Showing posts with label Parking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Parking. Show all posts

Multistorey Car Park in SS15

Statement from YB Hannah Yeoh


I refer to the Star Metro's report today on the multi storey car park in SS15 - http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2012/11/28/central/12377428&sec=central

Please be informed that the title of this article is absolutely misleading and not reflective of what transpired in the State Assembly. YB Ronnie Liu was reading out the answer prepared by our YDP on the issue. When pressed further on the urgency of the issue, YB Ronnie has instructed that the matter be brought to MTES asap for further discussion on the method of construction ie by way of loan or build-operate-transfer because of the high cost involved. MB has also agreed for the issue to be discussed in MTES asap. Thank you.

--
Regards,
Hannah Yeoh
Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri Selangor
State Assemblyman
N.31 Subang Jaya
http://www.hannahyeoh.com

Tackling Parking and Traffic Problems (Column for SJ Echo Oct 2012)

Tackling Parking and Traffic Problems

by Rajiv Rishyakaran

First of all, I’d like to take this opportunity to wish all Subang Jaya residents a Happy Mid-Autumn Festival, and to our Muslim brothers and sisters, Selamat Hari Raya Haji. This year we have seen among the many neighbourhood celebrations, one jointly organized by the Bomba, Police, Subang Jaya Community Fire Brigade, Summit USJ & MPSJ.
This is certainly something new, and with a good turnout and community support, we hope to see it return next year.  Another thing we can all be proud of, that in all these Tanglung celebrations, we see a gathering of all races, coming together to celebrate and fellowship with one another. 

Grand Dorsett Development
As an update to development & sales of the Grand Dorsett Waterfront Hotel Suites (or service apartments), MPSJ has filed a case in court, seeking a declaration that the development was approved solely for the expansion of hotel facilities, and not to be sold as residential units. This move was made after consulting 2 legal firms, to ensure that MPSJ positions the case right, to uphold the spirit of the approval that was initially granted in October 2010.

A Challenging Parking Problem
Parking problems within the commercial areas are somewhat straightforward to resolve. In most cases, continuous enforcement is all that is needed. But what is truly challenging, is the spillover of commercial parking into adjacent housing areas.

A number of our commercial areas are adjacent to housing areas, especially in SS15. Often, this would tempt visitors to the commercial centers to park in front of houses, causing inconvenience to the residents. Not only do they make it difficult for the residents to park their own car (as we know most houses can’t fit all their cars within the gate), sometimes these visitors park irresponsibly, blocking gates, or narrowing the road, making it difficult for others to pass through.

One solution for this problem is for each resident to apply for the MPSJ sticker. This MPSJ sticker that cost RM3, is used to identify local residents, and makes it possible for MPSJ to take enforcement action on those causing inconvenience.  The challenge with this, however, is getting the cooperation of all local residents to apply for the sticker. One area that I’m working with closely on this is the SS15 Hexagon area (SS15/6), which is nearest to Taylors University.

Tackling Sri KL Traffic Congestion
I have recently met with Sri KL’s CEO, En Hanif Othman Merican with some of my JKP members to look into resolving the traffic problem we have on Persiaran Kewajipan every afternoon (on school days). Some misunderstandings between them and MPSJ in the past have been clarified, and I’m glad we were able to brainstorm a few alternatives, that would enable parents to pick up their children, as well as not congest Persiaran Kewajipan.

These ideas require a little bit of further study, and we will be meeting Sri KL again in a few weeks time to see what might be feasible in moving forward.  I look forward to sharing more on this soon.

Council extends hour-long parking limit to more areas

Council extends hour-long parking limit to more areas

Tuesday, September 6th, 2011 15:26:00

SUBANG JAYA

TWENTY months after 'successfully introducing the onehour parking limit system in the Taipan commercial zone at USJ 10 here, the Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ) has extended the system to heavy traffic areas, such as USJ 15, USJ 16 and USJ 17, and next to be covered could be Puchong Jaya and Bandar Kinrara.

"We plan to amend our bylaws under the Road Transport Act 1987 so we could extend the hour long parking system to new areas," said council deputy president Abdullah Marjunid yesterday.

"Since we launched the onehour parking system on a three-month trial basis in USJ Taipan from January 2010, we have found it to be effective as motorists have to vacate their parking spots within an hour or risk having their vehicles clamped."

He said those who needed to park longer could use the multi-storey car park in the Taipan commercial zone.

