'New parking system will worsen traffic problems'

'New parking system will worsen traffic problems'

Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

A pilot project for a new on-street parking system is just around
the corner, but activists say the scheme will not ease the
capital's traffic woes and has little hope of succeeding where
other parking systems have failed.

"Worse still, the decision to introduce the new parking system
was taken without any public consultation or with the agreement
of the City Council," Azas Tigor Nainggolan from the Jakarta
Residents Forum told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.

"If the city administration fails to provide a reasonable
argument (in support of the system), then I suspect it is a
project whose benefits will only be enjoyed by a few," he said.

Tigor said any parking system should have only two goals: to
ease traffic problems and to increase city revenue.

In Jakarta, he said, on-street parking is the main contributor
to traffic congestion and therefore should be limited by
increasing parking rates.

"The new system is contrary to the administration's earlier
commitment to finding a way to reduce the use of private cars,"
he said.

Starting next month, the administration will introduce on a
limited basis the use of prepaid cards for on-street parking. The
new system is a bid to ensure that all parking revenue goes into
the city's coffers.

Last year, the city set a revenue target of Rp 32 billion from
on-street parking but only collected about 40 percent of this
amount.

The new parking system will be operated by a firm appointed by
the administration, PT Adi Wira Sembada. It will be introduced as
pilot project 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 included among the 434 official on-
street parking locations in the city, aside from another 87
unofficial on-street parking areas reportedly run by thugs.

PT Adi Wira Sembada assistant general manager Kuntowibisono
said car owners would be required to purchase refillable parking
cards of varying values. Motorists will give the cards to parking
attendants, who will use portable electronic machines to register
them. Parking fees will be automatically deducted from the cards
depending on how long their cars are parked.

The head of the city's parking agency, Yani Mulyadi, said on
Tuesday that parking rates would remain the same at Rp 1,000 per
hour.

A prototype parking card shown to reporters on Tuesday was
similar in size to a credit card, with the logo of the Artha
Graha Group imprinted on it.

Tulus Abadi from the Indonesian Consumers Foundation reacted
negatively to the administration's plan.

"The administration should first improve its parking
management so there would be no more leakage of parking revenue.
Its service also requires improvement, for example compensating
car owners should their parked cars be stolen or damaged," Tulus
told the Post.

He also questioned the administration's commitment to revising
Bylaw No. 5/1999 on parking management. Early drafts of the
revision have emphasized the need to reduce on-street parking.

Residents also expressed doubt about the new system, with many
saying they were confused as to how it would work.

Bintang, 37, who lives in Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta, and
often parks along Jl. Gajah Mada and in Blok M, South Jakarta,
said it would likely be troublesome to get the prepaid cards.

"Wouldn't it be a waste if we don't park in the same location
every day if the cards have a limited use?" he asked.