Municipality still studying proposed parking system
Municipality still studying proposed parking system
JAKARTA (JP): The municipality is still studying a proposal
made by a private company for the implementation of a parking-
with-prize system in the city, Governor Surjadi Soedirdja said.
"The company's representatives have met with us but we have
not made a decision on the proposal yet because city
administration still has to review and study it," Surjadi told
reporters at city hall yesterday.
Surjadi said that a thorough study is needed so as to prevent
city administration from approving a system which could damage
city revenues and cause negative impacts on the public.
"The administration will study whether or not the system can
increase city revenues as well as not cause public unrest," he
explained.
City authorities are currently considering involving the
private sector in the management of parking facilities, following
the failure of the city-owned parking agency, BP Parkir, to live
up to expectations.
The parking-with-prize system, which offer holders of parking
lot receipts lucrative prizes, is designed to encourage motorists
to insist on obtaining tickets from parking attendants, thereby
enabling BP Parkir to accurately calculate and control the
revenues.
The Municipality has set a revenue target of Rp 14.6 billion
(US$6.63 million) from parking fees in the current 1994/95 fiscal
year, which ends on March 31. But in the first nine months BP
Parkir managed to collect only Rp 9 billion and is unlikely to
meet the target. In 1993/94, BP Parkir collected Rp 9 billion,
well below the Rp 11.6 billion target.
Despite its inability to meet the target, the city has raised
the estimation in the revenues from the parking fees by 20
percent per year. In 1995/96, for example, the revenues are
expected to reach Rp 16.3 billion, Rp 22.8 billion in 1996/97 and
Rp 29.1 billion in 1997/98.
Minister for Social Services Inten Soeweno flatly rejected the
parking-with-prize plan recently on the grounds that it would
encourage people to gamble. "Without parking their cars people
can easily buy parking tickets outside the parking areas just to
get the prizes," she said.
Deputy Governor for Economic Affairs and Development Tb. Rais
said BP Parkir is repeatedly unable to meet the targets because
of leaks in its financial management. He expressed confidence
that through improvement of its management, the target will be
reached, even with a parking fee of only Rp 300 an hour.
Doddy Panduwinata, vice president of the Ikabina group which
made the original proposal on the prize system, told reporters on
Thursday that his company is ready to execute the plan as soon as
the city administration approves it.
Doddy said that his group has prepared all the requirements
needed for the implementation of the plan. "We will be ready if
the governor gives us the green light to implement the plan," he
reiterated.
He refused to go into details about his company, only saying
that firm was set up two years ago with interests in various
businesses ranging from hotel industry, transportation, power
plant and mining. (yns)