GEORGE TOWN: All parking compounds issued via the Automated Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) system for vehicles parked outside designated bays on Penang island will be nullified due to a system anomaly, says Jason H’ng Mooi Lye.
The Penang Local Government Committee chairman said the ANPR system was unable to detect whether a car had only stopped briefly to pick up or drop off passengers, resulting in motorists receiving wrongful compounds.
"The state government acknowledges concerns that there are situations where drivers only stop briefly to pick up or drop off passengers, while the ANPR system cannot determine whether there is a person inside the vehicle at that time.
"To ensure there are no disputes, all compounds issued through the ANPR system for parking outside designated bays will be nulled," he said during a press conference at Komtar on Monday (Aug 10).
H’ng said the decision followed public feedback and concerns raised by elected representatives, consumer associations and other stakeholders regarding the implementation of ANPR integrated with the Penang Smart Parking (PSP) system.
He added that the ANPR system was part of the PSP system proposed by the vendor during the Request for Proposal process, adding that the Penang Island City Council (MBPP) incurred no additional costs for its deployment.
Moving forward, enforcement against vehicles parked outside designated bays will be carried out manually by local authority enforcement officers based on ground observations.
"However, this does not apply to areas where parking or stopping is prohibited or where vehicles cause an obstruction," H'ng said.
Motorists who have already paid ANPR-issued compounds for parking outside designated bays can apply for refunds from MBPP and the Seberang Perai City Council (MBSP) until Sept 30.
Applicants must submit their compound payment receipt alongside a copy of their bank statement.
For MBPP, physical applications can be submitted at Level 3 of Komtar or emailed to perbendaharaan@mbpp.gov.my, while MBSP applications can be submitted at Level 1 of its Jalan Betek branch office in Bukit Mertajam or emailed to direktor@mbsp.gov.my.
"For compound payments made through the Penang Smart Parking application, the refund will be processed automatically into the user's PSP wallet," H'ng said.
Motorists issued compounds for failing to pay parking fees, but who had made payment within 10 minutes of the compound being issued, can also appeal to MBPP or MBSP for nullification or a full refund.
