كانت تجربتي الأولى مع المواقف المدفوعة في الأحساء غير مشجعة، فقد كان عليَّ الحصول على عملة معدنية للحصول على تذكرة الوقوف من جهاز التذاكر، ولأنني مجرد عابر سبيل لم أكن أملك التطبيق الخاص بالدفع الرقمي للشركة المشغلة، وأثناء توجهي لأحد المحلات الذي يبيع العملات المعدنية شاهدت بمجرد عبوري الشارع توقف «ونش» الشركة المشغلة عند سيارتي مما استدعى عودتي لشرح أنني توقفت للتو وذاهب للحصول على عملة معدنية فأنقذت سيارتي من السحب الجائر!
التجربة الثانية كانت في الأحساء أيضاً ولكنها أسوأ، فقد توقفت أمام سوق القيصرية، وذهبت لجهاز التذاكر وفشلت تماماً في استخدامه حتى تقدم مني موظف من موظفي الشركة المشغلة وقدم لي المساعدة في الدفع، لكن الآلة لم تخرج تذكرة ورقية لأضعها على مقدمة السيارة، فأفادني الموظف أن لا حاجة لها؛ لأن أي مفتش سيجد رقم السيارة والوقت المدفوع في النظام على جهازه، وبالتالي ليس علي القلق من شيء، لكن في اليوم التالي تلقيت رسالة عبر الهاتف الجوال تفيد بتسجيل مخالفة وقوف بقيمة ٢٠٠ ريال مع تحذير بسحب السيارة من أي مكان في حال عدم السداد خلال مدة محددة!
بعد شهرين من الاعتراض تم إسقاط المخالفة، لكنني شعرت بالقلق من أن تجربة تشغيل المواقف المدفوعة في مدينة الرياض ستعاني من نفس المشكلات، وبالتواصل مع المسؤول شددت على أهمية تسهيل وتبسيط عملية الدفع للحصول على نسبة أعلى من الالتزام، فجزء من المخالفات سببها عدم قدرة المخالفين على القيام بعملية السداد، خاصة كبار السن والسائقين الأجانب الذين لا يفهمون استخدام أجهزة التذاكر أو التطبيق الرقمي!
شخصياً، وجدت فائدة كبيرة في نظام المواقف المدفوعة في الشوارع التجارية المزدحمة، حيث أصبحت المواقف متوفرة ولم يعد العاملون في المكاتب والمحلات يحتلون هذه المواقف طوال اليوم، لكن من المهم أيضاً أن يمتلك المفتشون أريحية تطبيق المخالفات، فالناس بحاجة لوقت كاف لاستيعاب نظامها والتعود على وسائل دفعها، مع ضرورة القيام بحملات توعية وتعريف بها!
باختصار.. يجب أن تستفيد الرياض من سلبيات الأحساء، ومن أخطاء المنطقة الشرقية التي دفعت أمينها م. فهد الجبير لاتخاذ قرار إلغاء عقد مشغلها!
تابع قناة عكاظ على الواتساب
My first experience with paid parking in Al-Ahsa was not encouraging. I had to get a coin to obtain a parking ticket from the ticket machine, and since I was just a passerby, I didn't have the digital payment app of the operating company. While heading to one of the shops that sells coins, I saw, just as I crossed the street, the company's tow truck stop by my car, which prompted me to return and explain that I had just parked and was going to get a coin, thus saving my car from unjust towing!
The second experience was also in Al-Ahsa, but it was worse. I stopped in front of the Qaisariah market, went to the ticket machine, and completely failed to use it until an employee from the operating company approached me and offered assistance with the payment. However, the machine did not issue a paper ticket for me to place on the front of the car. The employee informed me that it was not necessary because any inspector would find the car number and the paid time in the system on their device, so I didn't have to worry about anything. But the next day, I received a message on my mobile phone notifying me of a parking violation worth 200 riyals, along with a warning about towing the car from anywhere if payment was not made within a specified period!
After two months of objection, the violation was dropped, but I was worried that the paid parking experience in Riyadh would suffer from the same problems. In communicating with the responsible person, I emphasized the importance of facilitating and simplifying the payment process to achieve a higher compliance rate. Part of the violations is caused by the inability of violators to make the payment, especially the elderly and foreign drivers who do not understand how to use the ticket machines or the digital app!
Personally, I found great benefit in the paid parking system in busy commercial streets, as parking became available, and office and shop workers no longer occupied these spots all day. However, it is also important for inspectors to have the flexibility to apply violations. People need enough time to understand the system and get used to its payment methods, along with the necessity of conducting awareness campaigns to introduce it!
In short, Riyadh should learn from the negatives of Al-Ahsa and from the mistakes of the Eastern Province that led its secretary, Eng. Fahd Al-Jubair, to decide to cancel its operator's contract!
The second experience was also in Al-Ahsa, but it was worse. I stopped in front of the Qaisariah market, went to the ticket machine, and completely failed to use it until an employee from the operating company approached me and offered assistance with the payment. However, the machine did not issue a paper ticket for me to place on the front of the car. The employee informed me that it was not necessary because any inspector would find the car number and the paid time in the system on their device, so I didn't have to worry about anything. But the next day, I received a message on my mobile phone notifying me of a parking violation worth 200 riyals, along with a warning about towing the car from anywhere if payment was not made within a specified period!
After two months of objection, the violation was dropped, but I was worried that the paid parking experience in Riyadh would suffer from the same problems. In communicating with the responsible person, I emphasized the importance of facilitating and simplifying the payment process to achieve a higher compliance rate. Part of the violations is caused by the inability of violators to make the payment, especially the elderly and foreign drivers who do not understand how to use the ticket machines or the digital app!
Personally, I found great benefit in the paid parking system in busy commercial streets, as parking became available, and office and shop workers no longer occupied these spots all day. However, it is also important for inspectors to have the flexibility to apply violations. People need enough time to understand the system and get used to its payment methods, along with the necessity of conducting awareness campaigns to introduce it!
In short, Riyadh should learn from the negatives of Al-Ahsa and from the mistakes of the Eastern Province that led its secretary, Eng. Fahd Al-Jubair, to decide to cancel its operator's contract!
