JB commercial areas are short of parking due to Singapore workers. Can a new paid system solve this?

JOHOR BAHRU – Despite having lived in the busy town of Larkin in central Johor Bahru all her life, 41-year-old Norhayatie Syawal had avoided the popular commercial area in Jalan Geroda near the Larkin bus terminal for years.

The reason: It was near impossible to find a parking space, as Johor residents who work in Singapore would occupy the parking spaces throughout the day as they commute into the Republic by public bus at the terminal.

“I’ve got two tickets from the city council for double-parking this year because it’s hard to get a space,” the homemaker told The Straits Times, referring to parking while blocking another vehicle in a valid parking space.

But residents and businesses have finally breathed a sigh of relief, thanks to a new paid parking gantry system installed by the Johor authorities on Aug 21 that has since freed up the bulk of the parking spaces. Norhayatie added that she had visited the area three times for lunch or dinner the past week.

“This gantry system is really good. Need to pay? No problem, I hope they don’t ever remove it,” she added, walking over to her blue Myvi car, after a late lunch at a cafe with her two daughters.

Larkin resident Norhayatie Syawal said the new parking gantry system in Jalan Geroda offers more opportunity for residents to shop and dine as previously Malaysians working in Singapore would hog the parking spaces there.

ST PHOTO: HARITH MUSTAFFA

Johor is moving ahead with several plans to ease traffic in JB as the launch of the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link looms in 2027.

One of the first is the roll-out of paid parking gantries using number plate recognition in several busy areas in the city centre. Jalan Geroda is the first, with Dataran Larkin and Larkin Perdana set to follow, a JB City Council (MBJB) spokesperson told ST.

Before the gantry, drivers could park in those areas for free.

All three are busy commercial areas of shophouses popular with both locals and Singaporeans, due to their ease of access to cross-border bus and taxi services between Johor and Singapore.

Can this help Johor ease city traffic?

Fully occupied carparks have long been a problem in the southern state capital. Locals who work in Singapore would leave their cars at public parking spaces near public transport terminals or bus pick-up points throughout their working day, contributing to clogged roads.

During peak hours, about 300,000 vehicles enter and exit JB from surrounding areas, including Singapore, according to statistics from the MBJB’s Integrated Operations Control Centre.

Larkin state assemblyman Hairi Mad Shah told ST that since businesses in Jalan Geroda began operating about two years ago, his office has “continuously” received complaints from residents and business operators owing to the carpark issue.

“Among the issues raised are vehicles parked from early morning until late at night, most of them belonging to workers who commute to Singapore,” he said.

Hairi said that as parking spaces are occupied, motorists resort to parking by the roadside. This causes congestion in the lanes, especially during peak hours.

“We are not preventing anyone from coming here, and we continue to welcome those who work in Singapore,” he said.

“The system simply ensures that public facilities are managed in an orderly manner for the comfort and convenience of everyone, especially local residents.”

The new Jalan Geroda gantry operates from 7am to 11pm daily, charging RM2 (60 Singapore cents) for the first hour and RM1 for every subsequent hour, capped at RM18 a day for cars.

Parking attendants said that 30 per cent of parking spaces in Jalan Geroda had been freed up since the new parking gantry was installed on Aug 21.

ST PHOTO: HARITH MUSTAFFA

Motorcycles pay half the car tariff, but parking is currently free as the system is still under testing, said Fitriudin Rashid, a staff member of Southmax, the traffic tech vendor appointed by the city council.

Payments can be made using Mastercard, Visa or the Parkmax@Johor app. Monthly passes can be requested via the app for RM250, while reserved parking spaces cost RM300 a month.

Fitriudin, 27, who has been stationed in Jalan Geroda since Aug 21 to gather feedback, said over 30 per cent of the parking spaces had been freed up as workers found other places to park. There are more than 330 parking spaces there.

“But now we see the number of motorcycles increasing rapidly as many workers here have opted to use them instead of cars because it (parking for motorcycles) is still free,” he said. “We’re also seeing spillover traffic in other areas like Dataran Larkin, as drivers now park their cars there instead.”

It is unclear when the authorities plan to extend the gantry system to Dataran Larkin to prevent similar congestion issues.

Mixed reactions to new parking fees

However, the new system has had a mixed reception from those who work in the area – mostly due to added parking costs.

Fitri Nazir, 25, who works at a shop selling desserts and gifts in Jalan Geroda, said he switched from driving a car to riding a motorcycle following the gantry installation.

Fitri Nazir, who works at a shop selling desserts and gifts in Jalan Geroda, said he recently opted to travel via motorcycle instead of his car to avoid paying parking fees at the new gantry.

ST PHOTO: HARITH MUSTAFFA

“It was painful. I had to pay around RM14 the last time for my shift starting from 8am to 9pm,” he said.

Nur Hasya Zainal Abidin, owner of Loaf Adam Patisserie, said that while traffic had improved since the gantry was installed, parking adds to her operating expenses. She said her cafe had to pay RM10,000 for monthly parking passes for its 50 employees.

“Parking is a bit more expensive here, but it does help ease the traffic,” she said. “So far among the business community here, most of us feel that sales are normal and we’re not seeing any noticeable increase yet.”

Wan Agyl Wan Hassan, transport analyst and founder of Malaysian think-tank My Mobility Vision, said making parking more difficult without providing alternatives could simply shift the problem elsewhere. He highlighted how public transport and park-and-ride schemes have yet to be ramped up.

“If the same car occupies a space for eight or 10 hours, there is little turnover for people coming into the city for business, shopping, services or other short visits,” he said. “A gantry-based system should strengthen enforcement because entry, exit and parking duration become much clearer, but parking controls alone will not solve JB’s congestion.”

Wan Agyl said the new parking measures, and efforts to ramp up public transport and park-and-ride alternatives should be seen as the same city-centre access strategy rather than separate policies.

“This is why the wider road realignment and traffic rerouting are important,” he said.

“Short-term visitors still need reasonable access to the city, while people parking for an entire working day should have alternatives such as public transport, park-and-ride or parking outside the most congested core.”