Residents denounce new parking rates in Medan

Residents denounce new parking rates in Medan

Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Medan, North Sumatra

The public have lashed out at exorbitant parking fees newly
imposed by the local government at six spots in Medan, saying
that the fees, seven times higher than previously, are a great
burden on the public.

"These are the highest parking fees in Indonesia, possibly
even all of Southeast Asia," said Abdul Hadi, secretary to the
social and economic research institute at North Sumatra
University (USU).

The average parking fee for cars in Jakarta, for example,
ranges from Rp 1,000 to Rp 2,000 per hour.

Abdul was commenting on a recent controversial bylaw passed by
Medan legislative council, which increased parking fees in six
spots in Medan from Rp 1,000 to Rp 7,500.

The six spots were parts of streets along Jl. Thamrin, Jl. AIP
Tubun, Jl. Sutomo, Jl. Pandu, Jl. Cirebon and Jl. Achmad Yani.

The spots were adjacent to shops along the streets, where
people usually parked their cars and motorcycles.

The new fees are imposed on all types of cars and motorcycles
wishing to park. Cars are charged Rp 7,500 per hour, pickup vans
below three tons Rp 10,000, buses or tanker trucks Rp 12,000 and
motorcycles Rp 2,000 per hour.

The decision, which was taken at a council plenary meeting
last week, has split even the council itself.

Of the total 45 members of Medan legislative council, 20
agreed that the regulation, proposed by the Medan municipal
government, had to be put into effect.

Eight members from the National Mandate Party (PAN) faction
rejected the bylaw, one member abstained and the remaining 16
were absent from the plenary meeting.

"Having passed the bylaw, the legislative council has merely
become a rubber stamp of the Medan municipal government. It no
longer represents the aspirations of Medan people," said Abdul.

However, chairman of the council's special committee on
parking Harmain Oesmain defended the policy.

He said that the newly imposed parking fee was instrumental in
overcoming severe traffic congestion in the six spots, which were
among the city's main thoroughfares.

A similar argument was also made by Medan mayor Abdillah.

According to Abdillah, by imposing exorbitant parking fees at
those spots, they could deter motorists from parking there,
leaving space for cars and motorcycles to pass by, thus allowing
the traffic to flow smoothly.

However, chairman of the PAN faction Putrama Al Khairi
rejected the argument. He said that the raising of parking fees
would not overcome the problem of traffic congestion on Medan's
main thoroughfares.

In order to reduce traffic congestion, the local government
and council would have to impose a policy that limited the number
of cars and motorcycles in Medan, he said, without elaborating.