SMC Cares App now integrates Sibu’s Smart Parking System as Sibu moves to full digital public parking
Sibu residents and visitors will soon fully use the Sibu Municipal Council’s (SMC) new On-Street Smart Parking System which will had been fully integrated into the SMC Cares app.
The app, launched on December 29, 2025, had allowed users to do parking fees payment for about six months, with it now soon to officially replace the traditional parking coupons from 1 July 2026 onwards.
Physical parking coupons will no longer be usable or puchasable from 30 June 2026.
SMC noted that those who have unused physical parking coupons can be redeem it for credits at designated SMC Multi-Storey Car Park counter along Jalan Wong Nai Siong until the end of 2026. However redemption of unused physical parking coupons will be based on previously announced eligible serial numbers and years.
Rates under the SMC Smart Parking System
There are no changes of parking rates despite the shift to Sibu SMC Cares App Smart Parking System.
However, parking on public carparks will be charged from 8am to 5pm without any break. This means the previous free parking from 12pm to 1.30pm will be a thing of the past in July 2026 onwards.
Additionally, central business district (CBD) Zone Season Pass are also available at RM80 per month, excluding tax.
CBD areas are the Central Business District, Waterfront (Lau King Howe), Kampung Datu, Jalan Chengal, Sibu Town Square and Sibu Town Square (government).
A non-CBD Zone Season Pass is also available at RM40 per month, excluding tax, but is valid only at designated non-CBD zone parking areas, namely Dewan Suarah, Farley Commercial Area, Jalan Mahsuri, Jalan Merdeka, Jalan Pahlawan, KPJ, Pedada 4 (Kim Hock), Pedada 7 (Sri Minyak), Pusat Chew Siik Hiong, Pusat Medan, Pusat Pedada, Pusat Tanahwang, Rejang Park, Sungai Merah Bazaar and Suria Permata.
Season parking passes are not yet available at writing time and would be only finalized in July 2026.
What is the SMC Smart Parking System?
The new system allows drivers to pay for on-street parking directly through the updated SMC Cares smartphone application, available on both Google Play Store and Apple App Store.
Key features include:
- Cashless electronic payments for on-street parking.
- Purchase of monthly or seasonal parking passes.
- Real-time session management and location-based parking selection.
- Conversion of valid old physical coupons into digital credits during the transition period.
To ensure the rollout is smooth, SMC has been preparing parking bays across the Sibu town centre, including areas like Dataran Tun Tuanku Bujang, with fresh markings ahead of the rollout.
The SMC Cares app usage had started parking areas in the Sibu central business district and is currently expanding citywide.
Benefits for Drivers and the Environment
Aside from leaping into the digital parking system, the Sibu new parking system does offer greater benefits. Among the are listed below.
- Convenience: No more hunting for coupons or rushing back to vehicles to display them. Start and end parking sessions with a few taps on your phone.
- Time-Saving: Reduces queues at counters and eliminates physical ticket hassles.
- Eco-Friendly: Promotes a paperless system, cutting down on printed coupons.
- Better Enforcement and Revenue: Digital tracking helps improve traffic flow and municipal efficiency.
Deputy Chairman Mohammed Abdullah Izkandar Roseley and Chairman Clarence Ting have highlighted the app as a cornerstone of SMC’s digital transformation, aiming for a more liveable and sustainable Sibu.
How to Get Started with SMC Cares App
If you are new to the app, then here’s a quick guide on how you can start using the new Sibu Digital parking System.
- Download or update SMC Cares from the App Store or Google Play.
- Register with your details and verify via OTP.
- Set up a PIN for secure payments.
- Locate your parking spot, select your vehicle, and start the session.
Parking in Sibu: From Manual Coupons to Digital Era
Over the past five decades, Sibu and the larger Sarawak parking systems have evolved significantly alongside urban growth.
In the 1970s and 1980s, parking was largely unregulated or managed through basic manual ticketing and attendants in growing commercial areas.
By the 1990s and early 2000s, physical parking coupons became the standard across Sarawak towns, including Sibu, requiring drivers to purchase and display pre-paid tabs for on-street parking – a system that was simple but often led to inconveniences like expired coupons, lost tickets, and enforcement challenges.
Multi-storey carparks introduced season passes, but the coupon-based street parking persisted as the dominant method for decades.
The 2010s saw gradual digital experiments in other Sarawak towns like Miri and Bintulu with apps such as BorneoPark, pressuring Sibu to modernize.
SMC’s 2025-2026 rollout of the SMC Cares smart parking system represents the culmination of this evolution, embracing cashless technology for efficiency, sustainability, and a smarter urban future, while Kuching went fully digital for public parking space in January 2026 with the introduction of the Pay&Go App.
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