Monday, July 12, 2010

Save the world, save public property



Do you remember this parking meter? Ten years ago, I went down to Oamaru in the South Island of New Zealand. I was pleasantly surprised to see them. I guess they are gone and replaced by the new ones.

Singapore is very modern. An Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) system was introduced in 1998, in-vehicle units (IU) were supplied by MHI, more than 99% of the vehicles in Singapore are equipped with them. When you go past a gentry, Electronic Parking System (EPS) automatically deduct your packing fees.

Here in New Zealand, they have a modernized form of meter. But it is just a modernised version, except it accepts your credit card and eftpos.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10657642
Friday Jul 9, 2010

Photo / Martin Sykes

Serial parking meter ram-raider Alan William Hayward has gone to prison for five years but has not been ordered to pay the $415,000 bill for the damage he did.

Christchurch District Court Judge David Holderness said any reparation order would be "a quite unrealistic and futile exercise".

Hayward had three months added to his sentence for his attempt to throw the police inquiry off the trail when he was already on remand in prison, by getting an associate to carry out more ram-raids using Hayward's method of offending.

He was for sentence after pleading guilty to 40 charges: 11 thefts, 10 unlawfully taking cars, and 13 charges of intentional damage, as well as the charge of conspiring to pervert the course of justice over the ram-raids; two other charges of stealing cash; possessing tools for taking cars; and a breach of his parole conditions.

Destroying public property means money coming out of our purses. Working people pay taxes. It is the taxes that pay for public properties. Having to replace or repair them only means extra money have to be channeled and it is us who have to bear the load.



http://reducefootprints.blogspot.com/

10 comments:

LV said...

Now that is getting really getting modern. Using a credit card in a parking meter. In time, we will need a card, no money. Thanks for your visit.

Ah Ngao said...

i don't mind to live in Singapore as my 2nd home. S'pore is a modern country where they're the first in many things.if i'm not wrong,they they were the 1st customer for Airbus380.

Reader Wil said...

Destruction of public property is something we see every weekend. When the pubs close drunken young people like to make a lot of noise and then destroy whatever they can.
Thanks for supporting the Dutch team. I didn't watch the match only the last 5 minutes. Well the Dutch were second, that's not so bad, is it? And it's only a game!! The Spanish team was better, they deserved to win.

Ginny Hartzler said...

My word, this sounds like a really angry man! I like that you put both meters together so we can see the difference. I've never seen the new ones, I don't think we have that kind here yet! It looks much harder to work and more confusing, but I guess it's a good thing if it takes credit cards so you don't have to have the exact change now.

Ensurai said...

Singapore is nice..very modern.

It is a pity that so many people all over the world like to destroy public property. Vandalism is still a poor human behaviour....sigh.

Ah Ngao..if I am not wrong the Singapore Airbus 380 was flown by a Sibu and Foochow born pilot...(surnamed Ting)..something Sarawak would be proud of.

Unknown said...

How interesting! Hope you are having a good week.

Jama said...

One still need the parking coupon if parking in open public lots, failing which sure to kena saman!

Pete said...

Wow, this sure have lots of problem with the law for destroying parking meters!

nannykim said...

Wow usuing a credit card in a parking meter would be very helpful. When my youngest son was in college I always forgot to bring change with me when I would visit him! I would have to park miles away where there were no meters. Ps. Thanks for sharing your story about postcards on my spindlecottage blog.

Chan said...

Regarding to the ERP, EPS and very much depends on people desire.
They ever try to build those ERP like system in Hong Kong and people express their feeling regarding to some sort of privacy issue and government has to back off the plan.
Its not the case in Singapore as Singapore's government do everything they think they need to implement and people follow & thank the government.
Win : Win Situation for both Singapore government & People.
Singapore Politicians are the highest paid Politicians in the developed countries.