Deployment of Technicians to HDB Car Parks During Breakdown of Electronic Parking System

34 Mr Ang Hin Kee asked the Minister for National Development (a) what is the response time for the deployment of technicians to the incident site where there is a system breakdown at HDB car parks which implement the electronic parking system (EPS); (b) how reliable is the existing centralised response system; and (c) whether the Ministry will consider decentralising the response system as more HDB car parks have implemented EPS.

Mr Lawrence Wong: The management of the Housing and Development Board's (HDB's) electronic parking system (EPS) car parks are decentralised to 10 different EPS service providers. Each service provider has a 24-hour call centre to provide assistance to motorists via the intercom installed at the entrance/exit gate of the car park.

When feedback is received through the intercom, staff at the call centre will assess the situation and a response officer will be deployed to the affected site if the system-related issue cannot be resolved remotely. For system-related issues, HDB's contract agreements with the service providers stipulate that the response officer should reach the affected site within 10 minutes, under normal traffic and weather conditions. HDB can impose liquidated damages on service providers who fail to meet this requirement.