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)