The council's public relations officer Asfarizal Abdul Rashid said once the hour-long parking system is implemented in heavy traffic areas, parking should be less of a headache.

Council enforcement officer Ainul Sani said there were 1,800 parking bays at USJ Taipan and illegal double-parking is at its worst from 11am to 2pm during working days.

"Our tow trucks roam this area. Motorists who frequent this area are well aware of the risk of having their vehicles towed away if they doubleparked," he said.

"USJ Taipan is meant to be a pedestrian boulevard where double-parking inconveniences other motorists and pedestrians alike."

In a random survey at USJ Taipan yesterday, The Malay Mail found motorists generally supportive of the one-hour parking system.

Kevin Nam, 35, a USJ 15 resident, applauded the council's enforcement for the one-hour parking system.

"Those who do quick errands will find paying 50 sen for an hour of parking reasonable rather than paying RM2 to RM3 per hour at private car parks," he said.

"However, double-parking remains a constant problem due to inconsiderate motorists."

To encourage offenders pay their current and outstanding summonses, MPSJ extended its RM10 discount period, which began earlier this year.

This grace period ends later this month.

1-hour parking rule stays

1-hour parking rule stays

By JADE CHAN
jade@thestar.com.my

MPSJ legal department director Anita Abd Jalil said the Draft Order Amendment for the Road Transport (Provision for Parking) MPSJ 2011 had been approved and would be gazetted in about two months’ time.

Once it has been gazetted, MPSJ president Datuk Asmawi Kasbi said the one-hour parking rule would be implemented fully in Taipan and possibly be extended to other areas where parking is a problem.

Anita said the council would also be provided with the legal authority to fully enforce the ruling.

The MPSJ had introduced the one-hour parking limit in Taipan as a pilot project in January last year to deal with traffic congestion and double-parking motorists.

“Besides improving the parking problem in Taipan, the traders have also responded well to the ruling as it promotes better traffic flow,” said Asmawi.

Meanwhile, Asmawi announced at yesterday’s full board meeting that the MPSJ would be extending the deadline for the Flat Rate Campaign for another month till Sept 30. The campaign offers a special rate of RM10 per offence to all traffic offenders.

“The MPSJ has collected about RM866,000 up till Aug 23, which amounts to only 11% of the overall RM100mil total arrears (before discount) or 1.2 million compound notices issued,” he said.

“We are targeting to collect fines from about 60% of the summons issued by the council, and urge the public to use this opportunity to settle their outstanding traffic summonses.”

All compounds that are not paid after Oct 1 will be charged a maximum rate of RM80 and no appeals will be entertained.

More Parking Created in USJ9

Do give your feedback on side lanes being used for legal parking. This will help create the much needed parking capacity in USJ9 commercial district, reducing double parking and congestion.


More Parking Spaces Created

More parking bays means less indiscriminate parking

More parking bays means less indiscriminate parking

By THO XIN YI
thoxinyi@thestar.com.my


ONE of the ways to curb indiscriminate parking in commercial areas is to create more parking bays by changing traffic flow, said Subang Jaya municipal councillor Rajiv Rishyakaran.
Rajiv said said the method had proven effective in USJ 2 and USJ 4.
He said the Subang Jaya Municipal Council’s (MPSJ) engineering department had changed the traffic flow in both areas and created more bays to tackle the parking problem and curb congestion.
“In USJ 2, we changed the stretch of Jalan USJ 2/1 in front of the shops to one-way and created 12 parking bays along the road.
“Previously, motorists parked along the two-way road and traffic came to a gridlock,” he said.
In USJ 4, Jalan USJ 4/6B was also made one-way and about 20 parking bays were added on the left side of the road.
Rajiv suggested implementing the same in USJ 9.
“We will be adding parking bays at the roadside as well as the backlane and it will be done in stages,” he said.

Illegal Car Park & MPSJ Towing

I admit having your car towed is definitely not a pleasant experience. I had a taste of it once in SS15 Subang Jaya, while having lunch (parked hardly half hour). But I admit, by parking illegally, I did contribute to the congestion in SS15.

Sometimes we have to adjust. Maybe eat somewhere else. Maybe walk a little further. Maybe go at a different time.

At the same time, since I've been in MPSJ, I've been constantly raising issues pertaining to parking, getting MPSJ to improve allocation of bays for the public's convenience. You can read more here:
http://www.rajiv4malaysia.com/search/label/Parking

While a lot of "victims"/offenders are very angry at MPSJ, there are lots of business operators and public that are equally upset with MPSJ for not being strict enough.

