TAWAU: The Tawau Municipal Council (MPT) is urged to retain the use of parking coupons — including QR code-scannable coupons — during the transition period until the new system is fully accepted by the public.
Sri Tanjong Assemblyman Justin Wong said MPT must take public interest into account in the implementation of the electronic parking system scheduled to be introduced in the district next year.
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While acknowledging that electronic systems are necessary in line with technological advancement, he said the rollout should be carried out gradually and accompanied by proper education and comprehensive public awareness efforts.
“During this transition period, we must consider certain groups such as senior citizens who do not own smartphones, as well as visitors from outside the district who may be unfamiliar with parking applications.
“They should still be given the option to use parking coupons without having to download an application,” he said.
Justin also proposed that existing parking payment counters or booths be retained temporarily.
Apart from serving as information centres, he said these facilities would allow the public to purchase parking coupons if they are not proficient in using mobile applications.
He made these remarks during a special dialogue session with MPT and representatives of the application service provider to discuss the implementation of the electronic parking system.
It is understood that Kota Kinabalu and Penampang have already implemented electronic parking systems.
MPT is scheduled to fully implement the system starting Jan 1, 2026, with all parking payments are to be made electronically.
Meanwhile, discussions between Justin and MPT also revealed that parking rates will be revised.
He said the yellow-line daily parking rate, previously RM3.57, will be increased to RM4.29. Previously, parking charges differed for the first and second hours, but under the new structure, a fixed rate of RM0.48 per hour will apply.
For red-line parking, the daily rate will be reduced from RM35.50 to RM28.62, while white-line parking will see a significant increase from RM106 per month to RM500 per month. The last revision of parking rates was carried out in 1982.
Justin said apart from using the mobile application, visitors to the town centre would also be able to obtain parking coupons at designated booths using QR codes, which must then be displayed inside vehicles.
Currently, MPT’s parking collection areas cover several major locations, including Fajar Commercial Centre, Taipan Commercial Centre, Unijaya Commercial Centre and Kompleks Pertama.
Justin also expressed hope that the Council would provide a grace period during the transition.
“If members of the public are still unfamiliar with the new system, education and assistance should be prioritised rather than enforcement or fines,” he said.
He added that any expansion of parking zones should be carefully planned and supported by adequate facilities.
