The city administration plans to impose a new parking system on the street using prepaid cards next month. Residents, however, told The Jakarta Post that they doubted its effectiveness due to the existence of thugs on parking lot.

Chris Ismutyanto, 46, manager of local non-governmental organization in South Jakarta:

I think the new parking system will not be effective due to the existence of thugs. It is no wonder that the city administration get less revenue because most of the money is collected by thugs, who then hand out some to the city officials to secure their operation.

Would this be imposed, the system will only favor a certain group that runs the project.

In a way, paying the thugs will make our cars a bit safer. But with the new system, they would not likely secure our cars and the condition will make the motorists feel more unsafe.

It is hard to reject the thugs' demand for parking fees as otherwise our vehicles would be prone to vandalism, I guess.

So, the consumers in this case should pay double namely for the prepaid parking cards and the hoodlums as the parking attendants.

I would rather agree to a parking system stipulating expensive parking fees. It is meant to minimize the volume of unproductive vehicles on the street and the parking lots.

Bobi, 27, is a parking attendant in Blok M, South Jakarta:

I would not agree with the new parking system because the use of prepaid cards will affect my income.

Frankly, I used to be a bad guy and now I learn to be good by doing this job. The new system will kill me as low income earner.

Besides, I will feel uneasy then if I should ask parking fee to those holding prepaid cards. I'm sure I will be in difficult situation.

The city government never sides with the low income brackets like me. I'm just one of the other hundreds parking attendants who would probably lose the income from parking.

I don't have any idea of how to get by my life. Should I turn to my dark world again due to this unfavorable situation?

Nurul, 24, is an employee to a private company in Tanjung Priok, North Jakarta:

I would agree with the new parking system only if it guarantees the security. The city government must not be profit oriented and ignore the public rights.

I'm afraid that the new parking system will be ineffective. As long as the government let the hoodlums exist on the street parking, the car owners will even pay double spending, to the government and the thugs.

The thugs may damage the portable electronic tools used in the new parking system as it is deemed as an obstacle in generating their income.

An employee poured hot coffee on the electronic machine for attendance at an office because he did not like the system, let alone on the thugs.

-- Leo Wahyudi S