Illegal parking attendants welcome administration's plan
Illegal parking attendants welcome administration's plan
JAKARTA (JP): The City administration's plan to have private companies manage street parking is apparently welcomed by the illegal, self-appointed street parking attendants controlling many of the city's parking zones, on condition that revenues are distributed fairly.
As earlier reported, the administration initiated negotiations with private partners to help manage a total of 517 street parking zones, covering almost 128,000 square meters of parking space in the capital.
The city parking agency has only been able to control 344 out of the 517 street parking zones, leaving the other 173 spots to be dominated by self-appointed managers, some of them members of criminal gangs.
Four private companies, PT Adiwara Sembada, PT Mega Nusantara Masagena, PT Rodial Indonesia and PT Sumber Batu have been nominated to become the administration's partners in the lucrative business.
The form of cooperation is, however, still unclear, and the administration's program for the illegal parking attendants is also being questioned.
Deny, a 49-year-old Tangerang resident, has no problem giving up a 20-meter segment of roadside in the notorious area of Tanah Abang, in Central Jakarta, to the official management.
He said he was now "authorized" to manage a small part of at least 50 illegal street parking lots in the Tanah Abang business district.
"The problem is there are eight people who survive on the parking business here. Will the private parking operator be able to share with them fairly?" he questioned on Saturday.
He said he earned between Rp 30,000 and Rp 40,000 daily, operating from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. "I could have collected more than that, but I have never charged motorists more than the official tariff. Moreover, I have to share the money with my three colleagues," he said, adding that he had already spent five years in the business.
The usual street parking fee is Rp 1,000 for a car.
Deny, whose arms are both covered with tattoos, admitted to being a member of a local gang.
He said that his gang controlled the parking area alternately with another gang. "My gang operates on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, while Monday, Wednesday and Friday belong to another gang."
The father of three said he supports his family with the money earned from the parking business. "Come to my home, you will be distressed to see my family's condition," he said. "I would give up if I had a better job."
"I hope that the private parking operator will offer a better life to all of us," he whispered.
The 35-year-old Sutrisno, who works at a 25-meter long segment of roadside at the Rawa Bening market, known as the Jatinegara precious stone market, said that he and his gang members would welcome the private parking operators "as long as they would play fairly by sharing revenues".
Sutrisno's location is very lucrative as it is surrounded by the Jatinegara railway station, restaurants and prostitution districts.
"This area never sleeps. Business runs 24 hours, nonstop. We have divided the operating hours into three shifts. My gang's shift is between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m," he said, watching the surrounding parked cars.
He said he could earn Rp 40,000 to Rp 50,000 every day, but he had to give between Rp 8,000 and Rp 10,000 to his boss and shared the rest of the money with five other attendants.
He said his boss, a Madurese man, had just "bought" the parking spot from the previous owner for Rp 8 million.
Sutrisno, accompanied by his five gang members during the interview, said he had never charged specific rates to car owners. "It's just up to them. They give us Rp 5,000 or 10,000 when they are pleased, but sometimes we only receive Rp 500."
He claimed that many car owners don't object to illegal parking. They just want their vehicles to be well protected.
For Jakarta motorists, the most notorious street parking areas include Jl. Matraman in East Jakarta, Jl. Tanah Abang Dalam in Central Jakarta, as well as those in the Senen and Sawah Besar areas in Central Jakarta, and Pancoran Glodok and Roxy business areas in West Jakarta.
Criminal law expert at the University of Indonesia Harkristuti Harkrisnowo said that the private parking operators would face difficulties unless they approached the situation sensibly and recruit the gangs.
"Therefore, the city administration, who wants to back off from the complicated business, must prepare things carefully, including the use of security officers," she warned. (01)