A signboard informing the public that the council will be introducing coupon parking system near the Taman Maju Jaya morning market.— WONG PEK MEI/The Star

SMALL traders, businesses and customers are appealing to the Selangor state government and Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ). to not implement the coupon system at the parking area of Taman Maju Jaya morning market in Cheras.

A fruit and fish trader, Liew Chee Lin, 65, said he spotted a signboard about 100m away from the market stating that the area was a coupon parking system area recently.

“I called MPAJ to verify this and they told us that they have started since August. I was sad to hear this.

“As it is, our business is suffering and has been down by 50%.

Liew, who said he has been operating at the market for 27 years, said there was no parking charges in the past.

“We urge MPAJ and the state government to reconsider the move in this area as it would be a burden for us small traders to continue our business.

“I myself earn only an average of RM1,200 a month,” he said.

On Aug 20, StarMetro reported that the suspended coupon parking system by the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ) would resume on Aug 20, with enforcement to be carried out from Sept 1.

The system will replace the current pay-and-display method which was managed by Suasa Efektif (M) Sdn Bhd.

The coupon system for council-owned parking lots was put on hiatus in February only one month after Suasa Efektif was granted an injunction to stop MPAJ from taking over the operation, management and maintenance of parking facilities in the Ampang Jaya municipality area until the final disposal of the wrongful termination suit.

It was also reported that there are three types of coupons available, hourly tickets which cost 50sen per card and are sold in booklets of 10 sheets that cost RM5.

There are also monthly passes which are priced at RM70 and a Residents’ Pass which costs RM30 per month, which is only for those who live in the shoplots.

A contractor, who works at a shoplot in the area, Foong Han Loon, 40, said Malaysians have been burdened with GST and petrol price hikes.

“This will add to that. There is no crowd here and this area is in the midst of a housing area. If it is in the city centre, then yes, they can consider doing it then,” he said.

Customer, Sathasivam Kalimuthu, 44, said he always goes to the market to have breakfast at the stalls from his house in Ampang on the way to work in the city centre.

[slider id='81590' name='StarProperty' size='full']

“I am only here for half an hour or less. But the charges, 50sen, is per hour so in the long term this will be costly for us to come here even though we’re here for only a short stretch,” he said.

Teratai Gerakan public complaints bureau chief Ben Liew, who called for a press conference on the issue, said the area was not congested and there was ample of parking spaces.

“The reason to place such a parking system to create movements of the vehicles so there are parking spaces.

“But there is no such problem here.

"If there are banks and more commercial businesses here, then it would be justified” he said.

He added he hoped the state government will waive the parking system in the area and look at the system on a case-by-case basis.

Meanwhile, on another issue, he called for the Selangor state government to answer if they made it a policy for local authorities to increase the fees for the maintenance of markets from RM2 to RM4 per year.

“Even though they waived the license fee for the 70,304 hawkers in Selangor this year, they increased the fees to upkeep the markets

“So, if this is not a directive from the state government, local authorities in the state should not increase the fee,” he said.