MBKS: Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman, Jalan Chan Chin Ann not season parking zones to ensure fair access, high traffic turnover

By DayakDaily Team

KUCHING, May 13: Parking areas along Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman and Jalan Chan Chin Ann have historically not been designated as Season Parking zones due to consistently high demand, as well as the need to ensure fair access for the general public, customers, tourists, delivery services, and business visitors who require short-term parking throughout the day.

Kuching South City Council (Kuching South City Council) Mayor Dato Wee Hong Seng issued this clarification following concerns raised on social media regarding the implementation of the Pay & Go smart parking system in the two commercial stretches, particularly on the absence of monthly Season Parking options.

“The affected parking bays have never been designated as Season Parking zones, even under the previous parking management system prior to Pay & Go implementation.

“The policy applies consistently to other high-traffic commercial areas such as Main Bazaar, Carpenter Street, and Padungan, where Season Parking is also not available,” he said in a statement today.

Wee highlighted that the parking bays along Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman and Jalan Chan Chin Ann are located in busy commercial districts with continuous high turnover demand throughout the day.

Allowing Season Parking in such zones, he said, would result in long-term occupation of bays by the same vehicles, significantly reducing parking availability and affecting access to surrounding businesses.

“This approach is necessary to ensure fair parking access and higher turnover for all road users,” the council said, adding that short-term parking priority supports the needs of customers, tourists, delivery services, and business operators in the city centre.

Wee further explained that similar parking management practices are applied across other high-demand urban zones to balance competing needs between businesses, visitors, residents, and daily commuters while maintaining traffic flow efficiency in high-demand areas.

“The introduction of the Pay & Go system does not introduce new restrictions, but continues the existing parking management policy previously enforced in these locations,” he added.

Wee acknowledged public feedback and concerns raised by business operators and members of the public, stating that the council will continue to monitor and review the system’s implementation periodically, taking into account operational requirements, traffic conditions, business activity, and public convenience.

At the same time, the council urged the public to verify information through official channels before circulating unverified or misleading claims on social media.

The clarification comes after a member of the public recently complained that parking zones along Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman near Sarawak Plaza and Affin Bank, as well as Jalan Chan Chin Ann, do not allow the purchase of a monthly Season Parking pass via the Pay & Go app.

The complainant noted that while a standard monthly season pass costs about RM42.40, the absence of this option in the affected areas forces workers to pay daily rates of RM11 to RM12, which could amount to RM240 to RM260 per month for more than 20 working days, or a markup of over 500 per cent. — DayakDaily

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