The HCM City Department of Finance has proposed new parking fees for motorbikes and automobiles after reports that parking providers had violated fee regulations set by the city.
The new parking fees, expected to be approved by city authorities, will be VND2,000 for motorbikes at schools and hospitals; VND3,000 for markets, supermarkets, and low-to-middle-end apartments; and VND4,000 for high-end apartments, entertainment places, restaurants, hotels, discotheques, theatres, and for Ben Thanh, An Dong, Binh Tay, Kim Bien markets as well as the three wholesale markets Binh Dien, Thu Duc, Hoc Mon and other shopping centres.
The parking fees for motorbikes at night will be higher than daytime prices, with parking fees for scooters VND1,000 higher than non-automatic motorbikes.
The draft also stipulates that fees will vary depending on the type of automobile and on nighttime or daytime parking, among other factors.
The parking fees for motorbikes and automobiles will differ in accordance with various areas.
Parking fees in districts 1, 3 and 5 are higher than in other districts, from VND1,000 – VND2,000 for motorbikes, and from VND5,000 – VND15,000 for automobiles.
The parking fees in five sub-districts Can Gio, Hoc Mon, Binh Chanh, Thu Duc and Cu Chi are 50 per cent lower than those in other central districts.
Under regulations set by the HCM City People's Committee in 2005, the fee for motorbike parking is VND2,000.
But many parking service providers in districts 1 and 3 have raised the fees of motorbike parking three to five times, or even 10 times, according to the Thoi Bao Kinh Te Viet Nam (Viet Nam Economic Times) newspaper.
The situation is even more critical during holiday seasons. During a trade fair held at Phu Tho Sport Centre in District 11 on the occasion of the April 30 holiday, many parking service providers raised the fees to VND5,000-VND10,000.
At many entertainment places like Dam Sen, Ky Hoa, Suoi Tien and markets, restaurants, many providers raised the fees three to 10 times compared to the price of VND2,000 set by the city people's committee.
Luu Trong Hoa, vice chairman of District 1 People's Committee, said people should report to ward people's committees or ward police if they are charged excessively high parking fees.
