PENANGITES and visitors can start trying the Penang Smart Parking (PSP) mobile application from tomorrow (Aug 19) onwards.
The PSP app allows users to pay their parking fees via their smartphones.
Penang is touted to be the first state in the country to implement the smart parking system at local council parking lots.
Penang Local Government, Housing, Town and Country Planning Committee chairman Jagdeep Singh Deo said 647 Penang Island City Council (MBPP) parking lots had been identified in the pilot project, which will be held from tomorrow (Aug 19) until December this year (2019).
“The identified parking lots will be turned into smart parking lots in phases.
“The roads involved are Union Street, Beach Street (from Light Street to Chulia Street Ghaut), Market Street, Queen Street (from Bishop Street to China Street), Queen Street (from China Street to Chulia Street), Penang Street (from Light Street to China Street) and Penang Street (from China Street to Chulia Street).
“Others include King Street (from Light Street to China Street), King Street (from China Street to Chulia Street), Downing Street, Bishop Street, Church Street, Church Street Ghaut, China Street and China Street Ghaut,” he said in his speech.
Jagdeep said 350 Seberang Perai Municipal Council (MPSP) parking lots on Lorong Langsat and Jalan Icon City would be converted into smart parking lots on the mainland.
The PSP system would be managed by HeiTech Padu Berhad. The company was awarded after winning the bid through the Request For Proposal (RFP) process. Over 60 bidders took part in the RFP.
Jagdeep said there were about 36,000 council parking lots in Penang.
“The state hopes that the 36,000 parking lots will be turned into smart parking lots by August next year (2020).
“The affected roads will be closed in phases to make way for the installation of sensors from time to time.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said the state had decided to stop selling the council parking coupons by Dec 31 this year (2019).
“However, the existing council parking coupons are still valid until Dec 31 next year (2020). This is for us to phase out the existing council parking coupons slowly,” he said after launching the PSP system in China Street Ghaut today.
He said that the smart parking system would propel Penang towards becoming a green and smart state that inspires the nation.
HeiTech Padu Berhad executive vice-president Abdul Halim Md Lassim said vehicle owners can pay their parking fees via e-Coupons from September this year (2019).
“The e-Coupons will be sold by the existing agents who are currently selling the council parking coupons. The e-Coupons will also be available at petrol stations and convenience stores such as 7-Eleven.
“Non-smartphone users or smartphone users without Internet data can pay their parking fees using the e-Coupons,” he said.
The council parking fees remained at 80sen per hour on the island and 40sen per hour on the mainland.
Chow later announced that the first 10,000 users who downloaded the PSP app would be given RM5 credit to try out the PSP system.
Users can download the PSP app from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store from tomorrow (Aug 19) onwards.
Also present at the launching ceremony were Komtar assemblyman Teh Lai Heng, Pengkalan Kota assemblyman Daniel Gooi, MBPP mayor Datuk Yew Tung Seang and MPSP president Datuk Rozali Mohamud.
Story by Christopher Tan
Pix by Adleena Rahayu Ahmad Radzi
Video by Darwina Mohd Daud