serenity of Sembawang Park.

Second, they turn the car park into a free parking zone for all manner of vehicles.

Across the park is a property development where resident parking spaces are likely to be severely limited.

What is not to encourage future residents there to park their cars there permanently, for free?

Third, they are obviously flouting the policy of free parking, which is meant for park users only.

Why put up a sign to restrict parking for park users only and not act against buses?

I hope the authorities exercise more vigilance to step up patrols and penalise errant users if warnings do not work.