Haj dormitory's parking rate criticized
Haj dormitory's parking rate criticized
JAKARTA (JP): Many residents have complained about the high
level of parking charges at the Pondok Gede haj dormitory in East
Jakarta.
"They are charging Rp 3,000 each time we want to park our car,
while the official rate set by the administration is Rp 1,000,"
one of the complainants, Udin, a resident of Pondok Kopi in East
Jakarta, said.
He added that the charge was initially printed on the parking
tickets as being Rp 2,000, but that those in charge of parking
had changed it to Rp 3,000.
Strangely, the Cooperative of Haj Dormitory Employees, which
organizes the parking service at the dormitory, claimed it had no
knowledge about the matter.
"I've just found out about it from you," Asnan, the
cooperative's secretary, told The Jakarta Post on Saturday.
He said they were collaborating with a private company, namely
PT Agung Pribadi, in managing the parking service during this
year's haj season.
"We've given the company the authority to set the level of
parking charges," he said, adding that the agreement stated that
the company should adhere to the relevant city bylaw when setting
the parking rates.
He said his cooperative had only received Rp 40 million from
the private company in payment for leasing the land during the
haj season which runs from Jan. 25 until April 11.
He said he was thankful for the information about the high
parking charges and promised to resolve the matter and reevaluate
parking management for the years ahead.
Contacted separately, the City Parking Agency said that
neither the cooperative nor the private company had ever
consulted the agency on parking services in the area.
"It was definitely a violation of the City Bylaw on parking
rates," Sukri Bey, the agency's deputy chief, said.
According to Sukri, the complex was categorized as a public
facility, so the tariff should be Rp 1,000 for each parking
period.
"I'm going to send a warning letter to the company and urge it
to comply with the rates stipulated in the bylaw," he said.
Meanwhile, director of PT Agung Pribadi Alex Syam Pribadi said
he had sent a letter to the City Parking Agency informing it of
his company's activities at the haj dormitory. But he felt there
was no need to consult with the agency on the management of
parking services as he thought that this was only necessary in
the case of on-street parking.
"I haven't gained greatly by setting the parking charges at
their current levels. In fact, I've only earned Rp 3 million
since Jan. 25 and am still using money from my own savings to pay
the parking attendants," he told the Post. (04)