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No more parking coupons? Singapore trials Bluetooth tech for hands-free, automatic roadside payments
SINGAPORE, June 16 — Motorists may be able to pay for their roadside parking in Singapore automatically in the future, with the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) reportedly launching a study on the use of Bluetooth-enabled sensors embedded in roads.
The sensors, which can detect when a vehicle enters or exits a parking space, would communicate with the vehicle's on-board unit (OBU) to facilitate automated payment, according to a URA tender issued on May 6 reported by The Straits Times (ST).
Currently, roadside parking payments are made using paper coupons or the app, but the new system could eliminate the need for manual input.
ST wrote the study is separate from the Land Transport Authority's (LTA) ongoing plans to integrate parking payments into the OBU system, which will still require motorists to manually start a session via the touchscreen.
URA manages about 13,000 roadside parking spaces and plans to conduct a reliability test at Changi Beach Car Park 5 between October 2025 and July 2026, followed by a 12-month pilot at Chinatown, Keong Saik and Bukit Timah starting August 2026.
The trial will cover four types of vehicles – sedans, light and heavy goods vehicles, and buses – but motorcycles are excluded. URA did not elaborate on this decision.
Tender documents indicate no automated payments will be triggered during the trial period, which aims to test functionality without affecting motorists' current parking routines.
The tender closes on August 21, with the contract expected to be awarded by October 2025.
