KLites: Two-hour limit too short

PETALING JAYA: City folk reacted strongly to the two-hour limit for metered parking that will be imposed in areas within Kuala Lumpur beginning July 16.

While many are unhappy with the move, some are willing to take public transport or even change their driving habits.

Executive Alicia Yeoh, 27, said most people chose to use the metered bays due to expensive parking charges imposed by building managements.

“It will be hard to depend on public transport as at times, during peak period, there will be delay in service,” she said.

Facebook user Carmen Kkm said many KL-ites travelling into the city area might not live near public transportation hubs.

Earlier yesterday, Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor (pic) said that the two-hour ruling would start in the Central Business District (CBD) areas like Bukit Bintang, KLCC and Ampang.

Warning that motorists who exceeded the limit would see their vehicles clamped or towed away, he said the new system would also see an increase in parking fees to RM2 for the first hour and RM3 for the second hour.

He said the move was to encourage the use of public transport and to deter motorists from hogging parking space for long hours.

One Facebook user known as Warwolf Prime said: “Good. I’ll go get Uber then.”

Another netizen, Nazlan Munid, said this new parking arrangement was no different than in some Western cities.

“Just like any other Western cities... Long parking in multi-storey garages. Parking in Sydney, Washington DC can be about US$25 (almost RM100) but their public transport is good,” he wrote.

Susilan Kesavan proposed an even broader solution like limiting the number of cars per household. “Why do you need so many?”

“In Malaysia, it will work if the implementation and monitoring are upgraded,” wrote Razman Yahaya.

Ray Chua, who works in the KLCC area, said such a ruling assumed that everyone who drove into the city did it only to run quick errands.

“However, there are many others who drive into the city to work, attend meetings or seek medical treatment which could go beyond two hours.

“They will be greatly inconvenienced because although the public transport network has improved, it has yet to come up to a desirable standard,” he said.

A lawyer, who wished to be known as Parmes, said although the RM2 fee was all right, the two-hour parking limit might not be practical.

“Malaysians like to shop with their family and the limited time of two hours would mean that we have to stop shopping, walk back to the car, look for a new parking spot and re-park,” she said, adding that the RM2 fee and gradual increase might encourage people to go about their business briskly.

“But we must learn to take public transport and adopt new attitudes.”