Associations oppose parking draft bylaw

Associations oppose parking draft bylaw

JAKARTA (JP): Businesspeople grouped in several associations
have vowed to bring the city administration and council to court,
following Wednesday's enactment of a draft bylaw on parking
affairs, an association executive said.

Speaking on behalf of two other associations, Stefanus Ridwan,
chairman of the Indonesian Association of Shopping Complexes
Management, said most of the groups' members opposed the draft
bylaw. Stipulations that parking operators must share up to 35
percent of their income with the administration, and that a city
governor permit will be necessary for the parking service were
singled out as unfair measures.

"It's not fair if we have to share the income with the
administration, as it has never held shares in the parking
business," Stefanus told The Jakarta Post.

He said members of the Indonesian Retailers Association and
the Indonesian Property Management Association also opposed the
draft bylaw.

According to the three associations, the parking business
comes under the umbrella of building services, and as such should
not require a special permit.

The three associations have decided to bring the case to the
Jakarta Administrative Court.

The council enacted the draft bylaw at a plenary session on
Wednesday.

The bylaw stipulates that parking operators are required to
obtain a gubernatorial permit and pay a 35 percent levy on their
income for parking facilities in open spaces, 30 percent in
buildings and 10 percent for buildings used only for parking.

Under the new bylaw, parking operators must also obtain the
gubernatorial permit for free or paid parking facilities.

The bylaw regulates that parking operators at government-owned
buildings, houses of worship and buildings or locations used for
educational and social activities are not obliged to pay the new
parking levy.

Tini Hadad from the Indonesian Consumers Association (YLKI)
supported the move by the associations, claiming that the Jakarta
council was unwilling to act on input received from other
parties. She also said there had been little consultation with
interest groups.

Tini said Wednesday's move by the council proved that the
administration and the council had not taken into account YLKI's
suggestions, and results of surveys and polls.

"We conducted surveys to help (the administration) obtain a
picture of parking affairs in the city, but they did not
appreciate it and have gone on with their decision," she told the
Post.

Tini said the association had spent nearly Rp 10 million on
the surveys and polling.

"What is most conspicuous here is that they do not listen to
their people," she said.

Tini had earlier urged the administration to suspend the bylaw
enactment until it could provide better parking management.

She also said city parking management body BP Parkir had no
accurate data on several fundamental issues, such as the number
of parking locations and spaces in the city. (ind)