New parking system set to start on May 26
New parking system set to start on May 26
Zakki Hakim, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
A pilot project for a new on-street parking system is to be
launched on May 26 in five locations across the city despite
potential problems that may arise from its implementation.
One of the problems would be standardization of the amount to
be paid monthly to the parking attendants.
Under the current system a parking attendant could earn up to
Rp 1.5 million a month (approximately US$176), while under the
new system. payment would be based on the provincial minimum wage
(UMP) norm of about Rp 640,000 a month.
Mudakir, executive officer of the city's parking agency, told
The Jakarta Post on Tuesday that the minimum wage would not be
enough to cover the parking attendants daily costs. Therefore he
hoped their wages would not be far from their current income.
However, he admitted that the current income of the attendants
was a result of "irregularities", which the agency did nothing
about based on humanity considerations.
"According to the regulations, parking attendants get 25
percent of the parking revenue. In practice, they submit the 25
percent and keep the rest to cover their living costs," he said.
Kunto Wibisono, vice-general manager of the pilot project
operator, PT Adiwira Sembada, told the Post that the attendants
wages would be adjusted accordingly based on UMP.
He said that another issue could arise was the administrative
problems in the city's bureaucracy.
He said that his company had difficulties in another joint
project off-street parking, because the city administration kept
delaying their payment, which was supposed to be used to cover
operational costs.
A similar difficulty was likely to also happen in the on-
street project, which in the end would disturb operations, he
said.
However, he was optimistic that he could meet the city
administration's target by the end of this year. The new system
will be applied across Jakarta, on the condition that the parking
agency is disciplined in performing its supervising role and most
of all, in enforcing the law.
The new system was criticized by activists saying the scheme
would not ease the capital's traffic woes and had little hope of
succeeding where other parking systems had failed.
The project is a joint cooperation between the city
administration and a firm PT Adiwira Sembada that was appointed
by the city administration.
The pilot project, which is worth US$500,000, is to train 180
parking attendants, equip them with 200 ready-for-use portable
electronic parking machines, and launch the system in five
locations: Jl. Agus Salim in Central Jakarta, Jl. Raden Patah in
South Jakarta, Jl. Jatinegara Timur in East Jakarta, Jl. Bulevar
Kelapa Gading in North Jakarta and Jl. Gajah Mada in West
Jakarta.
These five locations are part of the 434 official on-street
parking lots in the city, besides another 87 unofficial on-street
parking areas, reportedly run by thugs.
There would be a simulation of the project in the parking
agency head office, Jl. Perintis Kemerdekaan, East Jakarta, on
May 20.
Kunto said car owners would be required to purchase parking
cards of varying prices. Motorists will give the cards to parking
attendants, who will use portable electronic parking machines to
register them. Parking fees will be automatically deducted from
the cards, depending on how long their cars are parked.