Hike in KK parking fees premature: MCA Wanita
Published on: Saturday, November 01, 2014
Larry
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RalonKOTA KINABALU: MCA Kota Kinabalu Wanita Chief Dr Pamela Yong has told Kota Kinabalu City Hall to firstly put in place a more 'accessible-and-reliable' public transportation system in the city, before increasing the parking rates.
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She said this during a dialogue held between the residents of Taman Foh Sang and City Hall recently, which was aimed chiefly to discuss the sharp increase in the city's parking rates following the introduction of the City Hall's Coupon Parking System, on Oct 1. Also present were Datuk Edward Yong Oui Fah, Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister, City Hall Director-General Datuk Yeoh Boon Hai and Datuk Agnes Shim Tshin Nyuk, MCA Kota Kinabalu Chief.She said it seems that parking lots in front of shops are now going at a rate of RM0.55 per half hour, which is a staggering 165 per cent increase from its previous rate of RM0.20. "Likewise, the monthly parking coupon has also increased from RM22.25 to RM53 per calendar month, an increase of RM30.75 or 138 per cent," she said.
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She said the RM500 penalty imposed on those who failed to pay the parking fees under the new parking system, is also too stiff.Praising City Hall for its effort in improving the parking system in the city, she nevertheless believed that the hike in its parking rates was premature and to a large extent, burdensome to the public amidst the escalating cost of living."Although it would seem that such a steep hike in the parking fees, especially in highly-congested areas, will encourage a high turn-over of parking lots, acceptable alternative parking spaces within reasonable walking distance should be made available in the first instance," she contended.Dr Pamela said City Hall should step up its efforts to facilitate a speedy implementation of the proposed RM30 million multi-storey parking complex, which was announced by the Minister of Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government, Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan, during the Mid-Autumn Festival walk-about in Foh Sang which was organised by MCA Kota Kinabalu, under the initiative of Datuk Agnes Shim in early September."The construction of the proposed multi-storey car park would definitely help ease the shortage of parking spaces suffered by the Foh Sang folks for so many years."It would perhaps serve as a more appropriate time to increase parking rates in these 'peak' zones, when it (the multi-storey car park) is completed," she said.She also suggested that designated parking lots for the disabled too should be strategically included in the proposed plan, stressing that it would be a gross disadvantage to those with mobility difficulties to pay high rates for better access, since they are unable to park at distance.Dr Pamela, who is also in charge of MCA Sabah Public Complaints Bureau, further opined that City Hall should step up efforts to provide a decent infrastructure to encourage cycling as an alternative mode of transportation in the city.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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