Mandatory delivery waiting bays at new private developments under study: LTA, URA

The feasibility of having mandatory waiting bays at new private developments for food and parcel deliveries is being studied, the authorities said on May 8.

In the meantime, floor stickers to demarcate delivery waiting bays will be available to existing residential and commercial properties as part of a toolkit - which, National Development Minister Desmond Lee said on Facebook, "would help make deliveries smoother and safer for our riders".

Development representatives who want to get the toolkit can register at https://go.gov.sg/deliverytoolkit.

The toolkit is among initiatives slated to be introduced in 2025 to make private developments more conducive for last-mile deliveries, said the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) in a statement.

The two agencies are leading a Tripartite Workgroup for Last-Mile Deliveries that was formed in November 2023 to improve the efficiency of last-mile deliveries, enhance the safety of e-commerce platform workers and minimise the inconvenience that delivery pick-ups and drop-offs may cause others.

Government agencies, labour unions, residential and office developments and industry associations are part of this workgroup.

LTA and URA said that not having delivery waiting bays is an oft-cited pain point for delivery workers, and the agencies are looking at how private developments can be encouraged to address this issue.

Later in 2025, a guide will be launched to consolidate and recommend best practices to smoothen delivery in private developments, following engagements that the workgroup has had with more than 80 representatives of private developments.

The representatives called for clearer guidelines to help with rolling out delivery waiting bays, said LTA and URA.

In May, an online guide to help riders with their work will be published on the LTA's website and will be shared with delivery riders through the channels of the Digital Platforms Industry Association and National Delivery Champions Association.

The guide will include tips on what to look out for when buying mobility devices, how to charge up and store the devices, and safe riding and parking practices.

Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat said in a Facebook post: "We will continue to find ways to improve last-mile deliveries so that our delivery workers can do their jobs safely, and consumers can receive their food and parcels conveniently".

The workgroup's duties include understanding the concerns of the many parties involved, through surveys with delivery workers and focus group discussions, among other channels.

Site visits were also conducted to study the pain points and propose good practices within developments.

To raise awareness and encourage the roll-out of solutions that can improve last-mile deliveries, exhibitions were also held at various shopping malls in the heartland.

Various initiatives to ease last-mile delivery have already been introduced. These include an extended 15-minute grace period at all Housing Board and URA carparks with the Electronic Parking System, and the Concessionary Season Parking scheme that motorcycle delivery riders can use to park at all HDB and URA carparks without incurring extra charges.