SIBU: Wholesaler Wong Hai Liong stood stunned when he was summoned for ‘obstructing traffic’ along Central Market at Channel Road while unloading on Monday.
The car that was parked at the lot designated for loading and unloading of goods. A signboard at the side of it states so.
Hai Liong had parked his 4WD vehicle, laden with groceries, there at about 10.20am.
What puzzled him most was his vehicle was in an area designated for loading and unloading purposes.
After unloading his goods, he left his vehicle there in order to deliver the groceries to vendors in the market.
When he returned 10 minutes later, a traffic summons ticket awaited him.
“I have been using this designated parking area for four years and never had any trouble with Sibu Municipal Council’s enforcement officers.”
Hai Liong is fuming because he felt the policeman who issued the summons was not doing his job well.
He wondered why the policeman did not see the signboard at the area where he had parked.
The signboard indicated the area was for loading and unloading.
Another mystery cropped up when he saw the name of the policeman.
It was the same policeman who had slapped him with five tickets for traffic offences committed elsewhere over the years.
“I was shocked when I read the summons ticket, for it had come from the same police officer for the sixth time.
“Is he following me?”
Hai Liong shows his summons ticket.
Hai Liong said he would go to the police to resolve this matter.
Before that, he took his complaint to Dudong assemblyman Yap Hoi Liong, and both of them went to the Central Market on Tuesday.
“Indeed, he was parking in the parking box for loading and unloading,” said Yap.
Yap hoped the police would not make things complicated for businessmen loading and unloading there.
Sibu Municipal Council’s deputy chairman Datuk Andrew Wong Kee Yew, when contacted, confirmed the council’s officer also do issue traffic summonses outside the market.
He confirmed there were parking boxes there for loading and unloading but would not comment on the action taken by the police.
Andrew advised Hai Liong to settle this matter with the police.
“For our enforcement officers, if the wholesaler is in the act of loading and unloading, this will not amount to a traffic offence.
“But if he walks away to deliver his goods, that act is no longer an act of unloading. Leaving his car then amounts to illegal parking on a lot designated for loading and unloading.”
“In the event of a need to deliver goods urgently, leave a person behind in the vehicle.”
He added the council was concerned with heavy traffic at Channel Road and that was why its officers had been strict.
“Since we tightened controls at the beginning of the year, the situation has improved.
“It has become much better now.”
The vehicle loaded with groceries.
With the traffic flow having improved at the side of the market, Andrew found another headache – traffic congestion mushroomed at the other side of the road, where rows of shops stand.
“Drivers have been parking indiscriminately outside the shops here; double-parking has been so common.”
Andrew vowed the council would act.
“We have been issuing summonses and the situation has improved slightly.