KUALA LUMPUR: The Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) should not leasing parking spaces to private companies or parking jockeys.
Federation of Malaysian Consumer Associations (FOMCA) deputy secretary-general, Nur Asyikin Aminuddin, also questioned DBKL's justification on the matter.
"The area is a public space. It's for communal use. What benefit does the presence of valet parking provide to users? After working hours, parking should be free for everyone.
"Parking touts don't make it easier for users. Their conduct is similar to street thugs," she said.
She also urged DBKL to monitor whether the parking touts who offer valet services have licenses from DBKL.
"If they have licenses, they should display boards stating the parking ticket prices to be paid after working hours, certified by DBKL, so users can make informed decisions," she said.
Meanwhile, Pertubuhan Mesra Pengguna Malaysia (PMPM) deputy president, Azlin Othman, said DBKL's action in leasing parking to private companies could confuse users.
"Who actually manages the parking area, as if there are two management entities? DBKL should provide the public with free parking after working hours.
"The frequency of nighttime parking is not as busy as during the day, and it's only during events, ceremonies, and seasonal sales that the parking areas become crowded at night," she said.
She added that whether there are valets or not, the parking charges are relatively high.
"If a visitor parks for just an hour or two, it's not worth it, especially for the majority. Perhaps the advantage of these valets lies with the affluent group who typically use expensive cars.
"DBKL should standardise and make the parking charges reasonable for private companies. It should not be overly expensive and should be affordable for everyone, facilitating visitors. DBKL itself can impose a one-time fee of RM2 to RM5 for visitors after office hours," she said.
Earlier, DBKL, in a statement yesterday said that their investigation found eight parking spaces on the Off Jalan Sultan Ismail sidewalk have been leased to a private company for valet services after office hours.
"These parking spots fall under DBKL's jurisdiction and have parking charges. The charges are applicable during office hours until 5 PM," according to the statement.
To ensure public awareness of this service, DBKL has directed the valet operator to immediately place information boards about their operations at the site.
This comes after a woman took to social media to vent out after discovering her car was scratched after refusing to pay RM15 for parking in Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur.
In a TikTok video shared by @ballerina391 detailing the incident, it is specified that it occurred in the Bukit Bintang Maybank area.
