THE Penang Island City Council (MBPP) has increased public parking fees by 50% starting this month as part of its efforts to improve traffic flow and reduce congestion in high-demand areas.
MBPP mayor Datuk A. Rajendran said the decision was made to prevent long-term parking that takes up limited public parking spaces.
“Some motorists park their vehicles for 10 to 12 hours straight, making it difficult for others to find parking. This leads to drivers circling the area repeatedly, worsening congestion,” he said.
Under the new rates, parking fees have increased from 40 sen to 60 sen per half hour, and from 80 sen to RM1.20 per hour. The daily parking rate has also been revised from RM6 to RM9, while the monthly pass remains at RM150.
Rajendran added that MBPP is also planning to implement a time limit for parking in high-demand areas, such as parts of Lebuh Chulia and Little India.
“Public parking should serve as a shared facility, not a private space for all-day parking. We will start limiting parking time in areas where finding a spot is already difficult,” he said.
Additionally, MBPP has introduced stricter measures at five traffic congestion hotspots — Jalan P. Ramlee, Jalan Dato’ Keramat, Jalan Magazine, Jalan Burma and Lebuhraya Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu, by banning roadside waiting and increasing enforcement against illegal parking.
He also highlighted the success of the dedicated bus lanes trial run in Komtar, which MBPP is now considering expanding to other key areas.
To further ease congestion, MBPP is working with developers to ensure that private parking facilities in commercial buildings adopt similar fee structures to MBPP’s public parking rates.
“We encourage the public to utilise existing parking spaces in shopping malls and private buildings instead of relying solely on public parking,” he said.
Rajendran also urged residents to take advantage of Penang’s public transport options, including Rapid Penang buses, taxis and e-hailing services to reduce traffic congestion.
He added that MBPP has initiated an open tender process to develop a multi-storey parking facility along Weld Quay to increase available parking spaces.
“We will continue implementing measures in phases to ensure smoother traffic flow and a more organised parking system,” he said.
Story and pix by Lim Min Jun