Learning to solve parking problems<\/p>\n
The Jakarta City Administration invited a group of reporters
\nto visit the Philippine capital of Manila last week in order to
\nlearn how the administration can improve its parking services to
\nthe public here. The Jakarta Post reporter Ida Indawati Khouw
\nparticipated in the trip and filed the following report on the
\nparking business in Manila.<\/p>\n
MANILA (JP): The Jakarta local government has repeatedly
\nclaimed to suffer serious headaches in handling the chronic
\nparking problems in the capital and asked for a short course on
\nthe matter from the Metro Manila administration.<\/p>\n
Such a course might not be desperately needed if Jakarta
\nGovernor Sutiyoso, or the next governor, and his staff of related
\nagencies copied the diligence and tough and consistent law
\nenforcement adopted by their Filipino counterparts.<\/p>\n
Although the city is still facing abundant urban problems,
\nsuch as endless traffic jams like many major cities in the
\nregion, Manila could be dubbed a successful city for managing the
\nparking problem, particularly in the crowded Makati central
\nbusiness district (CBD).<\/p>\n
The parking officials in Makati strictly impose the rules
\nwithout looking at the status of the vehicle owners.<\/p>\n
If someone parks his or her car in the crowded area for three
\nhours and goes over the time limit by one minute, they should
\nhave 500 pesos (US$12.80) ready as the vehicle will be
\nimmediately impounded at the headquarters of Makati Parking
\nAuthority Inc. (MAPA).<\/p>\n
Here the owner will be charged 300 pesos for the towing
\nservice and a fine worth 200 pesos.<\/p>\n
As in Jakarta, Manila does not have adequate methods to clock
\nregulated parking. But that does not mean that parking
\nofficials will tolerate those breaching the time limit.<\/p>\n
The parking fee for the first two hours is set at 30 pesos per
\ncar.<\/p>\n
\"But if you extend for another hour, you'll be given another
\nticket with a blue box signed with a 40 pesos fee,\" MAPA's
\ngeneral manager Deogracias Q. San Miguel told the visiting
\njournalists from Jakarta.<\/p>\n
If the parking officials find later that the parked car has
\nexceeded the three-hour limit, they will immediately impose a
\nrule that the car should leave the site first instead of staying
\nlonger.<\/p>\n
The 11-year-old system, Deogracias said, proved to be a
\nsuccessful technique adopted by Manila in reducing the number of
\ncars parked on the street in the six-square-kilometer CBD, which
\nused to be a popular spot for traffic congestion.<\/p>\n
Ten years ago, it served a total of 1.4 million cars in
\nMakati's street parking lots. Last year, the figure dropped to
\nsome one million cars.<\/p>\n
The enforcement of the rule \"should start with imposing
\ndisciplines, starting with those in higher positions,\" Deogracias
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
He said the new system was merely aimed at reducing the number
\nof cars parked on the street while promoting parking in lots
\nprovided by buildings.<\/p>\n
\"Usually, people are reluctant to park their cars in the lots
\navailable in certain buildings because the location is usually
\nfar away from where they want to go. So besides limiting the
\nparking hours, we also impose high fees,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"The high fee is not aimed at collecting more money but to
\ndecrease the number of cars parked on the street,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Unlike Jakarta, where motorists do not receive a receipt from
\nparking officials, allowing them to impose whatever amount they
\nplease, MAPA officers give the first two-hour parking ticket --
\nsigned with a green box on the top right-hand corner -- with the
\ncar number and parking time written on it.<\/p>\n
In one day, Makati management tows 30 cars, including those
\nparked on no-parking sites.<\/p>\n
Tow trucks are always ready at several strategic areas from 7
\na.m. to 5 p.m. every day.<\/p>\n
\"After that, parking is free of charge because it has become
\nan almost deserted area,\" Deogracias said.<\/p>\n
Like Jakarta and many other cities, Manila also provides no
\nsafety insurance for vehicles to owners.<\/p>\n
\"I think in every country, like Japan and the United States,
\nthe fee for parking on the street does not cover insurance. The
\nfee is just calculated as a privilege for using the facilities.<\/p>\n
Of course, we'll try our best to protect the cars from being
\ndamaged or something,\" he added.<\/p>\n
The general manager also acknowledged that there was still the
\npossibility of collusion among its 200 staff members.<\/p>\n
To minimize the cases, MAPA deployed some staff members,
\ncalled area leaders, as well as supervisors to control the
\nparking officials.<\/p>\n
\"The controllers should deposit parking revenue with the
\ncashiers at the MAPA office,\" Deogracias said.<\/p>\n
From 1,600 parking spots in Makati, the parking authority
\ncollects an average of 121,000 pesos a day, he explained.<\/p>\n
The bookkeeping was made transparent because the monthly
\nfinancial report can be easily read on the announcement board by
\nanyone.<\/p>\n
Deogracias said the success story of Makati's parking
\nmanagement was also a model for other areas managed by the Metro
\nManila administration.<\/p>\n
It was unfortunate that reporters did not have a chance to
\nconfirm Deogracias' statements due to limited time.<\/p>\n
But you don't have to be pessimistic because Deogracias' story
\nwas fully supported by Tennike Erman, the second secretary of the
\nIndonesian Embassy here.<\/p>\n
\"The program can be successful because law enforcement is
\neffective here,\" Tennike said.<\/p>\n
Deogracias said the first and most important way to make the
\nscheme a success was to provide a good salary to improve the
\nwelfare of the parking officials.<\/p>\n
MAPA, a joint venture nonprofit organization between the
\nprivate sectors and the city administration of Makati, spent a
\nlarge portion of its 800,000 pesos investment on the employees,
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
The lowest basic salary of a MAPA parking official is 7,000
\npesos, \"which is enough to finance a family of three children and
\nrent a house,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The highest pay is 11,000 pesos.<\/p>\n
Besides having a 15-day annual leave and 60-day leave for
\nmaternity, the officials also have a one-day leave every year for
\ntheir birthday and three days for a honeymoon.<\/p>\n
A married male employee, whose wife just gave birth, also has
\na 15-day leave.<\/p>\n
\"We assume that his wife can't take care of the baby herself
\nat the moment,\" Deogracias said.<\/p>\n
He ended the interview by saying that 75 percent of the income
\nis allocated for the employees.<\/p>",
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