Jakartans underline need for better parking service

Jakartans underline need for better parking service

JAKARTA (JP): Paying Rp 500 to park your car on the side of the street just to get some air in a tire is only one frustrating part of parking in Jakarta.

There are simply no rules when it comes to parking in the city. Sometimes it costs Rp 500, and other times Rp 300. Often you have to pay twice for parking in one spot.

Some people are smart enough to leave their cars at home when going to congested places, understanding the hell they will go through to find a parking space.

The Jakarta Post interviewed three people about the parking problem in the city.

Lita P. Soenardi, an employee of an advertising agency:

Parking in Jakarta is difficult, especially on weekends. Last week I went to Pasaraya shopping center in Blok M and couldn't find a parking space. Finally I parked on the top of the building, and had to pay. I think shopping centers should provide free parking for its customers. Pondok Indah mall is a good example. It has a large parking lot and doesn't charge anything. The management could build another building across the street, but they keep it empty for parking, which is good.

Many buildings have their own parking garages, and set their own fee. There are buildings which charge Rp 500 for the first two hour and then Rp 300 per hour. Once, at our old office building, we had to cancel a meeting with a client because they couldn't get a parking space.

At our current office in the World Trade Center, the management limits the number of cars by issuing stickers to tenants. The building has a "pick and drop system". You can park for 30 minutes without being charged. I heard that a parking space costs US$700 a year. If the company pays it's O.K, but if it is the employee?

I've never heard about car theft or such things here.

Riza A. Suryo, director of communications, Shangri-La hotel:

Parking in Jakarta is becoming more organized, but Jakartans should be more disciplined because there are still people who park their cars in the middle of the street. This kind of thing should be banned. And also, a white line indicating which part of a street can be used for parking should be made visible.

Parking receipts are a good way to reduce losses, but the municipality should use the money to improve parking facilities, like drawing the white lines. It might make the city look better if the cars were parked neatly.

I don't care if a parking attendant doesn't give me a receipt. I think of it as a way of helping the needy.

Parking in an office building is hard because the lots are too narrow. I have difficulty turning my car.

Ina, student of Faculty of medicine of University of Indonesia:

I think parking in Jakarta is still a big problem. Along some streets, in Blok M for example, street vendors take over the parking spaces. In Pasar Baru, you pay Rp 300 when entering the area and pay the parking attendant again to help you get out of the parking lot. He makes you feel uneasy if you don't.

In areas where thugs hang out they demand money too.

Fortunately, I have never had my car stolen or broken into.

I think it is important to make Indonesians understand they should ask for a receipt, but I never ask for it either." 0

Bronto, a customer service officer of a private company:

Our office is located in downtown. During lunch time, it is very difficult to find a parking space because most of the buildings in the area don't have parking garages. It is also hard to find a place to park around Blok M.

It usually easier to park in the compounds of private companies. They only reserve some places for the big bosses. It's different with many state companies. At the Garuda or Pertamina offices in Gambir, for example, guests often find it hard to park their cars, although there are vacant spots, because they are reserved for employees.

Another problem is that parking attendants often don't give you change. In many shopping areas, you have to pay twice: once when entering and then to an illegal attendant. The lottery ticket system won't change things as long as the government doesn't act against the illegal parking attendants.

I think Jakarta should do what Purworejo, a city in Central Java, does. When I visited my wife's parents recently, I was amazed that we were asked to pay only once a day. If you have a parking ticket, you can use it anywhere in the city on the same day. (als)