Bays marked with blue lines are 24-hour parking facility that businesses rent for RM800 a month.
WHILE some residents in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, welcome a higher fine for parking misuse, they are now questioning the fairness of the city’s entire reserved parking system.
There are banners put up in various parts of the city announcing the implementation of a new maximum compound rate of RM300 for misusing seasonal parking bays effective this month.
Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) has raised the compound for the unauthorised use of seasonal (red line) and 24-hour (blue line) parking bays from RM100 to RM300.
On its social media page, MBPJ said this was to protect the rights of reserved parking users, increase the level of compliance with traffic regulations and ensure smoothness and comfort of users.
However, the core policy has drawn sharp criticism from community leaders who argue that it prioritises private profit over public access.
The monthly rental for seasonal parking bays is RM400.
“I welcome the increase in fines, but it is a waste of valuable public parking when it is rented out,” said community activist Selva Sugumaran.
“Local council facilities should serve all customers and businesses, but seasonal parking deprives other visitors who also patronise nearby shops,” he said.
He argued that reserved bays in busy commercial areas such as Section 14 and Petaling Jaya New Town should be eliminated entirely in favour of two-hour parking limits to improve traffic flow and cater to those running short-term errands.
Selva added that these bays were sometimes illegally occupied by food trucks.
The criticism extends to poor enforcement and a lack of public consultation.
Section 6 Rukun Tetangga chairman Rajesh Mansukhlal, a business owner himself, opposes the 24-hour system.
“Some businesses with a seasonal pass continue occupying the bays after 6pm, when the spaces should reopen to the public.
Rajesh: MBPJ should consult with residents associations about parking issues.
“The city council should have consulted residents associations before introducing 24-hour parking.
“I wasn’t even aware of it,” he said.
As a potential solution, Section 16/3 Petaling Jaya Residents Association chairman VKK Raja suggested MBPJ explore the use of technology such as artificial intelligence (AI).
“In Singapore, they have apps that show parking availability in real time,” he said.
“They can easily locate available bays, which reduces the need for reserved parking.”
However, not all residents opposed the idea.
Section 10 Residents Association chairman Ronald Danker supported the higher fines and did not mind the rental policy.
He noted that a large, free parking area in his neighbourhood mitigated any negative impact.
Reserved parking is a significant revenue generator for MBPJ.
According to MBPJ records, the city’s 1,225 rented bays generated RM3.47mil in revenue from January to July this year, with monthly rental costing RM400 for a seasonal bay and RM800 for a 24-hour bay.
