Sibu: The Sibu Municipal Council (SMC) will introduce a grace period of between five and 10 minutes for motorists using the SMC Cares Smart Parking system before an Over Parking Notice (OPN) is issued, following public complaints over compounds being issued too quickly after parking. According to BERNAMA News Agency, SMC Chairman Clarence Ting Ing Horh stated that the council had instructed the system provider, Primal Solution Sdn Bhd, to study the implementation of the grace period to allow motorists sufficient time to activate parking through the mobile application. "We understand that users need time to park, exit their vehicles and activate the app. We want to make the system more user-friendly and convenient, not to penalise the public," Ting mentioned at a press conference at his office. The council has also agreed to introduce a Senior Citizen Parking Pass for motorists aged 60 and above from August, with details to be announced separately. Ting emphasized the importance of public feedback in improvi ng the smart parking system and urged users to channel complaints directly to SMC rather than relying on unverified information circulating on social media. Motorists who believe an OPN has been wrongly issued, due to reasons such as registration number errors, can submit an appeal to the council for review. Ting assured that every notice is supported by photographic evidence stored in the system. He clarified that parking wardens appointed by the contractor are only authorized to enforce parking-related offences, such as unpaid parking, expired parking time, and overparking. Enforcement against illegal parking, including obstruction of traffic, remains under SMC's enforcement division and the police, dismissing claims on social media that parking wardens were issuing illegal parking compounds. "We had instructed the contractor to ensure parking wardens were more approachable in assisting members of the public unfamiliar with the application," Ting explained, adding that they were directed not to wear face coverings except for valid medical reasons. The public can seek assistance at a dedicated SMC Cares counter at the Sibu Public Library, where staff are available to guide users on registering and using the application. Ting addressed allegations regarding Sibu having the state's highest parking charges, noting that comparisons showed the city's parking rates remain competitive with those imposed by other local authorities in Sarawak. He added that all parking revenue collected through the smart parking system is paid directly to SMC, with the contractor remunerated separately under a service contract. The SMC Cares Smart Parking system has registered more than 93,000 users since its introduction, with expectations to exceed the initial target of 100,000 by year-end. The council's announcement comes in response to widespread public criticism on social media following the full implementation of the SMC Cares Smart Parking system earlier this month. Many users expressed frustration over difficulties using the application, citing operational and technical issues that affected the overall user experience. Complaints included a complicated registration process, particularly for senior citizens, an unfriendly user interface, slow system performance, automatic log-outs, delays in payment processing, and compounds being issued before motorists could complete their parking payments.