LETTERS: I visit Port Dickson, Negri Sembilan, at least once a month and use a parking coupon to park. A coupon costs 40 sen, which allows for an hour's parking.
It comes in a booklet of 10 coupons that costs RM4. I usually buy a booklet. Two weeks ago, I was issued a parking compound despite the parking coupon being correctly displayed on my vehicle's dashboard.
The compound read that the parking coupons were invalid and not in use anymore.
I was told by fellow drivers that the PD Municipal Council had delegated the town parking to a company, Flexi Parking (FP), which uses an app that can be downloaded.
This has been in effect since the beginning of the year and enforced since April 1.
I, however, was not aware of the sudden change in the parking payment mode.
The parking coupons that I have are good till 2025. It is only fair that the municipal council allows a grace period for drivers to use the coupons.
I was in the PD town centre last month and there was no notice or banners informing drivers of the new parking app. I used the parking coupons then and there was no problem.
FP, or the municipal council, should have informed drivers about using the parking coupons.
At the FP office in PD, I was asked to pay RM10 as a compound for using the coupon, which it said was invalid and outdated.
I had scratched two parking coupons correctly and with an expiry date till 2025, and I had paid RM10 (see picture).
I told them that I was not aware of the new parking app and that there were no signboards to alert out-of-town drivers. FP still insisted that I pay the compound.
I reluctantly paid but was upset because it was unfair to pay the compound when I had bought the parking coupons.
FP should have issued me a warning notice or fined me a smaller amount and not RM10.
In Seremban, we use the Jom Parking app. The Jom Parking app can be used in Nilai, Kuala Pilah, Selayang, Kajang, Sepang and other locations, but not in PD.
So PD should be included in the Jom Parking app, too. I do not understand the need to download another app for PD, which is in the same locality.
SAMUEL YESUIAH
Seremban, Negri Sembilan
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times