A delivery driver was shocked to find that he had racked up a parking charge of more than $3,100 at Jewel Changi Airport last week.
The incident happened because his previous exit on April 10 had not been recorded, the airport said.
A photo of a carpark payment machine showing a fee of $3,158.72 to be paid went viral after the driver, who wanted to be known as Supra Mac, put it up on Facebook last Wednesday.
Mr Supra, 27, said on Friday that he had been at the loading/unloading bay at Jewel for at most 45 minutes.
A spokesman for Jewel Changi Airport, responding to queries, confirmed the incident and explained that it occurred because the driver’s previous exit from the area had not been registered.
“We confirm that this was a case that took place on April 10 in the Jewel loading/unloading bay,” the spokesman said.
“There was no record of the driver leaving the carpark, and hence the parking charge snowballed until the next visit, which took place on April 24.”
The spokesman added that all drivers are encouraged to maintain “a safe distance” from the car ahead to ensure that the parking system successfully records all entrances and exits.
Mr Supra said he did not encounter any issues when he drove out of the carpark on April 10 and that he did not tailgate any vehicle.
However, after he made a delivery last Wednesday, he found he could not leave the carpark because of “insufficient balance”.
“I had just topped up my CashCard in the morning… When I saw the amount, it was like a joke,” he said. After communicating with a Jewel staff member over the intercom, he waited for about 10 to 15 minutes before he was let out of the carpark. No payment was requested.
Said Mr Supra: “I think no one is to blame. It was just an error and they resolved it.”
Earlier this month, there were two incidents of sprinklers going off at the mega mall.
The first on April 13 was due to a faulty sprinkler, causing water to gush from the ceiling. On Friday, water again streamed down from higher floors after a sprinkler was activated. Both incidents were widely shared on social media.
