Parking fee collection resumption inconsiderate

KOTA KINABALU, November 3, 2008: Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) has lashed out at the decision of Keningau District Council (KDC) to resume its parking fee collection, which commences today (Monday).

In a statement issued here today, SAPP Information Chief Chong Pit Fah emphatically described the move as inconsiderate, contradicting the earlier promise of a “people-friendly” Budget 2009 by the Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Hj Aman, and tantamount to ‘strangling’ the people at time when they were already going through a tough time in the wake of the global economy crisis.

“SAPP strongly object to the said move, as it is obviously going to cause more hardship to the people of Keningau district in his trying time with escalating inflation rate. Furthermore, the economy of the district is not as good as before,” he pointed out.

He noted that ever since the once thriving timber industry which was the prime mover of the district’s economy had depleted over the years, the district had lost its glory past with the income of the people greatly reduced.

The sharp drops in the prices of such commodities like oil palm and rubber, which are their new sources of incomes, had obviously made matter worse.

Besides this, Chong also said KDC owes the people of Keningau a good explanation on the appointment of a new company to replace the previous one, whose contract was terminated after its service was temporarily stopped for one year, which reasons were not made known by the council.

Questioning whether the said decision had been endorsed by the State Cabinet, Chong also urged KDC to be more transparent in its dealings by giving the public a clear picture on the parking fee collection privatization deal, especially on its true benefit to the ratepayers, as compared to if it were to be managed by the council itself.

On Saturday, District Officer cum KDC Chairman, Haji Zulkifli Nasir was reported for saying that the district council has engaged a new company to resume collecting of parking fee commencing today (Monday).

The collection of parking fee was privatized to a company several years ago but was temporarily stopped for a year due to some problems.

Following that the privatization agreement was revoked and a new one was signed with another company.

Zulkifli also hoped that this time around, this new company will manage the collection of parking fee systematically unlike before.

He then noted that motorists would be charged 30 sen for the first hour of parking and follows by 60 sen every subsequent hour. They could also opt to buy a RM50 parking sticker which is valid for one month.

For special parking lots fronting business premises, the monthly charge is RM150 as compared to RM600 in Kota Kinabalu.