Zin Lin Myint

THE city where the largest number of vehicles is being used across the nation is Yangon. More than one million vehicles have been registered in the entire nation, over 600,000 of which were registered in Yangon City. As such, a large number of vehicles stations on roads and streets in six townships of downtown Yangon. Gradually, car owners face difficulties to park their vehicles in six downtown townships of Yangon. To be able to solve such problems, Yangon Region government and Yangon City Development Committee are joining hands in implementing the smart car parking system in six townships of the downtown city.

Extended implementation Such a system is to charge fee from cars for car parking based on technology. The system will firstly cover six townships in downtown Yangon. If the system achieves success, it will be extended to more townships. For the time being, the project is suspended due to outbreak of Covid-19.

YCDC initiates implementation of the smart car parking system in six downtown townships—Kyauktada, Pabedan, Latha, Lanmadaw, Pazundaung and Botahtaung— to solve the problems of rare areas for car parks. Six companies competed in the final stage of tender for the project. YCDC started tender invitation on 29 November 2019, said U Lin Khaing, Secretary of Road and Bridge Work In-charge Group of YCDC.

Suspension for a short time

A decision was adopted to conduct the pilot project for the smart car parking system from 22 March to 4 April 2020. Unexpectedly, the pilot project was suspended on 22 March because of infected Covid-19 disease which breaks out across the nation as well as the entire world. However, the project is really to be implemented. In the past, car owners and drivers faced weakness in collection of charges for car parking in Yangon City. Moreover, they were anxieties in waste of time to search parking spaces for their vehicles. Now, car owners and drivers on their ways to Yangon City can use their mobile phones to search the spaces of car parks as they wish in advance before arriving at downtown townships.

Arrangements for payment

The new project will contribute much to easing the problems such as traffic congestion and lack of parking spaces in the city. Thanks to new system, car owners and drivers will have chances to pay charges of car parking through mobile phone as well as cash down.

YCDC assigned technological companies to join the tender competition for the smart car parking system.

Paradigm Technology Company is assigned in the group (1) which has to take responsibilities for collecting charges of car parks in the Block A. The block comprises an area between Bogyoke Aung San Street and Anawrahta Street. The group (2) is formed with Myanmar Gateway and Naung Yoe Company which must collect charges from vehicles at car parks between Anawrahta Street and Maha Bandoola Street.

Needs to cooperation

The group (3) is assigned to take charges for car parks between Maha Bandoola Street and Merchant Street. All technological companies in groups will participate in implementing the smart car parking system. Car owners and drivers must insert Parking Yangon Application for Block A, Smart Parking @ Yangon Application for Block B and Flowbird Application for Block C into their mobile phones so as to pay charges for car parking through online service.

Sharing knowledge process

 Currently, information letters on smart car parking system are stuck on cars which station at car parks in six townships of downtown Yangon. Moreover, officials explain salient points of the new system to the car parking users. Such educative measures as the pilot project were taken from 8 am to 6 pm during the period from 22 March to 4 April 2020. However, the process of pilot project was suspended because of Covid-19.

 Arrangements are being made to charge fee of car parking during the test running period in order to have a smooth process for rate of car parking fee and collection system at a time when the new system is implemented. As such, cars in the parking will be charged at K500, K300 and K200 per hour. The pilot project area will be on Bo Aung Kyaw Street, Anawrahta Street, Maha Bandoola Street, Seikkantha Street and Bogyoke Aung San Street in downtown Yangon.

Three portions in project

Moreover, the new system will be divided into three portions which will cover 39th Street, 40th Street, Bo Aung Kyaw Street and Seikkantha Street in Kyauktada Township. In this regard, charges of car parks have been set to collect K500 per hour for the vehicles which station on the roads and streets with red label, K300 per hour with yellow label and K200 per hour with green label. As such, drivers and car owners need to check spaces for car parks and colour of labels on their mobile phones.

YCDC arranges payments for car parking fee through online as well as cash down systems. So, car owners and drivers will have options for the payments as they like. Thanks to setting fees of car parking at different levels and collection systems, it is expected the smart car parking system would give better services to users in six townships of downtown Yangon City. In fact, it is necessary to wait and see whether the new system would be convenient for car owners and drivers or not and whether parking process of vehicles would be better or not.

(Translated by Than Tun Aung)