LABUAN: The Labuan Corporation (LC) should consider suspending public parking fees for a year to provide a welcome relief for many troubled by the spiralling cost of living and worsened by the down-trend local economy.
“It is unlikely that such a goodwill gesture to the ratepayers would have any serious adverse effect on its revenue position.
On the contrary, losses would be curtailed and there would be no further need to bear the heavy cost of maintaining the service,” said Tan Kiat Ting @ James, who served as an officer in the Town Planning Department of the Labuan Municipal Council (LMC) in 1986 before migrating to Edmonton, Canada, where he continued working until his retirement.
Tan, who was on a brief holiday in his hometown here, observed that “most motorists were responsible, resulting in no random parking or traffic obstructions even on congested roads.
This adds justification to easing parking regulations.”
His observation has some basis, as at the end of October the LMC announced that the sale of parking coupons had been temporarily halted, effectively making parking free, until sales resumed on Nov 18.
During this period, there were no parking-related incidents.
No reason was given for the council’s decision. It is believed it had run out of parking coupons, as LMC is still using the old-fashioned, costly glossy scratch-off paper system for date and hour markings.
The system may now be undergoing updates, possibly with new rates. Currently, the charges are 50 sen for the first hour and 70 sen for the subsequent hour.
Tan added that it was not unusual for local authorities to extend “generosity” to ratepayers during difficult times, citing examples such as compound discounts and rental waivers for council-owned properties.
Parking fees were first introduced in Labuan by the LMC in 1986. There are said to be about 5,000 parking lots, mostly around the Financial Park area, as well as at the UTC/Market area and the airport.
Commenting on Labuan’s development, Tan noted impressive improvements in infrastructure compared to the past.
However, he said the economy was no longer as vibrant as before, recalling a time when jobs were plentiful and employers struggled to find workers.
