Illegal parking attendants and parking (mis)management: A case study in Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia

The presence of illegal parking attendants (IPAs) in Padang, Indonesia, indicates the practice of parking mismanagement. This study explored why the Padang government cannot control the widespread menace of IPAs using an interpretive approach based on mixed qualitative research. Data collection techniques were conducted through interviews with three different types of respondents. In addition, observations were made to further understand the phenomenon and triangulate the interview findings. The results revealed 3 indicators of parking mismanagement practice: (1) the inappropriate cash flow mechanism of parking charges, (2) the parking signs limitation, and (3) the weak law enforcement. Handling the IPA problem is a part of city development planning that all departments in the local government must pay attention of. The widespread existence of IPAs represents parking mismanagement and local government failure. We call for all the relevant departments and authorities to discuss and collaborate in finding a comprehensive solution to the IPA problem that has impacted Padang's tourism industry. We propose beneficial parking management design, technology utilization, and cashless procedures to overcome this problem.