Below is a blogpost by someone, and some answers to it.

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http://jsb-expansion.blogspot.com/2010/08/thoughtless-mpsj.html

1. It was towed because it was parked illegally. Too many people are ignoring the summons, its not effective enough as a deterrent.

2. Take it as part of the penalty. MPSJ is just recovering cost.

3. True, there should be improvement in this area. But if you call the police to report, they'll advice you that MPSJ has towed it.

4. The tow truck operators can only tow in the presence and command of a MPSJ enforcement officer.

5. I think you yourself is well aware that you did not park legally

6. Yes, those motorbikes are also parked illegally.

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Area : Puchong
Location : Bandar Puteri
Date : 27th July 2010
Fiasco Time : About 1135~1150
Duration : 1135 ~ 1300

Good day.

Last week, for the first time, I lost my car. I had parked my car beside a shop, at a place designated as motorcycle parking as the surrounding area were full and the only legal empty spot was beside a vehicle whose owners were fixing aircons. I was not the only car parked along that stretch.

After settling what I had to do, between 5-10 minutes, 15mins tops, I headed towards where I parked my car. It was just a minute's walk. So imagine my horror when I did not see my car there. I was just stunned.

Stolen! That was the first thought that crossed my mind! For a very long while, I stood around, looking about aimlessly. I even tried to think if I had parked somewhere else. Slowly, I noticed that the cars that were parked alongside my car were all gone, too. The 2 cars that were there then had just parked there.

I made my way to the shop and the manager took the trouble to explain to me that while I was gone, the tow truckers came along. In just about 2-3 minutes they towed away my car as I wasn't there to remove my car, immediately. Incidentally, another towed car passed his shop at that moment.

In my shock, I wasn't sure if I had thanked him or not. He even took the trouble to explain to me where they took my car to. To that manager of the that shop, thank you so much. A simple explanation such of that really managed to bring a little calm to my shocked soul, knowing that my car was not stolen.

My friend came all the way from work to rescue and help me get out of this unnecessary mess. And it wasn't that near to get here, took her about 30 minutes, while I waited for her along the main road, standing between 2 banks which occupies the corners of 2 rows of shophouses, making that short stretch in between hectic with passing cars.

What I want to point out are :

1. Why was my car towed away? I admit that I parked my car at the wrong place, but I think that a summon is suffice. I was not blocking the traffic flow nor the road. While I was waiting for my friend to arrive, I observed that cars that were parking illegally for a longer period than I did were not even looked at! Was it because they were at a busy stretch and towing it away would only cause a little more congestion?

2. Why was I charged the tow fee and the 'simpanan fee'? I did not ask my car to be towed to or 'stored' in the MPSJ premise.

3. Why was there not information at all on what happened to my car? If the shop manager did not inform me of what happened, I would just be standing, not knowing what happened. It is not a towing-zone, or at least I did not see any sign put up along that stretch to indicate such.

4. How can the MPSJ allow the tow-truckers to make the decision on which car to tow? How did they make that decision? Are they MPSJ officers? I guessed, perhaps they were paid on the number of cars they were able to tow. This is because cars that were parked in non-parking bay along the road on the short, busy stretch were not even given a look at. They just zoomed by (like maniacs). Once, I even saw one of them honking at a car in front, when it slowed down and stopped to let the driver reverse his car out from his parking spot. He didn't even bother to wait and just swerved to the opposite lane and sped away. Cars that were double-parked were also let go. My car was at stretch where the traffic is usually clear and smooth. And yet it was towed away.

5. Nothing was said or explain about the nature of my mistake by the attending officer. When I went to recover my car, all the officer did was to give me a form to sign, sort of a like a declaration that I agreed that I was wrong, asked for my IC and told me that I had already been given a discount, when I saw the amount. I didn't argue with her at that moment as I was a little shock and I need my car.

6. I parked in a parking for motorcyles and my car was deemed parked illegally and towed away. What about those motorcyclist who parked their vehicles in parking bays meant for cars? Is that done deemed illegal? Just a thought that crossed my mind.

Taking this opportunity, I would like to thank the manager and especially my friend, for their help.

I just felt that this towing operation was not well carried out. It made me feel that MPSJ just wanted 'fast and easy money' and the unfortunate rakyat became its cash cow. I was the unlucky few who was milked for the ringgits they need to fill up they coffers. The summon only encompassed approximately 30% of the total sum I paid to recover my car. The balance 70% went under the tow and 'simpanan' charges. I don't think that I should be charged the towing and 'simpanan' charges. And not to mention, the emotional stress on the victim. I guess they knew that we need our cars and most of us would pay up to get them back.

