Free parking at public facilities suggested

JAKARTA (JP): City Council's Commission D for public works, development and environmental affairs called on Secure Parking service providers on Monday not to collect fees from building tenants and visitors as none of the operators had contributed to city revenue.

Councilor Saud Rahman of the United Development Party (PPP) faction said parking services at offices, shopping centers and hotels were certainly part of the buildings' services and should be provided free of charge.

"Providing parking facilities in a building is the building owner's obligation, which is a prerequisite to obtain a building permit," he said at a meeting with a parking service provider, PT. Securindo Packatama Indonesia (SPI).

Councilor Ali Imran Husein of PPP also questioned the high parking fees set by the Secure Parking operators.

"It is clearly stated in a decree that the highest parking fee is Rp 1,000/hour, and that the operator should pay a contribution of between 10 and 35 percent to the city administration," Ali said, while citing Gubernatorial Decree No. 1698/1999 on parking fees in areas not on the street.

Residents have long complained about expensive parking fees set by Secure Parking operators.

Fees vary from Rp 1,000 an hour to as high as Rp 2,500 an hour, such as those charged at Menara Imperium on Jl. Rasuna Said in Kuningan, South Jakarta, and the Jakarta Stock Exchange building on Jl. Sudirman in Central Jakarta.

Commission D chairman Sayogo Hendrosubroto of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) questioned the relevance of setting high parking fees with the operators' failure to contribute to the city administration.

Meanwhile, councilor Tjuk Sudono of the National Mandate Party (PAN) faction questioned the parties who were responsible for setting the fees.

SPI president director Rustam Rahmat said the authority to establish parking fees lied with the building owners.

"We have nothing to do with the price of parking fees. We only manage services for them, like providing the machine, human resources, design and other technical stuff," he said.

He defended the policy on zero contribution to city revenue by referring to Law No.18/1997 on city tax and income contributions, which stipulates that there is no obligation for Secure Parking operators to contribute to the city administration.

Rustam acknowledged that his company got between 5 and 15 percent from building owners for managing the parking at 51 locations in the city.

Rustam said he would discuss the decree with the building owners.

The meeting was adjourned until further notice. (09)