Compromise reached on parking fee hike

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)