Can somebody help me? I want to send this out to the appropriate people, people who has the power to do something about this. I really feel strongly that this operation could be carried out in a better, more thoughtful manner.

Thank you.

Regards,
Cash Cow, Forced

Fixing Parking Shortages in Zone 3

Since becoming a MPSJ councillor a year ago, one of my priorities has been to resolve parking issues, especially in Zone 3 (USJ2 to USJ15).

To date, with the cooperation of MPSJ's Engineering Department (which oversees the modification & creation of parking bays) and MPSJ Finance Department (which oversees car park payments, rates & ticketing), we have worked towards improving parking in the following areas:

1. Taipan - thru the creation of 1 hour parking policy, long term occupiers such as employees have begun to occupy the multi-storey car park, freeing the street level parking for customers on short visits. This is probably the first of its kind by any local government in Malaysia, and it took me months of persuasion to push it through.

2. USJ 2 commercial area. This is the shoplots near Petronas & Shell. We have put in a one way system on the outer road facing the shoplots, and with that created more parking bays. This has helped with traffic management especially during the lunch and supper crowd.

3. USJ4/6 commercial area - also introduced a one way system, creating enough bays to satisfy the needs.
The last "problematic" commercial area is USJ9, both the 9/5 area, where there is a big lack during office hours, and 9/3 area (Tanjung/Pizza Hut) during supper time.

After months of going back and forth, today MPSJ's Infrastructure committee approved creating parking bays in the back lane and side lanes for USJ9/5 area. This is a wonderful breakthrough, as once fully implemented, will create approximately 300 new parking bays.

Implementation should start early next month, and will move in stages. Many parts of the backlane roads are in poor condition, and needs resurfacing.

Another problem that needs to be tackled is illegal renovations and restaurant operations encroaching the backlanes. As the licensing and building control depts clear this, lane by lane, Engineering department will move in and create the parking bays.

After this, in the area of parking, the lack of parking at Goodyear Courts needs to be looked into, especially those at USJ14...

Adequate info given on LRT extension?

For The Star's article today, there are several points to note...
  1. The 3 month display did show some information, but didn't answer (and Prasarana has yet to answer) information on ridership, which was a key issue raised in your 1st article. 
  2. The question on layby design was raised for its ability to cope with feeder bus and passenger drop offs. However, information on both feeder bus and passenger drop offs has not been forthcoming by Prasarana, and was not part of the public display. We still do not know how many routes is being planned, and how many buses will ply each station, and thus how much holding space is needed at each station. 
  3. I'm glad to note that Prasarana acknowledges that there won't be enough park and ride facilities. (“There can never be enough park-and-ride facilities, which is why we need an efficient and effective feeder bus system,” said the representative.) Thus, its is very important for them to tell us their plans for ridership, feeder buses, and how people are getting to stations. Else, we may agree to a project that will bring about repercussions which could be avoidable.
  4. On the close proximity of several stations, the Prasarana representative said that a distance of 500-600m to 1.4-1.5km between two stations is an acceptable stretch. Just by saying it doesn't make it truth. They have refused to give supporting data to this statement since 1 year ago. 
The spokesman stressed that in addition to being a solution to traffic congestion, the survival of a high-density area depends on public transport.
I absolutely agree with this. We really need public transport. But building LRT lines must be done right. Its after all a RM7b++ investment and we must ensure that we don't look back on it with regret. 

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Adequate info given on LRT extension

