Sharjah: 10-minute grace period for every new use of public parking

Sharjah: Drivers in Sharjah will continue to benefit from a 10-minute grace period each time they use a public parking space, even when moving from one location to another, according to a senior municipal official.

Hamed Al Qaed, Director of Public Parking at Sharjah City Municipality, told the radio program Al Khatt Al Mubasher that Sharjah Municipal system grants users a fresh 10-minute window with every new parking session before any violation is recorded. 

The allowance, he said, is designed to support motorists who may need just a few minutes to run quick errands.

Al Qaed explained that Sharjah’s digital scanning vehicles, which monitor paid parking zones, follow a two-step process.

“The vehicle takes an initial reading of all cars in the area, then returns after ten minutes for a second reading,” he said. 

“If payment has been made within those ten minutes, no violation is issued. These ten minutes are always granted, whether the monitoring is done by a scanning vehicle or by an inspector on foot.”

He emphasized that the grace period applies even when drivers move from one spot to another.

Each time the scanning system registers a vehicle in a new location, it reviews previous readings in the zone. 

If the car is identified as parked there for the first time, the system automatically grants a new 10-minute window. 

If the vehicle had been scanned earlier in the same area, the system still renews the grace period upon detecting the fresh entry.

Al Qaed said, “Sharjah’s parking system continues to ensure that users are given this fair opportunity before any fines are applied.”