Proposed parking scheme includes insurance: Rodja
JAKARTA (JP): A parking scheme which also includes insurance and a sports fund was proposed by a private company to the City Council yesterday.
Councilor M. Rodja said under the proposal, a parking fee of Rp 1,000 (41 U.S. cents) for the first hour and Rp 500 for subsequent hours for sedans would be charged. Motorcycles would be charged a flat rate of Rp 500.
"We welcome the proposal which includes insurance because it would protect motorists. But a private company cannot determine the amount of parking fees collected by the city," said Rodja, who attended a meeting on the proposal.
Earlier, a municipality proposal on increasing parking fees raised an uproar. Critics said an increase should cover insurance.
The parking scheme was proposed by PT Kartika Talang Mas, of which Army-owned Kartika Eka Paksi Foundation owns 17 percent.
In the proposal, the initial fee of Rp 1,000 for sedans would be divided into Rp 500 for parking, Rp 300 for insurance and Rp 200 for the National Sports Council (KONI).
The Rp 500 for motorcycle parking would comprise Rp 300 for parking, Rp 100 for insurance and Rp 100 for KONI.
The company said the scheme aimed at involving the public in sports development. Many have blamed the country's poor sports performance on a lack of funds.
Rodja, a member of the council's Commission D for development affairs, said all parking fees should go to the city.
"If parking tickets were to include insurance or sports fund- raising, it would be up to the municipality to determine the allocation," Rodja said.
PT Kartika said the scheme was expected to prevent the collection of illegal parking fees and to raise city revenue.
Motorists are often charged more than official rates.
The company said an insurance company would cover motorists for stolen or damaged vehicles on a parking lot if reported within 48 hours.
Claims
Motorists would have to show a parking ticket and their claims would have to be supported by parking attendants.
However lost items in cars and car accessories like tape recorders would not be covered.
PT Kartika recorded that in 1995, 859 cars and 3,200 motorcycles were stolen in parking areas. In 1996, 983 parked cars and 2,597 motorcycles disappeared. From new year to March this year, 168 cars have been stolen.
The company estimated it could gain Rp 500 million per day, or Rp 150 billion per year, from around 500,000 cars parked once a day.
From motorcycles, the company estimated it could collect Rp 500 million per day and Rp 150 billion per year from one million motorcycles parked once a day.
Rodja said the scheme was the first proposed that included insurance. Other private companies had lost interest in managing parking after further study of the city's parking problems.
The parking agency has come under fire for its failure to reach its revenue target. In the 1995/1996 fiscal year, the agency collected Rp 11 billion ($4.5 million), Rp 5 billion ($2 million) less than expected.
The city now has some 2,450,000 cars and 4,238,000 motorcycles. (ste)