PRIVATE parking apps like Pay & Go may have proven their value in malls, but their future growth depends on how well they fit into Sarawak’s wider smart city and local council framework.
Policymakers, operators, and urban planners agree that while the benefits are clear, the risks and challenges from by-laws to public adoption must be carefully managed if digital parking is to scale beyond private complexes.
Role of private parking apps in Smart City plans
Deputy Minister of Public Health, Housing and Local Government Datuk Dr Penguang Manggil noted that the private parking initiative using cashless methods has been practised in a number of big malls like CityOne Megamall, VivaCity Megamall, Aeon Mall, ICOM and others.
He described it as a positive initiative that the local authorities (PBT) under his ministry encourage, since it lessens the burden on municipalities and city councils.
“Our role is to ensure that these are done only within the compound of the complexes so that it doesn’t affect traffic flow and charges outside the complex.
“We encourage this to contribute towards smart city development, especially in the assessment,” he said.
Giving an example, he said that if municipalities and city councils have an automated or cashless parking system, this will add to their points or grades when they are assessed for their five-star rating.
“With regards to the role we play, yes, we do, especially in passing and enacting the parking by-laws.
“There are a number of councils where the parking by-laws have been passed. For example, Kapit and Sri Aman District Councils, but they have yet to be implemented because they are not prepared yet. At the moment, only Kuching City has the traffic police division,” he told Sarawak Tribune.
Implementing challenges
But while the benefits are clear, Penguang stressed that private parking apps must be carefully managed within PBT jurisdiction to avoid unintended impacts on traffic and local businesses.
He cited ICOM for example, where traffic congestion and access restrictions affect businesses.
“If the rate is higher, people will tend to go away from those areas. That is why a lot of shopping complexes where they are not doing very well do away with the parking system, pre-access, pre-entry,” he said.
Such concerns were also reflected at the operator level.
Plaza Merdeka, for instance, shared that customers were initially confused by ticketless entry and hesitant to adopt digital wallets like SPay Global.
These issues were later resolved through on-ground assistance, signage and customer education.
Policy risks and political realities
When asked how many years the ministry will take to scale up the digital parking system, Penguang said that it all depends.
“If there’s political will, we can do it any time. If the goods are not free, then it can backfire on us, especially politicians.
“That’s why, remember waiver of assessment rates, we cannot reinstate because reinstating them would be politically untenable.
“That is why the government is giving grants to PBT to compensate for the loss in revenue from waiver of these assessment rates,” he said.
He added that any such move must be studied very carefully.
“If we impose, we cannot take it back. Otherwise, it is making a mockery of ourselves. And then, if we impose, people will think otherwise against us, especially the opposition which will spin it and use this to go against us.
“Nevertheless, these challenges and policy considerations sit within Sarawak’s wider Smart City digitalisation agenda,” he said.
Smart City and digital economy context
Sarawak’s push to digitalise local councils and parking systems ties into its broader Smart City agenda.
According to the Sarawak Digital Economy Blueprint 2030, the vision is to build ‘Smart Sarawak’ by using smart infrastructure, utilities, systems and talent to drive growth, improve governance and strengthen resilience.
The blueprint sets out strategic actions, among them to ‘establish a comfortable and safe mobility for commuters using smart technologies’ and to ‘develop integrated logistics solutions to support e-commerce’.
It also noted that 20 projects under the smart city sector have been implemented since 2018, including the Sarawak Integrated Operation Centre (SIOC), the Kuching Smart City Master Plan, the Green Building Index (GBI), Miri Smart City and Smart Traffic Light.
The Kuching Smart City Master Plan is cited as a project that aims to raise living standards, drive economic prosperity and provide a sustainable environment.
“The plan outlines the development of nine shared services as the core operating system, with collaboration amongst the private sector, communities and government agencies,” it stated.
The blueprint also describes the Sarawak Integrated Operation Centre (SIOC) as an ‘all-in-one digital platform’ linking municipalities, ministries, agencies and private sectors to monitor, coordinate and manage smart city services.
“One of its expected outcomes is to reduce crime in Kuching by 20 to 30 per cent,” the blueprint stated.
These policies set the framework.
On the ground, apps such as Pay & Go translate these ambitions into everyday services, making digitalisation tangible for urban communities and complementing wider Smart City initiatives in mobility and service delivery.
Integration into urban mobility
While policy sets the framework, the real test is how apps like Pay & Go fit into wider urban mobility.
Urban planning specialist Khalid Zanudin said apart from modernising the parking system in urban areas, apps like Pay & Go also provide alternatives for urban communities to access services like food delivery and home services.
These apps, he added, complement urbanites’ busy lifestyles.
“However, the availability of digital apps like Pay & Go should not be seen as a solution to traffic and parking issues,” he stressed.
He noted that initiatives such as Bus.MY already cover wider areas, but stronger digital integration is needed to improve efficiency.
Other cities, he added, have shown how digital platforms like Google Maps can be used to provide real-time updates across transport modes, a model Sarawak could adopt with the Autonomous Rapid Transit (ART) coming up.
“Furthermore, strategic collaboration between public and private actors in parking and smart city infrastructure can be in the form of data sharing and digital platform development.
“Private sector technology and financial capacities, combined with government policies and regulations, can facilitate and accelerate the process.”
Such collaboration, he added, will be key to ensuring the long-term sustainability of Sarawak’s mobility ecosystem.
Policy and governance
Khalid said that there is always a risk as not all community segments have direct access or are able to utilise these digital apps.
“Senior citizens and People with Disabilities (PwDs) may find apps not inclusive enough to meet their needs,” he said.
Therefore, he stressed that continuous engagement and communication with stakeholders, including senior citizens and PwDs, are essential in developing inclusive, scalable and integrated digital mobility.
“This will ensure platforms are inclusive and also enhance the readiness and willingness of people to use them.”
Rethinking urban livability
Looking beyond apps, Khalid said the next step to make cities more liveable, efficient, and accessible is to focus more on transit-oriented development and mixed development to enhance accessibility and walkability in cities.
The government, he added, should also invest more in pedestrian walkways and micro-mobility to complement public transport.
“Moreover, invest in educating people. We are used to private vehicles as our main mode of transportation, so it will take time and effort to change people’s mindset and behaviour towards public transport,” he said.
He opined that cities like Kuching must rethink parking not just as convenience but as part of urban livability.
“The government needs to shift attention and policies from accommodating the needs of private vehicles to sustainable mobility.
“Instead of using urban land for off-site parking, the government should provide more public spaces. This will potentially offer urban communities alternatives to shopping malls when it comes to leisure.”
