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Source: https://mothership.sg/2022/04/hdb-van-malaysia-clamped/ It is not every day you get to see this: A Malaysia-registered van was wheel clamped while parked at an open air car park in Woodlands, Singapore. Notice stuck on van A notice stuck on the van indicated that it was clamped by the Housing & Development Board as a result of chalking up S$400 in fines from five parking offence notices that have gone unpaid since 2017. There is also at least one warrant of arrest against the owner of the vehicle. S$100 to remove clamp The notice informed the owner of the vehicle that it will cost S$100 for the wheel clamp to be removed, and any attempt to remove it without first paying the fee can cause damage to the vehicle. The owner was also advised to report to the subordinate courts with a bailor, who is a Singaporean aged 21 years and above, to settle the warrant. Multiple fines According to publicly accessible information, the van chalked up fines of S$45 to S$100 from five HDB parking offence notices. Besides the S$400 in unpaid fines, the van also chalked up fines for three traffic offences that amount to S$460 in 2017 and 2018. This is on top of owing the Land Transport Authority a vehicle entry permit (VEP) fee of S$1,155 and a S$200 expiry penalty. The total amount due to the Singapore authorities was S$2,215. Fines issued against foreign vehicles The issue of foreign-registered vehicles flouting traffic rules in Singapore and chalking up fines that go unpaid for extended periods of time has been a sticking point, so much so some online platforms have been actively trawling publicly accessible databases to highlight these vehicles and the extent of the outstanding fines, while urging the authorities to take action. The act of clamping the wheels of vehicles of errant motorists who have outstanding fines appears rare though. In this instance it could be due to the warrant of arrest issued for the owner of the vehicle. What is Singapore's VEP policy? Singapore’s VEP policy, which has been in place since 1973, is meant to equalise the cost of owning and using foreign-registered vehicles in Singapore with that of owning and using Singapore-registered vehicles, according to gov.sg. It ensures comprehensiveness of Singapore's vehicle population control policy -- that there is similar restrain to using foreign vehicles on Singapore’s roads as there is for Singapore vehicles, which are subject to the Certificate of Entitlement (COE) system and high vehicle taxes.

Parking attendants. Love 'em (Ha!) or hate 'em they're always there and they were there last night. Waiting in the shadows for an unsuspecting owner like me to leave his car so they can plant their revolting white paper slips on my windshield. Last night was the second time this month that these 'educators' have imparted a lesson onto a new car owner like me. Unfortunately, the 'tuition fee' last night was much higher than the lesson was worth. Seriously though, I truly suspect that these parking attendants spend part of their probation training with the Commandos or Navy SEALs. They appear when you least expect it and they slip away so quietly you'll never know they were there and leaving only their white slips behind. In all honesty, I didn't know that just stepping out for a short trip to the loo would levy such a heavy fine on me. I admit that it was negligence on my part but that doesn't make the lesson any less painful. Just two weeks ago, I got a parking fine for leaving my car in a public carpark on a Sunday. Who would've thought that there wasn't free parking in that area? Again, yes I could've checked the parking notice at the carpark's entrance... I guess I'll just have to accept these little 'lessons' as part and parcel of motoring in Singapore (or any other urbanised metropolis) for a new car owner. You know what? If I combined all the parking fines I've gotten this month (which is two), I would've afforded another one of my precision built model cars. Crazy isn't it? Sometimes I wish my car came with an option list that includes anti-personnel equipment like tasers, trank darts or even pepperspray as an option to deter parking attendants from ever getting too close. I'm sure if the Batmobile were real, no parking attendant would ever get close enough to plant a ticket. If and when he actually manages to plant a ticket, it'll probably be his last. Considering that he would either be machine-gunned or tasered to death. Ah...what a world it'll be! To have parking attendants turned crispy for planting one on your car....one can only fantasise...