Operator revokes parking fee increase<\/p>\n
Damar Harsanto and Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The city's largest parking operator, Secure Parking, announced on
\nFriday that it had begun to roll back a recent off-street parking
\nrate increase.<\/p>\n
\"We were instructed by the owners of the property where we
\noperate to resume the Rp 1,000 (12 US cents) hourly parking rate
\nstarting today (Friday),\" Secure Parking managing director Rustam
\nRachmat said.<\/p>\n
The rate increase is being rolled back gradually, according to
\nthe policies of the different property owners.<\/p>\n
However, motorists will still be subject to an additional tax
\nof 20 percent, said Secure Parking general affairs manager Tony
\nTjuatja.<\/p>\n
\"This is in line with Bylaw No. 6\/2002, Chapter 2, Article 4,
\non taxing parking rates,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Tony named several shopping centers he said had already
\nreverted to the old parking rates. They were Plaza Indonesia, Mal
\nPondok Indah, Blok M Plaza and Mal Ciputra.<\/p>\n
However, Ellen, 24, said she had to pay Rp 1,500 an hour when
\nshe parked at Blok M Plaza in South Jakarta on Friday. She was
\nunaware of the decision by the parking operator to roll back the
\nincrease.<\/p>\n
\"Is it (the parking rate) supposed to go down? Then why I
\nstill had to pay Rp 1,500 if it took effect last night,\" she
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Secure Parking had increased rates by up to 100 percent from
\nRp 1,000 to Rp 2,000 an hour for cars and from Rp 500 to Rp 1,000
\nan hour for motorcycles.<\/p>\n
The hike sparked criticism from the public and the City
\nCouncil, who demanded the decision be revoked. Councillors said
\nthe hike breached several regulations, including Gubernatorial
\nDecree No. 1698\/1999 which sets the parking rates at Rp 1,000 per
\nhour for cars and Rp 500 per hour for motorcycles.<\/p>\n
Rustam put the blame for the rate hike on the Communication
\nForum for Private Parking Operators. Members of the forum include
\nthe Association of Indonesian Shopping Center Owners, the
\nAssociation of Indonesian Retailers, the Association of
\nIndonesian Property Managements, the Association of Indonesian
\nHotel and Restaurant Owners and the Indonesian Real Estate
\nAssociation.<\/p>\n
\"It was the forum that made the decision, not us. We're just
\nthe parking operator,\" Rustam said.<\/p>\n
Secure Parking, a joint venture between local and Australian
\ncompanies, runs about 116 parking lots, or over 50 percent of all
\nlots in the city.<\/p>\n
Separately, Governor Sutiyoso said he would summon the
\nbuilding owners and \"tell them to respect the law and decrease
\nthe parking rates\", although the rate increase took effect in
\nearly June.<\/p>\n
\"If they don't (decrease rates) they will suffer more losses,
\nbecause we will take stern action against them,\" he said on
\nFriday without elaborating on what form this \"stern\" action might
\ntake.<\/p>\n
Sutiyoso's comments were markedly different from earlier
\nstatements, when he said off-street parking rates were decided by
\nmarket forces and he could do nothing about them.<\/p>\n
Sutiyoso also said any changes in the off-street parking rates
\nshould be jointly decided by himself and the council, complaining
\nSecure Parking never proposed the rate increase to the city
\nadministration.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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