This article is from The Star Online (http://thestar.com.my)
URL: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/3/15/central/5837158&sec=central

__________________________________________________________________________

<a href=mailto:thoxinyi@thestar.com.my>thoxinyi@thestar.com.my</a>

DON'T change it! My clients are so surprised that they can now find car parking space in Taipan (USJ 10)!" Esther Ong, who owns a law firm, told a group of 40 at the auditorium of the Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ) headquarters.

She was referring to the one-hour parking limit in Taipan, which was introduced in January to curb the problem of congestion and double-parking by restricting the motorists to paying only for one hour of parking at a time.

"I never went to Taipan during the day but recently I found a parking lot at 11am. I almost fainted!" another resident said.

His remark drew laughter from the floor at the feedback session conducted by Subang Jaya assemblyman Hannah Yeoh and MPSJ councillor Rajiv Rishyakaran.

Since its implementation, the system has been applauded by some, while others felt that the time limit should be increased to two or three hours, and yet others hoped it would be scrapped totally for the inconvenience caused.
Nightmare no more: Congestion has been reduced since the implementation of the onehour parking restriction in Taipan.
But, one thing is for sure: the system has improved the dreadful mess in the busy commercial area although double-parking is still rampant at certain spots.

On a positive note, more business owners and workers have finally opted for the discounted monthly passes in the multi-storey car park operated by Systematic Corporate Parking Sdn Bhd.

"The multi-storey car park has 900 parking bays. Previously, it only had 350 monthly pass subscribers but the figure has increased to 500.

"From being half-empty, its occupancy has reached 70% now," Yeoh said.

This has resulted in the street parking lots, which used to be hogged by these vehicles the whole day, being made available to the public.

Based on my experience, empty parking bays are easier to come by nowadays. When I went there for lunch at noon last Wednesday, I had no trouble finding a parking lot.

The usual double-parking in front of a bank was conspicuously absent, and there were even two empty parking bays nearby.

However, to my dismay, I found a truck parked right behind my car when I was ready to leave.

It is disappointing to note that some stubborn motorists are not willing to park a little further from the premises they visit.

Some argue that it is unpleasant to walk under the blazing sun, especially in the current hot spell. They feel that Taipan — like most areas in the Klang Valley — is not pedestrian-friendly.

The lack of shade, broken tiles, and even metal poles jutting out from the ground were highlighted in the feedback session.

Yeoh and Rajiv paid attention to the feedback and conscientiously took note of the points raised. There was no big crowd at the session but those who were present generally found the system effective.

One even suggested that the one-hour restriction be shortened to half an hour or 15 minutes in certain areas of Taipan.

There were also calls to lower the hourly parking rate at the multi-storey car park (RM2 for the first hour and RM1 for each subsequent hour) to match the street parking fee of 50 sen an hour.

Other local councils can also study the system to see if it suits their areas, such as Petaling Jaya Old Town, New Town and Section 14.

However, coming back to the core of the problem, the local councils should pay more attention to infrastructure when they approve new developments.

Otherwise, the same old tale of congestion caused by lack of parking spaces would surface again and again.
__________________________________________________________________________
Your one-stop information portal:
The Star Online
http://thestar.com.my
Copyright © 1995-2010 Star Publications (Malaysia) Bhd. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of Star Publications is prohibited.