The Kota Kinabalu City Hall (DBKK) has reminded the public that more than 20,000 parking bays are available across the city centre and surrounding areas, urging motorists to fully utilise the facilities provided for smoother traffic flow and improved safety.
In a statement, DBKK said parking facilities in the city centre have been adequately provided to ensure convenience for road users, ease congestion and support business activities in the capital of Sabah.
The authority currently offers around 4,005 public parking bays within the city centre, in addition to multi-storey parking facilities at KK Plaza (452 bays), Menara Jubili (276 bays) and KK Sentral (499 bays), each charged at RM1 per hour.
Beyond council-managed spaces, DBKK noted that private commercial buildings also contribute significantly, providing over 19,000 additional parking bays across key developments in the city.
Among them are The Shore (711 bays), Wisma Sabah (125), Wisma Merdeka (752), Warisan Square (510), Suria Sabah (2,016), Riverson (760), Plaza Shell (550), Oceanus (815), KK Times Square (3,287), Jesselton Quay (1,148), Jesselton Mall (910), Imago (1,795), Kompleks Asia City (1,581), Centre Point (1,376) and Api-Api Centre (1,480), with charges ranging between RM2 and RM4 for the first few hours.
Despite the wide availability of parking spaces, DBKK expressed concern that some motorists continue to park illegally along roadsides, junctions, pedestrian walkways and other restricted areas, causing obstruction and traffic congestion.
The council said such behaviour not only disrupts traffic flow but also poses safety risks to other road users and may damage public infrastructure such as landscaping, pavements and road dividers.
DBKK stressed that enforcement actions are carried out in stages in accordance with standard operating procedures, including issuing warnings via siren or loudspeaker announcements to allow vehicle owners to move their cars.
If owners fail to comply, compound notices will be issued, while vehicles causing obstruction, repeated offences or safety risks may be towed as a last resort after proper procedures are followed.
The public is also reminded that walking a reasonable distance from parking areas to destinations is a common practice in major cities worldwide, and should be embraced to support better urban mobility.
DBKK urged all road users to park only in designated spaces, plan their journeys properly and cooperate with regulations to ensure a more orderly and efficient city environment.
It added that public cooperation is essential in maintaining Kota Kinabalu as a clean, safe, organised and user-friendly city.
