Set firm rules for parking provisions for motorcycles

As a motorcyclist of 15 years, I have been wondering why more buildings do not allow motorcycle parking (“Allow motorcyclists, cyclists and pedestrians their space on the roads”; Aug 19).

There is a gap in the Code of Practice for Vehicle Parking Provision in Development Proposals (2011): Motorcyclists are not catered for to the same level as car drivers.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) tells developers: Each development must provide adequate parking spaces to meet its parking demand, and each development use has a stipulated minimum ratio for car spaces. Failure to provide the required number carries a charge.

This practice is reasonable; without it, our streets would be filled with indiscriminate parking.

As for motorcycle spaces, the code only suggests sizes of the parking lot, with no calculations for a required number of lots for each development use and no charge imposed for failure to provide a minimum.

This has resulted in private developments shutting out motorcyclists. For example, motorcyclists who are customers of DBS Building, Marina Bay Sands or Novena Hospital cannot park within the premises.

The LTA is aware of the number of motorcycles in Singapore (145,000) and should set firm guidelines for parking provisions.

I hope it can investigate the situation and review the code, as it did in 2013 with parking requirements for places of worship, and make Singapore a more inclusive society for all motorists.