Food truck operators defy DBKL, hog public parking spots

ERRANT food truck operators continue to monopolise public parking spaces in the city centre, ignoring Kuala Lumpur City Hall’s (DBKL) instructions to the contrary. 

The operators said they could not be solely blamed for this situation and hoped a meeting with the KL mayor next week would produce a good outcome.  

A check by The Vibes found that several food truck operators had stationed their vehicles permanently in these areas.  

This prompted residents and other stakeholders to raise concerns over the matter. They said the food truck operators involved were becoming a nuisance.  

In Brickfields, for example, several food trucks are permanently occupying the public parking spots opposite NU Sentral Shopping Centre on Jalan Tun Sambanthan.  

Brickfields Rukun Tetangga chairman SKK Naidu criticised the irresponsible food vendors. 

“Already Brickfields has very few public parking spots and these food trucks are now occupying it and leaving their vehicles there permanently.  

“Members of the public are finding it difficult to get parking around the area because now a number of food trucks have occupied the parking spaces permanently,” he told The Vibes.  

To a previous request for comment on the matter, DBKL said food trucks are not allowed to conduct businesses in public parking lots. 

DBKL’s corporate communications unit said no permission had been given to these vendors to use the parking lots. 

A random check by The Vibes in Brickfields found that food truck operators had left their vehicles at public parking spots well beyond trading hours. 

Naidu said he would not complain if the food sellers removed their vehicles after conducting business there.  

“The food truck operators should not ‘chup’ public parking spots. They should be considerate of others. 

“They should take the initiative to come early and look for parking spots instead of occupying public parking as if it is their own spot,” Naidu said.  

Naidu added that enforcement officers should be more efficient in taking appropriate action against those who hog public parking spots without approval.  

“DBKL should tow away such food trucks. Only then, the food truck operators will be more worried and not repeat such a thing,” Naidu said, adding that besides food truck operators, several residents had also abandoned unused vehicles in these spaces.  

A restaurant operator along Jalan Tun Sambanthan said the action of the food truck operators in permanently leaving the vehicles at public parking lots had driven away customers and affected his business. 

“Some may think we say it because of competition but it is beyond that.  

“Some are not selling food but just beverages so it is not competition for us, but they tend to leave the vehicles overnight, and customers who are coming to our restaurants will have a difficult time finding parking because of their inconsiderate act,” the restaurant operator, who wished to remain anonymous, said.  

Defies concept of mobile food business 

Kuala Lumpur Food Truck Entrepreneur Association (KLFTEA) president Muhammad Azlan Abas also condemned the monopolisation of public parking spaces by food truck operators.  

Azlan said it defied the purpose of having a mobile food business. 

“If they are there permanently, there is no point in buying a food truck. Instead, they can have a permanent structured kiosk and operate that.  

“The food truck is supposed to be mobile and for a ‘hit and run’ business. After a certain time, they have to vacate the place. The rules and guidelines for food truck operators do not allow them to permanently leave their vehicles there,” he told The Vibes. 

Azlan said food truck operators did not mean to cause offence but were left without a solution to their woes.  

“There are designated parking spaces for food trucks in KL and these are indicated by marking the parking spaces in red and signboards put up in the specific lots.  

“But there are frequent instances where the public ignorantly remove the signboards and park their vehicles there. 

“So, food truck operators end up parking at spaces not designated for them,” he said, claiming that DBKL had only allocated 200 parking spaces in the city centre for them. 

Azlan said the matter could be resolved with proper enforcement and consideration from the public. He said this took a whole-of-society approach.  

“We can educate the public, but the public also needs to make efforts to be considerate towards food truck operators.  

“We food truck operators are the paradigm of transformation. We are working towards achieving the government’s policy of transformation,” he said.  

Previously, Azlan had said DBKL must have a dialogue with food truck operators to address the problems they face. 

He confirmed today that KLFTEA – boasting over 700 members manning 2,000 food trucks – was granted a meeting with the KL mayor next week. 

“We received an email on July 2 confirming the meeting with the mayor on July 9. 

“We will bring forward all our issues and suggestions to the mayor so that we are able to get a win-win solution for all,” he added. – July 3, 2024.