Directly-elected lawmaker-cum-unionist Ella Lei Cheng I, who chairs the Legislative Assembly’s (AL) 1st Standing Committee which is currently reviewing a government-initiated bill regulating public parking, quoted committee members as asking the government to clarify its stance on accidents that may occur in private carparks, which are not regulated in the proposed law.
Addressing a press briefing after yesterday’s closed-door meeting in the Legislative Assembly (AL) building reviewing the public parking bill, Lei quoted committee members as saying that there are currently a number of private carparks that offer parking services to the public and that the committee is asking the government to clarify the regulation of these carparks, such as the rules under which their parking services operate.
Lei said that this was to make people who own private land in the city’s old quarters “willing to build car parks or open them to the public”.
Lei also said that the bill does not include regulations on private carparks, and the current public-parking administrative regulation (by-law), which was promulgated in 2003, was not clear on the regulation of private carparks.
The bill also proposes that parking fees for street parking spaces can only be paid for by e-payment. Lei quoted the committee members’ concern about the compatibility of electronic payment methods and how that would work for visitors.
Currently, parking meters for street parking spaces accept pataca coins or Macau Pass cards.
Lei also quoted committee members as saying that they would like the government to explain the rationale for only using electronic payments for parking meters and the possible costs involved.
The bill proposes that future parking fees will be regulated by the chief executive, Lei said, adding that the committee is concerned about how the future fees will be determined by the chief executive.
Lawmaker-cum-unionist Ella Lei Cheng I, who chairs the legislature’s First Standing Committee, talks to reporters after yesterday’s closed-door meeting of the committee, in the Legislature Assembly, reviewing the government’s public parking bill. – Photo: Ginnie Liang