By JADE CHAN
jade@thestar.com.my


ALL the relevant information on the proposed Kelana Jaya LRT line extension into Subang Jaya was available during the three-month public display last year, said a Prasarana (Syarikat Prasarana Negara Bhd) spokesman.
“In addition to a map of the train route and station locations, the railway schemes clearly showed each station’s design, lay-by and other details,” he said.
“We had Prasarana employees on hand at the display venues to explain the details.
“All the stations have lay-bys and drop-off zones, which have been designed to not ‘eat into’ the existing roads.”
The representative was speaking in response to a StarMetro article published on July 3 headlined Subang folk want more info on LRT extension.
He said numerous meetings and public dialogues had been held with residents associations, NGOs, disabled groups, as well as state and local government authorities on the proposed LRT extension.
“While some information could not be given out earlier due to land and property speculation, all our procedures and technical requirements have been done according to the law,” said the representative.
On the of lack of park-and-ride facilities, he said it was due to land acquisition problems.
“Stations 5 to 9 (SS15 Subang Jaya to USJ14) are located at heavily built-up zones with not much space to build park-and-ride facilities.
“But there will be 1,400 parking bays at Station 4 (Subang Jaya KTM), 1,500 bays at Station 7 (USJ7), and 700 bays at Station 10 (USJ21), with Station 4 being integrated with Subang Jaya KTM Komuter Station.
“There can never be enough park-and-ride facilities, which is why we need an efficient and effective feeder bus system,” said the representative.
“We are working with the local authorities, residents associations, business communities and RapidKL to work out the feeder bus routes based on high density areas, demand pattern and efficient turning points.
“We are looking at, say, a feeder bus service every 15 minutes so people don’t have to drive to the stations. To address illegal parking, there is a need for stricter enforcement and proper civic awareness”
On the close proximity of several stations, the Prasarana representative said that a distance of 500-600m to 1.4-1.5km between two stations is an acceptable stretch.
“If there is a large distance between the stations, then there will be a lot of ground-level congestion at an individual station when people congregate at one station to board the train.
“The LRT line is coming in after the townships are already built up. So a detailed study based on the optimisation factor was carried out to ensure minimum social impact and technical requirements were adhered to, while also considering the population density and land availability.
On ridership figures, the spokesman said they were based on the projected figures by the Census Board.
“It is estimated that the population would number close to 160,000 people by 2015 at the areas around Stations 5 to 10 (SS15 Subang Jaya to USJ21), and close to 200,000 people by 2020,” he said.
The spokesman stressed that in addition to being a solution to traffic congestion, the survival of a high-density area depends on public transport.
Asked about the land acquisition issue at Saujana Residency, he said the matter would be sorted out with the Department of Railways, Prasarana and the local authorities.
On the next step, the spokesman said Prasarana is presently working with the local authorities and state government to review the final portion of the LRT alignment and sort out land constraints issues.
The proposed Kelana Jaya LRT extension line will commence from Lembah Subang – Kelana Business Centre, through Subang, USJ, Alam Megah and ending at the hub in Putra Heights.
The proposed line will consists of 13 new stations and 17km of guideway.
The Ampang LRT extension line will commence from the present Sri Petaling station, passing through Puchong, Kinrara and ending at the hub in Putra Heights.
The proposed line will consist of 13 new stations and 17.7km of guideway. All stations will have facilities such as lifts, escalators, public telephones, surau and toilets.
The stations will also be equipped with facilities for the physically disabled such as ramps, lifts, tac-tiles, ticket counters and toilets.
Both the Kelana Jaya and Ampang lines are expected to be commissioned by end of 2012.
While the deadline for the public feedback has ended, information on the proposed LRT extension is available at www.lrtextension.com.

News Clipping: Double-parkers beware, MPSJ promises swift action

Double-parkers beware, MPSJ promises swift action

BY LEVEN WOON ON 1 JUN, 2010 
TAGGED:  •  •  •  • 
IN NEWSSUBANG JAYA.
Vehicles doubleparked in SS15, SS16, and USJ 21 will now have summons locks affixed to their side mirrors.
Speaking to the media after MPSJ’s full board meeting, MPSJ president Adnan Md Ikhsan announced that the measure will be imposed starting today to curb the double parking woes in the areas
“We have bought 1700 locks and (they) could be reused up to 27000 times. (Today) we are going to kickoff in SS15.”
Culprits will have to settle the RM80 summons before paying RM40 to undo the lock at the MPSJ headquarters.
The measure went through preliminary trials in USJ Taipan from January to March. It was claimed the measure resulted in improved traffic conditions in the area.
The local council meanwhile was selected as one of the twelve local councils to receive a RM2.3 million grant under the federal government’s Safe City program.
MPSJ has mapped out five criminal ‘hotspots’ each in Subang Jaya and Puchong. A working committee comprising local councillors, OCPDs and NGOs will facilitate the program.
“Our three main priorities will be to improve the lighting of these hotspots, to install security alarms and to alienate walkways from motorcycle lane.
He said among some identified hotspots include USJ8, Puchong Jaya, Bandar Bukit Puchong, Putra Permai, and Seri Kembangan.
“We have done our studies; we will start as soon as we got the funds,” Adnan said.
The council has also amended the local government act so that it may charge any premise owners of illegal businesses in court.
Adnan said many premise owners are being apathetic even though their premises are rented out to illegal businesses.
“They don’t care whether the tenants are conducting illegal cyber cafes, gambling or whatsoever. They only want their rentals paid on time.
“With the amended act, MPSJ now is entitled to charge those premise owners in court. So they have to make sure they rent (out premises) to the right person.”
MPSJ will also spend RM1.15million to upgrade bus stops in 77 locations. They are now in the process of appointing contractors and reviewing their site plan.
The fund was granted by the federal government under the National Key Result Areas (NKRA) public transport chapter.
The local council also called on the public to avoid any self-claimed MPSJ agent, but instead visit the MPSJ itself.
“We even saw a cyber cafe license being listed for bidding on the Internet, but we would like to remind the public that (the) license is not transferable.”

