What Jakartan say about parking

JAKARTA (JP): Parking has become a long-standing and complex problem for Jakartans. Mismanagement, poor services, thuggery and unjustified additional levies are just a few of the difficulties they encounter.

The following are some Jakartans' experiences and thoughts on how to improve services.

Ingrid Widjanarko, runs an entertainment business under the flag of Ingrid Widjanarko & Associates (IWA): My late father, Bambang Widjanarko, was the director of PT. Parkir Jaya, when parking was privatized in the days of governor Ali Sadikin. The government then took over the city's parking management once again.

Nowadays there are just too many unofficial parking attendants who make us feel insecure. We actually do not mind paying extra, as long as we know that the goods inside the car will be safe.

The problem is, parking in buildings or hotels can cost up to Rp 5,000 (66 U.S. cents) and yet, if something is lost, these people don't want to be held responsible.

Sometimes the attendants will allow parallel parking even in areas where it's clearly not possible to have it, just because they need the extra money. It's okay if drivers let go of the hand brake ... cars can be pushed to let our car out. But, it becomes difficult when they leave their hand brakes up. Then we have to wait for the drivers of other cars in order to get out.

Parking here may improve with the use of parking machines.

I think parking should again be privatized. When my father was in charge, he hired people who would approach boys and other bums on the streets, speak to them properly, tell them that they will be paid a nominal fee and get them to become good parking attendants.

Of course, they would be given training for two weeks or so, and they would get jackets and money. They were made to feel part of the system and so did their jobs properly.

If it were privatized, I believe the service would be better and more people will get employed.

Government officials would not care about such matters. They are living off nominal wages so why should they approach boys on the streets for parking jobs. They couldn't care less.

Yeyet, a senior staffer at the British Council: The tariffs, particularly at the major shopping complexes, are still very high. It would be reasonable if the fees could be fixed at Rp 500 per hour everywhere.

Now, we have to think twice when we want to go to a shopping mall. Otherwise, we'll get nothing but have to pay the high parking fees.

That's why some of us sometimes prefer to go to shopping centers by taxis or other public transportation means.

With the current parking rates, you can imagine how much the parking bills would be if we shop for one or two hours, spend three hours at the cinema, and another hour on a meal. It's a lot of money.

Andhika S., 21, student at a private university in West Jakarta: "I park my car in front of Trisakti university because the parking lot in my campus is always full.

Academics and the university's officials get priority to park their vehicles inside the compound. To park at the nearby Ciputra Mall would cost me a great deal.

Sometimes, I park my car in the alleys near boarding houses. There, I have to pay only Rp 1,000 even if I park for six hours.

But if you park in illegal parking site, you certainly have to worry about your vehicle being vandalized or being stolen. Once, I found that my Cherokee Jeep had scratches on the left door, and it cost me quite a lot to repair it."

Irene, 37, housewife, living on Jl. Danau Indah Raya in Sunter housing complex, North Jakarta: In my opinion, parking fees at department stores are suitable, because we also have to pay for the supervision by security officers and for their services. Besides, we won't park our cars for more than a day.

It's different if we park our car anywhere else and have illegal parking attendants keep an eye on it. I won't take the risk of my car being burglarized. It took so many years of labor before I could buy one.

I don't really like to park on the roadside because it would hamper other vehicles. I get very upset when my path is hindered by vehicles parked in the wrong place.

Chris Tumelap, an employee of an international organization: In general, the parking conditions in the city are fine but I personally find it difficult to accept the parking business in the Dharmala building on Jl. Sudirman.

My head office is in that building and I have to attend regular meetings there at least once a week, I don't understand why they charge me Rp 1,000 for only five minutes of the second hour, while I know that the city's regulation only allows Rp 500 per hour.

We all understand that it's a time of monetary crisis but please don't let people get away with being such opportunists by charging more than they should.

In some malls, the management are professional enough to provide enough spaces and give good service but sometimes at the weekend, in certain malls like Plaza Senayan, it's hard to get in and out of the crowded premises. And if we're stuck in the long queue, additional fees will be charged.

But in Pasaraya you don't have to pay the extra if you can show a shopping bill of a certain minimum amount to prove that you went there to shop.

The whole concept (of charging to park at a building) is not really fair, although I know that a parking lot belongs to a certain building or mall. Wouldn't it be great to give its visitors some sort of bonus? (team)