THE decision by several private car park operators in Kota Kinabalu to increase their fees this year has sparked widespread protests among vehicle owners.
The problem can only get worse for vehicle owners in the future as they are at the mercy of the operators who can raise fees unchecked due to the absence of laws to regulate parking fees in the state.
For instance, Part II of the City of Kota Kinabalu (Licensing and Control of Private Car Parks) By-laws 2018 lacks provisions to regulate fee structures.
Former Sabah Law Society president Roger Chin told The Vibes that the 2018 by-law has minimal scope, covering only matters like safety, security and maintenance.
It has no provision for fees, he said.
“There is a need for legislation to ensure affordability,” he said.
There has been an acute car park shortage in Kota Kinabalu for years. Dewan Bandaraya Kota Kinabalu (DBKK) manages around 10,300 car parks.
Kota Kinabalu alone has over 100,000 registered vehicles and tens of thousands more from other districts like Penampang, Papar and Tuaran who drive into the city for work and shopping daily.
Experts believe the number of cars entering the city can only increase in the years to come due to the lacklustre public transportation services.
This leaves vehicle owners no choice but to use private car park services or be forced to park illegally in undesignated zones.
Starting this year, some operators have increased their rates to RM4 for the initial three or four hours and RM1 an hour in the subsequent hours.
The parking rates were RM3 for the first initial three or four hours, previously.
The hike may not be high but it has stirred frustration due to the already higher costs incurred when moving about in the city.
Sabah Umno youth chief Abdul Aziz Julkarnain said he had been swarmed with complaints over the new hikes and said that DBKK should intervene.
According to him, DBKK should emulate the by-laws of other states, citing the district council of Kota Tinggi in Johor Bahru where parking operators are required to obtain the approval of the council first before setting their fees.
The minister-in-charge of DBKK, Datuk Abidin Madingkir when contacted also admitted the local government has no authority to regulate parking fees, but the provisions can be included if they were needed.
“We can amend the Local Government Ordinance to include such powers. But there must be an engagement with the private operators first,” he said. - The Vibes, January 17, 2024
