Sharjah: Free midday parking in Sharjah could soon end as new signs showing paid parking timings from 8am to 10pm are coming up in various areas.
Currently, parking is free between 1pm to 5pm, which has been the case for many years. However, last November, the Sharjah Municipal Council had taken a decision to end free midday parking, as reported by Gulf News.
Officials had then said the move would prevent motorists from occupying parking spaces for the whole day, which restricts the flow of shoppers and visitors in busy areas.
Authorities had said free midday parking would be discontinued after the council’s decision is published in the official gazette, to ensure the public is made aware about the new rules.
However, no specific date was mentioned for the new timings to come into effect. Ultimately, more open parking spaces will be available for shoppers, especially around vital and commercial zones, officials had said.
Now that the new signs are coming up, residents are expecting the change to come imminently.
On Thursday, signs could be seen being installed in Maisaloon area on Thursday. A motorist who lives on Jamal Abdul Nasser Street said he also saw the new signs — which are orange instead of the usual yellow — on Al Wahda Street and Buhairah Corniche.
Some of the signs also show Ramadan timings, from 8am to midnight.
Emirati motorist Ali Rashid, 38, said: “There is a plus side, which is that it will be easier to find vacant parking spaces, especially in busy areas, in the afternoon. The down side is, of course, that you will have to pay for that time.”
Last May, Dubai closed the free midday parking window, enforcing paid parking hours from 8am to 10pm.
