It‘s only scratch and display from next year

Most standalone parking meters in Petaling Jaya have been cling-wrapped and will be removed by the end of December. — filepic

EFFECTIVE January 2018, motorists using public parking bays in Petaling Jaya will have to use the scratch-and-display coupons.

Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) has made a final decision to remove all parking meters that had been the subject of constant complaints from motorists.

Most of the standalone meters at this moment have been cling-wrapped and are awaiting to be removed before end of December.

Petaling Jaya mayor Datuk Mohd Azizi Mohd Zain said that since Petaling Jaya was a busy place, it needed effective street parking management.

“Motorists have been using scratch-and-display coupons since September and people have no complaints as the method is easier and has become preferable.”

“MBPJ has made the coupons available at convenience stores where 241 agents have been appointed.

“People can also get the coupons at MBPJ’s headquarters in Jalan Yong Shook Lin, MBPJ’s Kota Damansara branch counter and from the EZ-Pay mobile van,” he added.

Mohd Azizi said many women had told him that the coupon method was much safer as it did not require them to walk to the parking meter for the ticket and back to their car, thus exposing them to potential criminals lurking about.

Coupons are already on sale at convenience stores at 60sen per hour.

A booklet of 10 sheets costs RM6 while the the monthly pass is sold at RM100.

Mohd Azizi said even senior citizens found it more convenient too.

“From January to April 2018, MBPJ will oversee the sale of the coupons.

“After April, the management of the coupon sales will be outsourced,” he said at the council’s full board meeting.

He disclosed that there were 18 proposals from companies interested to implement parking payments via mobile apps.

“As of now, we have received 18 proposals from companies interested to operate the public parking areas using the mobile apps.

“At this moment, our Information Technology Department is reviewing the proposals,” he added.

Mohd Azizi said that once the mobile app was approved, it would become an option for those with smartphones.

“Both methods offer safety to motorists as it eliminates the need to walk around the parking area searching for a parking meter,” he said.

MBPJ terminated the parking concessionaire Godell Parking Sdn Bhd in June this year after it was reported that over 50% of the 700 parking meters involving 21,000 parking bays in the city were faulty.

Meanwhile, in updating the meeting about the dengue situation, Mohd Azizi said 3,192 cases including three deaths were reported in Petaling Jaya as of Nov 11.

This showed a 38% drop compared to the same period in 2016, where 5,154 cases were recorded.

“On an average, 71 cases are reported a week,” he said.

He urged the council’s Health Department to go on an aggressive campaign to reduce the dengue cases in Bukit Lanjan, Kota Damanasara, Seri Setia, Taman Medan, Damanasara Utama, Bukit Gasing and Kampung Tunku areas.