The Star Online: Brakes on repeat traffic offenders

If this goes thru, at last MPSJ summons would have some bite, and this will help with enforcement and bringing order especially to commercial centers.

This article is from The Star Online (http://thestar.com.my)
URL: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/5/19/central/6286711&sec=central

__________________________________________________________________________

REPEAT traffic and parking offenders beware — if an amendment of the Road Transport Act at the next Parliament session goes through, it will see the linking of local council summonses to road tax renewal.

Now, offenders need only settle summonses that are issued by the traffic police or Road Transport Department (JPJ) for offences like using a handphone while driving, speeding, not stopping at traffic lights or driving with an expired road tax, before they renew their road tax.

A local council issues summonses to offenders who do not pay for their parking, double park, or park at non-designated parking spots.
Gotcha!: Traffic offenders may have to settle their local council summonses before they can renew their road tax if an amendment to the Road Transport Act is passed at the Parliament session in June.
Traffic offenders will be slapped with a RM80 fine in areas under the Subang Jaya Municipal Council's (MPSJ) jurisdiction.

A grace period is given whereby they can appeal for their fines to be lowered if it is paid early.

However, many offenders choose to ignore the local council summonses as it does not affect their road tax renewal.

According to the MPSJ, the council issues an average of 17,000 traffic summonses a month, of which only 17% is settled.

The only way that the council can enforce its traffic and parking rules is to haul offenders to court, but there are limitations in terms of time and resources.

A source said a proposal was brought up during a recent briefing with the JPJ.

"If an amendment to Section 17(1)(d) of the Road Transport Act 1978 (Act 333) is passed at the next Parliament session in June, local councils would be able to link up with the JPJ.

"When that happens, offenders will have to settle their local council summonses before renewing their road tax.

"This link is necessary in urban councils where parking issues are especially rampant," he said.

Among the urban councils the source cited are the Petaling Jaya City Council, Klang Municipal Council, Kajang Municipal Council, Selayang Municipal Council and MPSJ.

There are about 150 local councils in Malaysia.
__________________________________________________________________________
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http://thestar.com.my
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Wider use of summons locks to curb illegal parking

The parking locks have been successful in increasing payment rate of summons from about 10-15% to about 65-70% in Taipan. When there is a real fear of summons, compliance to the law will increase, inconvenience to other motorist will be reduce. 

Wider use of summons locks to curb illegal parking

By THO XIN YI
thoxinyi@thestar.com.my


FOR those who always park illegally in USJ 21, SS15 and SS16 — beware, you may find a yellow tag attached to your side mirror soon.
At the Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ) full board meeting on Wednesday, MPSJ president Datuk Adnan Md Ikshan announced that the council planned to extend the use of summons locks to other areas, following its success in curbing indiscriminate parking in USJ 10 (Taipan).
Originally, the council intended to implement the system in USJ 9, too, but councillor Rajiv Rishyakaran said it was not feasible as the commercial area did not have enough parking bays.
He suggested extending the system to SS16 instead as motorists always park along Jalan Kemajuan Subang.
Deterrent measure: Adnan (right) attaching a yellow tag to a car while MPSJ enforcement director Mohd Zulkurnain Che Ali looks on.
Adnan said the system would be implemented at these three places soon.
The public will be informed before the system is introduced.
In response to a question on whether an office would be set up at these places for the motorists to pay the fine and have the locks removed, councillor Stephen Chin Sou Bong said the offenders should not be given “special treatment”.
Fellow councillor Tan Jo Hann agreed, adding that the purpose of the system was to discourage the motorists from parking illegally.
Adnan said the offenders had to come to the MPSJ headquarters in USJ 5 to settle the fine.
The summons locks were first introduced in December last year. The yellow tags would be attached to the side mirrors of the vehicles that obstruct traffic.
The motorists have to pay a fine of RM80 to have the tags removed by the enforcement officers on duty, upon presenting proof of payment.
Currently, the council has 1,850 summons locks. As of April 21, the locks were used 2,284 times and 26% did not settle the fine.
“We have issued 1,078 reminders to the offenders who did not return the locks and 747 have responded,” Adnan said.

