YLKI criticizes parking fee hike<\/p>\n
Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The Indonesian Consumers Foundation (YLKI) on Monday criticized
\nJakarta Governor Sutiyoso for an on-the-sly hike in off-street
\nparking charges of up to 100 percent, saying that the policy
\nviolated the consumer's right to information.<\/p>\n
An executive with the YLKI, Tulus Abadi, said that Law No.
\n8\/1999 on consumer protection clearly stated that consumers had
\nthe right to information on policies made by the government on
\ngoods and services.<\/p>\n
\"Consumers have the right to reject a policy made without
\nconsidering the Consumer Protection Law,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Sutiyoso signed Gubernatorial Decree No. 98\/2003 on Dec. 5 to
\nprovide the legal basis for the charge increase in response to
\ndemands from building owners and private parking operators voiced
\nin the middle of this year.<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Administration never announced the gubernatorial
\ndecree until the press sought confirmation about the charge
\nincreases on Monday following protests by a number of motorists
\nwho were shocked by the new policy.<\/p>\n
The decree provides, among other things, that the new charge
\nfor a four-wheeled vehicle is between Rp 1,000 and Rp 2,000 per
\nhour as compared to the current charge of Rp 1,000 per hour. The
\nparking charge for a motorcycle remains the same at Rp 500.<\/p>\n
Parking charges for buses and trucks will be between Rp 2,000
\nand Rp 3,000, as compared to Rp 2,000 at present.<\/p>\n
The decree does not mention when it will come into effect, but
\nthe head of the City Parking Management Agency (BP Parkir), Yani
\nMulyadi, stressed the new tariffs would come into effect in early
\nJanuary after his office conducted a publicity campaign.<\/p>\n
\"I will need two weeks for a publicity campaign, particularly
\nto inform parking operators about the charge increase. It will be
\nimplemented early next year,\" he said.<\/p>\n
However, a number of off-street parking places have already
\nintroduced the higher tariffs. They include Plaza Glodok and
\nGajah Mada Plaza in West Jakarta, Hayam Wuruk Plaza, Carrefour
\nDuta Merlin and Plaza Senayan in Central Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Yani advised parking operators in those buildings to cancel
\nthe increases until they had been officially announced. He
\nthreatened to close the parking lots if the operators ignored his
\ncalls.<\/p>\n
The city official has previously often made such threats but
\nnever taken any action against the parking operators.<\/p>\n
According to Tulus, the public should have been allowed to
\nmake submissions before the decision was taken to increase
\nparking charges.<\/p>\n
He also criticized the Jakarta administration for only
\ntargeting parking operators in its public campaigns. He stressed
\nthat the consumers, who would be the most affected, should be the
\nmain targets of such campaigns.<\/p>\n
\"It is not a public campaign if it is only directed at parking
\noperators and conducted after the policy has been formulated. It
\nis then only an announcement,\" he added.<\/p>\n
A councillor also criticized the performance of BP Parkir as
\nthe city always had to subsidize it in collecting parking
\ncharges.<\/p>\n
Dani Anwar, a councillor from the Justice Party, said that by
\nDecember, BP Parkir had only collected some Rp 14 billion while
\nthe city has targeted the collection of Rp 32 billion in parking
\ncharges. Last year, BP Parker managed to collect Rp 16 billion of
\nthe targeted Rp 32 billion.<\/p>\n
The city also had to subsidize BP Parkir to the tune of Rp 21
\nbillion this year in respect of its routine expenditure.<\/p>\n
\"How can an agency tasked with raising revenue from parking
\nfees still have to be subsidized,\" he asked incredulously.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ylki-criticizes-parking-fee-hike-1447893297",
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