SIBU: Motorists whose vehicle registration plates do not meet specifications have been advised to replace them to avoid problems when using the smart parking system.
Sibu Municipal Council (SMC) Chairman, Clarence Ting Ing Horh, said the town was beginning to face this problem, with a number of vehicles having registration plates that did not comply with Road Transport Department (RTD) specifications.
“I urge those who have such number plates to change them to ones that meet RTD standards. Otherwise, you will have problems using the SMC Cares app for the smart parking system,” Ting said at the council’s full board meeting on Wednesday (July 29).
He said motorists who parked their vehicles at shopping complexes and the council’s multi-storey car parks could also encounter difficulties when exiting, as the automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) system might not be able to recognise their registration plates.
“We have a number of places using the automatic number plate recognition system. These include Kingwood Hotel, our Jalan Wong Nai Siong and UTC car parks, and Wisma Sanyan.
“If your car number plate is not authorised, you will have problems leaving these facilities,” he said.
Meanwhile, Ting urged the public to continue supporting the smart parking system as part of their daily lives.
“Kuching, Miri and Bintulu have already implemented smart parking, so Sibu is not doing something entirely new. We are adopting a system that has already been implemented elsewhere in Sarawak,” he said.
He pointed out that there had been many comments and discussions over the past two weeks regarding the system, both in the press and on social media.
Most of the concerns could be divided into three main areas, he said.
“First, parking in Sibu has always been managed by Sibu Municipal Council (SMC). We have never had a contractor managing the parking system.
“When we introduced smart parking on January 1, there were some minor issues and complaints along the way. However, the system continued to gain users, and parking coupons were still available during the transition period,” he said.
“Secondly, for senior citizens, the council has already planned a special season parking pass costing RM40. Senior citizens aged 60 and above will be able to purchase the pass and park throughout the SMC area. This is effectively half the usual price.
“Thirdly, there has been concern over over-parking notices (OPNs). As I mentioned previously, the RM1 OPN can become costly if users forget to pay for parking or do not extend their parking session.
“Therefore, we have decided that until Dec 31, we will give users time to familiarise themselves with the system. We have also decided to offer a 50 per cent discount on OPNs.
“This means users will only have to pay 50 per cent of the usual amount if they fail to renew or continue their parking payment,” he said.
As for senior citizens, the council is also allowing them to register and use a dependent’s mobile phone.
This system is expected to come online in August. Once registered, they will be able to park without having to own or use a smartphone themselves.
Ting said the council had taken public comments positively and was making adjustments along the way because no parking system was perfect.
As of July 29, there were a total of 99,765 registered users of the SMC Cares app.
“The figures show that the public is gradually accepting the system. We are very close to reaching our target of 100,000 users by the end of this year,” Ting said.
He also urged the public to approach the council and its councillors should they still have issues relating to the use of the system.
