KUALA LUMPUR: The Kuala Lumpur Traffic Enforcement and Investigation Department (JSPT) will work together with the Criminal Investigation Department (JSJ) to address parking touts in the city.
City Traffic Enforcement and Investigation Department chief, Assistant Commissioner Sarifudin Mohd Salleh said that they will ensure individuals who have been apprehended will be charged in court.
"Police will also work together with Kuala Lumpur City Hall (KL City Hall) to implement the operation.
"Apart from parking touts, summons will also be issued for vehicles that are parked by the roadside which has been made into illegal parking," he told Harian Metro.
Yesterday it was reported that city dwellers and folks were fed up with parking touts who took the opportunity to make a quick buck by charging those who park at public parking areas.
The parking touts charge up to RM20 for a vehicle depending on the location.
Meanwhile Sarifudin said that parking touts in the city have been using cones by the roadside as a means of setting up illegal parking spots as their modus operandi.
"These parking touts will stand by the roadside and call drivers to come and park by using hand signals or torch lights.
"Vehicles will then be directed to park at the area where the touts have set up the cones after which the parking touts will ask or demand for a parking fee," he said.
According to him, the activities of the parking touts are believed to be carried out in groups or even a syndicate.
"Police have identified the illegal parking areas and spots that are controlled by a particular group of individuals in their quest to make easy money.
"From January up till this month, Police have already apprehended 122 parking touts in and around the city who have been blatantly and actively collecting parking fees from motorists," he said.
He added that there are parking touts who have already been apprehended quite a few times at various different locations for committing the same offence.
Sarifudin said action will be taken under Section 50 (3) of the Road Transport Act 1987 for unlawful harassment and coercion.
"Members of the public are encouraged to cooperate and work together with Police by providing any information regarding illegal parking activities by contacting the nearest police station," he said.
