JB paid parking gantry hopes to ease congestion in commercial areas

Larkin state assemblyman Hairi Mad Shah told ST that since businesses in Jalan Geroda began operating about two years ago, his office has “continuously” received complaints from residents and business operators owing to the carpark issue.

“Among the issues raised are vehicles parked from early morning until late at night, most of them belonging to workers who commute to Singapore,” he said.

Hairi said that as parking spaces are occupied, motorists resort to parking by the roadside. This causes congestion in the lanes, especially during peak hours.

“We are not preventing anyone from coming here, and we continue to welcome those who work in Singapore,” he said.

“The system simply ensures that public facilities are managed in an orderly manner for the comfort and convenience of everyone, especially local residents.”

The new Jalan Geroda gantry operates from 7am to 11pm daily, charging RM2 (60 Singapore cents) for the first hour and RM1 for every subsequent hour, capped at RM18 a day for cars.

Motorcycles pay half the car tariff, but parking is currently free as the system is still under testing, said Fitriudin Rashid, a staff member of Southmax, the traffic tech vendor appointed by the city council.

Payments can be made using Mastercard, Visa or the Parkmax@Johor app. Monthly passes can be requested via the app for RM250, while reserved parking spaces cost RM300 a month.

Fitriudin, 27, who has been stationed in Jalan Geroda since Aug 21 to gather feedback, said over 30 per cent of the parking spaces had been freed up as workers found other places to park. There are more than 330 parking spaces there.

“But now we see the number of motorcycles increasing rapidly as many workers here have opted to use them instead of cars because it (parking for motorcycles) is still free,” he said. “We’re also seeing spillover traffic in other areas like Dataran Larkin, as drivers now park their cars there instead.”

It is unclear when the authorities plan to extend the gantry system to Dataran Larkin to prevent similar congestion issues.

Mixed reactions to new parking fees

However, the new system has had a mixed reception from those who work in the area – mostly due to added parking costs.

Fitri Nazir, 25, who works at a shop selling desserts and gifts in Jalan Geroda, said he switched from driving a car to riding a motorcycle following the gantry installation.

“It was painful. I had to pay around RM14 the last time for my shift starting from 8am to 9pm,” he said.

Nur Hasya Zainal Abidin, owner of Loaf Adam Patisserie, said that while traffic had improved since the gantry was installed, parking adds to her operating expenses. She said her cafe had to pay RM10,000 for monthly parking passes for its 50 employees.

“Parking is a bit more expensive here, but it does help ease the traffic,” she said. “So far among the business community here, most of us feel that sales are normal and we’re not seeing any noticeable increase yet.”

Wan Agyl Wan Hassan, transport analyst and founder of Malaysian think-tank My Mobility Vision, said making parking more difficult without providing alternatives could simply shift the problem elsewhere. He highlighted how public transport and park-and-ride schemes have yet to be ramped up.

“If the same car occupies a space for eight or 10 hours, there is little turnover for people coming into the city for business, shopping, services or other short visits,” he said. “A gantry-based system should strengthen enforcement because entry, exit and parking duration become much clearer, but parking controls alone will not solve JB’s congestion.”

Wan Agyl said the new parking measures, and efforts to ramp up public transport and park-and-ride alternatives should be seen as the same city-centre access strategy rather than separate policies.

“This is why the wider road realignment and traffic rerouting are important,” he said.

“Short-term visitors still need reasonable access to the city, while people parking for an entire working day should have alternatives such as public transport, park-and-ride or parking outside the most congested core.”