TheStar: Plan to remove traffic lights to ease congestion & Suggestion for Regulated Double Parking in USJ9

By THO XIN YI


thoxinyi@thestar.com.my
ONE of the possible solutions to the traffic congestion in Persiaran Kewajipan is to take away the traffic lights in front of the Summit USJ.
In a meeting with USJ 9 and USJ 11 residents, Subang Jaya municipal councillor Rajiv Rishyakaran said the four-phase traffic lights at the interchange was holding up the traffic.
“If we remove the traffic lights, motorists travelling along Persiaran Kewajipan can enjoy free flowing traffic to get to USJ or Subang Jaya.
“Kesas, the highway concessionaire for Shah Alam Express-way, has to build two U-turns - one in front of the Sunway toll plaza and the other in the opposite direction — to facilitate motorists going to Puchong or Shah Alam,” he said.
He said Kesas had recently agreed to look into this suggestion.
On the parking nightmare in the USJ 9 commercial area, Rajiv said the council was planning to take measures and one of it was to legalise double parking to manage the situation.
“We can probably draw boxes for double parking but the vehicle owners must leave their contact numbers and respond within three to five minutes when the other car owners want to leave. Otherwise, their vehicles will be towed away,” he said.
However, Rajiv said this suggestion had received mixed reaction and as such nothing had been finalised yet.
Subang Jaya assemblyman Hannah Yeoh, on the other hand, updated the residents on various issues in the area, including her plan to turn Millennium Park into a Speakers’ Corner.
Also present were Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua and Kelana Jaya MP Loh Gwo Burne.

TheStar: MPSJ to expand tried and tested system to other areas

THE one-hour parking restriction in USJ 10 (Taipan) is here to stay.
Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ) president Datuk Adnan Md Ikshan said the system has proved effective in improving the traffic situation in that area, following observations during the trial period from January to March.
“We are considering implementing it in other areas, such as Bandar Puteri Puchong and Bandar Puchong Jaya.
“However, there must be alternative parking space available in addition to the street parking lots, such as the multi-storey car park in Taipan,” he said.
The council is also looking at expanding the use of summons locks (kunci saman), which are attached to the side mirrors of vehicles that double-park.
They are currently being used in Taipan only and Adnan said the next possible area was SS15, where double-parking is also rampant.
But before that, the council needed to prepare a place there for the motorists to pay the summonses and the MPSJ officers to remove the locks for them.
Adnan added that the council has ordered some 3,000 to 5,000 new summons locks.
Councillor Chang Kim Loong questioned the need to purchase such a large amount of locks.
“When promoting the locks, the supplier promised that they are fool-proof and there is no way the motorists can remove the locks.
“But we have so far lost about 30% of the locks and the car owners must have found a way to have the locks removed, either by cutting the chain or removing the side mirrors.
“The council must seek reimbursement from the supplier on these products,” he said.
As of March 29, the locks were used 1,874 times and 28.6% did not settle the fines and return the locks to the council.
In reply, Adnan said the supplier would replace the faulty locks and it has also been informed to use a stronger chain so that the culprits cannot cut off the locks easily.
He added that the locks cost RM40 each and the summonses carry a fine of RM80 (or RM40 if a 50% discount is offered). Therefore, the council has recovered the costs following repeated usage of the locks.
“Those who fail to return the locks will be slapped with a fine of RM1,000 for vandalism.
“So far, 53 compounds have been issued and some of these culprits have been brought to court for ignoring the compounds,” Adnan said.

Malay Mail: One-hour parking system to be extended in Subang jaya areas

One-hour parking system to be extended in Subang jaya areas
SUBANG JAYA: After implementing the new one-hour parking system in USJ Taipan, the Subang Jaya Municipal Council is considering extending it to other commercial areas.
The rate is 50 sen for one hour and motorists will have to top up the same amount for another hour.
“We are considering introducing this system in SS15 and Puchong, particularly in Bandar Puteri and Puchong.
Extending it is no problem,” said council president Datuk Adnan Md Ikshan of the new system introduced in January.
Meanwhile, councillor Rajiv Rishyakaran explained that the system is designed to allow the public the opportunity to find parking space to run their errands, instead of the bays being hogged by those working in the commercial area or even the business community, as is often the case.
With this one-hour parking system, the office workers and business community will be encouraged to park in the multi-storey car parks instead.
“This is to ease congestion and provide convenience to residents,” said Rajiv.
“Petaling Jaya areas like SS2 and Damansara Uptown should consider implementing the system as these areas are very busy too.”

