Shop owners along Cuff Road in Singapore’s Little India have found an unusual way to stop drivers from parking outside their businesses — lining the roadside with rows of suitcases and traffic cones.
Photos shared on social media on Sept. 21 showed at least four rows of luggage placed along the road outside a shophouse, extending beyond the pedestrian walkway and across the double yellow lines. The luggage appeared to be positioned as a physical barrier against vehicles stopping in front of the shops.
A separate photograph showed a car parked along the roadside while suitcases had been placed around the vehicle. Some social media users said the businesses may have resorted to the tactic after repeated incidents involving vehicles, including lorries, stopping outside their premises.
The unusual move quickly divided opinion online. Some users sympathised with the shop owners, saying illegal parking could obstruct access to businesses and make it difficult for customers or deliveries. Others questioned whether using luggage to reserve public road space could itself breach traffic or road-obstruction rules.
Singapore’s Land Transport Authority states that parking on double yellow lines is prohibited. First-time offenders can face fines of $70 for light vehicles and $100 for heavy vehicles, while repeat offences carry higher penalties.
But the luggage could create a separate legal issue. Under the Street Works Act, creating an obstruction or inconvenience to the passage of traffic or pedestrians on a public street can carry a fine of up to $2,000, with an additional $100 for every day the offence continues.
That has led to an ironic situation: the shop owners appear to be trying to prevent one type of road offence, while their own attempt to keep vehicles away could potentially create another form of obstruction.
The photos have since sparked a broader discussion about the recurring problem of illegal parking around busy shophouse areas and whether businesses should be able to rely on physical barriers to protect access to their premises.
For the Cuff Road shop owners, the rows of luggage may have solved an immediate parking problem. But the unusual deterrent has also raised a bigger question over who is allowed to control space along Singapore’s public roads.
