Sharjah: Access to parks in Sharjah's residential areas will next month be limited to holders of ID cards issued by the Municipality as proof of their residence in the emirate.
Sharjah Municipality will start implementing the new rule as of May 1.
Some 1,085 identification cards have been issued so far by the Municipality to families wishing to access neighbourhood parks.
Residents in other emirates will not be allowed in unless accompanied by a card holder who is a resident of Sharjah, cards will checked at park entrances.
"From May, only subscription card holders will be able to visit any neighbourhood park," said Abdullah Al Ameri, Director-General for Sharjah Municipality.
To apply for the free subscription cards, residents have to provide the municipality with a tenancy contract to prove they are residents of Sharjah. Members who misuse the subscription card will face a fine of Dh500.
Sharjah Municipality has issued the free subscription cards to families for all residential public parks to prevent access from unwanted visitors, after a series of complaints were lodged by families informing authorities of disturbances.
Municipality authorities, nevertheless, stress that visitors from other emirates, if accompanied by the card holder, can still have access to public parks.
However, parks that have an entry fee will not be affected and will continue to be open for residents from all emirates.
As part of its move to ensure families' safety in parks, the municipality aims to post community workers in 57 parks.
More than 14 UAE national women have applied for the job, and municipality authorities are reviewing the best candidates for the position.
The need for community workers was brought about via an order from Sharjah's ruler to provide a service to raise awareness to visitors on how they should act and behave in public.
