Gulf Today, Staff Reporter
The Sharjah Municipality (SM) announced on Saturday that 5,857 prepaid parking lots in a number of areas in the emirates would be subjecting to parking fees all days including weekends and holidays. Usually, parking is free in paid spaces on Fridays and public holidays.
The move, which comes within the second phase of the total number of parking spaces intended to be subject to same system, aims at providing parking lots for the public by making them available at all times and preventing misuse of them.
Ali Ahmed Abu Ghazin, Director of the Public Parking Department, explained that the parking lots that subject to fees on all days of the week and public holidays are marked by blue signs installed on the signage signs in those areas.
The decision includes all streets in Al Ghuwair area, internal streets in Al Shuwaihiyyin, Al Zahra Street in Al Musalla and Al Ghuwair areas, Al Khaleej Al Arabi Street in Al Nabba, Al Ghuwair, Al Majarah and Al Shuwaihiyyen areas, Al Marija Street in Al Mureija and Al Jubail areas, Al Wehda Street in Al Nahda and Al Majaz 2 areas, Al Corniche Street in Al Majaz 1, 2 and 3, Jamal Abdul Nasser Street in both directions in Al Majaz 2, and Al Ittihad Street in Al Nahda area, he added.
Abu Ghazin stated that the Sharjah Municipality provides more than 50,000 prepaid parking lots subject to fees in various areas of Sharjah, while work is underway to add 3,500 parking lots in the areas of Al Khan and Al Mamzar.
He further pointed out that the Sharjah Municipality provides many means to pay fees, including coins via the top-up machine, SMSs, prepaid cards, or via an electronic portfolio that will be launched soon. Customer are also opt to pay through various seasonal subscriptions offered by the Sharjah Municipality, Abu Ghazin said.