Jakarta sports new style stack parking

JAKARTA (JP): Some of Jakarta's buildings have got a new style parking system in efforts to provide better service to tenants.

Two companies are using a stacked parking system while three others are having it constructed. The Bank Negara Indonesia (BNI 46) headquarters on Jl. Sudirman, has built two stacked parking systems since last year.

The automatic stacking garages are in the large compound beside the building.

Car owners park their vehicles by entering a car-sized box, the floor of which automatically elevates the car and parks it in a vacant box on the upper floor.

There are four boxes each on the ground and upper floors but one of them is always kept empty to move incoming or outgoing cars.

"Although it was initially a pilot project, BNI has no plans to build another automatic garage because it is quite expensive," said Arie Bastarie, the bank's personnel and administration manager said yesterday.

"Each box cost Rp 17.5 million (US$7,300) last year," he said.

Another office using the system is Wisma Mampang on Jl. Mampang Prapatan in South Jakarta. The office has a three-floor stacking garage, with room for 20 cars.

The producer of the stacked parking system, Budi Handoko, told The Jakarta Post his company was creating another parking system, "a tower type with up to 15 floors".

He said he created the whole system although he uses South Korean-made motors for the elevator.

Budi said the three companies that had ordered the new system, wanted bigger garages, he said.

He said he also planned to produce a rotary-type garage which he copied from those in use in other countries.

This type can be built in a smaller space but needs more energy because it moves like a ferris wheel.

One box, which stands on a 2.5 by six-square-meter plot of land, costs between US$10,000 and US$12,000, depending on the design, Budi said.

The one used by the BNI 46 is the cheapest because the garage is made of iron, while the others want their garage walls made of glass.

"One box like this costs US$ 7,500," he said. (13)