By Karen Bong
KUCHING, Oct 4: Kuching South City Council (MBKS) is offering motorists a 50 per cent discount to settle their outstanding parking compounds, in a final push to clear arrears ahead of the rollout of the city’s new smart parking system.
Mayor Dato Wee Hong Seng said the special discount will run from Monday (Oct 6) until Nov 30, giving motorists about 60 days to pay off overdue compounds at half price.
“We urge everyone to seize this opportunity and settle all outstanding dues. Once the system is in place, outstanding compounds will carry forward into the app.
“With the new system, everything will be digitally traceable, and motorists who fail to clear their arrears risk being penalised or facing inconvenience in accessing certain parking facilities,” he warned during his ShallWeeTalk live session today.
Wee stressed that this would be the last chance for motorists to enjoy such a discount before the new app takes effect on Jan 1, 2026, following a two-month pilot run starting Nov 1.
Motorists who are unsure of their compound amounts can check using their vehicle plate numbers at the counters in MBKS Headquarters.
The upcoming smart parking system, approved by the Sarawak government in September, will integrate both council and commercial parking into a single mobile app. The platform will allow users to pay or extend sessions directly through their smartphones or by scanning a QR code, while providing real-time updates on parking availability.
Enforcement will be enhanced with License Plate Recognition (LPR) technology, enabling live monitoring and ensuring transparency and compliance, similar to parking systems already in place at shopping malls.
“This is about making parking in Kuching more convenient and efficient, but we need everyone’s cooperation to start afresh by clearing their dues,” Wee urged. — DayakDaily
