Pelangi Utama Condo residents in a dilemma

19/09/2008 The Star By Oh Ing Yeen

IMAGINE waking up in the morning to find a parking summons on your car’s windshield and this happens three or four times in a month, almost once a week.

That is what some residents and tenants of Pelangi Utama Condominium in Petaling Jaya have been experiencing lately.

Parking woes: Due to limited parking space, some of the Pelangi condo residents have no choice but to park along the road.

Damon Khaw moved in to the condo in July but has already received three summonses in August.

“My condo is not facing the road so I don’t know when the officers will come to issue summonses. One was even issued at 10.30pm on the eve of Merdeka,” he said.

“It sets us back about RM400 per month, which is almost 10% of our income.

“This has a big impact on our lives, especially with the high cost of almost everything since the petrol price increase,” he said.

Khaw and his wife each own a car but they were only allocated one parking lot.

“I bought the condo unit through a sub-sale. Thus, I would have to go through the first owner to apply for another parking lot,” he said.

“To apply for another parking lot will cost RM150 per month and it is subject to a drawing of lots since there are only 10 units left,” he said.

Khaw said he had raised this issue at the joint management body (JMB) committee meetings.

Aside from the summonses, safety is also one of his concerns.

“Sometimes, we park at the nearby shops and walk to the condo. I’m worried for my wife’s safety when she comes back from work late,” he said.

“It is also troublesome as we are not able to renew our road tax due to the summonses,” he said.

Pricey burden: Khaw holding up one of the summonses he received last month

Khaw hopes that the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) can allocate proper parking spaces for the condo residents.

His neighbour, who wanted to be only known as Epey, said other residents also faced the same problem.

“There should be some parking space for rent. I am so fed up that I want to move out. Why do we have to face this problem?” she asked.

Student Johnson Chua finds it difficult to fork out RM150 per month for a parking lot.

“I have moved in for less than a year and so far, I have received three summonses,” he said.

“I take turns with my housemate to park at the allocated parking lot.

“Sometimes, I park at the nearby shops but the space there is limited,” Chua said.

“It’s troublesome for me to travel all the way to pay my summonses, especially since I’m not local,” said the 20-year-old student from Malacca.

“I hope that the MBPJ will allocate a certain period of time, such as from night to dawn, for us to park for free,” Chua said.