YLKI hails newly proposed parking scheme

YLKI hails newly proposed parking scheme

JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Consumers Foundation (YLKI)
hailed a proposed parking scheme which includes insurance for
stolen or damaged vehicles.

The foundation's chairperson, Tini Hadad, urged the
municipality to give its full support to the scheme to assure
motorists' protection while parking their vehicles.

"Currently, there is no protection for motorists," Tini said
yesterday.

The parking scheme, which includes insurance and a sports
fund, was proposed by PT Kartika Talang Mas to the City Council
on Monday.

Under the proposal, a parking fee of Rp 1,000 (U.S. 41 cents)
will be charged for the first hour and Rp 500 for each subsequent
hour for sedans. Motorcycles would be charged a flat fee of Rp
500.

In the scheme, the initial fee of Rp 1,000 for cars would be
divided into Rp 500 for parking, Rp 300 for insurance and Rp 200
for the National Sports Council (KONI), while Rp 500 for
motorcycle parking would comprise Rp 300 for parking, Rp 100 for
insurance and Rp 100 for KONI.

An earlier city proposal to increase parking fees received
criticism because it did not provide insurance.

Tini said motorists would not object to higher parking fees as
long as they felt secure about their vehicles.

She said insurance companies involved in the scheme should be
carefully selected.

"An insurance company should really guarantee it will
compensate for a stolen or damaged vehicle," Tini said.

However she questioned the need to raise sports funds through
parking.

"There is no point in raising sports funds through parking if
the public is still required to support sports events, such as
buying stickers for the coming SEA Games," Tini said.

Besides, there are other things which badly need funding,
such as education, she said.

As host for the 19th SEA Games from Oct. 11 to Oct. 19, the
government is selling stickers to the public for between Rp 1,000
and Rp 50,000 to help finance the Rp 100 billion sports event.

Stickers are included in various bills, including water,
electricity and telephone bills, as well as entry to
entertainment establishments. Stickers must also be bought by
grocery shoppers spending more than Rp 50,000 and those applying
for land titles.

Governor Surjadi Soedirdja said that the city welcomed the new
proposal to manage city parking.

"But no decisions have been made... Proposals to manage city
parking have to go through the City Council," Surjadi said.

He said some private companies have proposed to manage
parking, but none of them have been approved yet.

Tini said if the proposal was approved, there should be a
detailed use of funds by the management.

Tini urged the city and the council to carefully evaluate the
proposal before making it effective.

Several companies who proposed to manage city parking lost
interest after further evaluation of chronic parking problems,
such as the illegal, widespread collection of parking fees. (ste)