Guidelines already taken into account parking necessity

SHAH ALAM - The planning guidelines for each housing area had already taken into account the need for a private parking space by ensuring that a building in front of one's house is at least 6,096 metres away.

Universiti Malaya Urban and Regional Planning Department Senior Lecturer Dr Nikmatul Adha Nordin however said renovations done by house owners had taken up the space that should have been used to park their vehicles.

She argued that it was the reason many had ended up parking their vehicles outside the gate.

"The problem happens when homeowners modify their homes adding structures on the front taking up parking space provided by developers.

"When there is not enough space to park the car, they start parking outside the gate," she told Sinar Harian yesterday.

However, Nikmatul believed that the local authority (PBT) had given discretion to house owners to renovate or extend their houses so long as it did not trouble their neighbours.

Hence, she found that the prohibition on parking in public space as well as in front of one's own house which will be implemented, a great move.

Nikmatul said it took into account the public safety risk and also prevented disturbance to neighbours.

"However, under any circumstance, enforcement is important in terms of both home renovations and also parking vehicles as well as placing decorative trees outside the house.

"The root of it is the awareness of home and vehicle owners because we are sharing a public space," she said.