Seberang Perai council ups parking charges after 29 years, effective Jan 1

BUKIT MERTAJAM: The Seberang Perai City Council (MBSP) will implement new parking fee rates in the Seberang Perai area, starting Jan 1, 2025.

Mayor Datuk Baderul Amin Abdul Hamid explained that the current parking rates have been in place since 1995, remaining unchanged for almost 29 years. During this period, there has been no review of the rates to ensure they remain relevant.

"The new rates will involve a significant increase, with the hourly charge rising from RM0.40 to RM0.80, the daily charge from RM3 to RM6, and the monthly charge from RM75 to RM150," he said.

"For fixed subscription parking, such as the rental of special spaces, the rate will remain unchanged at RM200 per month per space, a rate that continues to benefit Seberang Perai residents, particularly business owners and companies.

He also noted that the council had analysed the usage patterns of the public utilising paid parking facilities, finding that most people prefer short-term usage, based on their business needs. As a result, MBSP has introduced a new half-hour charge of RM0.40 to accommodate these preferences.

He mentioned that the existing TLK charge rates in Seberang Perai are among the lowest in the country, and emphasised that the revised rates are not intended to generate profit for MBSP, but to improve the efficiency of the parking system. He also highlighted that the current parking fee collection has reached RM9mil.

MBSP requires around RM3mil to replace the batteries in the detection devices across 22,000 Penang Smart Parking (PSP) sites, which have expired. Additionally, the council plans to upgrade 2,000 remaining parking sites by installing camera devices in selected areas, to enhance road user safety.