The Star Online: Parking limit proves effective

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

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<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.
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The Star Online: Bus owner still unperturbed after 75 summonses

Sigh, despite creating parking space for heavy vehicles, they still refuse to park there and insist on creating congestion and unease in neighborhoods. The parking lot at TP2 is just less than 5mins away from his house in USJ12
This article is from The Star Online (http://thestar.com.my)
URL: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/2/1/nation/5587284&sec=nation

Why do we charge for parking?

Why does any local council charge for parking?
1. Source of revenue to council
2. To manage the limited quantity of parking bays in a particular area

I can't speak with great certainty of the the history of parking charges in Malaysia, but I believe the initial reason is #1 - to raise income for the government. Which is not such a bad thing if the government spends the money productively.

However, coming forward to the present day in 2010 in MPSJ, I would say the motive is somewhat mixed, but leaning towards #2. Due to historical reasons, parking at any commercial area is charged 50sen/hour, be it a single row of shops in a housing area or a commercial district such as Taipan or Bandar Puteri Puchong.

I personally feel there's not much point charging parking in those 1 row shophouses in housing area, where there isn't much competition for parking space (SS18 opposite the police station comes to mind or SS17 near Al-Rajhi). Enforcement is also difficult to do productively.

However, for the business districts, the motive of charging for parking and/or creating parking rules must be and is to manage the limited amounts of parking bays in the area.

The target occupancy rate in these areas should be around 85% to 90%. With this level of occupancy, when people come to the area, it is always possible to find parking, maybe not right infront of the shop they are visiting.

If the parking occupancy is 100%, as is in SS15, then its a hassle for those who need to run errands there. This also will effect the businesses in the area, especially those who rely on walk in customers such as restaurants, etc.

A lot of blame is to be given to the previous administration for poor planning, but today we need to move forward to resolve the parking woes, both for the businesses and also the people who visit the areas concern.

So, how do we bring down the current parking occupancy rate from around 120% -150% today to a comfortable level of 85-90%?

Strategy #1: We implement time limits.
This is what we have done in Taipan, with 1 hour limits. The time 1 hour can be adjusted upwards or downwards to achieve the target occupancy ratio.

Strategy #2: Pricing
By using variable pricing, i.e. in the hotspots RM2/hour, further away 50sen/hour, and further still free parking, that can be a way to manage the demand for parking. That way, those who want to save $$$ need to park further away, and those who want the convenience should pay for it. This would be good to try in areas where only a certain portion of the business district is a hotspot.

Other methods is also to implement time limits/variable fees on certain parking bays only, not a blanket coverage of the whole area. However, with this then lies the problem of making things complicated for the people. A balance must be found.

Interesting Parking Rule...

When you're in MPSJ territory,
http://ocps.mpsj.gov.my/cms/documentstorage/com.tms.cms.document.Document_461b4540-a020f414-1d913640-eab5e22f/perintah%20pengangkutan%20jalan.pdf

Refer to item4, page8.

This item clearly states that parking anywhere outside painted parking box is illegal. Which means, its illegal to
  1. Park in front of your house (only can park inside your house)
  2. Park in front of your neighbourhood padang
  3. Park on empty land (not like there's much of it in Subang Jaya, but in Puchong, Putra Heights Serdang...)
  4. Park by roadsides, however deserted or whether they have white or no lines at all
So, be forewarned, when you do so, you're taking a risk of a RM80 compound.


Should this be fixed?

I'm thinking this section4 should be revoked, replaced with

Tiada seorang pun boleh meletak suatu kenderaan motor, menyebabkan, membenarkan mana-mana kenderaan motor diletakkan atau menunggu di mana mana tempat seperti berikut:
(a) ....
(b) ....
(c) ....

i.e, just specify the illegal places. I think its somewhat ridiculous to have a law which you cannot enforce. This would make this law subject/open to abuse...

What do you think?

p.s. parking charges apply from 8am to 6:30pm weekdays, 8am to 1pm on working saturdays
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