Parking within the Orchard Road area can be a costly affair — which may be why some motorcyclists have chosen to park their bikes for free on a pavement near the entrance of Cuppage Plaza.

One mall goer surnamed Zhang complained to Shin Min Daily News about how a makeshift parking lot sprung up there after the Covid-19 pandemic.

To reach Cuppage Plaza, one would need to carefully squeeze their way through the crowd of motorcycles parked along the footway, said the 40-year-old man.

But Zhang said that this becomes an "impossible" feat after 7pm, as more and more bikes are left at the space throughout the day. Wheelchair users wanting to pass through the space would also face greater inconvenience.

A reporter from the Chinese evening daily who recently visited the shopping centre noted that the makeshift parking lot measures less than half the size of a basketball court.

At 5pm that day, some 50-odd motorcycles were seen lining the pavement, neatly arranged in four rows with some space in between.

As the area gradually filled up, motorists arriving past 6pm would shift the parked motorcycles aside to make way for their own bikes.

Speaking to Shin Min, a staff working in the mall said the space was initially occupied by delivery riders who would park for a short period of time to collect food from the eateries.

Subsequently, other motorcyclists started using it as a parking space. Most of them work in the mall, according to the staff.

When interviewed by Shin Min, one motorcyclist said he works nearby and started parking at the pavement after seeing everyone else doing so.

Another motorcyclist, who gave his name as Sam, said he works at a bar nearby and started using the 'free' parking space this month: "Our lives are not easy too."

According to the Road Traffic Rules, no vehicles should be parked on the footway of a road. First time offenders face a fine of $70, while repeat offenders can be fined $110.

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lim.kewei@asiaone.com

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