Wong (second right) speaks to an enforcement officer at Sibu Central Market where haphazard parking has led to traffic jams.
An SMC enforcement officer issues a parking summons.
SIBU: Sibu Municipal Council is booking errant motorists for wayward parking at the Central Market after giving sufficient warning.
Enforcement officers of Sibu Municipal Council were yesterday instructed by the council’s deputy chairman Dato Andrew Wong to issue summonses to errant motorists who resorted to illegal parking.
Inspecting busy town streets, Wong said: “Especially at Channel Road, this illegal parking has blocked the traffic and caused massive jams.
“As we all know, Channel Road is one of the busiest streets in Sibu, so we want smooth traffic all the time. That means we have to get rid of the illegal parking,” he told reporters who were following him on the inspection.
Chains and posts put up in front of the Central Market to prevent illegal parking would be removed, he disclosed.
This was due consideration, Wong explained, as the space in front of the market was meant for lorries or trucks to load or unload between 8am and noon.
Wong, who chairs the Markets and Petty Traders Standing Committee, said the council had given errant motorists sufficient time to change their lackadaisical attitude.
“There has been no improvement. In fact, the situation is getting worse,” he lamented, pointing out that the council had decided to get tough with errant motorists.
“We have six enforcement officers on duty in the vicinity of Central Market and they have been told to act relentlessly against errant motorists.
“And we may even increase the compound fines for illegal parking which are currently RM30 for motorist and RM10 for motorcyclist.
“We may increase the fines to RM50 and RM20 respectively,” he said.