`Parking attendants with PDAs to fail'<\/p>\n
Zakki Hakim, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The new on-street parking system, which will make use of parking
\nattendants armed with handheld computers, is likely to fail for
\nany number of reasons, an expert said.<\/p>\n
Zatni Arbi, a technology expert, told The Jakarta Post on
\nWednesday the system would fail because it relied too much on
\nhumans.<\/p>\n
He said the use of the computers would be too sophisticated
\nfor the parking attendants, not to mention "field risks" such as
\nthe possibility of the gadgets being dropped or stolen.<\/p>\n
"The idea is not original anyway. Subways in Hong Kong and
\nSingapore already use similar systems. The difference is that the
\ndata is transferred online in real time instead of manually,
\nwhich means a minimum possibility of human intervention and
\nembezzlement," he said.<\/p>\n
The city administration plans to implement a new electronic
\non-street parking system starting May 26.<\/p>\n
Parking attendants will be equipped with Handspring Visor-
\nbrand Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs). A handheld computer
\ndistributor said a fully loaded Visor Pro only cost US$199, and
\nto download simple software only cost between $15 and $18.<\/p>\n
Earlier reports said the PDAs for the new parking system would
\ncost Rp 17.15 million each (US$1,990).<\/p>\n
Arbi said there was no need to spend so much money on a
\nprogram as simple as a parking system because there was probably
\noff-the-shelf software that cost far less, considering that the
\nidea was not new.<\/p>\n
He also said it would be impossible for the operator, who has
\nalready invested $500,000, to reach the planned break-even point
\nin five years because the Visor's built-in battery could only
\nlast three years.<\/p>\n
"The operator will need to reinvest in three years," he said.<\/p>\n
Azas Tigor Nainggolan of the Jakarta Residents Forum called
\nthe new parking project a waste of money.<\/p>\n
He said the project was wrong from the start and that the City
\nCouncil was reckless in approving it.<\/p>\n
Before a new system is implemented the city administration
\nshould first investigate the past embezzlement of parking revenue
\nand bring the perpetrators to justice, he said.<\/p>\n
"The council and the governor should definitely cancel this
\nproject because it will not solve the primary problem, which is
\ncorruption," he said.<\/p>\n
The city administration, in a joint operation with PT Adiwira
\nSembada, which will serve as the system's operator, is scheduled
\nto launch a "cashless" parking system on May 26, in which
\nmotorists will use prepaid cards to pay parking fees.<\/p>\n
Kunto Wibisono, spokesperson for the system's operator, said
\nparking attendants would "swipe" the prepaid cards through a
\nmodified PDA and a printer, attached to the palm-sized computer,
\nwould then print out a receipt.<\/p>\n
The transaction data, which will be stored in a memory card,
\nwill be downloaded to the PDA of an attendant team leader, who
\nwill then enter the cumulative data into a main database, he
\nsaid.<\/p>",
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