Hotels impose higher parking fees than shopping malls

Hotels impose higher parking fees than shopping malls

Zakki Hakim, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Two days after its announcement, the city's largest parking
operator Secure Parking indeed kept its promise to roll back its
parking fee hikes. However, the parking fees in several hotels
remained higher than the imposed fee.

The Jakarta Post observed on Sunday that two hotels in Central
Jakarta, Mandarin Oriental and Le Meridien, still charge
motorists Rp 1,500 per hour.

An official at Le Meridien hotel, who requested anonymity,
quoted his superior that the hotel had received a copy of a
gubernatorial decree, saying that all hotels in the city should
charge each motorist Rp 1,500 per hour.

While several shopping malls, including Plaza Indonesia and
Plaza Senayan both in Central Jakarta, charged motorists Rp 1,000
per hour with a 20 percent additional tax, making the fee Rp
1,200 per hour. But in Kelapa Gading mall, North Jakarta, the
parking fee did not include additional tax.

"I'm glad that the parking fee has reverted back to the
original rate. But I believe that the fee will rise again soon.
I'm not sure that it will last long," said Julian, a motorist at
Kelapa Gading mall.

Julian referred to the same problem in May 2002 when Secure
Parking increased the parking fee from Rp 1,000 per hour to Rp
1,000 for 30 minutes and up to Rp 5,000 per hour in several
office buildings.

The operator -- a joint venture between local and Australian
companies that runs about 116 parking lots -- revised its
decision after Governor Sutiyoso threatened to shut down their
operation.

Secure Parking general affairs manager Tony Tjuatja told the
Post on Sunday that he could not comment on the varying rates
imposed in hotels and shopping malls, as he has been absent from
office for the last three days with a cold.

"Sorry, I can't give any comment," he said by phone, coughing.

No officials from the city's parking management agency could
be reached for comment.

Secure Parking managing director Rustam Rachmat addressed a
press conference on Friday, announcing the decision to roll back
a recent off-street parking rate increase gradually.

He claimed that the policy was urged by property owners, under
the Communication Forum for Private Parking Operators, whose
members include the Association of Indonesian Shopping Center
Owners, the Association of Indonesian Retailers, the Association
of Indonesian Property Managements, the Association of Indonesian
Hotel and Restaurant Owners and the Indonesian Real Estate
Association.

Secure Parking had increased the rates early in June by 100
percent from Rp 1,000 to Rp 2,000 an hour in most hotels and by
50 percent from Rp 1,000 to Rp 1,500 an hour in most shopping
malls for cars and from Rp 500 to Rp 1,000 an hour for
motorcycles.

The hike sparked criticism from the public and the City
Council, who demanded the decision be revoked. Councillors said
the hike breached several regulations, including Gubernatorial
Decree No. 1698/1999 which sets parking rates at Rp 1,000 per
hour for cars and Rp 500 per hour for motorcycles.