City evaluating parking scheme

City evaluating parking scheme

JAKARTA (JP): Governor Surjadi Soedirdja said yesterday the
city was currently evaluating a parking proposal from a private
company, which includes insurance and a sports fund.

He said the municipality welcomed every proposal from private
companies to manage city parking.

"The most important factor in managing city parking is the
ability to reduce parking on streets," Surjadi said after a
meeting on the city's anti-polio campaign this year.

He said the city still faced difficulties in preventing
parking on streets.

The municipality, he said, could not force building owners and
managements to build parking garages on their properties.

"We don't have the authority to make them build parking
garages," Surjadi said.

The proposal from PT Kartika Talang Mas was the first of its
kind which covered insurance for lost cars at parking lots.

Army-owned Kartika Eka Paksi Foundation owns 17 percent of the
firm. The proposal was presented to the City Council last month.

The company proposed a parking fee of Rp 1,000 (40 U.S. cents)
for the first hour and Rp 500 for subsequent hours for cars.
Motorcycles would be charged a flat rate of Rp 500.

The initial fee of Rp 1,000 for cars would be divided into Rp
500 for parking, Rp 300 for insurance and Rp 200 for the National
Sports Council (KONI).

The company said sports funds would help boost necessary costs
to groom athletes.

The Rp 500 parking fee for motorcycles would compose of Rp 300
for parking, Rp 100 for insurance and Rp 100 for KONI.

The company said an insurance company would cover motorists'
stolen or damaged vehicles at parking lots if reported within 48
hours. Motorists would have to show a parking ticket and their
claims would have to be supported by parking attendants.

However, lost items in cars and car accessories, like tape
players, would not be covered.

The Indonesian Consumers Foundation had earlier voiced their
support of the proposal, saying that currently there was no
protection for motorists who parked.

City Council Speaker M.H. Ritonga said that any parking
proposal should prioritize motorists' safety and comfort.

"The municipality should evaluate all proposed parking schemes
by private companies and select the best proposal," he said.

He said, if necessary, the city would test all proposals
before making a decision.

He lamented the city parking agency's inability to collect
targeted parking fees.

Ritonga said in the ongoing 1996/1997 fiscal year, the parking
agency was only able to collect Rp 12 billion from a targeted Rp
14 billion of parking fees. In the 1995/1996 fiscal year, the
agency collected Rp 11 billion, Rp 5 billion less than expected,
he added.

An earlier municipality proposal to increase parking fees
caused an uproar. Critics said an increase should cover
insurance.

Several companies had earlier proposed to manage city parking,
but lost interest after further evaluation of chronic parking
problems, such as the illegal, widespread collection of parking
fees.

There are currently 2,450,000 cars and 4,238,000 motorcycles
in the city. (ste)