BLITAR – The proposed free parking plan at RSUD Mardi Waluyo in Blitar City has entered a detailed review stage. Hospital officials want to help patient escorts while following national road regulations.
Parking fees at the public hospital have long triggered complaints from visitors and patient families. Many residents object to paying parking charges for short visits.
Acting Director of RSUD Mardi Waluyo, Bernard Theodore Ratulangi, said the hospital initially planned to reorganize its parking system and vehicle gates. However, the process became more complicated after officials discovered the road in front of the hospital belongs to the national road network.
“We recently learned that the road in front of the hospital has national road status. That means the permit process must go directly to the central government,” Bernard said.
According to him, national road regulations prohibit parking gate posts from standing too close to the roadside. Authorities require a buffer space of around 12 meters between the road and vehicle access points.
Because of those rules, the hospital must redesign its original parking layout proposal. Bernard explained that even simple traffic arrangements now require several permits and traffic impact studies.
“We have to revise the original plan again. Even parking and gate management require multiple permits,” he explained.
The hospital currently continues discussions regarding a Traffic Impact Analysis, locally known as Amdal Lalin, before implementing permanent parking system changes.
Despite the regulatory obstacles, RSUD Mardi Waluyo has prepared a temporary solution for patient escorts. Hospital management plans to provide a grace period of around 10 to 15 minutes for vehicles entering the area.
Under the proposed system, drivers who only drop off patients within the time limit would not need to pay parking fees.
Bernard said the policy would also help online motorcycle taxi drivers who often assist patients by purchasing medicine or handling short errands.
“It would feel unfair if someone only escorts a patient briefly and still has to pay parking fees,” he said.
The system would use parking tickets with digital entry and exit time records. Officers would then calculate the duration automatically before deciding whether the vehicle qualifies for free parking access.
Hospital officials are still coordinating the technical details with the cooperative responsible for managing parking operations inside the hospital complex.
Bernard expressed hope that the new policy could start next month if discussions and permit adjustments proceed smoothly.
The plan reflects growing public attention toward hospital accessibility and affordable services, especially for residents who rely heavily on public healthcare facilities in Blitar City.