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)