Sharjah: Sharjah police have said it will slap a Dh500 fine and four black points on motorists whose vehicles are found haphazardly parked in parking spots or double parked in busy roads.
The new campaign is specifically aimed at creating a new sense of order amid traffic confusion created by some people who park their cars in front of mosques, especially during Friday prayers, and hinder the flow of traffic.
Gulf News reader, Vivek K., a resident of the Al Nahda area made a plea to Sharjah police to put an end to a common problem — cars being parked randomly and blocking other cars. The scene is a common one for many vehicle owners who have had their cars blocked for long periods of time. There have been cases when drivers in an emergency were unable to get their cars out.
Vivek said “I’m residing in the Al Nahda area, Sharjah and have to park my car in an unused sandy patch nearby. On several occasions I have noticed some uncivilised behaviour by the residents. They park their cars in a way that obstructs the path for other vehicles. It gets hard to exit the parking area.
“A few days ago, one person parked his car in a way that it blocked my car completely. I couldn’t leave and had to call the police. They then called the car owner, who reached after half an hour. I asked him why he had parked his vehicle in a manner that is causing inconvenience to others. He was quite rude in response to my query. The next day, this person had parked in a way that blocked another vehicle.
“I think this is a complete waste of time, not just for the police but also for the law-abiding residents who care to park properly. Some people believe that the authorities will act as watchmen of their housing society. Insensitive drivers who display a habit of parking their vehicles where they please are in for a rude awakening, pledge Sharjah Police.”
Authorities warned motorists that errant drivers who flout parking space designations and general road signs will feel the full force of the law as part of a crackdown on parking misfits.
The crackdown comes on the heels of an awareness campaign started on September 21 to educate the public about the dangers of random parking.
Lt Col Ahmad Bin Darwish, acting director of the Traffic and Patrol Department, said parking haphazardly or in the middle of the road will also invite a fine of Dh500 and four black points, according to article No 41 of the law,
“The department has been obliged to implement these stricter rules as many drivers were seen parking their cars randomly, taking advantage of the fact that the traffic police earlier did not penalise drivers who parked their vehicles improperly during prayer time.
He said random parking also prevents police patrols from reaching destinations during emergencies.
Booklets and brochures on road safety were distributed to road users as part of the earlier campaign.
