SIBU: The Sibu Municipal Council (SMC) today (Dec 30) announced the official launch of its On-Street Smart Parking System.
This initiative marks a significant step forward in Sibu’s Smart City transformation, offering the public a convenient, cashless and environmentally friendly way to pay for parking.
“The public can now pay for on-street parking electronically through the latest version of the ‘SMC Cares’ smartphone application.
“Physical parking coupons will no longer be required. Users are advised to download or update the app via the Google Play Store or Apple App Store,” SMC said in a press statement yesterday (Dec 30).
New users must register an account within the updated app. For added convenience, users can register their frequently used vehicle plate numbers and reload parking credit to facilitate quick payments.
Currently, the supported payment channel for reloading parking credit is “S Pay Global”.
SMC has announced that additional payment options, including credit cards, debit cards, FPX and DuitNow, will be integrated in the near future once these channels are ready.
On the transition period and future changes, SMC has allocated a transition period of three to six months to allow the public to familiarise themselves with the new system.
During this period, both physical parking coupons and e-payments via the “SMC Cares” app will be accepted.
SMC will monitor the rollout and announce the official end date of the transition period in due course.
After the transition period ends, physical parking coupons will no longer be accepted. Only active parking sessions initiated through the “SMC Cares” app will be valid.
Users who still hold valid, unused physical parking coupons at the end of the transition period will be able to claim their value as parking credit within their registered “SMC Cares” account. Details of this redemption process will be provided later.
SMC is also introducing an automated enforcement method using License Plate Recognition (LPR) technology. Parking enforcement officers will use smart devices to scan parked vehicles and instantly verify if payment has been made via the app.
To avoid receiving a parking compound, users are strongly advised to activate and pay for their parking session via the app immediately before leaving their vehicle.
“All existing outstanding over-parking fees and parking compounds will be progressively updated into the ‘SMC Cares’ app. Once the updating is done, users may check for any outstanding amounts associated with their registered vehicle plate number within the app and make payment digitally.
“For guidance on using the Smart Parking feature, the public is encouraged to visit the official SMC Facebook page, ‘Akaun Rasmi Majlis Perbandaran Sibu’, where tutorial materials will be available.
“This new Smart Parking System underscores SMC’s commitment to enhancing urban mobility, reducing paper waste, and providing efficient, modern services to the residents and visitors of Sibu,” the statement added.
