KUCHING: Does it make sense when overparking charges are put on a car already on a seasoned parking ticket?
DISGRUNTLED: A few of the affected vehicle owners at the press conference with Sih (seated second right).
It doesn’t, but this is a frequent phenomenon in the Green Road area.
And after the payment period for the overcharge has lapsed, compound notices are issued by Kuching North City Commission (DBKU).
The residents and business community in the area are losing their cool over this problem which they claimed had been going on for years.
A stall operator, identified only as Leong, said he kept receiving compound notices for not settling overparking fees — the bills for which were never received.
“We normally find the bills placed under our vehicle’s windscreen wipers after the period is exceeded. But in the Green Road area we do not see any overparking bills.”
Leong told reporters this at a press conference held at a coffee shop at Green Road.
It was also attended by Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) Youth chief Sih Hua Thong.
“All we receive at the end of the day is a compound issued by the DBKU where we are charged RM10 for each late payment. At one time I was really surprised when the total sum I needed to settle reached around RM700.
“At that time I was using my first car but after I could not stand it anymore, I started using my second car and decided to get a season parking coupon at RM42 per month. Even then, I still continue to receive compounds for failing to settle parking fees on time, which to me is really weird,” he said.
He complained that he had been using seasoned parking coupon for the last two years, during which he received the compounds until the total came to about RM700.
Leong said his case was evidence that the parking attendant had not done the checking on the ground, but was making estimates based on vehicles regularly seen in the area.
He said he could have easily got his compounds cancelled or struck out but he wanted the malpractice exposed, so it would reach the knowledge of the highest authority.
“If I go to the DBKU office individually, I know they will cancel my compounds but that will not be the end of the problem. Moreover I am not the only person affected,” he said.
The other weird case was when a car always parked at a nearby private car porch was served compounds.
The owner, Lee, also a hawker, said there were many others facing the same problem but hers was the worst as she had never used the public parking lots as her house is just a stone-throw away from it.
“I really cannot understand how it was possible for my family car — which is always kept in the car porch of our house behind the shop lots — to be charged for overparking,” she said.
Sih, a Political Secretary to the Chief Minister, assured that he would bring the matter to the attention of the authorities concerned.
“We want the relevant authorities to look into this matter because we don’t want it to get out of hand. The complainants, about 50 of them, were losing their temper but I managed to calm them down.
“We don’t want to put the blame on anyone here but it is for the authority concerned to investigate and rectify,” said Sih.