PDI Perjuangan favors one parking operator

JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) faction in the City Council urged the administration on Thursday to appoint only one private company to manage the city's on-street parking.

Faction chairman Audy I.Z. Tambunan also said it was necessary for the city administration to appoint a parking operator soon to avoid any negative public opinion.

"People might assume the administration still wants to take advantage of the City Parking Agency, which is believed to be a financial source for certain officials," Audy said.

City Council leaders suggested the administration appoint PT Adiwira Sembada and PT Mega Masagena Nusantara to manage the capital's on-street parking. They said Adiwira Sembada could manage parking in Central and South Jakarta, while Mega Masagena Nusantara could run the parking in West, North and East Jakarta.

Tambunan said the government should appoint PT Adiwira to manage on-street parking across the capital because the company had pledged to contribute Rp 12 billion (US$1.2 million) to the city's coffers. This compares to the Rp 1.2 billion in revenue achieved last year by the City Parking Agency, following average losses of Rp 4.5 billion over the previous two years.

Another PDI Perjuangan councillor, Jannes Pardosi, denied his faction was backing PT Adiwira for any other reason but the qualifications of the company.

"Our support for the company is based on a study by the School of Technology at the University of Indonesia of the four companies who bid for the management of the city's parking," Jannes said.

The study ranked PT Adiwira as the best of the four companies, followed by PT Mega Masagena Nusantara.

Jannes also said PT Adiwira had promised to employ all of the City Parking Agency's more than 10,000 parking attendants.

It will also be easier for the city administration to monitor parking if it is managed by one operator instead of two, Jannes said.

He said council leaders suggested appointing two companies to manage on-street parking during a meeting which was not attended by the City Council's deputy chairman from PDI Perjuangan, Tarmidi Suhardjo. (jun)