KOTA KINABALU: DBKK Holdings Sdn Bhd, the company handling car park management for the Kota Kinabalu City Hall (DBKK), will give motorists a month to get familiar with the Coupon Parking System (CPS) which will be introduced next month.
The Monthly Parking Coupon.
The Hourly Parking Coupon.
Its executive director, Kenny Chan Kok Ming, said motorists could be fined up to RM500 for failing to comply with the system which replaces the existing Ticket Parking System, after a month of implementation.
A total of 12,000 car parks will be affected by the change, which include parking spaces in KK city centre, as well as outside the city centre under the jurisdiction of DBKK, namely Sadong Jaya, Karamunsing, Sembulan, Grace Square, Tanjung Aru, Damai Plaza, Foh Sang, Lintas, Lido, Inanam, Kingfisher Likas, Likas Plaza, Likas Kosan and a few more housing areas.
“I understand that some people would need time to study the new parking system. That is why DBKK is issuing a friendly reminder notice for those who fail to display the parking coupon on their vehicle dashboard,” he said.
Chan told The Borneo Post yesterday that the benefits of the new CPS include higher turnover and improved availability of car parks; users do not need to look for a parking attendant to pay for their parking tickets; no more worries about lost parking tickets; and no more penalty charges due to unpaid or outstanding parking tickets.
According to Chan, for the new CPS, two types of parking coupons would be introduced, namely the hourly coupon and the monthly parking coupon (MPC) for the convenience of motorists here.
The hourly coupons are available at RM0.55 each and can be bought at DBKK Building, Jalan Bandaran; DBKK Holdings Sdn Bhd Car Park Management Division at KK Plaza Shopping Complex; UTC Tower Kota Kinabalu; DBKK parking booths as well as from DBKK parking attendants.
As for the monthly parking, motorists can buy the coupons which can be used for a month for RM50 in green zone parking spaces (Category B Long Term parking).
“This is more like a season parking ticket for workers and shop owners who need to park long hours everyday. This will encourage higher turnover of parking in category A and A1 parking spaces as motorists will not park long at these spaces,” Chan said.
The MPC is also transferable to any car, which according to Chan, will be of great benefit to the users as the present monthly season ticket is only good for one specific vehicle.
Currently, parking spaces under the jurisdiction of DBKK are divided into three categories: A1 or red zone, A or yellow zone (short term) and B or green zone (long term). For category A1, the parking fee is at RM1 for every 30 minutes, whereas category A is RM0.50 for every 30 minutes, and category B RM0.50 per hour.
“Motorists can differentiate the category of parking spaces by referring to the available notice boards, as well as the colour at the bottom right of the parking box,” Chan explained.
A local motorist who is working in Lintas, Fizah Yusof, 29, thinks that the new CPS is convenient for the public.
“I think the previous parking ticket system is a hassle because I need to find a parking attendant to pay for my parking ticket everyday,” she said.
Nova Renata, 30, fully supports the new system that will be implemented and said it could prevent losing tickets and also prevent the accumulation of unpaid parking tickets.
However, Wendy Aaliyah Chong said it would not be convenient for visitors such as herself, who frequently has to drive from Sandakan to stay in KK for few days.
“I need to buy coupons each time I am here and to know the charges of different parking categories. I also think that it is not convenient for older people like my parents because they may need a longer time to adjust,” she explained.
Nor Ain Hassan thinks that DBKK should do a roadshow to promote and educate the public on the new system to avoid confusion before its implementation.
“Many people in KK still do not understand the new system” she said.
Meanwhile, DBKK also advised the public to settle all outstanding parking ticket fees by the end of September, to avoid any penalty charges.