KOTA KINABALU: Kota Kinabalu City Hall is expected to increase parking fee collection by 20 per cent through the Sabah Smart Parking (SSP) mobile application.
SSP replaced the city's decade-old coupon-based parking system. To date, more than 40,000 users have downloaded the application.
DBKK Holdings Sdn Bhd executive director Jimon Jahim said the old parking system collected about RM1.2 million a month for KK City Hall.
Jimon did not disclose the cost of developing and running the SSP system, but said that it was significantly lower than similar systems implemented by other local authorities.
Mayor Datuk Seri Dr Sabin Samitah said the new system would improve efficiency and reduce costs by doing away with the need to print parking coupons.
Jimon and Sabin were speaking after the launch of the SSP by Datuk Abidin Madingkir, the assistant minister to the chief minister in charge of KK City Hall. The event was held at the Hyatt Regency Kinabalu here today.
The use of the new online system has been implemented throughout the city, except in the Manggatal and Telipok areas.
The application allows users to pay for parking, check outstanding compounds, buy monthly parking passes, and access other related services.
Asked if parking attendants would lose their jobs with the adoption of the SSP, Sabin said: "No one is affected. The parking attendants are still on duty to conduct enforcement, but coupons are no longer printed."
Despite the reduced operating costs, there are no plans to lower parking fees, as Kota Kinabalu had among the lowest rates in Malaysia.
"The rates remain and we are committed to improving our services to the people," he said adding that all revenue would be used to maintain public facilities, especially roads.
Sabin said motorists who had downloaded the SSP app and had outstanding parking compounds would get a discount if they settled them by the end of the month.