KOTA Kinabalu City Hall (DBKK) has never auctioned off vehicles seized for parking offences, although the relevant by-laws allow for such action subject to specific conditions and procedures, says the mayor.
Datuk Seri Sabin Samitah said that auctions conducted so far have involved only abandoned scrap vehicles to address issues related to cleanliness, safety and the use of public spaces.
Vehicle towing is carried out by DBKK as part of parking enforcement efforts to ensure roads and pedestrian walkways remain free of obstructions, he noted.
It is aimed at safeguarding public safety and interests, he said in a statement on Monday (Oct 5) amid growing public dissatisfaction over DBKK's threat to auction off unclaimed vehicles towed away for parking offences.
"Double-parking and obstructing traffic affect other road users and contribute to congestion. Areas that frequently receive complaints include the Kota Kinabalu Central Market, Anjung Kinabalu, Sinsuran and the Safma night market area.
"Fines alone cannot immediately resolve obstructions when vehicles are left unattended.
"Before a vehicle is towed, enforcement officers issue warnings through sirens and public announcements, requesting that it be moved," he said.
Sabin said towing is only done as a last resort if the instructions are ignored, in order to reopen blocked access routes.
"Parking facilities in the city centre are generally sufficient, with approximately 20,000 parking bays available, including 4,005 in public spaces and facilities at several other locations.
"These include KK Plaza with 452 bays, Menara Jubili (276), The Shore (700), Wisma Merdeka (750), Warisan Square (500) and Oceanus (800), while parking rates at KK Plaza and Menara Jubili are RM1 per hour," he said.
Meanwhile, Sabin said DBKK records showed that some owners of towed vehicles had outstanding parking compound notices from previous offences.
"In some cases, the number has reached 200 notices with an accumulated value of up to RM40,000, indicating repeated offences and unpaid fines," he said.
He urged affected owners to immediately contact the DBKK Enforcement Department to arrange for the release of their vehicles.
Applications for instalment payments and appeals for reductions in high accumulated compound fines may be considered, he added.
He also advised the public to use designated parking spaces and plan their journeys, rather than using difficulty to find parking near their destination as an excuse to block roads or violate parking regulations.
Sabin said DBKK would continue to carry out enforcement professionally, fairly and consistently to ensure regulations in Kota Kinabalu are observed for the safety and convenience of all road users.
