Motorists appreciate new system of parking<\/p>\n
Zakki Hakim, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
An unusual scene unfolded on Wednesday along Jl. Haji Agus
\nSalim, Central Jakarta, where about 30 parking attendants
\nappeared to be busy using handheld computers to collect parking fees
\nfrom motorists.<\/p>\n
At first, it seemed that both attendants and motorists were
\nfeeling awkward, because the first had trouble explaining the new
\nsystem, while the latter had not the slightest clue of what was
\ngoing on.<\/p>\n
After extensive explanations from attendant coordinators, the
\nmotorists enthusiastically tried the new system.<\/p>\n
\"The system looks promising because it may guarantee that the
\nparking fees go to where it should go. But we might have to wait
\nand see,\" Manaf, a resident of Jatiwaringin, East Jakarta, told
\nThe Jakarta Post after trying the new system.<\/p>\n
Debby, another motorist who lives in Menteng, Central Jakarta,
\nsaid that the new system would cut down the chances of having to
\nengage in fierce debates with the attendants over unclear parking
\nfees.<\/p>\n
\"The new system allows me to pay parking fees within the
\nofficial range, plus I get a receipt as proof,\" she said.<\/p>\n
However, shop owners along the street, which is better known
\nby its old name of Jl. Sabang, questioned the new system that
\nimposed a fixed rate of Rp 1,000 per hour. As the shop owners
\nthemselves parked along the street during work days, they were
\nworried that they might have to pay up to Rp 24,000 per day.<\/p>\n
Ivan Valentino, a senior official at the city's parking
\nagency, said that his men had explained to the shop owners that
\nthe new system only charged a maximum of Rp 5,000 per day, even
\nif a car has been there for more than five hours.<\/p>\n
\"The shop owners accept our explanation for now, but we might
\nsoon work on something like membership cards, so that the system
\nwill be more efficient and beneficial for both the shop owners
\nand the city administration,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Eng Seng, a photo studio owner, said that it would be no
\nproblem if he parked his car on the street the entire day, but if
\nhe made several trip throughout the day, then he still might have
\nto pay a lot.<\/p>\n
\"Well, this is a new system, so we might have to wait a while
\nand see how it goes. But overall, I hope it works so the parking
\nfees I pay go where they should,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Wesley, a Saint John's high school student, said that he was
\nreluctant to buy a parking voucher at first, because he thought
\nit could only be used on Jl. Sabang, but the attendants explained
\nthat the system would soon be applied to four other streets in
\nthe city.<\/p>\n
The new system will be in operation as of June 2 on the
\nfollowing streets: Jl. Bulevar Raya, Kelapa Gading, North
\nJakarta; Jl. Jatinegara Timur, East Jakarta; Jl. Gajah Mada, West
\nJakarta; and Jl. Raden Patah, South Jakarta.<\/p>\n
The city administration prepared the cashless parking system
\njointly with PT Adiwira Sembada, the system's operator. The
\nsystem requires motorists to use prepaid cards, or vouchers, to
\npay for their parking fees.<\/p>\n
Kunto Wibisono, spokesperson for Adiwira Sembada, said the
\nparking attendant would swipe the voucher on a modified
\nHandspring Visor-brand Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), and a
\nprinter attached to the palm-sized computer would print out a
\nreceipt. The PDAs are each worth Rp 17.15 million (US$1990).<\/p>\n
A technology expert had earlier questioned the price of the
\ndevice, as a common handspring PDA costs only about Rp 1 million.<\/p>\n
The vouchers, which have a Bank Artha Graha logo printed on
\nthem, carry a fixed value of Rp 10,000 each, and may be
\nrecharged.<\/p>\n
Activists have criticized the system, saying the scheme would
\nnot ease the capital's traffic woes and had little hope of
\nsucceeding where other parking systems had failed.<\/p>\n
Critics said the administration should impose a policy that
\nwould significantly reduce the number of cars plying the city's
\nstreets, instead of installing a system that still encourages on-
\nstreet parking that only compounded traffic problems in Jakarta.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/motorists-appreciate-new-system-of-parking-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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