Residents cry foul as Kuchai parking trial fails to deliver

When the park-and-ride facility in the Kuchai MRT station is full, commuters park their vehicles in the nearby Kuchai Entrepreneurs Park, affecting the residents’ space. — LEW GUAN XI/The Star

THE parking woe in Kuchai Entrepreneurs Park, Kuala Lumpur, still remains after more than half a year since Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) rolled out a discounted monthly parking pass there.

At RM70, the pass is half the price of the normal RM140 pass and is designed to address the needs of the residents who decried the frequent summonses they received for parking their vehicles in front of the shophouses that they live in.

Seputeh People’s Representative Council Zone 2 chairman GP Sivam said some residents still could not find space to park their vehicles despite buying the RM70 pass, as some bays were illegally hogged by businesses.

“While some small traders are occupying the parking bays with their stalls, other businesses and individuals have “booked” the bays using barriers and traffic cones.

“They should apply for reserved parking bays from DBKL, but I was told by some business owners that the process was very bureaucratic,” he said.

Sivam also said that the number of parking bays in the park was still insufficient, especially when outsiders hog the bays for long hours.

“Based on my observation, about 30% to 40% of the motorists who park their vehicles in Kuchai Entrepreneurs Park are MRT users.

Sivam says residents cannot find parking space despite buying the RM70 pass as some bays are illegally hogged by businesses.

“They will leave their vehicles in the park and proceed to the nearby Kuchai MRT station.

“This raises the question – are there not enough parking bays in the MRT station’s park and ride facility?

“When MRT users are forced to park their vehicles in Kuchai Entrepreneurs Park, they are taking away the space that residents deserve, especially for those who have bought the monthly pass,” Sivam added.

The discounted pass started as a two-week trial project on June 24 last year, as reported in StarMetro’s article headlined “Discounted monthly parking in KL” published on June 30 last year.

DBKL executive director (Management) Nor Azlina Mohd Saad had stated that a post-mortem would be conducted after the trial period to determine whether the pass would be expanded to other areas in Kuala Lumpur.

StarMetro has reached out to DBKL for updates on the post-mortem and expansion plan, but has not received a response at press time. — By LEW GUAN XI