Council gives nod to parking fee hike

Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The City Council will likely permit the Jakarta administration to increase on-street parking fees, but set the increase at a maximum of 100 percent, much lower than the 300 percent hike earlier proposed.

"We can understand the reason behind the proposed increase. For the last five years, with inflation and all, the parking fees have remained the same ... but we don't want to make it another burden on the people," said Marthin Octavianus Makatita of the City Council's Commission A overseeing legal and administrative affairs.

In the draft bylaw on city fees now being deliberated by the council, the administration will impose a Rp 3,000 parking fee for cars parked on road shoulders in the city's downtown areas, Rp 5,000 for buses and trucks and Rp 1,000 for motorcycles.

The fees are lower in the suburban area of Jakarta where a car is charged Rp 2,000, while buses and trucks Rp 3,000.

If approved, the bylaw will revise Bylaw No. 3/1999 on city fees, which stipulates an on-street parking fee of Rp 1,000 for cars and Rp 200 for motorcycles.

In practice, car owners currently have to pay between Rp 2,000 and Rp 3,000 while motorcyclists pay between Rp 500 and Rp 1,000.

City Parking Management (BP Parkir) said that the expected increase would be used to cover a Rp 3 million subsidy the management provides annually to help finance the operating costs. A hefty increase of 300 percent would also boost revenue to Rp 20 billion from Rp 14 billion last year.

"Commission A also recommends an audit of the management amid alleged misappropriation in the management's contribution to the city administration's coffers," Marthin added.

The management's contribution to the city budget fell to Rp 14 billion from Rp 15 billion in 2003.

The decline simply contradicts the fast-growing ownership of cars that would surely give a boost to the parking business, Marthin asserted.

Meanwhile, Abdullah Prawiradirdja of Commission C on budgetary affairs said that his commission recommended the administration scrap different rates for parking fees in the downtown areas and suburban areas.

"Since we do not have parking meters, we recommend the administration scrap the difference to avoid people taking advantage of the difference in the field," Abdullah said.

Separately, Governor Sutiyoso said he was planning to downsize the parking management.

"I have observed that we spend lots of money to pay several employees for a job that could actually be done by one person," Sutiyoso asserted without explaining when the plan would be implemented.

He emphasized that his administration would solve all parking problems in the city before 2007 when he ends his tenure.

"People will see a well-managed parking business that provides a significant contribution to the city's coffers," he promised.