TAKE a walk down the Telawi streets of Bangsar Baru in the evening and one would notice groups of men directing cars to park in empty parking slots.
Then, as the drivers alight, they would be asked to pay a fee by these men.
Some of these men would even show cards denoting the parking fee charged to vehicles that slowly make their way up and down the Telawi roads in search of park bays.
Amid the bustling atmosphere of the area, these touts collect money boldly from motorists who park there.
Parking mess: The touts claim that they perform a service by helping to ease congestion in the area. It seems that these illegal touts are back in numbers, or perhaps, they have never really been gone.
When StarMetro visited the area recently, the touts seemed to be doing brisk “business” as some drivers were seen giving in into their demands.
Even the rain did not deter them from making the rounds as some of the touts were equipped with umbrellas and even block the parking lots with traffic cones.
Following a story on illegal touts operating in Jalan Cheras, some readers wrote in to highlight other areas where such touts were active.
In action: A jaga kereta harrassing a female driver for money in Desa Sri Hartamas. Robin, a regular visitor to the Telawi area, said she was disgusted by the illegal jaga keretas who occupied the empty lots.
“They charge you RM10 for parking in a public lot and they get violent if you refuse. You can’t park if you don’t pay,” the 28-year-old assistant finance manager said.
She added that this kind of crime was becoming the norm in all public car parking areas.
“It is sad to see these unscrupulous people charging parking fees for something that they have no control over.
“And motorists have to pay out of fear. They fear that their cars or other valuables may be damaged or stolen,” she said.
According to her, the issue had been highlighted last year but it turned into a debate with the touts justifying their “services” by saying that they helped to ease the traffic.
Ong, another reader, wrote in to share her bad experience when she and friends were in Bangsar for a drink.
“As usual, the Telawi roads were full of cars jostling to park. After a few rounds, we found a space on Jalan Telawi 2 and turned in to park.
“The moment we alighted, two men came and demanded RM10.
“We told them that it was a public car park provided by City Hall (DBKL) and there was no need to pay anything after office hours,” Ong, a freelance video journalist, said.
However, the 38-year-old said the men got angry and shouted at them, demanding that they park elsewhere.
“They claimed that they had a car waiting to park at the spot and we had stolen it,” she said.
However, Ong and her friends refused to give in.
“When we returned, we saw that they had parked a vehicle behind our car, preventing us from driving out.
“That’s when I took out my camera phone and snapped some pictures. Then, one of the guys came and shouted obscenities. I took a picture of him, too,” Ong said, adding that he then moved the vehicle.
Ong said the problem had been going on for years and wanted to know why the authorities seemed to have turned a blind eye to the problem.
“DBKL officers are quick to issue summonses during the day if we do not pay parking fees, but why aren’t they ensuring that these touts do not extort our hard-earned money?” she asked.
At Desa Sri Hartamas, the same story repeats itself with touts demanding money from unsuspecting drivers parking on designated bays along the public lane.
According to an outlet operator there, the touts charge RM5 on weeknights and between RM10 and RM15 on weekends.
Deputy Federal Territories Minister Datuk M. Saravanan said he was not aware of the extent of the problem but said if there were complaints, the DBKL would take action.
“The parking lots are under the jurisdiction of the DBKL and no one is allowed to collect any fees after 6pm,” he said.
He added that motorists could also report the matter to the police if they were threatened in any way.
Saravanan also urged the public not to give in to the jaga kereta when they park at the lots.
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