Compromise reached on parking fee hike

JAKARTA (JP): The city administration and the City Council reached a compromise on Thursday, agreeing to raise parking fees to between Rp 500 and Rp 1,000 for sedans, jeeps, minibuses and vans.

Ali Wongso Sinaga, head of commission D for development affairs, which previously opposed the plan, said the agreement was reached during a working session with city officials led by Ongky Sukasah, an assistant to the city secretary for administration and development affairs.

"The administration can understand our objection to its proposal on the fee increases, which were considered to be too high and not based on just ... principles," he said.

In order to increase revenue and regulate parking, the city administration earlier proposed to raise parking fees by 400 percent for on-street parking and 800 percent for off-street parking.

Under the compromise, Sinaga said the administration agreed to revise its proposed parking fees for category A vehicles, which include sedans, jeeps, minibuses and vans. An agreement was reached to set the on-street parking fee for category A vehicles in crowded areas at Rp 1,000, while in moderately crowded areas the fee will be set at Rp 500.

The off-street parking fee for category A vehicles will be set at Rp 1,000 for the first hour in crowded areas and Rp 500 for the first hour in moderately crowded areas.

There was no change in the proposal to raise the parking fee for category B vehicles, which include buses and trucks. The fee for these vehicles has been set at Rp 2,000.

The administration previously proposed an on-street parking fee for category A vehicles in crowded areas of Rp 1,500, while the proposed fee for off-street parking for category A vehicles in crowded areas was Rp 2,000 for the first hour.

Sinaga said the new fee increases were expected to become effective beginning next month.

"The compromise will be further discussed by the levies formulating team before it is endorsed at the council's plenary session, which will be held later this month," he said.

However, head of commission C for financial affairs Amarullah Asbah said the agreement on the fee increase was not final.

"Commission C was never involved in any talks. Parking fees are included in levies affairs, which is part of our job. I have a feeling that Commission D took over our job," Amarullah, who is also chairman of the levies formulating team, said.

He said he would question the process of the talks on the fee increase during the meeting of the levies formulating team.

"I will question the process, not the amounts of the fee increases," he said. (ind)