Outcry on parking upsets Surjadi

JAKARTA (JP): Governor Surjadi Soedirdja said yesterday he was surprised by the enormous public outcry about the city's plan to increase parking fees.

Speaking to reporters during a break in the governors' meeting at the Ministry of Home Affairs, Surjadi said he had no idea why the public had reacted so strongly.

"The administration has yet to issue the bill on new parking fee regulations," he said.

"I am very concerned about those who wasted their energy commenting and responding. They have gone too far. I am very surprised," he said.

He did not deny the administration planned to increase parking fees. "But the administration will not burden the people. We will take their ability to pay into consideration before deciding the new fees," he said.

The public was outraged by the administration's plan to increase parking fees to up to Rp 5,000 a time in limited areas without parking meters, or for the first hour in areas with meters.

Motorists objected, saying the planned increase was unrealistic.

Tini Hadad, chairwoman of the Indonesian Consumers' Foundation, also slammed the plan. She said even an increase of up to Rp 2,000 for the first hour would only be acceptable at expensive shopping centers.

The head of city council's Commission C for revenue, Helmy AR Syihab said parking fees were not the only source of revenue for the administration.

"There are many official agencies able to contribute to the revenue," he said Monday.

City secretary Harun Al Rasyid said the increase in parking fees should be paralleled with better management of parking lots and better control over parking attendants collecting parking fees at illegal parking lots.

There are many unlisted parking areas that contribute nothing to the city revenue office.

The City Parking Agency has come under fire for its failure to reach targeted revenue. Last year it collected only Rp 11 billion, Rp 5 billion below its target. (sur/imn/11)