Sharjah: Free midday parking on weekdays will be cancelled in the emirate from 1pm to 5pm after a decision by the Sharjah Municipal Council at a meeting on Sunday.
Paid parking is currently in effect across Sharjah city from 10am to 1pm and is free from 1pm to 5pm.
Paid parking begins at 5pm to 10pm daily.
All public parking, however, will become paid throughout the day when the new changes come into force, said the Sharjah Municipality on its website on Sunday.
The rationale behind the move is to allow commercial shops and souqs to have open parking spaces near their premises to keep shoppers flowing in and out of their neighbourhoods.
Free parking in the middle of the day has led to some motorists abusing the parking and staying in the spaces for days at a time, clogging commercial areas and blocking parking spaces, said municipal officials.
Eliminating free parking will stop people who were misusing the parking spaces and parking there all day.
Ultimately, more open parking spaces will be available for shoppers, especially around vital and commercial zones, officials said.
Officials said that the decision was made as some people misuse these slots causing traffic obstruction on the roads.
The ban on free parking will be official after the council decision is published in the official gazette to make sure the public is made aware about the new rules, said officials.
